Rotor cage to transition cone interface for agricultural harvester
A threshing system of an agricultural harvester includes a rotor cage surrounding a rotor, a threshing space defined between the rotor cage and the rotor, and a transition cone defining an infeed to the rotor cage and the threshing system. A mating interface between the rotor cage and the transition cone is curved in three different dimensions of a Cartesian coordinate system for maximizing the threshing space. As viewed from above the mating interface of the threshing system, a convex portion of the rotor cage is mounted to a concave portion of the transition cone.
1. A threshing system of an agricultural harvester comprising:
a rotor cage surrounding a rotor,
a threshing space defined between the rotor cage and the rotor, and
a transition cone defining an infeed to said rotor cage and said threshing system, the transition cone mounted to said rotor cage at a location upstream of the rotor cage, as viewed in a direction of crop flow through the threshing system,
wherein a mating interface between the rotor cage and the transition cone is curved in three different dimensions of a Cartesian coordinate system for maximizing the threshing space.
2. The threshing system of claim 1 , wherein the mating interface comprises a downstream edge of the transition cone that is mated to an upstream edge of the rotor cage.
3. The threshing system of claim 2 , wherein the downstream edge of the transition cone is curved in three dimensions, and the upstream edge of the rotor cage is curved in three dimensions.
4. The threshing system of claim 2 , wherein the downstream edge is abutted with the upstream edge of the rotor cage to form the mating interface.
5. The threshing system of claim 2 , wherein the rotor cage includes a lower mounting surface for mounting to the threshing system, and the upstream edge of the rotor cage protrudes in an upstream direction beyond the lower mounting surface.
6. The threshing system of claim 1 , wherein the mating interface extends along three different axes.
7. The threshing system of claim 1 , further comprising a concave positioned at an elevation beneath the rotor cage.
8. The threshing system of claim 1 , wherein the transition cone includes an upstream portion having an increasing radius in a downstream direction, and a downstream portion having a decreasing radius in the downstream direction.
9. The threshing system of claim 8 , wherein the downstream portion of the transition cone is at least partially conical and a top center surface of the downstream portion of the transition cone slopes downwardly in the downstream direction.
10. The threshing system of claim 8 , wherein a bottom portion of the transition cone extends in a downstream direction beyond a top center downstream point on the downstream portion of the transition cone.
11. The threshing system of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a downstream portion having threshing elements, and an upstream portion having an inlet auger including an auger flight.
12. The threshing system of claim 11 , wherein the auger flight is surrounded by the transition cone.
13. The threshing system of claim 11 , wherein the threshing elements are surrounded by the rotor cage.
14. The threshing system of claim 1 , wherein the cage is at least partially cylindrical and the transition cone is at least partially conical.
15. The threshing system of claim 14 , wherein the cage includes a cylindrical portion and straight leg portions extending downward from each end of the cylindrical portion.
16. The threshing system of claim 1 , wherein the mating interface is curved in an X-Y plane, a Y-Z plane and an X-Z plane of the Cartesian coordinate system.
17. A threshing system of an agricultural harvester comprising:
a rotor cage surrounding a rotor,
a transition cone defining an infeed to said rotor cage and said threshing system, the transition cone mounted to said rotor cage at a location upstream of the rotor cage, as viewed in a direction of crop flow through the threshing system, and
wherein, as viewed from above the threshing system, a convex portion of the rotor cage is mounted to a concave portion of the transition cone,
wherein a mating interface between the rotor cage and the transition cone comprises a downstream edge of the transition cone that is mated to an upstream edge of the rotor cage, and
wherein the downstream edge of the transition cone is curved in three dimensions, and the upstream edge of the rotor cage is curved in three dimensions.
18. The threshing system of claim 17 , wherein the rotor comprises a downstream portion having threshing elements, and an upstream portion having an inlet auger including an auger flight, wherein the auger flight is surrounded by the transition cone, and the threshing elements are surrounded by the rotor cage.