Adjustment device of a cleaning element of a combine

The invention relates to a cleaning element of a combine harvester na ch to the preamble of claim 1 and a method according to the preamble of claim 10.

In a combine are after threshing and separating typically still chaff and straw mixed with the grain. The cleaner removes these impurities from the grain. In most combines, the cleaning device comprises three main components: a blower, an upper sieve and a lower sieve. The blower has its own housing, whereas the chaffer and are attached to the cleaning shoe.

The fan includes a multi-blade fan, which is arranged in front of the screen box. The air flow generated by the fan removes most of the chaff and the straw from the grain by the chaff and the straw are blown out to the rear of the combine. The air flow may be regulated through adjustment of the fan speed or by changing the fan opening. The grain falls through the chaffer and a screw conveyor for clean grain and is conveyed into the grain tank.

The screen box containing the chaffer and is fixed to the supporting structure of the combine harvester below the separation device. The bottom of the screen box contains the tailings auger and the auger for clean grain.

The chaffer and are suspended on hangers, which are attached to the sides of the combine. There are three types of typical movements of the screen box: reciprocating, shaking and cascading. If reciprocate reciprocating sieve box to move the chaffer and in mutually opposite directions. In a shaking sieve box to move the chaffer and in the same direction. In a cascading screen box (eng. "Cascading") the chaffer and are arranged so that the material falls from a sieve into a waterfall-like or rolling movement on the other screen.

The upper sieves and lower sieves are either adjustable or non-adjustable. An adjustable top or bottom wire is constructed from a series of transversely extending slats having rows of teeth. Each of these fins is attached to a crankshaft having a crank arm which is engaged with an axially extending adjusting rod. By axial displacement of the adjusting all the slats are moved simultaneously to change the gap between adjacent slats between fully open and fully closed positions. Each element is typically adjusted individually, although an actuator with the adjusting rods of two or more elements may be coupled.

The adjustable upper screen and lower screen can be adjusted depending on the crop conditions. The fins of the upper sieve are just so far opened or closed, that the grain falls through the upper sieve before it has moved over the length of the upper sieve. When the upper screen is opened too far, it can overload the bottom wire with chaff. When the upper screen is not opened wide enough, excess grain will be lost at the rear of the combine. If the lower screen is not opened wide enough, excess grain is fed to the tailings auger. The fins of the bottom wire must be opened wide enough to allow the grains of corn, easy to fall through them, but not so far that straw and chaff can fall through. A combine harvester can be equipped with a pre-wash before the top wire, which also comprises a further equipped with slats cleaning element. Hereafter the term "cleaning element" refers to any element with adjustable louvres, regardless of whether it is in a pre-wash, a top wire or a bottom wire.

In many combine harvesters, an operator has to grip the back of the combine harvester between the side plates to set each element. This makes the settings cumbersome and time consuming. Various remote-controlled adjustment mechanisms have been proposed. The<patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US4897027A"><text>US 4897027 A</text></patcit> discloses a cable drive mechanism that allows an operator to adjust the angle of the slats from the place of an operator from. The<patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="US5586033A"><text>US 5586033 A</text></patcit> discloses an apparatus that drives the blades by a motor-driven cable mechanism for automatic control. The motor is fixed to the frame of the combine harvester. Other adjustment mechanisms use actuators which are fixed to the frame of the upper or lower sieve. The actuators can be operated electrically. Each element, a separate actuator associated with his (<patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="DE10111531A"><text>DE 101 11 531 A</text></patcit>) Or a single actuator may be coupled with the adjusting rods more elements of the upper or lower sieve (<patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="EP1068793A"><text>EP 1068793 A</text></patcit>).

The <patcit id="pcit0005" dnum="EP1068793A"><text>EP 1068793 A</text></patcit> describes a sensor arrangement for detecting the position of the slats, which comprises a resistive surface, and two switching contacts. In one of the end positions of the slats reaching each one of the switching contacts is actuated. A wiper contacts the resistive surface and changes the resistance value measurable as a function of the position of a standing in drive connection with the lamellas piston rod. With the switch contacts the alignment of the resistance area is automatically assigned to the position of the piston rod. Here, the position of the piston rod is detected by the resistor surface. A disadvantage is considered that such a resistance area is relatively vulnerable, as impurities and contact failure affect their function.

A problem with the use of a cable drive for remote adjustment of the cleaning elements is the hysteresis, is the result of Kabelverwindungen and play in the joints of the Einstellkopplungen. A solution to this problem is to mount the actuator directly on the frame of the top or bottom wire. The difficulty of mounting the actuator to the frame is the vibration and shock loading of the actuator, since the top and bottom wire move towards the combine, which is added to the game in the coupling between the actuator and the adjusting. Another problem area is in a correct feedback of the position of the blades to the operator.

The object underlying the invention is seen to provide an improved adjusting a cleaning element of a combine.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the teaching of claims 1 and 10, wherein in the further patent claims cite characteristics that further develop the solution in an advantageous manner.

The invention provides a cleaning element of a combine harvester with a compact actuator ready. The actuator has a linearly movable output element which is mounted directly on the control rod of each element. The output member moves the adjusting rod so as to cause that the opening of the blades is adjusted. The actuator includes a preferably electric power operated motor to move the output member. Two generally non-contact sensors are used to determine the position of the output member. The motor and the sensors are preferably arranged within a sealed housing to protect these components against contamination from the environment. The first sensor sends a signal to a control system when the output element is located in a known position. The known position of the output member corresponds to a known distance between the blades of the cleaning element. The second sensor sends a signal to the control system, which depends on the amount of movement of the output member. By tracking or monitoring the movement of the output member from the known position of the current position of the output member is known, on the basis of the opening of the slats is determined based on the known geometry of the slats. The position of the blades can be displayed and / or used as a feedback signal of an automatic control.

An operator input device, which is located in a position spaced from the cleaning element body includes switches, or other input mechanisms that can be used by the operator to activate the actuator. A plurality of input devices may be used. An input device in the cab of the combine allows the operator to make adjustments during harvesting. Another, arranged on the side of the combine input device makes it possible to make adjustments in order to clean the cleaning elements or to perform small adjustments when the machine is not harvesting. The opening of the blades can also be adjusted by automatic control.

The speed at which the blades are adjusted, may be selectable by the operator or automatically by a controller.

The use of non-contact sensors, preferably Hall effect sensors, improves the durability of the position feedback. If the output element is mounted directly on the control rod, said adjusting almost entirely of backlash and hysteresis is free, which allows an accurate feedback of the position of the blades to the operator or to the control system without detecting the position of the blades with sensors located in the flow path of the crops or the impurities.

In the drawings, a detail hereinafter described embodiment of the invention is shown. It shows:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>a side view of an agricultural combine, in the threshing, separating and cleaning are shown,</dd><dt>FIG. 2</dt><dd>a view of part of a cleaning element with an actuator according to the invention from below,</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>a side view of a portion of <figref idrefs="f0002">figure 2</figref> shown cleaning element, </dd><dt>Fig. 4</dt><dd>a side view of the internal components of the actuator, and</dd><dt>Fig. 5</dt><dd>a block diagram of the control system.</dd></dl>

Estimates must be stated that in the present disclosure with the axial direction, the forward direction of the combine is understood. <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> shows a side view of a self-propelled agricultural combine 10. The combine 10 includes a support structure 12 with wheels 14. The supporting structure 12 comprises two axially extending side plates, between which the various Verarbeitungszusammenbauten arranged for the crop. A cutter 16 is attached to the front of the combine 10 and leads harvested crop an inclined conveyor 18 to. The inclined conveyor 18 includes a conveyor for feeding the harvested crop to threshing, separating and cleaning, which are arranged between the side plates of the combine 10th Although the present invention is disclosed as being attached to a combine harvester with a longitudinally arranged separating device, it can also be used on combine harvesters with threshing drums and straw walkers and other Mähdrescherkonfigurationen with an equipped with slat cleaner.

At the combine shown feederhouse the harvested crop a transversely extending beater 20 leads to 18 an axial threshing and separating assembly 24 feeds the material through an inlet transition region 22nd Grain and chaff are supplied from the axial threshing and separating assembly 24 to a cleaning assembly 26th The cleaning assembly 26 directs the clean grain in turn to a grain tank 28 and the chaff is blown through the cleaning fan 30 at the rear of the combine addition. Crop material that is neither grain still chaff is fed from the axial threshing and separating assembly 24 a transverse guide drum 32, which pushes the material at the rear of the combine 10 addition.

At times, in the grain tank 28 stored clean grain can be discharged 36 by an operator in the operator's cab 34 by operating a Entladeförderschnecke. The threshing and separating assembly 24 and the cleaning assembly 26 are disposed between the side plates of the supporting structure 12th The cleaning assembly 26 includes a screen box 38, which in turn comprises an upper sieve 40 and a lower wire 42nd

The chaffer 40 and the lower screen 42 are equipped with one or more elements, each having transverse, adjustable louvers 44, which in the <figref idrefs="f0002">Figures 2 and 3</figref> are shown. The present invention relates to an actuator for adjustment of the slats in the elements of the cleaning. The fins 44 are mounted in a frame 45, which is supported by the cleaning shoe 38th Reference is made to<figref idrefs="f0002">figure 3</figref> referred to, according to which each of the slats 44 is provided with a crankshaft 46, which is curved to form a crank arm 48th Each crank arm 48 is disposed in a slot 50 of an axial displacement rod 52nd By a movement of the adjusting rod 52 in the longitudinal direction, ie, along its length, the angular position of all the slats 44 of the element can be adjusted. Thus, the gap "G" between adjacent louvers 44 is changed. The gap can be adjusted to selected positions between a fully opened and a fully closed position. The adjusting rod 52 is received in an axially extending housing 53 in the shape of an inverted U.

The adjustment mechanism includes an actuator 56 which is fixed to the frame 45 and a movable linearly in the longitudinal direction or output element has 58th The output member 58 has a threaded plunger 60 that is secured by a nut on a holder 62nd The bracket 62 is rigidly connected to the adjusting 52nd When the output member 58 moves as shown by arrow 64, also the adjusting 52, which has the consequence that the crank arms rotate 46 to change the angular position of the slats 44 move. Rotation of the vanes 44 changes the gap "G" between adjacent slats 44th

The internal components of the actuator 56 are detailed in <figref idrefs="f0003">figure 4</figref> shown, wherein the housing of the actuator 56 is not shown. The actuator 56 includes a power-supplied motor 66 having a rotatable output shaft 68 which drives a gear 70th In the preferred embodiment, the motor is an electric motor. Other types of motors can be used, such as hydraulic, pneumatic, etc .. A speed reduction gear train 72 couples the output of the motor 66 to the rotary input shaft 74 of a linear actuator 76. When the input shaft 74 rotates, cause internal screw thread in the linear actuator 76 that the in the housing of the actuator 56 rotatably fixed dispensing member 58 moves linearly or longitudinally, as shown by the arrow 64th The input shaft 74 is formed with a hexagonal, square, or similar, non-circular fitting 78 that extends out of the housing of the actuator 56 also, as in the<figref idrefs="f0002">Figures 2 and 3</figref> shown. The mold 78 can be used to rotate the input shaft 74 with a key, if it is necessary in case of failure of the electric drive system or damage to the speed reduction gear train 72nd

The control system for the adjustment mechanism is shown schematically in the <figref idrefs="f0003">figure 5</figref> shown. Two actuators 56 are shown, a 42 for the louvered 44 element of the chaffer 40 and another for the cleaning element of the bottom wire If the top wire 40 and the bottom wire 42 have more than one element, an actuator 56 is provided for each element. The control system works via a CAN-based network controller, to enable the operator to make adjustments during the trip from the cabin 34 from. A controller 90 having a microprocessor is arranged in the core of the control system and receives inputs from each of the sensors 80 and 84. Another input to the controller 90 is from the operator input device 92, which is arranged in the operator's cab 34, spaced from the actuator 56. The operator the combine 10 uses the operator input device 92 to make adjustments of the slat position. A second input device (not shown) may be provided on the side of the combine 10, to make adjustments, if the combine 10 is not harvesting.

The outputs of the controller 90 include signals to the actuators 56 to operate the respective motors 66 to open the slats 44 or close. In addition, a display device 94 to the operator a number o. Ä., Which corresponds to the size of the gap "G". The elements of the upper sieve 40 and the bottom wire 42 are each independently represented by a separate switch on the operator input device 92 adjustable. When the upper sieve 40 and / or the bottom wire 42 include a plurality of elements, the control system can be set up, the items separately or together to adjust.

The control system further comprises a first sensor 80 which is arranged on the length of the output member 58th A magnet 82 causes the sensor 80 to generate a signal when the output element 58 is located in a known position. In the known position of the gap "G" between adjacent slats is known. The gap "G" in the known position is measured at the factory and stored in the memory of the control system. A second sensor 84 is a magnetic ring 86 positioned adjacent to the input shaft 74 of the linear actuator 76th The sensor 84 generates a signal when each one of the poles of the magnet ring 86 passes the sensor 84th In each generated by the sensor 84, the signal output element 58 has moved over a known distance, which corresponds to a known angular rotation of the crankshaft 46, which the gap "G" between adjacent vanes 44 due. When the output member 58 moves from the known position in any direction, the amount of movement from the output of the second sensor 84 is known. Both sensors 80, 84 are preferably non-contact sensor types, such as Hall effect sensors. This improves the durability of the sensors and the overall function of the control system. The controller 90 also known direction of rotation of the motor 66 can also be considered, to identify whether the slats 44 each opened or closed in order.

The motor 66 is controlled by a pulse width modulated control signal. The motor 66 can be modulated to slow speed when small adjustments of the slat position will be performed, and at high speed when large movements are performed or the louvers 44 fully open to clean the elements. The operator input device 92 is shown with a pair of switches 96, 98, wherein a switch is assigned to the upper sieve and a lower sieve. Other switch arrangements can be used. A two speed operation can be accomplished in various ways. Several switch at the input device can be verwednet, where a number of switches for low speed, that is fine-tuning, and the different number of switches for quick settings are used. Alternatively, a speed selector switch for slow or fast speed be used together with a number of switches for the cleaning elements. A two speed operation can be provided to the controller 90 using various schemes. For example, a mode can be activated at high speed, after the switch has been pressed for a predetermined time. Another scheme allows the operator to perform settings at low speed, and when the actuator is used in a combine harvester 10 with automatic Mähdreschereinstellungsoption, a high speed is used to the settings between preset positions for different Gutarten (maize, soybeans, wheat, etc. to change) and also to spend the slats 44 in a wide open cleaning position. The thought that 44 to adjust slats at different speeds, comes to independent inventive rank.

The actuator 56 drives the element directly without any gears or couplings between the output member 58 and the fins 44. This reduces the dead game and the hysteresis. In addition to open or close the slats 44 of the elements directly related to the activation of the motor 66. The position sensing system of the slat opening is very accurate in both directions. The Hall effect sensors have no contacting parts, so that they can 38 survive in the shaking around the elements of the screen box. The first sensor 80 is calibrated to a known port of the slats 44 in the factory and can then be used to track the accuracy of the feedback signal over time. This system can either automatically or on command by the operator via the operator input device 92 to be recalibrated in this known position.

described invention During the actuator 56 in the context of cleaning elements of upper sieve 40 and a lower sieve 42, it can also be used with an equipped with blade cleaner element of a pre-wash.