Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
Non-Provisional Patent Application for Letters Patents
TITLE
COMBINE HARVESTER CONCAVE THRESHING BAR
INVENTOR
Brian G. Robertson
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.
62821570 filed on March 21, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference.
This application is also a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. Non-Provisional
Application No. 16115331 filed on August 28, 2018, which is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety, which is a CIP of U.S. Non-Provisional Ap-
plication No. 15856381 filed on December 28, 2017, which is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety, and a CIP of U.S. Non-Provisional Applica-
tion No. 15856402, filed on December 28, 2017, which is incorporated herein
by reference in its entirety. This application is also a CIP of U.S. Design
Patent
Application No. 29680208 filed on February 14, 2019, which is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety. This application is also a CIP of U.S.
Design
Patent Application No. 29670114 filed on November 13, 2018, which is incor-
porated herein by reference in its entirety, which is a continuation of U.S.
Non-
Provisional Application No. 16159431 filed on October 12, 2018, which is a con-
tinuation of U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 16115331 filed on August
28, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional Application No.
15856381 filed on December 28, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. Non-
Provisional Application No. 15856402, filed on December 28, 2017.
BACKGROUND
100021 This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of art that
may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure described herein,
which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be
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helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a
bet-
ter understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure described
herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be
read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
[0003] A combine harvester is a machine that is used to harvest grain and
seed crops. The objective is to complete several processes, which
traditionally
were distinct, in one pass of the machine over a particular part of the field.
Among the crops that may be harvested with a combine can include but is not
limited to wheat, oats, rye, peas, edible beans, barley, corn, soybeans, and
flax
or linseed. The waste (e.g., straw) left behind on the field includes the
remain-
ing stems and leaves of the crop having limited nutrients which may be, for
example, chopped and spread on the field or baled for feed and bedding for
livestock. Generally, the combine harvester includes a header, which removes
the crop from a field, and a feeder housing which transports the crop matter
into a threshing rotor. The process of threshing is removing the grain or seed
from the crop. The threshing rotor can include one or more rotors which can
extend axially (front to rear) or transversely within the body of the combine,
and which are partially or fully surrounded by one or more perforated con-
caves. In particular, there may be a rotor having threshing concaves with bars
or wires for threshing operations of the crop, and concave grates with slots,
wires or fingers for separation operations of the crop material, also known as
separation concaves or separation grates. Generally, the separation grate is
meant to separate any grain that is caught in material other than grain, such
as chaff, straw, shucks, stalk, leafy material, among others, which may also
be
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referred to herein as MOG.
[0004] However, current conventional concave bars and separation grates
have certain configurations that are not optimized to minimize grain damage
while simultaneously maximizing threshing and separating of the crop mate-
rial, thereby resulting in inefficient harvesting, damaged, and wasted crop.
In
one example of traditional combine concaves, if a combine harvester has three
concaves, then a crop that is threshed in a first concave, has a two-third
prob-
ability for the threshed grains to fall through the concave openings. However,
if the crop does not get threshed until the second concave, then it only has a
one-third probability for the threshed grains to fall through the concave open-
ings. Further, if the crop is not threshed in the second concave, then the
third
concave can become overloaded with crop and grain material and operating at
over capacity, thus resulting in the grain being discharged out the back of
the
combine and resulting in very inefficient harvesting.
[0005] What is needed is a concave bar configuration that optimizes the sur-
face area of the dihedral faces of concave threshing bars that have certain
threshing angles and surface areas that minimizes grain damage while max-
imizing threshing effectiveness.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0006] In one aspect of the disclosure described herein, a concave bar config-
uration provides a balance of being as aggressive as possible while doing the
least amount of grain damage. The concave bar configuration of the disclo-
sure described herein can thresh crop effectively such it has the most chance
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to be captured in a combine, while also threshing the crop with the least
amount of grain damage, such that the seed or grain is without cracks or
splits.
100071 In another aspect of the disclosure described herein, a threshing con-
cave assembly is disclosed having a threshing concave bar wherein the
threshing bar is comprised of two threshing surfaces having a dihedral angle
relationship relative to each other. In addition, in another aspect the thresh-
ing bar can be comprised of two dihedral surfaces whereby one surface (face)
has about 130% greater surface area than its adjacent surface. Alternatively,
one face of the threshing bar can be 1.3x longer! wider than its adjacent
face.
In addition, the threshing bar can be comprised of two dihedral surfaces
whereby one surface has about 150% greater surface area than its adjacent
face. Further, in another aspect the threshing bar can be comprised of two di-
hedral surfaces whereby one surface has about a 170% greater surface area
than its adjacent face. In addition, in another aspect the threshing bar is
comprised of two dihedral surfaces whereby one surface is about 100% to
250% greater surface area than the adjacent face. Also, the threshing bars in
the concave can be of varying face surface areas relative to each other, such
as wherein threshing bars' surfaces/faces are equal, some bars have a surface
that is 130% greater than its adjacent face and some bars have a surface that
is say 170% greater than its adjacent face, among others.
100081 In another aspect of the disclosure described herein, a concave
threshing bar is disclosed having a first and second threshing opposing faces,
wherein the first face comprises a surface area larger than the second face.
In
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addition, the surface area of the first face is about 130% larger or wider or
about 1.3 times larger or wider than the second face. In addition, the surface
area of the first face is about 170% larger or wider or about 1.7 times larger
or wider than the second face. Further, the surface area of the first face is
about 101% to 199% larger or wider or about 1.01 times up to 1.99 times
larger or wider than the second face. In another aspect of the disclosure
described herein, a concave threshing bar is disclosed having a plurality of
threshing bars, wherein the threshing bars are of varying face surface areas
relative to each other. In addition, the threshing bars are of varying
dihedral
angles.
100091 In addition, in another aspect the threshing bars in the concave can
be of varying dihedral angles, such as threshing bars of various threshing
angles throughout the concave, with more aggressive bars having a 45-degree
angle near where crop enters the concave and then having bars that are
anywhere from about 25 to 45 degrees or less aggressive as crop is threshed.
In addition, in another aspect the threshing bars in the concave can be of
various spacing between adjacent bars, wherein some bars in the concave are
spaced closer or farther apart than other bars whereby the majority of grain
is threshed, more grain can escape. Here, the faster the grain can escape, the
less grain damage there is. Further, in another aspect the threshing bars in
the concave can be of various dihedral angles and spacing between adjacent
bars, such as bars that are not only of different angle but also of different
spacing. In addition, in another aspect the threshing bar can be comprised of
two dihedral surfaces wherein the bars are fastened or secured to one or more
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side rails of the concave at an acute angle. Here, this can include wherein
the
bars are diagonal in the concave, such that the crop can hit the bar more
"head on."
100101 In another aspect the threshing bar can be comprised of dihedral
faces that are laser hardened. In this method, the threshing bar metal can be
hardened by a laser such that it maintains the bar angle and extends the
bars life, otherwise the threshing surface (face of the bar) can get worn down
and becomes less effective. In another aspect the threshing bar can be com-
prised of dihedral faces that is case hardened. In this method of hardening
steel, however, the laser hardening is more precise and cost effective. With
case hardening, one can harden the entire bar relative to a laser where one
can harden a specific area. In another aspect, wherein the sharp edges of the
threshing bar can be made less sharp (rounded off) and laser hardened. Here,
this would provide for maximum bar life by just barely rounding off the sharp
threshing edge, which are usually the first to get worn down, then case hard-
ening that edge giving it maximum efficiency. Accordingly, by taking the
small edge down exposes more surface area that can be hardened, which
would become exposed more quickly. In another aspect, the threshing bar can
be extruded.
100111 The above summary is not intended to describe each and every dis-
closed embodiment or every implementation of the disclosure. The Description
that follows more particularly exemplifies the various illustrative embodi-
ments.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The following description should be read with reference to the draw-
ings, in which like elements in different drawings are numbered in like fash-
ion. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodi-
ments and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. The
disclosure
may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed
description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1A illustrates a simplified cross-sectional side view and a close-
up perspective view for one non-limiting exemplary embodiment of one or more
bars or rods of the concave bar and frame assembly of the disclosure described
herein.
[0014] FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective side view for the concave bar and
frame assembly of FIG. 1A.
[0015] FIG. 1C illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to one non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
[0016] FIG. 1D illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
[0017] FIG. 2A illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
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100181 FIG. 2B illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
100191 FIG. 3A illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
[0020] FIG. 3B illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
[0021] FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
[0022] FIG. 4B illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
[0023] FIG. 5A illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
[0024] FIG. 5B illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
[0025] FIG. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a concave bar accord-
ing to another non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure described
herein.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] In the Brief Summary of the present disclosure above and in the De-
tailed Description of the disclosure described herein, and the claims below,
and
in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (in-
cluding method steps) of the disclosure described herein. It is to be
understood
that the disclosure of the disclosure described herein in this specification
in-
cludes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example,
where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect
or
embodiment of the disclosure described herein, or a particular claim, that fea-
ture can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in
the
context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the disclosure de-
scribed herein, and in the disclosure described herein generally.
[0027] The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information
to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure described herein
and
illustrate the best mode of practicing the disclosure described herein. In
addi-
tion, the disclosure described herein does not require that all the
advantageous
features and all the advantages need to be incorporated into every embodiment
of the disclosure described herein.
[0028] Here, it has been observed that that maximizing surface area of the
concave threshing bar is critical to maximizing threshing effectiveness. More
specifically, it has been observed in the disclosure described herein that
more
threshing surface area on the bottom face or the threshing face of the concave
bar can have a profound impact on grain harvesting, efficiency, and the
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of the grain. In other words, if there are two threshing concave bars of same
threshing surface areas, but with one having a different concave face length,
the one with an alternative concave face length may be preferred with respect
to threshing efficiency and grain damage/quality.
[0029] In particular, what has been established here in the disclosure de-
scribed herein according to the one or more embodiments is that along with
concave bar threshing surface area (top face or bottom face) is a very
important
factor for consideration the concave bar design. In particular, it has been ob-
served that maximum threshing efficiency and grain quality is not achieved by
just maximizing the surface area but is also the location of where that
surface
area is on the concave bar.
[0030] In particular, when an about 45-degree bar (FIG. 1D) with a threshing
face of about 1.0x size of the bottom threshing face is compared to another
about 45-degree or 45-degree bar with a threshing face 1.7x (170%) the bottom
face (FIG. 6A), it was observed that there are significant differences in
perfor-
mance (mainly grain damage) despite their surface areas across the entire bars
are the same. Accordingly, it has been observed that the same kernel of corn
can be removed with an about 25-degree bar with threshing face 1.7x (170%)
wider times the bottom face as with a 45-degree bar with threshing face 1.0x
the bottom face (each of the bars having the same diameters), whereas the
about 25-degree bar does significantly less grain damage.
[0031] Accordingly, what has been observed through testing, the larger the
angle of the concave bar, the greater the force that is applied onto the crop
and
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causing grain damage. Hence, by using what we just established, one can de-
crease the force (lesser the angle) but at the same time lengthen or widen one
or more of the threshing faces or increase one or more of the threshing face
surface areas, so less force is applied but for slightly longer, thus
resulting less
grain damage.
[0032] FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a concave frame assembly 200 and concave bars
210 for one or more non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the disclosure de-
scribed herein. As disclosed herein, references to top or bottom faces of the
threshing bars 210 may also be interpreted as first or second faces of the
threshing bars. FIG. 1C illustrates an about 90-degree concave bar having
equal first face (210a) and second face (210b) surface areas or heights/widths
(x). FIG. 1D illustrates an about 45-degree concave bar (or about 135-degree)
having substantially equal top and bottom surface areas or heights/widths (x).
FIG. 2A illustrates a concave bar having an about 25-degree angle (or about
155-degree) and both the top and bottom surfaces each having substantially
equal surface areas or height/widths (x). FIG. 2B illustrates a concave bar
hav-
ing an about 25-degree angle (or about 155-degree) and having a top face sur-
face area or height/width that is about 1.3x (130%) larger than the bottom
face
surface area or height/width (x). FIG. 3A illustrates a concave bar having an
about 25-degree angle (or about 155-degree) with a top face surface area or
height/width that is about 1.7x (170%) larger than the bottom face surface
area
or height/width (x).
100331 FIG. 3B illustrates a concave bar having an about 35-degree angle (or
about 145-degree) with a top surface area height/width (x) that is equal to
its
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bottom surface area or height/width (x). FIG. 4A illustrates a concave bar hav-
ing an about 35-degree angle (or about 145-degree) with a top face surface
area
or height/width that is about 1.3x (130%) larger than its bottom face surface
area or height/width (x). FIG. 4B illustrates a concave bar having an about 35-
degree angle (or about 145-degree) with a top surface area or height/width
that
is about 1.7x (170%) larger than its bottom face surface area or height/width
(x). FIG. 5A illustrates a concave bar having an about 45-degree angle (or
about
135-degree) with a top face surface area or height/width (x) that is equal to
the
bottom surface area or height/width (x). FIG. 4B illustrates a concave bar hay-
ing an about 45-degree angle (or about 135-degree) with a top face surface
area
or height/width that is about 1.3x (130%) larger than the bottom face surface
area or height/width (x). FIG. 6A illustrates a concave bar having an about 45-
degree angle with a top face surface area or height/width that is about 1.7x
(170%) larger than the bottom surface area or height/width (x).
[0034] With respect to the concave bar angles disclosed in FIGS. 2A-6A, such
as 25-degrees, 35-degrees, and 45-degrees, it is contemplated within the scope
of the disclosure described herein that that any of the aforementioned angles
may also be from about 10-degrees up to and including 90-degrees, with either
the top or bottom threshing bar face surface areas or width/heights having ra-
tios relative to each ranging from 1:2, 2:1, or 3:1, among others.
[0035] TABLE 1 illustrates test data for an exemplary crop, here a corn cob
with a 2-inch cob surface, used in combination with an about 90-degree concave
threshing bars in a combine harvester concave having substantially equal top
and bottom threshing surfaces areas or height/width, as shown with respect to
FIG. 1C:
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TABLE 1
THRESHING ANGLE THRESHING FACE MULTIPLE THRESHING EFFICIENCY % DAMAGE
Ideal 100.00% 0.00%
900 1.0x 88.0% 10.2%
100361 TABLE 2 illustrates the various test data for the exemplary tested
crop, here a corn cob with a 2-inch cob surface, and the concave threshing
bars
within the concave each having top and bottom surfaces of substantially the
same surface areas or height/width (e.g., 1.0x, x=x, or 1:1) and the various
bar
configurations and surface areas or height/widths of one surface relative to
an-
other (about 1.0x, 1.3x, or 1.7x) corresponding to each of FIGS. 1D-6A of the
disclosure described herein:
TABLE 2
THRESHING ANGLE THRESHING FACE MULTIPLE THRESHING EFFICIENCY (3/0 DAMAGE
Ideal -------------------------------------------- 100.00% 0.00%
450 or 1350 1.0x 98.0% 6.0%
35 or 145 1.0x 97.0% 5.0%
25 or 155 1.0x 94.3% 4.0%
45 or 135 1.3x 98.3% -------------------------------- 9.0%
35 or 145 1.3x 97.5% 3.0%
25 or 155 1.3x 96.4% 2.0%
45 or 135 1.7x 98.8% 10.0%
35' or 135 1.7x 99.3% 2.0%
25 or 155 1.7x ------------------- 98.7% ------------- i 1.0%
10037] Referring to TABLES 1-2, as shown from the testing results, the about
25-degree angled threshing bar (or about 155-degree) having an about 1.7x top
surface relative to the bottom surface, as shown in FIG. 3A, demonstrated the
least amount of damage to the crop at a rate of 1.0% while still maintaining a
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high threshing efficiency at a rate of 98.7% that exceeded the 45-degree bar
(1.0x). Accordingly, the foregoing results demonstrate that the embodiment of
FIG. 3A will provide the least amount of damage to a crop in a combine har-
vester concave while maintaining high crop threshing efficiency. Similarly,
the
about 35-degree angled threshing bar (or about 145-degree) having an about
1.7x top surface relative to the bottom surface, as shown in FIG. 4A, demon-
strated the highest threshing efficiency rate of 99.3% while still maintaining
a
low crop damage rate of 2.0%. Hence, the foregoing results demonstrate that
the embodiment for FIG. 4A will provide the highest crop threshing efficiency
rate in a combine harvester concave while maintaining a low damage rate to
the crop. Moreover, the about 90-degree threshing concave bar with substan-
tially equal first and second face surface areas of FIG. 1C demonstrated to be
the least efficient (88.0%) concave bar and with the most damage to the crop
(10.2%).
[0038] Here, it is contemplated within the scope of the disclosure described
herein that any of the concave threshing bar 210 embodiments of FIGS. 1C-6A
can be used within the concave frame assembly 200 of FIGS. 1A-1B, in any
configuration, including forward facing or reverse facing arrangements of bars
210 within the concave. In addition, it is contemplated within the scope of
the
disclosure described herein that any threshing bars disclosed in FIGS. 1A-1B
can be used in combination with each other within the concave frame 200, such
as in varying spacing relative to each other or in diagonal/sideways configura-
tions.
[0039] From the foregoing it will be seen that the present disclosure
described
herein is one well adapted to attain all ends and objectives herein-above set
forth, together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are
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inherent to the invention.
100401 Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention with-
out departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matters
herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted
as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.
100411 While specific embodiments have been shown and discussed, various
modifications may of course be made, and the invention is not limited to the
specific forms or arrangement of parts described herein, except insofar as
such
limitations are included in following claims. Further, it will be understood
that
certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed with-
out reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by
and is within the scope of the claims.
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