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.

A grain cleaning system for a combine harvester having a transmitter adapted to transmit a base signal at a known frequency and one or more spaced receivers for detecting signals of a different frequency as reflected from airborne grain and other materials within the duct of the grain cleaning system. An Electronic Control Unit modulates the base signal and the reflected signals to obtain Doppler signals or frequencies from which an average particle velocity is determined. The particle velocity is used as an input parameter for the generation of control signals for the adjustment of various working units of the combine harvester including, by way of example, the fan and sieves.

An impact sensor is mounted in a duct of a grain cleaning system above an upper sieve. The impact sensor has an upstream-facing impact-sensing surface with respect to a cleaning airstream, and is configured to transduce impact events and generate impact signals therefrom. An electronic control unit (ECU) is configured to generate control signals based upon a particle energy value that is determined from the impact signals. The control signals may serve to adjust various working units of a combine harvester including, by way of example, a cleaning fan and sieves.

An agricultural harvester includes an auger assembly including an auger having an auger shaft defining an axis of rotation and a flighting carried by the auger shaft, the auger being configured to rotate the flighting in a sweeping path about the axis of rotation; and an auger trough placed adjacent to the auger to hold crop material in the sweeping path and having a bottom below the sweeping path. The auger trough has a first portion on a first side of the bottom and a second portion on a second side opposite the first side of the bottom, with the second portion of the auger trough having an end directed toward the first portion in a direction of the sweeping path.

A harvesting vehicle including a cleaning section including a blower and at least one sieve. The sieve is configured to transport a layer comprising a mixture of grain kernels and residue material towards an exit edge of the sieve so that kernels fall through openings of the sieve and the residue remains on the sieve until it is ejected from the sieve by crossing the exit edge. The sieve may be subject to a grain loss, including a sieve-off loss and a blowout loss. The cleaning section further includes a sensor configured to determine whether the blowout loss or the sieve-off loss is a highest contributor to the grain loss. The cleaning section may also include a grain loss detector configured to measure the sieve-off loss and at least a portion of the blowout loss and a blowout sensor mounted above the sieve for measuring the blowout loss.

A combine (10) including a cutting wheel for harvesting crop, a separating system (24) for threshing the harvested crop to separate grain from residue, at least one of a yield monitor (115) or a loss monitor (113), a crop cleaning system (26) including a cleaning fan (52), and a controller (310) coupled to the at least one of the yield monitor (115) or the loss monitor (113). The controller (310) controls the crop cleaning system (26), and is configured to determine at least one of a throughput from the yield monitor (115), or a loss from the loss monitor (113), compare the determined throughput or loss to a respective throughput threshold or loss threshold, and control a speed of the cleaning fan (52) based on the throughput or loss comparison.

An assembly quality detection device and a method for a wind screen cleaning system based on streamline pattern, includes a main body of a test bench and a detection system. The main body of the test bench includes a test bench rack and a cleaning centrifugal fan; the inside of the test bench rack is provided with a cleaning space. The detection system includes a smoke generation and transmission device, a two-degree-of-freedom smoke fixed-point release mechanism, a high-speed image acquisition system and a control system. A fixed base is installed on the upper end of the outlet of the cleaning centrifugal fan, a linear moving guide rail device is installed on the fixed base, the linear moving guide rail device is equipped with a moving slider, the moving slider is installed with a rotating mechanism, the rotating mechanism output end is provided with a smoke releasing duct, the smoke releasing duct is communicated with the smoke generation and transmission device. The detection device and method can test the manufacturing and assembly quality of the cleaning system of the combine harvester by combining the characteristics of wind tunnel streamline pattern with image processing and corresponding mathematical operation.

A threshing apparatus includes: a threshing unit 5; a first sorting unit 11 that is arranged below the threshing unit 5, is driven to reciprocate along the front-rear direction, and threshes processed material from the threshing unit 5; and a second sorting unit 12 that is arranged below the first sorting unit 11, is driven to reciprocate along the front-rear direction, and threshes processed material from the first sorting unit 11. The front end portion of the second sorting unit 12 is provided with a second grain pan 22 that conveys processed material rearward, and the front end portion of the second grain pan 22 is also provided with a wall portion 48 that is higher than the second grain pan 22 in order to be able to prevent processed material from falling forward from the second grain pan 22.

A combine harvester includes threshing apparatus, a grain pan and a cleaning unit. The grain pan is arranged to collect a grain/chaff stream from the threshing apparatus and is driven in an oscillating manner to convey the collected grain/chaff to a rear edge from where the grain/chaff stream falls into the cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes a fan unit for generating an airstream directed through the grain/chaff stream falling from the rear edge and an airstream vented above the grain pan.

A combine harvester comprises a threshing unit arranged to receive and thresh a crop stream. Separating apparatus are located downstream and rearward of the threshing unit and are arranged to receive the threshed crop stream and convey such a rearward direction. The front of a return pan, disposed below the separating apparatus, overlaps the rear of a stratification pan, disposed below the threshing unit. The stratification pan is driven in an oscillating manner to convey a primary grain/chaff stream rearwardly to a rear edge from where the primary grain/chaff stream falls under gravity into a cleaning unit. The return pan is driven in an oscillating manner to convey a secondary grain/chaff stream forwardly to a front edge from where the secondary grain/chaff stream falls under gravity to combine with the primary grain/chaff stream on the stratification pan. The cleaning unit comprises a fan for generating a cleaning airstream which is directed through the falling grain/chaff stream to encourage the lighter material away from the grain. A plurality of crop flow disrupting elements in the form of fins or tines are secured to the underside of the return pan above the stratification pan to disrupt the grain/chaff stream and enhance stratification thereof.