Case Corporation

Herb M Farley

William Lee Cooksey

Jonathon E Ricketts

Richard A Hardesty

The present invention concerns a self-aligning coupling structure for releasably connecting a rear end of a feeder assembly to a frame of an agricultural harvester such as a combine and the like. The self-aligning coupling structure includes a pair of releasable couplings laterally spaced from each other on opposite sides of the feeder assembly and combine frame. Each releasable coupling includes first and second apertured coupling elements. One of the apertured coupling elements is provided on and extends from the combine frame while the other apertured coupling element is provided on and extends from a housing of the feeder assembly. The coupling elements each have complementary guide surfaces provided thereon. When the feeder assembly is to be coupled to the combine frame, the guide surfaces on the respective coupling elements of each releasable coupling cooperate with each other to self-align both horizontally and vertically the apertures in the coupling elements relative to each other thereby facilitating the passage of a pivot pin through the aligned apertures so as to releasably connect the feeder assembly to the combine frame for pivotal movement about the axis of the pivot pins.

Feeder assembly coupling structure for an agricultural harvester

A rotary combine including a feeder mechanism and a rotor assembly having an impeller assembly arranged at a forward end of a rotor. The feeder mechanism includes a housing which is pivotally connected to the combine about a transverse axis. The feeder mechanism housing envelops a conveyor assembly used to impart linear movements to the crop materials as they are advanced toward the rotor assembly. Prior to their introduction to the rotor assembly, the linearly advancing crop materials are discharged from a rotary member. A salient feature of the present invention involves the communicative relationship established between the rearmost rotary member from which the crop materials are discharged and the foremost end of the impeller assembly. The longitudinal spacial relationship therebetween is such that the crop material flow is permitted to transmute from the linear flow imparted thereto as the materials moved toward the rotor assembly and a rotary or circulatory flow imparted thereto as the materials are introduced to the whirling blades of the impeller assembly.

Feeder-rotor assembly for combines

A feeder assembly for a combine including a conveyor having a plurality of laterally spaced driving chains entrained about and supported by a pair of for-and-aft spaced lateral supports. An elastomeric assembly is removably fitted about and is adapted for rotation with one of the supports to define a replaceable wear surface for the support while attenuating noise generated by the feeder assembly during operation thereof.

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Braidwood, IL, United States of America

Herb M Farley