Abstract: An axial flow combine harvester comprises a rotor having a separator section which can be adapted to suit different crops. Within the separator section staggered crop engaging elements are spaced from one another along a first helical crop flow path. The crop flow path can be modified to suit crops such as corn and sunflowers by attaching at least one separator blade to the rotor in place of or in addition to selected crop engaging elements of the rotor. The separator blade forms a continuous crop engaging surface defining a second helical crop flow path of greater pitch than the first path defined by the staggered strop engaging elements.

Abstract: A combine harvester comprises a threshing and separating arrangement mounted to a main frame and including a threshing or separating rotor co-operating with a curved threshing or separating concave. The harvester is provided with a grain sensor having a grain detection surface which is directed to a section of the concave for directly receiving part of the crop flow from the concave and to provide a signal indicative of the quantity of grain kernels in the crop flow. The plane of the detection surface and the plane tangent to the concave section intersect at an acute angle (&bgr;). This orientation deviates the crop material sideways, such that it does not tend to stick between the concave and the detection surface itself.

Abstract: A combine harvester comprises a threshing and separating arrangement mounted to a main frame, which includes a generally cylindrical chamber having a generally longitudinal axis, and a separating concave assembly. The arrangement further includes a rotor assembly mounted for rotation in the chamber and comprising a generally cylindrical rotor body with a separating section associated with the separating concave assembly. This separating section comprises a plurality of longitudinal elements having a leading, generally longitudinally arranged crop engaging face and a plurality of transverse elements having a generally transversely arranged crop engaging edge. The transverse elements assist in preventing the roping of crop material between the rotor and the separating concave assembly.

Abstract: A combine harvester comprises a threshing and separating arrangement mounted to a main firm and including a generally cylindrical chamber having a generally longitudinal axis. Part of the chamber is constituted by a separating concave assembly comprising at least two separating concaves, the one located behind the other. The concaves are taken from a choice of less and more aggressive separating concaves. The chamber comprises mounting device operable to receive and hold each of the separating concaves. The front and/or the rear concaves can be removed and replaced.

Abstract: An axial flow harvesting machine having at least one generally cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted within a casing and operable, in conjunction with the casing, to thresh and separate grain from straw material, and a plurality of threshing elements provided around the periphery of the rotor is disclosed wherein the threshing elements are staggered along the axis of the rotor and configured for optimum crop flow along the rotor. The threshing elements are also arranged to overlap axially, and preferably also circumferentially, with respect to the associated rotor.