Patent ID: 7811162

Claim:
A rotor assembly for a threshing system of an agricultural combine, comprising: an elongate rotor having a front inlet portion, a rear portion and a generally cylindrical outer surface disposed between the front portion and the rear portion, the rotor being rotatable about a longitudinally extending rotational axis therethrough; a plurality of threshing elements mounted individually on the outer surface in at least two axially spaced apart, continuous helical patterns therearound extending from about the front inlet portion to about the rear portion, adjacent ones of the threshing elements along each of the helical patterns being located about equidistant apart, respectively, and defining a helical pitch of the helical pattern therebetween; and wherein the helical pitches of the helical patterns have a generally constant first value through a first region of the rotor located adjacent to the front inlet portion, and the helical patterns are continuously and substantially uniformly spaced about a first axial distance apart throughout the first region; the helical pitches of the helical patterns have values which gradually increase from the first value to a second value greater than the first value through a second region of the rotor extending from the first region toward the rear portion of the rotor, such that throughout the second region the helical patterns are continuously spaced an axial distance apart, wherein the axial distances between the helical patterns of the second region gradually increase in size in a direction toward the rear portion of the rotor; and the helical pitches of the helical patterns are generally constant at the second value through a third region extending rearwardly from the second region to the rear portion of the rotor, such that throughout the third region the helical patterns are continuously and substantially uniformly spaced about a second axial distance apart which is several times greater than the first axial distance.