Tangential feeding to a threshing rotor
A combine harvester includes a rotor cage surrounding a rotor, a threshing space defined between the rotor cage and the rotor, and a transition section defining an infeed to the rotor cage. The transition section is mounted to the rotor cage at a location upstream of the rotor cage. The transition section has an inlet for receiving the crop material. The harvester also includes a crop conveying drum for conveying crop material to the inlet of the transition section and beneath the rotor. The crop conveying drum is at least partially encased by a shroud. The transition section includes a bottom wall, two side walls each having lower portions extending substantially vertical with respect to the bottom wall, and curved side walls each extending between the bottom wall and one of the side walls. The bottom wall is substantially tangential to a lower portion of the shroud.
1. An agricultural combine harvester comprising:
a rotor,
a rotor cage surrounding the rotor,
a threshing space defined between the rotor cage and the rotor,
a transition section defining an infeed to said rotor cage, the transition section disposed at a location upstream of the rotor cage, as viewed in a direction of crop flow through the combine harvester, the transition section having an inlet for receiving the crop material, and
a crop conveying drum for conveying crop material to the inlet of the transition section and beneath the rotor, the drum being at least partially encased by a shroud,
wherein the transition section comprises a bottom wall, two side walls each having portions extending substantially vertically with respect to the bottom wall, curved side walls each extending between the bottom wall and one of the side walls, and a conical top wall extending between and connecting the curved side walls, the bottom wall being substantially tangential to a lower portion of the shroud located beneath the drum.
2. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the curved side walls are positioned downstream of an upstream edge of the bottom wall.
3. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein an upstream edge of the bottom wall is attached to a downstream edge of the lower portion of the shroud.
4. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein curved side walls are each at least partially conically shaped.
5. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a conveying space defined between the drum and the lower shroud is positioned at an elevation beneath the bottom wall.
6. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall is flat and planar.
7. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the curved side walls are disposed on opposite sides of the transition section.
8. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , further comprising a concave positioned at an elevation beneath the rotor cage.
9. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , further comprising vanes disposed on one or more of the curved side walls and the conical top wall.
10. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , further comprising a conical side wall positioned downstream of one of the curved side walls, the conical side wall intersecting said one of the curved side walls, the bottom wall and the conical top wall.
11. The agricultural combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein a width dimension of the bottom wall as measured along an axis is greater than a width dimension of the drum as measured along the axis.
12. A threshing system of an agricultural combine harvester comprising:
a rotor,
a rotor cage surrounding the rotor,
a threshing space defined between the rotor cage and the rotor, and
a transition section defining an infeed to said rotor cage, the transition section at a location upstream of the rotor cage, as viewed in a direction of crop flow through the threshing system, the transition section having an inlet for receiving crop material,
wherein the transition section comprises a bottom wall, two side walls each having portions extending substantially vertically with respect to the bottom wall, curved side walls each extending between the bottom wall and one of the side walls, and a conical top wall extending between and connecting the curved side walls.
13. The threshing system of claim 12 , wherein the curved side walls are positioned downstream of an upstream edge of the bottom wall.
14. The threshing system of claim 12 , wherein the bottom wall and the two side walls of the transition section form three sides of a rectangle such that the inlet of the transition section is substantially rectangular.
15. The threshing system of claim 12 , wherein the side walls are each at least partially conically shaped.
16. The threshing system of claim 12 , further comprising vanes disposed on one or more of the curved side walls and the conical top wall.
17. The threshing system of claim 12 , further comprising a conical side wall positioned downstream of one of the curved side walls, the conical side wall intersecting said one of the curved side walls, the bottom wall and the conical top wall.
18. The threshing system of claim 12 , wherein the bottom wall is flat and planar.
19. The threshing system of claim 12 further comprising a reverse conical wall connected to an upstream end of the conical top wall, the reverse conical wall extending away from a rotational axis of the rotor as viewed in a downstream direction and the conical top wall extending toward the rotational axis of the rotor as viewed in the downstream direction.