Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The invention relates to a self-propelled harvester-thresher
operating on the axial-threshlng principle.
The external dimensions of harvester-threshers are strictly limited
by the so-called road and rail-profile, whereas the farmer always seeks
harvester-threshers with higher oUtpllts. ~or this reason the cutting mechanismsof harvester-threshers have been made wider than the road and rail-profile per-
mits and were removed for road and rail-transportation and carried separately.
However, the cutting mechanisms can be widened only within certain limits, since, the material they cut must also be processed. In other words, in the final
analysis it is the actual threshing elements which limit the throughput, becausethe dimensions thereof within the harvester-thresher are subject to the rail
and road profile restrictions.
It is therefore the purpose of the present invention to design a
harvester-thresher of the type mentioned at the beginning hereof in such a
manner that road and rail transportation is possible without major problems
- while, on the other hand, the size of the actual threshing elements, and there-
fore that of the cutting-tool trough, can be freely determined to take into
account, in a satisfactory manner the need for the greatest possible throughput.The invention provides a self-propelling harvester-thresher operat-
ing on the axial-threshing principle and having a front drive-axle and a rear
steering-axle, a front cutting tool trough, a sloping conveyor, and an air-
; screening device, comprising an axial thresher and separator arranged as an
independent unit in front of the drive-axle, between the sloping conveyor and
the cutting-tool trough and connected detachably to the said sloping conveyor
and cutting tool trough which are also designed as separate structural units.
This arrangement makes it possible to achieve a high throughput,
slnce the construction of the axial thresher and separator unit is thus subject
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to scarcely any restrictions to its external dimensions as would be the case
were the unit permanently located either in front of the harvester-thresher or
in the housing thereof.
Since in axial threshing machines all of the material harvested
moves (as is known) along a helical path around the axis of the threshing drum,
here again the throughput is also limited, since if it is too high it would be
impossible to avoid blocking the whole machine. In order to overcome this
disadvantage, the axial thresher and separator preferably consists of at least
two threshing and separating drums each of which is charged separately through
a corresponding opening in the back wall of the cutting-tool trough. In order
to prevent material from backing up in front of these openings, the cutting-
tool troughs comprise a central dividing finger, and the roller which feeds
the trough comprises two augers delivering in opposite directions and two groups
of controlled take-in fingers. In this connection, it is desirable for the
openings to be arranged in the central area of the rear wall of the cutting-tool
trough and at a distance from each other. The threshing and separating drums
are also separated from each other, by way of a simple design, and rotate about
a common horizontal axis running at right angles to the direction of travel.
The space between the two drums is bridged by a drive transmission. It is
furthermore proposed, according to the invention, that the housing enclosing the
threshing and separating drums should have an outlet in each of its ends. In
order to ensure satisfactory transfer of material from the cutting-tool trough
to the axial thresher and separator, it is desirable for the thresher and
separator to comprise two charging drums, the arms and the conveyor slats
thereof projecting at least partly through the openingsin the rear wall of the
cutting-tool trough.
As the axial thresher and separator is substantially wider than the
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sloping conveyor, the threshed-out mixture of grain and chaff must first of all
be brought in front of the inlet opening to the sloping conveyor and then withinrange of the scraper-chain. To this end, a continuous shaft, mounted in the
end-walls of the housing runs below the threshing and separating drums. This
shaft is designed, in accordance with the width of the sloping conveyor, in the
` intake area thereof, as a discharge conveyor, and the two parts of the shaft
running outwardly from the discharge conveyor are equipped with helical sheet-
metal augers acting towards the discharge conveyor. To further facilitate
transfer of material to the scraper-chain, an intermediate conveyor is arranged
after the discharge conveyor, as seen in the direction of conveying, the width
of the intermediate conveyor corresponding to that of the scraper-chain in the
sloping conveyor. In order to be able to convert a harvester-thresher accord-
ing to the invention as quickly as possible from the road-transport configuration
to field use, the axial thresher and separator is preferably connected by quick-release couplings to the sloping conveyor, to the cutting-tool trough or, if
necessary, to a special reaping device.
i The invention is explained hereinafter, by way of example only, in
conjunction with the embodiment illustrated in greater detail in the drawings
attached hereto, wherein,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a self-propelling harvester-thresher;
Figure 2 is a part plan view of the harvester-thresher shown in
j Figure l;
Figure 3 is a plan view, as in Figure 2, showing, more particularly,
the common drive $or the threshing and separating drums and the path followed
by the threshed material through the unit;
Fi-gure 4 shows, to an enlarged scale and along the line IV - I~
in Figure 2, the front part of the harvester-thresher.
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In the drawings, 1 is the front drive-axle and 2 the rear steering
axle of a self-propelling harvester-thresher, the axles carrying the body 3
thereof. Accommodated in the body, in known fashion, are the grain tank, the
drive-motor and the whole air-screening device with the necessary worm-eleva~ors.
The rear end, as seen in the direction of conveying, of a sloping conveyor 5 is
mounted pivotably on the body 3 below a drive cabin 4. The front end of the
conveyor is supported by a hydraulic piston-cylinder unit 6, one end of which isattached to body 3.
Incorporated into sloping conveyor 5 is a scraper-chain 7 which
feeds the material to be cleaned to the screening device. An axial thresher 8,
known per se, is secured to the sloping conveyor channel 5 by quick-release
couplings 10, 9 known per se. The axial thresher in turn carries cutting-tool
trough 11 which is also attached by quick-release couplings 12, 13. Thus for
road-transportation, both the cutting tool trough and the axial thresher may
easily be dismantled, and the design thereof is not subject to any restrictions.They may therefore be designed entirely from the point of view of high through-
put. To this end, the cutting-tool trough comprises a central dividing finger
14 which divides the cut crop rows into two partial flows, each of which is fed
; to one of two openings 15, 16 provided in the rear wall of the cutting-tool
trough. In order to achieve this, a feed roller 17 ls equipped with two groups
of controlled take-in fingers 19, 18, arranged in the vicinity of openings 15,
16, to which the material to be threshed is fed by two sheet metal augers 20, 21,
on the feed roller 17, which convey the material in opposite directions. In
order to prevent the two flows of material from coming together in the middle ofroller 17 and thus backing up, two single-start sheet-metal auger strips 22, 23,conveying in opposite directions, are located on shaft 17 in the area between the
take in fingers 18, 19. As may be gathered from Figures 2 and 4 in particular
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charging drums 25, 24, with arms 27 e~uipped with resilient conveyor-slats 26,
project through the openings 15, 16 and feed the material to be threshed in
axial thresher 8. The latter comprises two threshing and separating drums 29,
30 spaced from each other, arranged in a housing and feeding in opposite direc-
tions. These drums e~ect the threshed straw or the like, through an opening 31
at each end of housing 28, onto the field in two rows. The threshing and
separating drums are driven by gearing 37 bridging the space between them. A
continuous shaft 32, mounted in the lateral walls of housing 28, runs below
threshing and separating drums 29, 30. The central area of this shaft is design-ed as a discharge conveyor 33 corresponding to the width of scraper-chain 7 in
` sloping conveyor 5. Conveyor 33 is designed to feed the grain separated by
drums 29, 30, by means of an intermediate conveyor 34, corresponding to the width
, of conveyor 33, to the scaper chain 7 arranged in the sloping conveyor duct 5.
: To this end, however, shaft 32 is provided with helical sheet metal augers 36,
35 between the discharge conveyor 33 and the mountings in the lateral walls of
housing 28. These augers feed in opposite directions, i.e. they bring the
-i material to the conveyor 33 in the middle of the machine. The grain is fed by
the sloping conveyor 5 to the air-screening device in the housing of the
harvester-thresher, is cleaned, and then passes in known fashion to the grain
tank.
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