IP Library Granted Patent US 10,959,380
Granted Patent B2
US 10,959,380 · App. 16/299,933 · Granted Mar 30, 2021

Sieve for an agricultural harvester with adjustable louvers and associated adjustment assembly

Inventors: Craig E. Murray (Davenport, IA); Harold Mark Stock (Bettendorf, IA); Kevin S. Schwinn (Fairmount, IN)
Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
A01F12/448A01F12/446B07B1/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,959,380
App. No.
16/299,933
Granted
Mar 30, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sieve for a cleaning system of an agricultural harvester includes: a sieve frame defining a top side; adjustable louvers carried by the sieve frame and defining apertures; an adjustment bar coupled to the adjustable louvers such that displacement of the adjustment bar changes a size of at least some of the apertures; and an adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly includes: an adjustment arm coupled to the adjustment bar and pivotable relative to the sieve frame such that pivoting of the adjustment arm about a pivot axis displaces the adjustment bar. The adjustment arm carries a locking pin. A shaft is disposed on the top side and coupled to the adjustment arm. Displacement of the shaft from a first position to a second position causes a corresponding displacement of the locking pin from a locking position to an adjustment position.

Claims (44)

1. A sieve for a cleaning system of an agricultural harvester, comprising:

a sieve frame defining a top side;

a plurality of adjustable louvers carried by the sieve frame and defining a plurality of apertures;

at least one adjustment bar coupled to the plurality of adjustable louvers such that displacement of the at least one adjustment bar changes a size of at least some of the plurality of apertures; and

an adjustment assembly comprising:

an adjustment arm coupled to the at least one adjustment bar and pivotable relative to the sieve frame such that pivoting of the adjustment arm about a pivot axis displaces the at least one adjustment bar, the adjustment arm carrying a locking pin that is displaceable between a locking position where the adjustment arm is not freely pivotable about the pivot axis and an adjustment position where the adjustment arm is freely pivotable about the pivot axis; and

a shaft disposed on the top side and coupled to the adjustment arm, the shaft being displaceable such that displacement of the shaft from a first position to a second position causes a corresponding displacement of the locking pin from the locking position to the adjustment position.

2. The sieve of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is displaceable from the first position to the second position in a direction that is generally parallel to the pivot axis.

3. The sieve of claim 2 , wherein the adjustment arm is displaceable in the direction that is generally parallel to the pivot axis, the shaft comprising a bearing portion bearing on the adjustment arm such that displacement of the shaft from the first position to the second position causes a corresponding displacement of the adjustment arm.

4. The sieve of claim 3 , wherein the adjustment arm comprises a shaft opening and a portion of the shaft is pivotably locked to the adjustment arm in the shaft opening.

5. The sieve of claim 1 , further comprising a locking plate comprising a plurality of adjustment openings, the locking pin being disposed in one of the adjustment openings in the locking position.

6. The sieve of claim 5 , further comprising a spring disposed between the shaft and the locking plate, the shaft comprising a spring shoulder bearing on the spring, the spring biasing the shaft toward the first position.

7. The sieve of claim 6 , wherein a portion of the shaft extends through a plate shaft opening formed in the locking plate.

8. The sieve of claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises a head configured for engagement with a wrench.

9. The sieve of claim 8 , wherein the head comprises a wrench engagement slot formed therein.

10. A cleaning system for an agricultural harvester, comprising:

a sieve comprising:

a sieve frame defining a top side;

a plurality of adjustable louvers carried by the sieve frame and defining a plurality of apertures;

at least one adjustment bar coupled to the plurality of adjustable louvers such that displacement of the at least one adjustment bar changes a size of at least some of the plurality of apertures; and

an adjustment assembly comprising:

an adjustment arm coupled to the at least one adjustment bar and pivotable relative to the sieve frame such that pivoting of the adjustment arm about a pivot axis displaces the at least one adjustment bar, the adjustment arm carrying a locking pin that is displaceable between a locking position where the adjustment arm is not freely pivotable about the pivot axis and an adjustment position where the adjustment arm is freely pivotable about the pivot axis; and

a shaft disposed on the top side and coupled to the adjustment arm, the shaft being displaceable such that displacement of the shaft from a first position to a second position causes a corresponding displacement of the locking pin from the locking position to the adjustment position; and

a clean grain auger disposed below the sieve and configured to receive clean crop material that passes through the plurality of apertures.

11. The cleaning system of claim 10 , wherein the shaft is displaceable from the first position to the second position in a direction that is generally parallel to the pivot axis.

12. The cleaning system of claim 11 , wherein the adjustment arm is displaceable in the direction that is generally parallel to the pivot axis, the shaft comprising a bearing portion bearing on the adjustment arm such that displacement of the shaft from the first position to the second position causes a corresponding displacement of the adjustment arm.

13. The cleaning system of claim 12 , wherein the adjustment arm comprises a shaft opening and a portion of the shaft is pivotably locked to the adjustment arm in the shaft opening.

14. The cleaning system of claim 10 , further comprising a locking plate comprising a plurality of adjustment openings, the locking pin being disposed in one of the adjustment openings in the locking position.

15. The cleaning system of claim 14 , further comprising a spring disposed between the shaft and the locking plate, the shaft comprising a spring shoulder bearing on the spring, the spring biasing the shaft toward the first position.

16. The cleaning system of claim 15 , wherein a portion of the shaft extends through a plate shaft opening formed in the locking plate.

17. The cleaning system of claim 10 , wherein the shaft comprises a head configured for engagement with a wrench.

18. The cleaning system of claim 17 , wherein the head comprises a wrench engagement slot formed therein.

19. An agricultural vehicle, comprising:

a chassis; and

a cleaning system carried by the chassis, the cleaning system comprising:

a sieve comprising:

a sieve frame defining a top side;

a plurality of adjustable louvers carried by the sieve frame and defining a plurality of apertures;

at least one adjustment bar coupled to the plurality of adjustable louvers such that displacement of the at least one adjustment bar changes a size of at least some of the plurality of apertures; and

an adjustment assembly comprising:

an adjustment arm coupled to the at least one adjustment bar and pivotable relative to the sieve frame such that pivoting of the adjustment arm about a pivot axis displaces the at least one adjustment bar, the adjustment arm carrying a locking pin that is displaceable between a locking position where the adjustment arm is not freely pivotable about the pivot axis and an adjustment position where the adjustment arm is freely pivotable about the pivot axis; and

a shaft extending disposed on the top side and coupled to the adjustment arm, the shaft being displaceable such that displacement of the shaft from a first position to a second position causes a corresponding displacement of the locking pin from the locking position to the adjustment position; and

a clean grain auger disposed below the sieve and configured to receive clean crop material that passes through the plurality of apertures.

20. The agricultural vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the shaft is displaceable from the first position to the second position in a direction that is generally parallel to the pivot axis and the adjustment arm is displaceable in the direction that is generally parallel to the pivot axis, the shaft comprising a bearing portion bearing on the adjustment arm such that displacement of the shaft from the first position to the second position causes a corresponding displacement of the adjustment arm.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE EXUNGED PATENT NO. 10926632 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 056384 FRAME: 0798. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGMENT . Recorded Aug 20, 2021
From: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
To: BLUE LEAF I.P., INC.
Reel/Frame 057248/0925 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2021
From: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
To: BLUE LEAF I.P., INC.
Reel/Frame 056384/0798 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2019
From: MURRAY, CRAIG E.; STOCK, HAROLD MARK; SCHWINN, KEVIN S.
To: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
Reel/Frame 048576/0147 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200288638A1 · Sep 17, 2020
Cited By (4)
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