Patent ID: 7731577

Claim:
A transverse fan assembly, comprising: a plenum defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening; a transverse fan disposed within said plenum directionally rotatable about a first axis of rotation for drawing air in through said inlet opening and discharging air outwardly through said outlet opening; and an inlet rotor disposed adjacent said inlet opening, said inlet rotor rotatable about a second axis of rotation and having at least one planar blade, said second axis of rotation being substantially parallel to said first axis of rotation, wherein said transverse fan has blades arranged in a substantially axially cylindrical pattern about said first axis of rotation, that, in rotation, generate a fan periphery, said at least one planar blade being substantially radially perpendicular to said second axis of rotation and having at least one edge distal from said second axis of rotation defining, in rotation, an inlet rotor periphery, said inlet rotor periphery being proximate to said fan periphery, wherein said inlet rotor disposed entirely above said transverse fan such that said inlet rotor periphery is spaced vertically above said first axis of rotation, wherein said plenum further comprises an upper chamber wall and a lower chamber wall, said lower chamber wall having an upstream curvilinear portion adjacent to said inlet opening and a downstream curvilinear portion, said upstream curvilinear portion including a curvilinear inlet housing extending from said upstream curvilinear portion such that said inlet rotor is disposed within said curvilinear inlet housing, wherein said transverse fan assembly is disposed with an agricultural combine having a power source for directionally rotating said fan to discharge air outwardly through said outlet opening, a threshing apparatus, and cleaning sieves arranged in crop receiving relation relative to said threshing apparatus such that air discharge from said transverse fan assembly is directed through said cleaning sieves, wherein air flow entering said inlet opening causes said inlet rotor to rotate.