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 combine harvester fan housing assembly may include a fan enclosure formed as a single unitary body out of a polymeric material. The fan enclosure may include a spiral duct spiraling about an axis, a first axial inlet opening sized to axially receive a fan therethrough and a second axial inlet opening and a discharge duct extending from the spiral duct. The combine harvester fan housing assembly may further include an inlet ring releasably mounted to the fan enclosure about the first axial opening, the Inlet ring projecting into the first axial opening by an extent so as to extend radially inward of blade ends of the fan.

A combine harvester including a cleaning shoe, having a tailings auger for collection of tailings, a tailings collection bin and apparatus for moving material from the tailings auger to the tailings collection bin.

An agricultural harvester includes a chassis, a threshing system carried by the chassis, and a cleaning system carried by the chassis and positioned below the threshing system. The cleaning system includes one or more sieves, a clean grain auger positioned below at least one sieve, and a cover plate positioned above the clean grain auger. The cover plate has a front edge and a rear edge which each extend generally parallel to a lateral axis of the clean grain auger. The front edge and rear edge are each open to allow clean grain to pass therebelow to the clean grain auger.

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 modular axle assembly for supporting wheels of an agricultural vehicle, such as a combine harvester, is disclosed. The modular axle assembly includes a first tube, a second tube parallel to the first tube, and at least one bracket connecting the first tube and the second tube.

A harvester reciprocating drive balancing system may include a crop material separating member movably supported for reciprocal movement and a drive operably coupled to the crop material separating member to reciprocate the crop material separating member. The drive may include a drive crank operably coupled to the crop material separating member, a shaft operably coupled to the drive crank, a belt drive, a driven pulley, a belt wrapped about the belt drive and the driven pulley and a gear reduction mechanism operably coupled between the driven pulley and the shaft.

A system for installing separator grates within a combine may include a grate frame having first and second frame members extending circumferentially between proximal and distal ends. The system may also include a first and second separator grate sections configured to be supported between the frame members along first and second circumferential frame sections of the grate frame, respectively. Additionally, the grate frame may include first and second guide rails extending between the frame members along at least a portion of the first circumferential frame section. When the first separator grate section is being installed from a side of the grate frame located adjacent to the proximal end, at least a portion of the first separator grate section may be configured to ride along the guide rails at a location between the frame member as the first separator grate section is moved towards the distal end of the grate frame.

A combine harvester may include a chaffer to separate residue from grain in crop material, a fan to direct air through and across the chaffer to carry the residue from the harvester, a sensor to output signals indicating a characteristic of the crop material upstream of the chaffer and a controller to adjust a speed of the fan based on signals from the sensor.