Abstract: A cutter bar has spaced apart guards projecting forwardly therefrom with shearing edges cooperating with the sickle knife elements secured to two aligned sickle bars. An extension bar is secured to the inboard end of one of the sickle bars which extends in overlying relation to the inboard end of the other sickle bar. The extension carries several inverted knife elements which cooperate with upper shear edges on special guards at the inboard ends of the sickle bars.

Abstract: The threshing cylinder and the surrounding screened cage of an axial flow combine are transversely mounted on the combine and are of a greater axial length than the width of the cleaning section. Threshed material passing through the openings in the cage screen is distributed to a feeding slot above the cleaning section by distribution augers. An overfeed auger is positioned over the inlet to the cage so as to convey threshed material passing through the cylinder cage in the area above the feeder mechanism to a point alongside the feeder mechanism where it is discharged onto a wall sloping to a distribution auger. A pair of distribution augers serve to move threshed material from the bottom of the cage housing which extends laterally beyond the cleaning section laterally inwardly to the feeding slot.

Abstract: A cylinder cage of an axial flow combine has radial openings about its circumference permitting threshed material to leave the cage as the threshing cylinder is rotated. An agitator mechanism is provided to dislodge threshed material tending to accumulate on the top side of the cylinder cage. Once dislodged, the threshed material will fall to a distribution aguer which in turn delivers the threshed material to accelerator rolls disposed beneath the threshing cylinder and cylinder cage. The agitator includes a plurality of curved ribs or fingers spaced axially along and adjacent the outer periphery of the cylinder cage. The agitator fingers are rigidly secured to a backbone member, which in turn is supported on the main frame of the combine by a pair of parallel links. An oscillating device is connected to one of the parallel links causing it to swing horizontally back and forth which in turn effects oscillating movement of the agitator in the axial direction of the cylinder cage.

Abstract: A combine is provided with a threshing cylinder which rotates within a foraminous cage with a concave causing the grain to be separated from the severed crop. The separated grain chaff, and other small lightweight portions of the crop being harvested, pass through the concave and other parts of the cage and thence through a transverse slot. The material passing through the transverse slot is accelerated downwardly by a pair of counter-rotating accelerator rolls at substantially right angles to a rearward directed sheet or layer of air which serves to separate the lightweight material from the kernels of grain. The lightweight material is blown rearwardly over the cleaning shoe assembly of the combine and the heavier grain kernels continue in their downwardly direction impacting with the grain pan below the accelerator rolls.

Abstract: A loading apparatus for the grain tank or bin of an agricultural combine. The grain tank or bin is located in the upper part of the combine, and, in the illustrated embodiment, the grain bin comprises a main grain bin and a grain bin extension mounted above the main grain bin. Clean grain which has been separated from the straw, chaff, or the like, is conveyed by an elevating conveyor which discharges the grain into a relatively short horizontal fixed auger conveyor which is in grain feeding relation to an elongated pivotally mounted "floating" auger conveyor. The pivotally mounted floating auger conveyor extends from contiguous the laterally inner end of the horizontal auger conveyor and in overlying relation to the hollow interior of the bin and dischages into the bin at a substantially central location. The rotatable shaft of the horizontal auger conveyor is connected in driving relation to the rotatable shaft of the pivoted or floating auger conveyor by a universal drive joint.

Abstract: The threshed material leaving the threshing cylinder of a grain harvester or combine is accelerated into a transverse air stream by a pair of rolls. The rolls are disposed on parallel axes and are rotated at a relatively high speed in opposite directions whereby their confronting peripheries engage and accelerate the threshed material to a velocity substantially in excess of the speed at which such material would fall by gravity. A wide band of relatively high speed air is directed transversely through the accelerated material to provide a precleaning of straw and chaff from the material normally passing to the grain separation or cleaning shoe section of the combine. The grain in the accelerated material continues in a relatively straight line trajectory and the straw and chaff are separated from the grain by the transverse air stream.

Abstract: A grain loss monitor for a combine harvester derives a grain loss rate signal in accordance with the number of grains impinging on a transducer and a ground speed signal proportional to the ground speed of the combine and divides the former by the latter to derive an analog of grain loss per unit area which is independent of time.