Patent ID: 7028457

Claim:
A threshing plate installable in a housing of a tailings conveyor of an agricultural combine for causing threshing of a flow of tailings propelled through the housing by rotation of an impeller therein, comprising: a mounting portion removably mountable to the housing; and two threshing surfaces supported by the mounting portion on opposite sides thereof, the two threshing surfaces comprising a surface texture including non-bladed, non-cutting surface portions facing in a plurality of directions, at least one of the two threshing surfaces positioned in predetermined relation to the impeller, the impeller having a radial outer threshing portion which circumscribes an arc when the impeller is rotated, the mounting portion being mountable on the housing in at least two alternative orientations such that at least one of the two threshing surfaces can be disposed in at least two corresponding orientations in the predetermined relation to the impeller, the threshing plate being flexible such that the mounting portion can be mounted to the housing with a selected one of the threshing surfaces having the arcuate shape and being in predetermined relation to the impeller, the arcuate shape being marginally larger in diameter than the arc circumscribed by the impeller and being located radially outwardly of the arc when positioned in the predetermined relation to the impeller such that when the impeller is rotated, the threshing portion will move along the threshing surface to propel at least a portion of the flow of the tailings against one of the two threshing surfaces such that the at least a portion of the flow of tailings is deflected away from the threshing surface in a turbulent manner into the flow of the tailings such that the tailings will be at least partially threshed by random collisions therebetween, wherein a first of the threshing surfaces has a first surface texture for deflecting the tailings in a first turbulent manner and a second of the threshing surfaces has a second surface texture rougher than the first surface texture for deflecting the tailings in a second turbulent manner different from the first turbulent manner.