A concave for a combine harvester is disclosed having a first side support member and a second side support member, and a threshing bar secured to the first and second side support members, wherein the threshing bar is at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the first and second side support members. The threshing bar may be disposed between the first and second side support members.

A concave for a combine harvester is disclosed having a first side support member and a second side support member, and a threshing bar secured to the first and second side support members, wherein the threshing bar is at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the first and second side support members. The threshing bar may be disposed between the first and second side support members.

A kit and method of abrading grain provides multiple components to improve the threshing operation within an agricultural combine. The kit includes a unique concave design, open valley rasp bars, and restrictor plates. The method of abrading grain allows threshing operations for large grains such as corn and, also, for small grains such as soybeans. For example, the kit can be used to facilitate construction of a harvesting system that comprises: a drum of a rotary combine; a straight bar concave in a first position, wherein the straight bar concave utilizing intersecting bars, wherein at least some of said intersecting bars including a sharp leading edge, wherein the sharp leading edge abrades harvested materials and separate grain therefrom when the rotary drum rotates; and a plurality of round bar concaves in at least a second and a third position.

An adjustable vane system for use with a rotor cage of a threshing system of an agricultural harvester includes a vane. The vane includes: a generally helically curved inner profile; a surface being an outer profile that is opposite the inner profile and is generally helically curved over a portion of the vane, the outer profile being configured to be positioned closer to the rotor cage than the inner profile; and a flat portion located midway along the outer profile.

A concave section for a harvester is provided. The concave section includes a concave body having an upstream side, a downstream side, a leading end and a trailing end. The concave body defines an arcuate crop engagement face facing radially inwardly. A plurality of crop passage openings are defined through the arcuate crop engagement face. A cover is configured to at least partially cover at least some of the crop passage openings. The cover is carried by the concave body and is movable thereon between at least two different positions to adjust a degree of openness of at least some of the crop passage openings.

A kit provides multiple components to improve the threshing operation within an agricultural combine. The kit includes a unique concave design, open valley rasp bars, and restrictor plates. Application of the kit components allows more efficient threshing operations for large grains such as corn and, also, for small grains such as soybeans resulting in an increased capture and retention of seed from the threshing operation.

A method for producing seed corn from the corn plants, for use in growing subsequent corn plants, includes measuring a moisture content of corn kernels on ears of the corn plants in the field and removing, by a combine harvester, the ears of corn from the corn plants when the moisture content satisfies a threshold moisture content. The method then includes separating the corn kernels from cobs of the ears of corn onboard the combine harvester and collecting the separated corn kernels for use as seed corn, whereby one or more subsequent corn plants can be grown from the collected corn kernels.

A method for producing seed corn from the corn plants, for use in growing subsequent corn plants, includes measuring a moisture content of corn kernels on ears of the corn plants in the field and removing, by a combine harvester, the ears of corn from the corn plants when the moisture content satisfies a threshold moisture content. The method then includes separating the corn kernels from cobs of the ears of corn onboard the combine harvester and collecting the separated corn kernels for use as seed corn, whereby one or more subsequent corn plants can be grown from the collected corn kernels.

A concave for an agricultural combine includes threshing beds carried by a base frame and forming openings therebetween for grain to pass through. Each threshing bed includes a first end, a second end, a length from the first end to the second end, an inner extremity, an outer extremity, and a separating grate extending across one of the openings for separating grain from threshed crop material. The separating grate extends along the length between the first end and the second end, is between the inner extremity and the outer extremity and includes grate openings and spaced-apart bars. The bars are between adjacent grate openings and include struts each connecting two adjacent parts of the separating grate between adjacent grate openings and severed bars each including bar segments extending inwardly toward one another to respective free ends on either side of a gap between adjacent grate openings.

A threshing and separating system includes a concave; a shaft defining an axis of rotation which is parallel to the concave and transverse to a longitudinal axis; and a plurality of slats rotated by the shaft and configured to move crop material against the concave. The slats have a helical shape winding around the axis of rotation. The slats include a first set of slats being predominantly on a left side of the shaft and having a left-handed helical shape, and a second set of slats being predominantly on a right side of the shaft and having a right-handed helical shape. At least one slat of said first set of slats is staggered relative to a closest slat of said second set of slats, such that a portion of a slat length of said at least one slat is overlapped with one or more adjacent slats of said second set.