Abstract: A cleaning section of an agricultural harvester. The cleaning section including a sieve, a plurality of load sensors, and a sieve slope compensating system. The sieve is positioned in the harvester to receive crop material from a threshing section. The plurality of load sensors are coupled to the sieve. The load sensors are configured to produce signals representative of a distributed load of the crop material on the sieve. The sieve slope compensating system is configured to tilt or side shake the sieve dependent upon the signals.

Abstract: A combine harvester has a driving shoe arrangement. The driving shoe includes a preparation pan and one or more sieves, coupled to a drive mechanism for driving a reciprocating movement of the pan and sieves. The stroke of the reciprocating movement of the pan and/or sieves is adjustable, through the application of a drive mechanism including one or more pivotably mounted support arms for supporting the pan or sieve, and a drive arm connected to one of the support arms through an adjustable connection link. The adjustable connection link can be a variable length actuator whose length determines the stroke of the pan or sieve. The stroke of the pan or sieve can be adjusted during a harvesting run, thereby allowing a fast adjustment to changing external conditions such as the slope of the terrain.

Abstract: An apparatus that controls the position of a component of a mechanical system, such as an adjustable concave in a combine harvester, while at the same time exhibiting a safety function that is reversible without requiring a long downtime of the combine. The apparatus includes a control part and an auxiliary part, both pivotable about the same axis, and a force transmission part to maintain these two parts in an assembled state by a spring force, as long as the component is subjected to forces below a given limit. When the forces exceed the limit, the auxiliary part and the control part are configured to become separated in such a manner that they can be reassembled by the intervention of an actuator. The safety function of the apparatus resembles the operation of a shear bolt.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a grain processing section having a sieve assembly. The sieve assembly is driven in fore and aft oscillation by an eccentric rotation device while permitting side to side movement. A drive arm to the sieve assembly has a connection interface to the eccentric rotation device permitting side to side movement during fore and aft oscillation.

Abstract: A cleaning system for a harvester has a sieve that is moveable by a drive assembly that includes a rotary drive, —an eccentric device, a transmission connected to the eccentric device and to the sieve, which transmission cyclically varies the distance between the driving point of the eccentric device and the sieve coupling during each full rotation of the rotatable output shaft of the rotary drive, wherein, due to the cyclic variation of the distance between the driving point of the eccentric device and the sieve coupling, during each reciprocating sieve movement at least one of the accelerating portion of the throw stroke, the decelerating portion of the throw stroke, the accelerating portion of the return stroke and the decelerating portion of the return stroke has a duration that is different from the duration of at least one other of the portions of the reciprocating sieve movement.

Abstract: A combine harvester having a cleaning system for separating seeds from by-products, that includes a transmission having an annular member, that extends around a circular element of an eccentric device and is pivotable around said circular element, a second arm having a first end fixedly connected to the annular member, and a second end connected with a reciprocatable cleaner device of a second cleaner assembly, a first arm having a first end fixedly connected to the annular member, a first cleaner drive linkage has a first end pivotably connected to the second end of the first arm and a second end connected to a reciprocatable cleaner device of a first cleaner assembly, wherein the reciprocatable cleaner device of the second cleaner assembly and the reciprocatable cleaner device of the first cleaner assembly are reciprocatingly drivable by the cleaning system drive assembly in generally opposite directions.

Abstract: A spreader for a harvesting machine includes a pair of counter-rotating spreader units each having an impeller and a fan supported on a common shaft. A plenum routes at least part of the airflow from a first fan to merge with chaff exiting the opposite impeller and at least a part of the airflow from the opposite fan to merge with chaff exiting the impeller on the machine side of the first fan. In one embodiment all airflow from a fan is ducted to an impeller on the opposite side, while a second embodiment commingles airflow from both fans in a plenum from which portions of the mixed airflows is directed to the chaff exiting each impeller exit. In a third, embodiment an established airflow receives chaff from the impeller on the side on which that airflow is generated.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester including a chassis, a threshing and separating system for separating grain from MOG, and a grain cleaning system for further separating grain from residual MOG. The grain cleaning system has a main grain pan, an intermediate grain pan located beneath and rearward of the main grain pan, and at least one sieve located beneath and rearward of the intermediate grain pan. The main grain pan, the intermediate grain pan, and the at least one sieve are so arranged that the mixture of grain and residual MOG undergoes a first fall step from the main grain pan to the intermediate grain pan and a second fall step from the intermediate grain pan to the at least one sieve.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester is described, the harvester comprising a processor for receiving a flow of harvested crop and processing the harvested crop, an on-board tank for storing the processed crop, and a loading arrangement for transporting the flow of processed crop from the feeder to the on-board tank. The loading arrangement comprises an auger, the auger comprising a lower section with an inlet for receiving the flow of processed crop and an upper section with an outlet. The auger further comprises a tubular housing and an auger fighting mounted inside the tubular housing for, during use, transporting the flow of processed crop from the lower section to the upper section and outputting the processed crop via the outlet of the upper section. A clearance between the housing and the auger fighting is larger in the lower section of the auger compared to the upper section.

Abstract: A spreader arrangement for an agricultural harvester includes a pair of spreader discs, at least one cover plate and a windrow chute. The spreader discs are generally horizontally arranged and rotatable in a counter rotating manner. Each cover plate is positioned at a location above a respective spreader disc, and is operable to inhibit a flow of crop material to the respective spreader disc when positioned above the respective spreader disc. The windrow chute has an entrance end positioned below the pair of cover plates and above the pair of spreader discs, whereby crop material is discharged from the top of the cover plates into the windrow chute.

Abstract: A clean grain evacuation device for a grain harvester having a threshing system configured to separate grain harvested by the harvester from crop residue and direct a flow of the grain to a cleaning system disposed within the harvester including at least two sieves disposed and configured to sequentially clean the grain. The evacuation device is disposed for receiving a portion of the flow of the clean grain from a first of the sieves, and is configured to evacuate the received clean grain away from the cleaning system. The evacuation device can include a conveyor disposed for directing the evacuated grain directly to a desired location such as a clean grain receiving system on the harvester. The evacuation device can also be located in an air flow path to the sieves.

Abstract: A harvesting machine crop unloading spout assembly includes an unloading tube elbow terminating at a first end in a first flange that is secured to the outlet of a harvesting machine crop tank. The first flange includes one or more bearings permitting it to swivel about a swivel axis and the unloading tube elbow includes a cranked portion terminating at a second end in an opening. The spout assembly further includes a fixed member adjacent the unloading tube elbow, the unloading tube elbow connected to the fixed member by way of a pivot the axis of which coincides with the swivel axis. The spout assembly includes a rotatable drive gear and a motor drivingly engaged therewith for causing rotation of the unloading tube elbow about the swivel axis, the axis of rotation of the drive gear also coinciding with the swivel axis.

Abstract: A grain conveyor for a combine harvester capable of increasing capacity and reducing component wear is disclosed. The grain conveyor includes a grain elevator, a transition chamber and an auger assembly. The grain elevator has an inlet for receiving a flow of grain. The transition chamber includes an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the transition chamber inlet and the grain elevator inlet. The transition chamber outlet has an asymmetric non-circular opening larger than the non-cylindrical opening of the transition chamber inlet. The auger assembly is operatively connected to the transition chamber and includes an inlet for receiving a flow of grain and an outlet in fluid communication with the transition chamber inlet.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester including a feeder. The feeder is pivotally mounted to an intermediate frame with respect to a first axis of motion. The intermediate frame is pivotally mounted to a header mounting frame with respect to a second axis of motion. Pivoting around the first axis of motion and the second axis of motion allows a fore-aft movement and a lateral tilt movement. At least one lateral tilt actuator is provided to actuate the header mounting frame in the lateral tilt movement. At least two fore-aft actuators are provided for extending between a first set of mounting positions at the feeder and a second set of mounting positions at the header mounting frame to actuate the header mounting frame in the fore-aft movement.

Abstract: In a combine harvester the cleaning arrangement is placed above the threshing and separation system. Because more space is available there, the preparation means and the sieves of the cleaning arrangement can be made wider than the distance between the front wheels or tracks of the harvester. A supply such as one or more auger beds are provided underneath the threshing and separation system, for gathering the grain/residue mixture in a single location. From that location, an elevator transports the grain/residue mixture up towards the cleaning arrangement, where it is distributed over the width of said cleaning arrangement.

Abstract: An Agricultural vehicle has a frame supported by a front pair of wheels and a back pair of wheels, wherein the back pair of wheels are steerable and wherein each wheel of the back pair of wheels is connected to the frame via a respective intermediate support element that is pivotable with respect to the frame in such a manner that the back pair of wheels are movable between a first position wherein the back pair of wheels defines a first track width and are positioned at a first distance from the front pair of wheels, and a second position wherein the back pair of wheels defines a second track width and are positioned at a second distance from the front pair of wheels, wherein the first track width is larger than the second track width and wherein the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

Abstract: A cleaning assembly for a harvester operable to clean a crop while moving along a direction of the crop flow and comprising multiple cleaning sub-assemblies has a control system coupled to each of the cleaning sub-assemblies and operable to control the operation of each of the cleaning sub-assemblies in function of separate cleaning sub-assembly control settings for each of the cleaning sub-assemblies.

Abstract: A cleaning assembly for a harvester has a fan assembly with a fan and a first fan outlet and a second fan outlet, a first sieve assembly with at least one reciprocable sieve, an upstream end of the first sieve assembly near the first fan outlet such that air from the first fan outlet flows along the first sieve assembly and a direction of crop flow; and a second sieve assembly has at least one reciprocable sieve, an upstream stream end of the second sieve assembly near the second fan outlet such that the air from the second fan outlet flows along the second sieve assembly and the direction of crop flow, the second sieve assembly has a clean grain auger for receiving cleaned grain, and the first sieve assembly has a further clean grain auger arranged for receiving cleaned grain.

Abstract: A grain conveyor for a combine harvester capable of increasing capacity and reducing component wear is disclosed. The grain conveyor includes a grain elevator, a transition chamber and an auger assembly. The grain elevator has an inlet for receiving a flow of grain. The transition chamber includes an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the transition chamber inlet and the grain elevator inlet. The transition chamber outlet has an asymmetric non-circular opening larger than the non-cylindrical opening of the transition chamber inlet. The auger assembly is operatively connected to the transition chamber and includes an inlet for receiving a flow of grain and an outlet in fluid communication with the transition chamber inlet.

Abstract: A work machine with an internal combustion engine is provided with an air inlet for receiving combustion air, wherein an air pre-cleaner is mounted in the inlet, a radiator, a cooling air fan and a debris removal means, configured to remove debris from a flow of air produced by the cooling air fan through the radiator, the removal means comprising a screen for collecting the debris, and an aspirator for aspirating the debris away from the screen, and a venturi element mounted downstream of the aspirator, and having an inlet portion, a throat portion and an outlet portion, wherein a duc is mounted between the engine air pre-cleaner and the throat portion, so that particles removed by the pre-cleaner flow towards the throat portion, and out through the outlet portion of the venturi element, together with the aspirated debris.