Patent ID: 7497775

Claim:
An apparatus for retaining a sieve in an agricultural combine, the sieve having first and second side edges and a first end peripheral edge facing in a first direction within the combine and a second end peripheral edge facing in a second direction opposite the first direction, comprising: an elongate sieve support structure supported on the combine for reciprocating movement longitudinally in the first and second directions, the sieve support structure including side retainers extending longitudinally in the first and second directions and cooperatively engaged with the first and second side edges of the sieve, respectively, supporting the sieve along the first and second side edges for the reciprocating movement in the first and second directions with the support structure; an end retainer structure disposed adjacent to the second end peripheral edge of the sieve and configurable in at least one locking mode in cooperative engagement with the second end peripheral edge of the sieve for retaining and limiting movement of the sieve relative to the sieve support structure, and releasable in at least one unlocking mode for allowing movement of the sieve in the second direction longitudinally relative to the sieve support structure and the side retainers for allowing removal of the sieve in the first direction longitudinally relative to the sieve support structure and the side retainers; and wherein the end retainer structure includes: elongate members attached to the sieve support structure disposed adjacent to the second end of the sieve; receiving members movable in the first and second directions relative to the elongate members; at least one elongate element in connection with the receiving members and abuttingly engageable with the second end peripheral edge of the sieve; detent elements retained on and positionable longitudinally along the elongate members; wherein when the end retainer is configured in the at least one locking mode with the elongate members extending through the receiving members and the detent elements locked against the receiving members, the elongate element will be fixedly held thereby against the sieve; and when the end retainer is released in the at least one unlocking mode with the elongate element separated from the sieve to allow movement of the sieve longitudinally relative to the sieve support structure, the detent elements remain on the elongate members.