Axial flow combine with single distribution auger

An axial flow combine (11) includes a processor (13) at an elevated position in a housing (63) providing adequate space between the cage (34) and the front and rear housing walls (64, 66, 62, 67, 68) and to permit steep incline of wall portions 62, 67, 68 to insure gravity movement of threshed material exiting the case (34) to a single distribution auger (37) and to a slot (69) feeding a pair of vertically offset accelerator rolls (41, 42). The beforementioned features and a smooth exterior of the processor cage (34) permit elimination of a cage sweep mechanism previously employed in similar combines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Technical Field 
This invention relates to an agricultural harvester and, more particularly, 
to an axial flow combine having a threshing section in overlying relation 
to a cleaning section. 
2. Prior Art 
Combines are currently being marketed using a processor having a foraminous 
cylindrical cage in which a rotor is coaxially disposed. The processor or 
cleaning section of such prior art combine is disposed within a housing 
disposed above a cleaning section and has an overhanging part which 
extends beyond one lateral side of the cleaning section. In order to move 
threshed material from the bottom of the overhanging part of the processor 
housing to a slot above a pair of accelerated rolls, such prior are 
combine uses two distribution augers on parallel axes spaced from one 
another in the longitudinal direction of the combine. Such a prior art 
combine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,081 issued Dec. 25, 1979 to J. 
Lyle Shaver for Distribution Augers for an Axial Flow Combine. 
In the prior art combine shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,781 issued July 6, 
1982 to Charles F. Brundage for Roller Support for Cage Sweep Mechanism, 
the foraminous cage and rotor are enclosed in a housing with front and 
rear walls relatively close to the cage. Also, axially extending 
reinforcing ribs are used on the outer side of the cage which tended to 
catch the threshed material passing through the radial openings in the 
upper part of the cage preventing it from sliding down the outside of the 
cage to the pair of distribution augers below the cage. In order to move 
the threshed material from the exterior top and sides of the cage, a cage 
sweep with curved fingers is used as shown in the beforementioned U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,337,781. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is advantageously used in an axial flow combine 
having a header at its front end, a processor including a cylindrical 
foraminous cage and a rotor within and coaxial to the cage and a feeder 
conveyor for conveying harvested crop material from the header upwardly 
and rearwardly to the processor. The housing for the processor includes 
front, rear, right and left sidewalls with the right and left sidewalls 
rotatably supporting the rotor on a horizontal transverse axis. The cage 
is also supported by the sidewalls of the housing and has a first radial 
opening or entrance adjacent one of its axially opposite ends for 
receiving crop material from the feeder conveyor and has a second radial 
opening at its other axial end serving as an exit for crop material from 
which the grain has been removed by the processor. A concave is installed 
in the cage at the first radial opening. The combine of this invention 
includes a cleaning section having a first lateral sidewall substantially 
aligned with the sidewall of the processor housing adjacent the first 
radial opening and a second lateral sidewall spaced laterally inward from 
the housing sidewall at the second radial opening whereby the cleaning 
section is of less lateral width than the processor housing and the latter 
has an overhanging part extending laterally beyond the cleaning section. 
The front and rear sidewalls have sloping portions in the overhanging part 
of the housing which converge downwardly to an auger trough. The sloping 
portion of the rear wall behind and below the concave slopes downwardly 
and forwardly terminating at an edge defining the rear edge of a vertical 
discharge opening or slot in the bottom of the processor housing extending 
substantially across the width of the cleaning section. A pair of front 
and rear accelerator rolls extend laterally across the width of the 
cleaning section in a position to receive threshed material falling 
through the discharge slot. The processor housing includes an upright wall 
extending downwardly beneath the concave to the front of the front 
accelerator roll thus forming at least a part of a front edge of the 
discharge slot. 
An important feature of the invention is the use of a single distribution 
auger at the bottom of the processor housing which has opposite ends 
rotatably supported on the left and right sidewalls on a horizontal 
transverse axis. The auger includes a first spiral flight in cooperative 
relation to the trough and operative upon rotation in a predetermined 
direction to move threshed material passing through the radial openings of 
the cage laterally from the overhanging part of the housing to the 
discharge slot. 
The auger may include a second, oppositely pitched flight near its other 
end operable to move threshed material laterally inward as it falls 
through the slot. 
The cage preferably has relatively smooth surfaces on its top, front and 
rear exterior sides to minimize resistance to the sliding and falling of 
threshed material passing through radial openings in the upper part of the 
cage. Also the front and rear sidewalls are spaced a sufficient distance 
from the foraminous cage to not interfer with the gravity movement of 
threshed material to the bottom of the processor housing. This 
construction permits elimination of the cage sweep mechanism of prior art 
combines. 
The processor occupies an elevated position on the combine to provide 
adequate space between the cage and the downward converging portions of 
the front and rear sideways and to permit such portion to extend in 
substantially tangential relation to a single distribution auger. 
It is an object of this invention to provide an axial flow combine having a 
single distribution auger. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide an axial flow combine 
having a cylindrical cage with radial openings in its sides and top 
wherein a cage sweep mechanism need not be used. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide flighting on a single 
distribution auger operable to move threshed material to the laterally 
central part of a discharge slot above accelerator rolls so that material 
is relatively evenly distributed across the lateral width of the cleaning 
section even when the combine is harvesting a side slope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an agricultural harvester in the form of a 
combine 11 is powered by an internal combustion engine 12 mounted on a 
main frame 16 and connected by a drive train (not shown) to a pair of 
front drive wheels 13, 14. The main frame 16 of the combine supports an 
operator's cab 15 and a grain bin 20 and the rear end of the frame 16 is 
supported by a pair of steerable wheels 18, 19. A header assembly 21 at 
the front of the combine has its rear end pivotally connected on a 
transverse horizontal axis 22 to the main frame 16 and includes a header 
23 and a conveyor housing 24 in which a coneyor 26 is disposed. Crop 
material cut by the header mechanism 23 is moved laterally inward by a 
transverse auger 27 to a central position where it is conveyed rearwardly 
by the conveyor 26 to the front end of a second conveyor 31 which in turn 
conveys the material rearwardly to a processor or threshing section 33 to 
the combine 11. The crop material conveyed rearwardly by the conveyor 31 
enters a radial crop receiving opening or entrance 30 in a cylindrical, 
foraminous cage 34 where it is threshed by a rotor 36 rotatably supported 
on left and right sidewalls 77, 78. The rotor 36 rotates counterclockwise, 
as viewed in FIG. 1, and is coaxial to the cage 34. Threshed material 
passing through the radial openings 58 of the foraminous cage and openings 
in an underlying concave 61 falls downwardly to a distribution auger 37 
which moves the material laterally inward to a transversely extending 
vertical discharge opening or slot 69 above a pair of equal diameter 
accelerator rolls 41, 42. The accelerator rolls 41, 42, which have 
overlapping lugs which mesh without touching, accelerate the threshed 
material downwardly across an air stream delivered rearwardly from an air 
outlet 43 by a transverse fan 44. The air discharged from the outlet 43 
blows the chaff and small stalk particles rearwardly where they are 
discharged through an opening 46 at the rear of the cleaning section 47. 
The cleaning section 47 includes a shaker assembly 48 having a grain pan 
49 at its front end and screens 50 at the rear of the grain pan. 
Straw and coarse material which does not pass through the concave or the 
radial openings 58 in the cage 34 is thrown rearwardly into a chute 55 
from the threshing section 33 by way of a radial outlet or opening in the 
cage 34 by a paddle assembly 51 on the left-hand end of the rotor shaft 
52. The material thrown rearwardly by the paddle assembly 51 through the 
cage outlet passes through the discharge chute 55 and discharges through a 
downwardly open discharge opening 56. 
Referring also to FIGS. 3 through 8, the crop material delivered by the 
upper conveyor 31 to the foraminous cage 34 is impacted by the rasp bars 
57 of the rotor 36 thereby causing grain to be separated from the crop 
material which then passes through openings in the concave 61 and through 
the radial openings 58 of the cage 34. As seen in FIG. 5, the threshed 
material passing radially from the cage 34 and concave 61 at the rear of 
and below the concave area falls downwardly to a sloping wall portion 62 
of the processor housing 63 in which the cage 36 is positioned. It will be 
noted that the rotor 36 and cage 34 of the processor 33 are positioned at 
an elevated position on the combine a generous amount of fore and aft 
distance is provided between the front wall 66 of the housing 63 and the 
cage 34 and between the rear wall 66 of the housing 63 and the cage 34. 
The elevated position of the cage in relation to the accelerator rolls, 
41, 42 permits the downwardly converging portions 67, 68 and 62 of the 
front and rear walls 64, 66 to be pitched at a relatively steep angle and 
still be substantially tangential to the single distribution auger 37. For 
instance, wall portions 67 and 62 are each pitched at a 45.degree. angle 
to the horizon and wall portion 68 is pitched at 51.degree. to the 
horizon. The ample spacing between the cylindrical cage 34 and the walls 
64 and 66 and the steep pitch of the wall portions 62, 67, 68 insure 
gravity movement of the threshed material exiting radially from the 
processor 33 to the single horizontal, transverse distribution auger 37 
or, in the case of the wall 62, to the vertical opening or slot 69 above 
the accelerator rolls 41, 42. As will be noted in FIG. 7, the lower edge 
70 of the wall portion 62 forms the rear edge of the vertically open slot 
69. The front edge of the slot 69 is defined by an upright wall 75 
extending downwardly from the concave to the front of the front 
accelerator roll 41 and by a lower horizontal end 74 of wall portion 67 
extending laterally between a longitudinal vertical wall 80 and the 
laterally inner edge 86 of the trough 73. The slot 69 extends laterally 
between the edge 86 and the right sidewall 78. The elevated height of the 
processor 33 also contributes to the desirable steep downward incline of 
the bottom wall 111 of the discharge chute 55. 
The upward offsetting of the accelerator roll 41 relative to the rear 
accelerator roll 42 permits the shaker assembly 48 to be moved forwardly 
thus permitting the combine to be shortened and also permitting the 
discharge chute 55 to be shortened. The shortening of the discharge chute 
55 contributes to the steep incline of the bottom wall 111. The wall 111 
is sufficiently steep to cause crop material falling thereon to slide by 
gravity to the downwardly open discharge opening 56. Thus the steep bottom 
wall 111 of the discharge chute obviates the need for auxiliary energy 
discharging devices such as an impeller or other apparatus to impart 
additional impetus to crop material discharged by the paddle assembly 51 
through the discharge opening or exit 60 of the cage adjacent the left 
sidewall 77. The cage 34 consits of a threshing segment 134 and a 
separating segment 136. As shown in FIG. 5, the threshing segment 134 
includes front and rear parts 138, 139 extending circumferentially about 
120.degree. from the top of the cage where confronting transversely 
extending flanges 141, 142 of the parts 138, 139 are releasably secured to 
one another by bolts and nuts, not shown. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the 
separating segment 136 consists of three parts 146, 147, 148 having 
radially outward and transversely extending flanges 151, 152, 153, 154, 
155, 156 at their circumferentially confronting ends which are secured by 
suitable fastening means, not shown. The flanges 141, 142, 151, 152 of the 
top of the cage segments do not interfer with the gravity flow of threshed 
material leaving the cage via the radial openings 58. The flanges 153, 
154, 155, 156 are sufficiently low at the front and rear of the cage so as 
to not offer any substantial resistance to the gravity movement of the 
threshed material leaving the cage 34 by way of the radial openings 58. 
The smooth, virtually unobstructed periphery of the cage 34 facilitates 
gravity flow of threshed material off the top and sides of the cage 
exterior without the need of a cage sweep or similar mechanism to disturb 
threshed material deposited there. 
The distribution auger 37 has a first flight 71 secured as by welding to 
the distribution auger shaft 72 which is pitched in a first direction so 
that upon counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 72, as viewed in FIGS. 5 
and 6, it will move threshed material in the auger trough 73 from left to 
right as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 7. The distribution auger 37 also includes 
a flight 76 adjacent the right sidewall 78 which is pitched in the 
opposite direction to the pitch of flight 71 so as to move threshed 
material falling from the processor 33 from right to left, as viewed in 
FIGS. 2 and 7, when it is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as 
viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6. The ends of the auger shaft 72 are rotatably 
supported by the laterally opposite upstanding sidewalls 77, 78 of the 
combine. In some crop of harvesting conditions, it may be desirable to add 
flight segments 79, 81 to the distribution auger as shown in FIGS. 3 and 
4. The flight segments 79, 81 are releasably secured to the shaft by 
clamping brackets 82, 83 bolted to the segments 79, 81 by bolts 84 and 
nuts 85. The flighting on the rotating distribution auger 37 effects a 
desired positioning or distribution of the threshed material to the slot 
69 so that the side-by-side accelerator rolls 41, 42 will distribute a 
band of threshed material to the cleaning section 47. More specifically, 
the flight 71 extends laterally beyond the trough edge 86 over the left 
hand part of the slot 60 and serves to distribute threshed material to the 
laterally central part of the slot. In a similar manner, flight 76 
operates to distribute threshed material laterally inward from the 
right-hand end of the housing to a laterally central part of the slot 69. 
This laterally inward movement contributes to good distribution of 
threshed material to the accelerator rolls 41, 42 and to the cleaning 
section 47, and help maintain good distribution even when the combine is 
operating on a side slope. 
The accelerator rolls 41, 42 have axes 87, 88 which are generally 
horizontal and parallel to one another. The front accelerator roll 41 is 
offset above the rear accelerator roll 42, that is, the axis 87 of 
accelerator roll 41 is vertically offset above the axis 88 of the rear 
accelerator roll 42. The accelerator roll 42 is driven through a power 
train from the engine 12 which includes a V-belt 91 drivingly engaging a 
pulley 92 nonrotatably secured to the right-hand end of the shaft 93 of 
accelerator roll 42. As shown in FIG. 6, a chain 96 engages a sprocket 97 
on accelerator roll shaft 93 which also engages a sprocket 98 secured to a 
shaft 99 of accelerator roll 41. An idler sprocket 101 is rotatably 
mounted on an adjustable support 102 for purposes of obtaining proper 
tension of the chain 96. The accelerator rolls 41, 42 are rotated in a 
directon to cause the threshed material exiting the processor 33 to pass 
between the accelerator rolls 41, 42, the latter being driven at a 
sufficiently high speed to impart a velocity to the threshed material far 
in excess of the velocity such material would have if merely falling by 
gravity. By offsetting the front accelerator roll 41 above that of the 
rear accelerator roll 42, the threshed material is thrown downwardly and 
forwardly to the grain pan 49 of the shaker assembly 48. The rearwardly 
directed layer of air from the transverse fan 44 passes transversely 
through the accelerated threshed material causing light chaff and crop 
particles 106 to be blown rearwardly out the discharge opening 46 at the 
rear of the combine while accelerated clean grain kernels 107 pass 
downwardly to the grain pan 49. 
On reference to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the left-hand wall 112 of the 
cleaning section is laterally inward from the sidewall 77. Thus, the 
cleaning section 47 is laterally narrower than the threshing section 33. 
In other words, a part of the threshing section 33 laterally overhangs the 
cleaning section 47 and as seen in FIG. 2 it is this overhanging part of 
te processor housing 63 from which the flight 71 of the distribution auger 
moves threshed material to the discharge slot 69. It should be understood 
that the shaker assembly 48 extends laterally slightly less than the 
distance between the sidewall 112 and the left sidewall 78. The 
distribution auger 37 is driven by an endless chain, not shown, 
operatively engaging sprockets 116, 117 secured, respectively, to the 
auger shaft 72 and a shaft extension coupled to and aligned with the 
accelerator roll shaft 93. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, a part 119 of the 
cage above the cage discharge opening 60 does not have radial openings and 
is closed off from the inside of the housing 63 by walls 121, 122 and 123. 
Wall 123 is a forward extension of the laterally inner vertical sidewall 
of the discharge chute 55 and the bottom wall 111 of the chute connects to 
the bottom of the cage opening 60 by a bridging floor 124 which extends 
laterally between wall 77 and wall 123.