Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~79983
1 COMBINE GRAIN TANK UNLOADING MECHANISM
This invention relates to an unloading mechanism for a com-
bine grain tank and particularly to a two-stage system consisting
of a generally upright auger conveyor carrying grain upwards from
the grain tank and a generally horizontal auger conveyor to carry
grain to a discharge point alongside the combine.
A particular advantage of such two-stage systems compared
with earlier conventional unloading systems, in which a single
auger conveyor extends outwards and upwards from a discharge
point at the bottom of a grain tank, is that they provide in-
herently more clearance for maneuvering trucks and wagons along-
side the combine and beneath the discharge point. This advantage
is enhanced if swivel means are provided for swingably adjusting
j the position of the unloading auger conveyor during the unloading
operation for better distribution of the grain in truck or
wagon. Other advantages are that, typically, these are closed
conveyor systems so that no grain is lost upon the ground if the
unloading auger conveyor is moved to transport position while
grain remains in the system, and t~e dxive need not be inter-
rupted while the unloading conveyor is being repositioned.
Typically, in two-stage systems, the unloading auger conveyor
is swung to a fore-and-aft position for transport, when it is de-
sirable to have it generally horizontal so as to maintain a mini-
mum overall transport height. In that case, however, it becomes
desirable when unloading for the discharge point to be elevated
somewhat with respect to the inner end of the unloading auger
conveyor to gain additional overhead clearance for the rece~ving
vehicle. In existing applications of the two-stage unloading
system concept, elevation of the unloading auger conveyor is
achieved by making the axis of its swivel means coaxial with the
axis of the upright auger conveyor but inclining the upright
auger conveyor to the rear. The angle between the unloading and
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1 upright auger conveyor is typically greater than 90 so that,
; when swung into the unloading zone, the unloading auger conveyor
becomes elevated above the horizontal. The disadvantage of this
approach is that the rearward inclination of the upright auger
conveyor and hence the fore-and-aft location of the unloading
zone are dependent on the angle of el~vation above the horizontal
chosen for the unloading auger conveyor when in the unloading
zone.
For transport it is convenient to swing the unloading auger
conveyor of a two-stage unloading system so that it lies fore and
aft along the upper edge of the grain tank and it is undesirable
that it extend beyond the rear of the combine. But when the
upright auger conveyor is inclined to the rear, rearward longi-
tudinal space available for securing the unloading auger conveyor
in transport position is severely limited.
Rearward inclination of the upright auger conveyor may also
place the unloading zone so far to the rear as to make it diffi-
cult for the operator to monitor the unloading operation, espe-
cially when unloading on the move.
These limitations are becoming increas;ngly significant as
combine field capacities continue to increase, grain tanks get
bigger and unloading auger conveyors heavier and longer.
As grain tanks become larger there is more tendency to use
tank configurations with more depth, both so as to avoid in-
creases in overall height of the co~bine and also to maintain a
low center of gravity for stability. An example of such a con-
figuration is the so-called saddle tank straddling the combine.
In such cases the outlet from the grain tank is often lower and
further to the rear than in previous designs, thus compounding
the problems arising from a rearward inclination of the upright
auger conveyor.
As unloading auger conveyors become longer there is an in-
creasing need for means of adjusting their angle of inclination
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1 to the horizontal, for example, to obtain proper register with
support means which may be provided on ~e co~bine to support
the unloading auger conveyor in the transport position. When
the angle between the axes of the unloading and upright auger
conveyor is fixed as in existing designs, provision of such an
adjustment is not practicable.
Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to devise
a two-stage unloading auger conveyor system free of the inherent
limitations of existing systems, so that the fore-and-aft loca-
tion of the unloading zone and the angle of elevation of the un-
loading auger conveyor above the horizontal when in the unloading
zone are not interdependent but can be determined by their sep-
arate functional requirements and consideration of the basic
dimensions of the vehicle concerned.
In the present invention, a transition housing is free to
swivel on a ring carried at the upper end of the upright auger
conveyor housing. The generally horizontal unloading auger con-
veyor is laterally offset from the upright auger conveyor and
rigidly attached to the transition housing with its axis generally
perpendicular to the swivel axis of the transition housing. The
drive for the unloading auger conveyor is taken from the upper
end of the upright auger conveyor, through a bevel gear case
carried partly within the transition housing, thence by drive
means, such as chain and sprocket, to a shaft extension of the
unloading auger conveyor, external to the transition housing.
Slinger paddles carried by the gear case input shaft assist the
flow of grain through the transition housing.
A feature of the invention is making the inclination of the
swivel axis of the transition housing, and hence the angle of
elevation of the unloading auger conveyor axis, independent of
the inclination of the axis of the upright auger conveyor. This
i~ facilitated by the introduction of a universal joint between
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1()79983
1 the end of the upright auger and the input shaft of the gear case
in the transition housing. Thus, in operation, if the swivel
, axis is inclined from the vertical, then, as the unloading auger
conveyor is swung or swiveled about the upright auger conveyor,
both the height of the discharge point of the unloading auger
conveyor and the angle between the axes of the upright and un-
loading auger conveyors change, and therefore the angle of in-
clination of the swivel axis can be chosen for optimum disposi-
tion of the unloading auger conveyor both in transport position
10 and in the unloading zone. For example, if the swivel axis is
;~ inclined away from the unloading side in a plane transverse to
the combine, or to the rear in a fore-and-aft plane, or is in-
clined in any plane between these two, then the height of the
discharge point will increase as the unloading auger is swung
towards the unloading zone.
; Accordingly, with the present invention, a desirable forward
location for the unloading zone may be achieved by inclining the
upright auger conveyor forward so that the transition housing is
immediately behind the operator station. A forward location for
20 the transition housing also makes a maximum of fore-and-aft space
' available for the transport position of a longer unloading auger
conveyor, while keeping it within the overall length of the com-
f bine. This is particularly valuable in a combine equipped with
an axial flow rotary separator when elimination of the conven-
tional straw walkers reduces overall length of the combine.
Another feature of the invention also derives from making the
' inclination of the swivel axis independent of the upright auger
} axis. Within the transition housing, the gear case input shaft
may further be independently inclined. Thus a designer may select
30 an angle for the input shaft to effect a favorable juxtaposition
of slinger paddles, upright and unloading augers for more effi-
cient grain transfer, and to achieve compactness in the drive
system and in the transition housing itself.
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1 Still another feature of the invention is to provide for ro-
tational adjustment of the swivel ring at its point of attachment
to the upright auger housing. Because of the relative inclination
of the swivel axis, the effect of this adjustment is to change
the angle of elevation of the unloading auger conveyor and this
feature can be used to adjust the register of the conveyor with
its transport cradle to compensate, for example, for wear in the
swivel ring which supports the transition housing on the upright
auger conveyor or for manufacturing variations.
srief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a combine embodying the im-
proved grain tank unloading system.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the combine showing the un-
loading auger conveyor in the unloading zone.
Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of the unloading system
through the transition housing along line 3--3 in Fig. 2 with
the unloading auger conveyor extending perpendicularly from the
side of the combine in the unloading zone.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the transition between the
upright and unloading auger conveyors with the unloading auger
; conveyor in the unloading zone and with the bearing ring par-
tially cut away to show the bearing ring adjustment means.
Fig. 5 is a partially schematic top view showing the control
means for positioning the unloading auger conveyor.
Fig. 6 is a partial rear elevation showing the cradle for
supporting the unloading auger conveyor when in transp~rt position.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
The invention is embodied in a self-propelled co~bine having
a harvesting unit, such as a corn head 10, which gathers and
delivers crop to an axial flow rotary crop processing unit 12,
which in turn delivers it by means of a clean grain conveyor 14
to a grain tank 16, shown in Fig. 2 in front elevation, straddl-
11~79983
ing the harvester. An operator's station 18 is mounted on thecombine forward of the grain tank.
The grain tank 16 includes an elevated central section 20
communicating with a pair of depending saddle sections 22. The
floors 24 and 26 of these saddle sections converge downwardly
and direct grain to a transverse auger conveyor 28 operable to
deliver grain from the saddle tank sections to an upright auger
conveyor 30. The transverse and upright conveyors are driven
by a combine engine 32 through conventional means (not shown).
10Grain is conveyed upwards by the upright auger conveyor,
through a transition housing 34, swingably mounted on the upper
end of the upright conveyor, and into an unloading auger con-
veyor 36, which conveys it for discharge through an opening 38
at its outer end.
Turning to Figs. l and 2, it will be seen that the upright
,i auger conveyor 30 is mounted within the left-hand saddle tank
section and is inclined forward so as to place the transition
housing 34 adjacent the front of the grain tank immediately
behind the operator's station. The upright conveyor is secured
20 at its upper end to the tank structure by suitable means such
as brackets 42 shown in Fig. 5.
The upper end of the upright auger conveyor 30 lies at
about the same level as the top of the grain tank 16. The con-
veyor 30 includes a tubular auger housing 44, the upper edge of
which lies in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the
combine but sloping downwards and inwards as indicated in Fig.
4. Attached to the end of the housing by suitable means such as
screw fasteners 46 is a swivel bearing assembly 40 generally con-
centric with the upright auger housing, the plane of the swivel
30 being parallel to the plane of the upper edge of the housing.
The swivel assembly 40, shown in section in Fig. 3, consists of
a bearing ring 50 secured to the auger housing, a swivel ring 52
concentric with it, and bearing balls 54 between the rings, so
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1 that the swivel ring can swivel freely on the bearing ring. Means
such as generally circumferential slots 56 for the screw fasteners
46 in the end of the auger housing are provided for rotational ad-
justment between the bearing ring and the auger housing.
Mounted on the swivel ring 52 is the transition housing 34,
which in general form consists of two intersecting cylindrical
surfaces, the first being an upright cylinder 58 extending up-
wards from the swivel ring, and the second a generally horizontal
cylinder 60. These surfaces are defined by suitable material
such as sheet metal.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 it is seen that the bottom of the
first cylinder 58 is open to communicate with the upright auger
housing 44 but is closed at the top by a cap 62 which becomes
co-extensive with the wall 60 of the second cylinder. In similar
fashion, the horizontal second cylinder 60 i9 closed at its inner
end by a cap 64 which becomes co-extant with the wall of the
first cylinder 58. The unloading auger conveyor 36 includes a
tubular housing 65 that coaxially extends from and communicates
with the open end of the cylinder 60. Thus, the housings of the
upright and unloading augers, with the transition housing between,
define a continuous passage for the conveying of grain. Supported
within the transition housing is a curved grain deflecting baffle
67.
Supported within the auger housings 44 and 65 are conveyor
augers 66 and 68 respectively. The upright auger 66 ends approxi-
mately level with the upper edge of upright auger housing 44 and
the unloading auger 68 extends the full length of its housing 65
and the cylinder 60 of the transition housing, between the cap
64 and the discharge opening 38.
The unloading auger 68 is connected to the upright auger 66
by a drive means, including a universal joint 70, a bevel gear
case 72 carried partly within the transition housing, and a chain
and sprocket drive 74.
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1 The universal joint includes a first yoke 76 coaxial with
and attached to the upper end of the upright auger 66 and a sec-
ond yoke 78 coaxial with and attached to an input shaft 80 of the
gear case. Drive is transferred from a gear case output shaft
82 to the unloading auger drive shaft 84 by the chain and sprocket
drive 74. Attached to and coaxial with the second yoke 78 is a
set of slinger paddles 86.
It can be seen in Fig. 3 that the input shaft 80 of the
bevel gear case 72 is inclined towards the unloading auger 68 in
a plane transverse to that auger. The angle of inclination
chosen reduces the angularity of the universal joint between the
upright auger and gear case input shaft for a smoother drive and
to permit close continuity in conveying action between the end of
the upright auger 66 and the paddles 86 while maintaining a com-
pact configuration in the transition housing.
Turning to Fig. 5, control means, such as a hydraulic cylin-
- der 88 and linkage 90, are provided for controlling the position
of the unloading auger conveyor. In the embodiment illustrated,
the hydraulic cylinder 88 is pivotally anchored to a corner of
the grain tank by a bracket 92. The other end of the cylinder is
pivotally connected to a two-bar linkage 90, one end of which is
pivotally connected to a bracket 94 attached to the tank, and
the other end of which is connected to a bracket 96 attached to
the swivel ring 52 of the transition housing. Conventional means
(not shown) supply oil under pressure for operation of the hy-
draulic cylinder and conventional control means for it are pro-
vided in the operator's station. As indicated in Fig. 5, exten-
sion or retraction of the hydraulic cylinder causes the swivel
ring 52 and hence the unloading auger conveyor 36 to swivel
about the upright auger conveyor 30.
To minimize vehicle width during transport the unloading
auger conveyor is supported with its axis fore and aft, close
to the upper left-hand side of the grain tank as shown in Fig.
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1 1. It is supported towards its discharge end by a cradle 98
mounted on the combine near the rear left-hand top corner of
the tank and shown in re detail in Fig. 6.
In operating the unloading system, the operator ves a
hydraulic control lever causing hydraulic cylinder 88 to extend
and displace the unloading auger conveyor 36 from its support
cradle 98 thus swinging it from a transport position to any
position in an unloading zone in which the conveyor extends lat-
erally from the combine. The unloading zone is somewhat indeter-
minate but is here defined as that range of positions in theswingable range of the unloading auger conveyor 36 in which
grain discharged from the combine can be received by such means
as truck or grain wagon. In Fig. 5 the unloading auger conveyor
36 is shown in phantom outline in an intermediate unloading zone
position wherein it extends perpendicular to the line of travel.
Inclination of the axis of the swivel assembly 40 is such
that, in transport, the unloading auger conveyor 36 is horizontal
as shown in Fig. 1, but as can be seen from Fig. 4, in any posi-
-~ tion in the unloading zone the axis of the unloading auger con-
20 veyor will be elevated above the horiæontal~ -
When the drive means is engaged, grain is received from the
tank 16 via the transverse conveyor 28 into the upright auger
conveyor 30 and conveyed upwards into the transition housing 34.
Transfer into the unloading auger conveyor 36 is assisted by the
slinger paddles 86, which accelerate the grain centrifugally from
the upright auger conveyor 30 towards the unloading auger con-
veyor 36 and axially in the direction of flow of the unloading
auger conveyor, and by the deflecting action of baffle 67. Grain
is discharged from the outer end of the unloading auger conveyor
through opening 38.
For transport, the auger conveyor 36 is again swung into a
fore-and-aft position with its outer end supported in cradle
98. If it is necessary to raise or lower the outer end of the
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1~7~9~3
1 unloading auger conveyor to obtain proper register with the
cradle 98, the fasteners 46 attaching the bearing ring 50 to the
upright auger housing 44 are loosened and the bearing ring ro-
tatably adjusted on the housing as required. The inclination of
the plane of the bearing ring relative to the axis of the upright
conveyor housing causes such rotational adjustment to have a
camming effect which increases or decreases the angle of eleva-
tion of the unloading auger conveyor.
As is apparent, the position of the unloading auger conveyor
in the unloading zone can be adjusted during the unloading opera-
tion by actuating the hydraulic cylinder 88, allowing the opera-
tor to load different areas of the receiving vehicle or to
accommodate different relative positions between the receiving
vehicle and the combine when unloading on the move. As is also
apparent, the position of the unloading auger conveyor close to
the operator's station provides good visibility for the operator
to allow accurate deposit of the grain in the receiving vehicle.
It will also be seen that, although the combine described
is equipped with an axial flow rotary crop processing unit and is
relatively short in relation to field capacity and grain tank
size, the long unloading auger conveyox is comfortably accommo-
dated within the length of the vehicle because of the forward
inclination of the upright auger conveyor.
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