Flared Cylinder Patents (Class 460/67)
  • Patent number: 10791676
    Abstract: A modular axle assembly for supporting wheels of an agricultural vehicle, such as a combine harvester. The modular axle assembly includes a first tube, a second tube parallel to the first tube, and at least one bracket connecting the first tube and the second tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Stanley Reyburn, Joseph Russell Woelfling, Kenneth Allan Ellis, Scott Woytera, Patrick Piens
  • Patent number: 10420285
    Abstract: A transition device for a combine harvester includes a body having an inlet end and an outlet end. A plurality of vanes are positioned on an interior facing surface of the body for guiding crop material through the transition device. Each vane has a first end positioned either on or adjacent the inlet end of the body and a second end positioned either on or adjacent the outlet end of the body. An arc length between the first ends of two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes is less than or equal to an arc length between the second ends of the two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes, such that the crop material can expand between the two adjacent vanes upon travelling along a trajectory from the inlet end to the outlet end of the transition device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Wayne Thomas Flickinger, Herbert Max Farley
  • Patent number: 10244784
    Abstract: A root crop washer has a rotatable washing drum which is partially immersed in a water trough, and a stone separator mounted before an inlet of the drum. A loading hopper is provided for delivering a root crop to the stone separator. An elevator is mounted at an outlet of the washing drum for discharge of cleaned produce from an outlet of the washing drum. Rotating paddles within the stone separator impart a swirling motion about a vertical axis to water in the stone separator. The root crop is supported by the water and moved around an inner sidewall of the stone separator between an inlet and an outlet of the stone separator. At the same time unwanted heavier material such as stones and clay falls downwardly through the stone separator for discharge through a waste outlet at a bottom of the stone separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Inventor: Simon Cross
  • Patent number: 10238038
    Abstract: Disclosed is a harvesting combine rotor cage top cover assembly that includes an overhead roof formed from a substantially horizontal flat section and downwardly angled side sections. A series of substantially parallel vanes are located beneath the overhead roof. Each vane is formed from a substantially flat top section located against the roof horizontal flat section and downwardly laterally extending legs being angled on their sides and having an arcuate bottom. The sides of the vanes are rotatable about a central pivot for promoting or retarding the flow of material in the rotor cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Tribine Industries LLC
    Inventors: Robert A. Matousek, Bryan S. Claerhout
  • Patent number: 9179603
    Abstract: A method comprising rotating a rotor to expel, radially, a mixture of grain and material other than grain (MOG) from the rotor and past a rotor cage encircling the rotor; causing an air flow in a substantially arcuate channel defined by the rotor cage, a first cover assembly covering a substantial portion of the rotor cage, and a passive sieve, to entrain a first portion of the MOG; capturing a first portion of the grain with the first cover assembly and plural vanes located along the length and on the interior surface of the first cover assembly, the captured grain sliding by gravity along the vanes to the passive sieve, the captured grain comprising threshed and unthreshed portions; enabling the passage of the captured grain through the passive sieve and into a second channel within which a grain conveying assembly is disposed; conveying with the grain conveying assembly the passed, unthreshed portion rearwardly; and conveying with the grain conveying assembly the passed, threshed portion forwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventor: Bernard D. Regier
  • Patent number: 8075377
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved threshing and separating mechanism and method for a combine. The mechanism includes an elongated rotor mounted for rotation about a rotor axis within a rotor housing on the combine. The rotor has a threshing portion and a separating portion. The housing has a threshing section and a separating section corresponding to the threshing portion and the separating portion. The housing surrounds the rotor and is spaced from the rotor to form an annular space between the rotor and the housing for crop material to flow through in an axial crop flow direction from an inlet end of the housing to an outlet end of the housing. A rear portion of the rotor is tapered in a rearward direction to create an increased volume at the outlet of the rotor housing to prevent stagnation of flow of straw material in the transition of velocity between the housing outlet and the straw beater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Glenn Pope, Aaron Bruns
  • Patent number: 8021219
    Abstract: A threshing and separating mechanism for a combine includes an elongated rotor mounted for rotation about a rotor axis on the combine within a rotor housing. The rotor has a threshing portion and a separating portion. The housing has a threshing section and a separating section corresponding to the threshing portion and the separating portion. The housing surrounds the rotor and is spaced from the rotor to form an annular space between the rotor and the housing for crop material to flow through in an axial crop flow direction from an inlet end of the housing to an outlet end of the housing. The housing includes a smooth transition section between the threshing section and the separating section of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Deere and Company
    Inventors: Glenn Pope, Aaron Bruns
  • Patent number: 7585212
    Abstract: A front rotor inlet section for a rotor of an agricultural combine, including anti-wind features for preventing winding or wrapping of plant materials about a front bearing therearound, and features for providing a straw ejecting capability, including at least one radially outwardly extending slot in a protuberance located adjacent to the front bearing and operable for conveying plant material to a radial outer region of the inlet section, and at least one shoulder or lip on the radial outer region extending at least partially circumferentially therearound and rearwardly, for conveying the crop material rearwardly away from the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventor: Dale R. Tanis
  • Patent number: 6884161
    Abstract: A rotary crop processing unit for a combine is shown having a generally cylindrical rotor within a frusto-conical housing. The rotor is arranged in the housing with a generally constant gap between the rotor and the bottom of the housing along the housing length and with an increasing gap between the rotor and the top of the housing in the crop flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Moriarty
  • Publication number: 20020193155
    Abstract: A rotary crop processing unit for a combine is shown having a generally cylindrical rotor within a frusto-conical housing. The rotor is arranged in the housing with a generally constant gap between the rotor and the bottom of the housing along the housing length and with an increasing gap between the rotor and the top of the housing in the crop flow direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Moriarty
  • Patent number: 6468152
    Abstract: A rotary crop processing unit for a combine is having a generally cylindrical rotor within a frusto-conical housing. The rotor is arranged in the housing with a generally constant gap between the rotor and the bottom of the housing along the housing length and with an increasing gap between the rotor and the top of the housing in the crop flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Moriarty
  • Patent number: 6129629
    Abstract: The present invention describes an intake zone (4a) for an axial separator (4) consisting of a rotor (6) that is configured as a cone in its front area, is tapered in the direction of the flow of materials and has a sleeve (12, 13, 16) or an intake zone for a similar axial flow threshing and separating device having at least one similar separating rotor (6) arranged downstream from a single or multi-cylinder threshing machine with a feed cylinder (3) connected thereto. The upper sleeve (12) of the intake zone (4a) has a semi-circular cross-section at the beginning of the rotor intake continuously running as far as the end of the intake zone (20) into an eccentric cross-section corresponding to the cross-section of the remaining upper sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Dammann, Franz Heidjann, Bodo Kuhn
  • Patent number: 5257959
    Abstract: A door assembly for a rotary combine having a crop receiving and generally tubular rotor casing defining an elongated axis, a rotor coaxially disposed within the casing, and a vaned impeller arranged at a forward end of the rotor. The door assembly extends across and at least partially closes a forward open end of the casing. At least a portion of the door assembly has a flighted and ramped configuration extending circumferentially about its outermost edge for positively moving crop material axially rearward through the rotor casing to reduce crop material repeat on the downward rotational direction side and improving endwind efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1993
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventor: Dale R. Tanis
  • Patent number: 5145461
    Abstract: A door assembly for an axial-flow combine having a crop receiving and generally tubular rotor casting defining an elongated axis, a rotor coaxially disposed within the casing, and a vaned impeller arranged at a forward end of the rotor. The door assembly extends across and at least partially closes a forward open end of the casing. At least a portion of the door assembly has a surface configuration extending circumferentially about its outermost edge for positively moving crop material axially rearward through the rotor casing to reduce crop material repeat on the downward rotational direction side and improving endwind efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventor: Dale R. Tanis
  • Patent number: 5045025
    Abstract: A combine for cutting and threshing grain has an axial flow threshing drum. A feeder head mounts to the forward end of the threshing drum. Impellers on the feeder head push grain into the threshing drum housing and also provide threshing. Rasp bars on the feeder head thresh the crop prior to reaching the threshing drum while pushing the crop through perforations in the feeder housing. The feeder housing and threshing drum housing rotate, but at a slower speed than the threshing drum. A brake will prevent the threshing drum housing from rotating at an excessive speed. Clearances between the threshing drum and threshing drum housing, and clearances between the feeder head rasp bars and feeder housing, ca be adjusted for different crop conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1991
    Assignee: Probe Adventures, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark R. Underwood
  • Patent number: 4993991
    Abstract: A distinguishing feature of the threshing unit resides in its concave (4) being made up of a number of independent sections (5 and 6) arranged on both sides of the threshing cylinder rotor (1) longitudinal axis. The first section (5) of the concave (4), as along the direction of the cylinder rotation, is fixed rigidly with respect to the cylinder (1), while the other section (6) is articulated with respect to the first section (5) and has a device (7) for adjusting the outlet threshing clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Inventors: Jury N. Yarmashev, Vladimir A. Zapandi, Valentin N. Tkachev, Vladimir K. Zhurkin
  • Patent number: 4986794
    Abstract: An axial-flow combine with an improved rotor assembly which is configured to be less sensitive to crop material conditions. The rotor assembly includes a rotor casing with a rotor rotatably arranged therewithin. At its forward end, the rotor casing is provided with a transition section having a forward crop receiving end and an aft end. The rotor is provided with an impeller section which leads in a downstream direction to a threshing section. The impeller section of the rotor includes a plurality of impeller blades arranged within the transition section of the rotor assembly. A rearward end of each blade terminates upstream of the aft end of the transition section whereby allowing threshing instrumentalities on the threshing section of the rotor to extend into the transition section thereby extending the threshing area of the rotor thus enhancing crop material flow through the rotor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1991
    Assignee: J. I. Case Company
    Inventor: Jonathan E. Ricketts