A combine harvester is disclosed with an infeed arrangement for receiving the harvested material, with a threshing device for degraining the harvested material, and with a cleaning device that is downstream from the threshing device for segregating the harvested material, and thereby separating the grain from the non-grain components. The cleaning device has a sieve device that can rotate about a rotational axis with an at least sectionally sieve-shaped sieve jacket that extends in a peripheral direction around the rotational axis. Separating the grain from the non-grain components is performed by the cleaning device by superimposing a rotary movement and oscillating movement of the sieve jacket such that the oscillating movement is directed transverse to the rotational axis of the sieve device, wherein the oscillating movement is caused by a segmentation of the sieve jacket in a peripheral direction, and a swinging of each peripheral segment of the sieve jacket about a pivot axis associated with the respective peripheral segment.

A combine harvester is disclosed with an infeed arrangement for receiving the harvested material, with a threshing device for degraining the harvested material, and with a cleaning device that is downstream from the threshing device for segregating the harvested material, and thereby separating the grain from the non-grain components. The cleaning device has a sieve device that can rotate about a rotational axis with an at least sectionally sieve-shaped sieve jacket that extends in a peripheral direction around the rotational axis. Separating the grain from the non-grain components is performed by the cleaning device by superimposing a rotary movement and oscillating movement of the sieve jacket such that the oscillating movement is directed transverse to the rotational axis of the sieve device, wherein the oscillating movement is caused by a segmentation of the sieve jacket in a peripheral direction, and a swinging of each peripheral segment of the sieve jacket about a pivot axis associated with the respective peripheral segment.

A sieve assembly for use within an agricultural harvester may generally include a sieve, a crop material sheet, and at least one support element. The sieve extends along a length defined between a first sieve end and a second sieve end and processes a flow of harvested crop material. The sieve also defines a plurality of openings through which cleaned crop material of the flow of crop material is directed. The crop material sheet extends along a length defined between a first sheet end and a second sheet end and receives the cleaned crop material directed through the sieve's openings. The crop material sheet then directs the flow of cleaned crop material towards a separate component of the crop processing system. In addition, the support element(s) is directly coupled between the sieve and the crop material sheet and structurally connects the sieve to the crop material sheet.

A method and device for harvesting grain crops is provided. A threshing method includes separating grain from harvested material, which is fed to a threshing phase after a gathering process taking place against a direction of working travel. During threshing, the harvested material is processed as the respective grain crops and admixtures in the form of straw and chaff such that essential, dischargeable admixtures are separated from the grain crops, and these, in the form of a mixture with chaff or similar fine particles, are fed as a grain/chaff stream to a final cleaning. The grains free of these residual admixtures are subsequently collected as grain crops. During at least one feed phase preceding the final cleaning, a transport movement is imparted to the at least one grain/chaff stream with the transport movement having a component in a vertical direction and a component in the direction of working travel.

A combine harvester tailings return system includes a tailings conveyor and an ejection channel for depositing tailings upstream of a cleaning system. A proximity sensor is mounted to the ejection channel and is configured to sense the height of a layer of tailings during transit through the returns system.

A paddle bracket with superior durability and a grain elevator chain including such a paddle bracket are disclosed. The paddle brackets are used to connect paddles for moving the grain to the chain. Each paddle bracket has a brace portion for giving additional support to the intermediate portion of the bracket between the portion of the paddle bracket that connects to the other links in the chain and that portion of the paddle bracket that attaches to the paddle. An austempering process for forming a bainitic microstructure in the paddle bracket to further enhance the strength of the paddle bracket is also disclosed.

A paddle bracket with superior durability and a grain elevator chain including such a paddle bracket are disclosed. The paddle brackets are used to connect paddles for moving the grain to the chain. Each paddle bracket has a brace portion for giving additional support to the intermediate portion of the bracket between the portion of the paddle bracket that connects to the other links in the chain and that portion of the paddle bracket that attaches to the paddle. An austempering process for forming a bainitic microstructure in the paddle bracket to further enhance the strength of the paddle bracket is also disclosed.

A control system for controlling a motion of an auger tube of a combine harvester comprises a dynamic pre-filter, a position controller, and a speed controller. The dynamic pre-filter receives a desired position value for the auger tube and generates a filtered desired position signal which changes the desired position value from an old value to a new value over a time period. The position controller receives a first difference between the filtered desired position signal and an actual position of the auger tube. The position controller generates a desired angular speed signal that varies according to the first difference. The speed controller receives a second difference between the desired angular speed signal and an actual speed of the auger tube. The speed controller generates an actuator signal that varies according to the second difference and is received by an actuating system that moves the auger tube.

A sensing system and method is provided for crop material in a harvester. The sensing system includes a conveyor auger device oriented in a substantially vertical direction and having an entrance aperture, an exit aperture located upwardly above a radially oriented sensing aperture disposed therebetween. The conveyor auger device includes a conveyor auger having a flight for moving crop material upwardly, wherein the flight has a reduced radial extension adjacent the sensing aperture. A sensor disposed at or adjacent the sensing aperture senses the essentially continuously upwardly moving crop material for determining a property thereof.

A sensing system and method is provided for crop material in a harvester. The sensing system includes a conveyor auger device oriented in a substantially vertical direction and having an entrance aperture, an exit aperture located upwardly above a radially oriented sensing aperture disposed therebetween. The conveyor auger device includes a conveyor auger having a flight for moving crop material upwardly, wherein the flight has a reduced radial extension adjacent the sensing aperture. A sensor disposed at or adjacent the sensing aperture senses the essentially continuously upwardly moving crop material for determining a property thereof.