阅读说明：本技术 作物流喷嘴 (Nozzle for making material flow ) 是由 坎迪斯·波普 道格拉斯·G·坦普尔 尼辛·柴坦尼亚·雷迪·乔杜里 沃尔夫拉姆·海格斯 于 2021-05-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：公开了用于包括到谷物输送机中的可选择性移除的喷嘴。喷嘴可包括斜面和联接到斜面的侧壁。斜面可顺应输送机壳体的内表面并且在壳体内产生收缩。侧壁也可顺应输送机壳体的内表面。斜面还可包括沿着侧壁延伸的凹陷。凹陷可接纳输送机的轴。一个喷嘴可替换为另一喷嘴,以便适应不同的收割条件。斜面压缩经过输送机的谷物以提供谷物的连续流动。谷物的连续流动提供用于通过与谷物流相邻的传感器对谷物特性的准确测量。(Selectively removable nozzles for inclusion into a grain conveyor are disclosed. The nozzle may include a ramp and a sidewall coupled to the ramp. The ramp may conform to an inner surface of the conveyor housing and create a constriction within the housing. The side walls may also conform to the inner surface of the conveyor housing. The ramp may also include a recess extending along the sidewall. The recess may receive a shaft of the conveyor. One nozzle may be replaced with another nozzle to accommodate different harvesting conditions. The ramps compress the grain passing through the conveyor to provide a continuous flow of grain. The continuous flow of grain provides for accurate measurement of grain characteristics by sensors adjacent to the grain flow.)

1. A nozzle (122, 200) received into an interior chamber (117) of a conveyor (106) to alter a cross-sectional dimension of the interior chamber of the conveyor, the nozzle comprising:

a ramp (126, 202) including a first edge (222) configured to conform to an inner surface of a conveyor;

a sidewall (127, 204) coupled to the ramp, the sidewall including a side edge configured to conform to an inner surface of the conveyor;

an angle θ defined between the ramp and the sidewall; and

a recess (206) formed in the sidewall and extending longitudinally therein, the recess configured to receive a shaft of the conveyor.

2. The nozzle (122, 200) of claim 1, wherein the first edge (222) is elliptical.

3. The nozzle (122, 200) of claim 1 or 2, wherein an angle θ defined between the chamfer (126, 202) and the sidewall (127, 204) is an obtuse angle.

4. The nozzle (122, 200) of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the recess (206) defines a central axis (210) extending therealong, and the first edge (222) comprises a shape defined by an intersection of a plane inclined at an angle formed between the chamfer and the central axis and a cylinder having a centerline aligned with the central axis.

5. The nozzle (122, 200) of claim 4, wherein the cylinder comprises a circular cross-sectional shape.

6. The nozzle (122, 200) of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the recess (206) comprises a circular cross-sectional shape.

7. The nozzle (122, 200) of any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a laterally extending bore (220).

8. The nozzle (122, 200) of any of claims 1 to 7, further comprising at least one laterally extending rib (212, 214) formed along the sidewall (127, 204).

9. The nozzle (122, 200) of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the angle θ is in a range of 135 ° and 165 °.

10. A conveyor (106) for transporting grain, the conveyor comprising:

a housing (118) defining a chamber (117) having a cross-sectional dimension, the housing comprising:

an inner surface; and

a longitudinal axis (119) extending along the chamber;

a spiral sheet (108) disposed in the chamber and rotatable therein, the spiral sheet comprising:

a shaft (116);

a first portion (112) attached to the shaft; and

a second portion (114) attached to the shaft, the second portion separated from the first portion by a gap (110); and

the nozzle (122, 200) of claim 1, wherein the sidewall (127, 204) extends along a chamber, and wherein the nozzle creates a restriction that reduces a cross-sectional dimension of the chamber.

11. The conveyor (106) of claim 10, wherein the nozzle (122, 200) includes an inner surface (208) defining a recess (206), and wherein the shaft (116) contacts the inner surface.

12. The conveyor (106) of claim 10 or 11, wherein the first edge (222) configured to conform to an inner surface of the conveyor conforms to an inner surface of the housing (118).

13. The conveyor (106) of claim 12, wherein the first edge (222) comprises a shape defined by an intersection of a plane inclined at an angle formed between the bevel (126, 202) and the longitudinal axis and an inner surface of the housing (118).

14. The conveyor (106) of any of claims 10-13, wherein the angle Θ is in the range of 135 ° and 165 °.

15. The conveyor (106) according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the reduction in cross-sectional dimension of the chamber (117) caused by the nozzles (122, 200) is at most 55%.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to aligning grain in a process of sensing grain.

Background

During harvesting, the grain produced may be sensed to detect various characteristics of the grain produced. For example, during harvesting, the grain produced may be sensed to determine a constituent characteristic such as moisture, dry matter, protein, starch, Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), or Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF). Sensor results are provided in real-time and allow the manufacturer to obtain more frequent and representative samples rather than relying on periodic, non-representative samples measured, for example, via wet chemistry analysis. The producer can look at the constituent measurements while harvesting and then quickly make an on-the-fly adjustment to optimize feed quality.

Disclosure of Invention

A first aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a nozzle receivable into an interior chamber of a conveyor to modify a cross-sectional dimension of the interior chamber of the conveyor. The nozzle may include: a ramp including a first edge configured to conform to an inner surface of the conveyor; a sidewall coupled to the ramp, the sidewall including a side edge configured to conform to an inner surface of the conveyor; an angle θ defined between the ramp and the sidewall; and a recess formed in the sidewall and extending longitudinally therein, the recess configured to receive an axle of the conveyor.

A second aspect of the present disclosure relates to a conveyor for transporting grain. The conveyor may include a housing defining a chamber having a cross-sectional dimension. The housing may include an inner surface and a longitudinal axis extending along the chamber. The conveyor may also include a flight disposed in the chamber and rotatable therein. The spiral sheet may include a shaft, a first portion attached to the shaft, and a second portion attached to the shaft. The second portion may be separated from the first portion by a gap. The conveyor may also include a nozzle disposed in the chamber and attached to the housing. The nozzle may extend at least partially along the gap and may include a ramp, a sidewall extending along the chamber, and an angle θ defined between the ramp and the sidewall, the nozzle defining a restriction that reduces a cross-sectional dimension of the chamber.

Other features and aspects will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The detailed description of the drawings refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of a conveyor system according to some implementations of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an example nozzle, according to some implementations of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the nozzle of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a housing of a conveyor including an example nozzle, according to some implementations of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the implementations illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described devices, apparatus, and methods, and any further applications of the principles of the disclosure as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates. In particular, it is fully contemplated that the features, components, and/or steps described with respect to one implementation may be combined with the features, components, and/or steps described with respect to other implementations of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure relates to grain sensing, and more particularly to forming a flow path to generate a flow of grain, which is sensed to provide a characteristic of the grain. Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of a conveyor system 100. In the example shown, the conveyor system 100 forms part of a combine harvester for harvesting grain. In other implementations, the conveyor system 100 may be unassociated and separate from a combine or other vehicle. For example, in some cases, conveyor system 100 may form part of a larger grain conveying system.

The conveyor system 100 includes a first conveyor 102 that conveys the produced grain 104 during harvesting. The first conveyor 102 may include a flighted belt or other device for lifting the grain 104 being produced. The first conveyor 102 is in communication with the second conveyor 106, and the produced grain 104 is released from the first conveyor 102 into the second conveyor 106. The second conveyor 106 is a screw conveyor including a rotatable, helical flight 108 that includes a gap 110 formed between a first portion 112 of the flight 108 and a second portion 114 of the flight 108. The flight 108 includes a shaft 116. The spiral sheet 108 is disposed in a housing 118 and is rotatable therein by a motive device 120 (e.g., an electric motor). The second conveyor 106 defines a longitudinal axis 119 that extends along a centerline of the shaft 116 of the flight 108.

A removable nozzle 122 is disposed in the chamber 117 formed by the housing 118 and extends along the gap 110 formed between the first portion 112 and the second portion 114 of the spiral sheet 108. As shown in fig. 1, the end 115 of the first portion 112 of the flight 180 is tapered. The tapered end 115 provides clearance for the bevel of the nozzle 122 (described in more detail below). The nozzle 122 is maintained at a fixed position within the housing 118 even as the flight 108 is rotated by the motive apparatus 120. The nozzle 122 may be maintained in a fixed position within the housing 118 by one or more pins extending through the housing 118 and the nozzle 122. In other implementations, the nozzle 122 may engage an annular flange or lip formed on the housing 118 or coupled to the housing 118. The lips may be keyed to define the orientation of the nozzle 122 within the housing 118, thereby preventing rotation and translation of the nozzle 122 within the housing 118. In other implementations, the nozzle 122 may be removably attached within the housing 118 in other manners.

The third conveyor 124 is in communication with the second conveyor 106, and the produced grain is released from the second conveyor 106 into the third conveyor 124. The third conveyor 124 may comprise a helical belt and may transport the produced grain 104, for example by lifting, into a collection tank formed in the combine. Arrows 121, 123, and 125 represent the flow of the produced grain 104 through the example conveyor system 100 along the first, second, and third conveyors 102, 106, and 124, respectively. Arrow 121 indicates that first conveyor 106 lifts produced grain 104. After lifting, the produced grain falls into the second conveyor 106. The produced grain 104 travels along the second conveyor 106 in the direction of arrow 123 and is deposited in the third conveyor 124. The third conveyor 124 lowers the produced grain 104 in the direction of arrow 125. The flow of produced grain 104 provided by the conveyor system 100 is merely one example. In other implementations, the conveyor system may have more or fewer conveyors, and the direction of transport of the grain produced within one or more conveyors may be different than those described in the illustrated examples.

Returning to the second conveyor 106, as the flights 108 rotate, the produced grain is transported along the second conveyor 106. When the produced grain 104 reaches the gap 100, the produced grain 104 encounters the bevel 126 of the nozzle 122. The side wall 127 extends from the ramp 126. The nozzle 122 forms a constriction within the housing 118 and the ramp 126 funnels the produced grain 104 into the reduced cross-sectional area of the housing 118 formed by the ramp 126 and the sidewall 127. As a result of the contraction, the produced grain 104 is compacted, thereby removing air from the produced grain 104 and accelerating the produced grain 104 past the sensor 128. Thus, because the conveyor 106 on which the nozzle 122 is located controls the flow rate of the produced grain 104 within the conveyor 106, such as by the rotational speed of the flights 108, the flow rate of the produced grain 104 increases along the constricted cross-sectional area within the conveyor 106 formed by the nozzle 122 as compared to other areas of the second conveyor 106 remote from the nozzle 122. As a result, the nozzle 122 operates to increase the flow density of the produced grain 104 as the produced grain 104 passes in front of the sensor 128. In this way, the grain 104 produced behaves similar to a fluid and is accelerated by the restriction.

In some implementations, the sensor 128 may be an imaging system. For example, the sensor 128 may be an infrared sensor that uses infrared radiation to sense characteristics of the grain 104 being produced. Air entrained in the produced grain 104 may produce erroneous measurements. Thus, the compaction provided by the nozzle 122 reduces air entrained with the grain, thereby providing accurate and continuous sensing of the produced grain 104. In some implementations, the sensor 128 is manufactured by Diel corporation (Illinois)HarvestLab, John Diel Square No. 61265, Morin, U.S.)^TM3000. In other implementations, the sensor 128 may be another sensor that detects properties of the grain in other ways (e.g., using radiation outside the infrared or near-infrared range).

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example nozzle 200 similar to nozzle 122 in FIG. 1. The nozzle 200 includes a chamfer 202, a sidewall 204 extending from the chamfer 202, a recess 206 extending through the chamfer 202 and the sidewall 204, and a longitudinal rib 205 extending longitudinally along the nozzle 122. The recess 206 receives the shaft of the flight of the screw conveyor (e.g., the shaft 116 of the flight 108). The recess 206 is defined by an inner surface 208 and a central axis 210. The central axis 210 is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the conveyor on which the nozzle 200 is located (e.g., the longitudinal axis 119 of the second conveyor 106). In some implementations, the sidewall 204 extends parallel to the central axis 210. In other implementations, the sidewall 204 is angled relative to the central axis 210. In the example shown, the inner surface 208 is a cylindrical surface and defines a circular cross-section. In other implementations, the inner surface 208 may be a cylindrical surface defining a non-circular cross-sectional shape. In other implementations, the inner surface 208 may not be non-cylindrical. For example, in some cases, the inner surface 208 may be conical. In some implementations, the shaft of the auger flight may contact the inner surface 208. Thus, the inner surface 208 may act as a bearing surface for the shaft of the flight. In other implementations, the shaft of the auger flight may not contact the inner surface 208.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the nozzle 200 taken along a plane that contains the central axis 210 and symmetrically divides the nozzle 200. As shown, the nozzle 200 also includes cross-ribs 212 and 214. The cross ribs 212 and 214 are perpendicular to the central axis 210, and the cross ribs 212 and 214 intersect the longitudinal rib 205. The cross ribs 212 and 214 have a circular transverse cross-sectional shape that conforms to the inner surface of the housing of the conveyor (e.g., the housing 118 of the second conveyor 106). A cross-rib 214 is formed at an end 216 of the nozzle 200 opposite the bevel 206. In other implementations, such as where the conveyors have non-circular cross-sectional shapes, the cross ribs 212 and 214 may be shaped to have shapes that correspond to the non-circular cross-sectional shapes of these conveyors.

An angle θ is formed between the ramp 206 and the sidewall 204. In the example shown, the angle θ is an obtuse angle. An angle is defined between the bevel 206 and a line 218 parallel to the central axis 210For implementations where the sidewall 204 extends parallel to the central axis 210, the angles θ andto complement the angle, add up to 180 °. In some implementations, the angle θ may be in the range of 135 ° and 165 °. Angle of rotationMay be in the range of 15 deg. and 45 deg.. In other implementations, the angles θ and θ are complementedAnd may be greater or less than the range indicated accordingly.

In the example shown, the nozzle 200 also includes a bore 220 configured to receive a pin to secure the nozzle 200 within a conveyor. In the example shown, one of the holes 220 extends along and through the cross rib 212 and the longitudinal rib 205. Another aperture 220 is formed along the inner surface of the chamfer 206 and extends through the longitudinal rib 205. In other implementations, the holes may be disposed at other locations along the nozzle 200. The pins may extend through corresponding openings in the housing of the conveyor to secure the nozzle 200 within the conveyor housing in both translation and rotation. As explained earlier, nozzles within the scope of the present disclosure may be secured within the conveyor housing in other ways.

Referring again to fig. 2, the bevel 206 defines a curved edge 222. The curved edge 222 conforms to an inner surface of a conveyor housing (e.g., the inner surface of the housing 118 of the second conveyor 106 described earlier). In the example shown, the nozzle 200 is formed to be received into a conveyor housing having a circular cross-section. Thus, the curved edge 222 is elliptical in shape. The oval shape is formed by oppositelyAt an angle to the central axis 210The intersection of the inclined plane and the cylinder corresponding to the inner surface of the conveyor housing into which the nozzle 200 is to be received. As a result, both the ramp 206 and the cross ribs 212 and 214 conform to the inner shell of a conveyor (e.g., a screw conveyor similar to the second conveyor 106 described earlier). As a result, the nozzle 206 (and other nozzles within the scope of the present disclosure) reduces the cross-sectional dimension of the chamber of the conveyor, with the chamfer 206 providing a transition between the reduced cross-sectional dimension and an unrestricted cross-sectional dimension for the conveyor. In addition, the nozzles 206 conform to the inner surface of the conveyor. In particular, the elliptical shape of the curved edge 222 of the ramp 206 and the edges of the cross ribs 212 and 214 conform to the inner surface of the conveyor housing.

In the example shown in fig. 2, the bevel 206 is planar. However, in other implementations, the ramp 206 may define a curve. For example, in some implementations, the longitudinal cross-section of the bevel 206 may define a non-linear curve, such as an S-curve or another non-linear curve. In some implementations, the bevel 206 may include two or more bevel portions, with each bevel portion defining a different angle relative to the line 218Thus, in some implementations, the nozzle 200 can include multiple ramp portions to transition the grain produced from the full cross-sectional dimension of the conveyor to the reduced cross-sectional dimension defined by the nozzle 200.

Further, in some implementations, the sidewall 204 is planar and extends parallel to the central axis 210. In some implementations, all or a portion of the sidewall 204 can be curved. For example, in some implementations, the sidewall 204 may define a longitudinally extending cylindrical shape having a curved transverse cross-sectional shape.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a housing 400 of a conveyor 402. The conveyor 402 may be a screw conveyor similar to the second conveyor 106 described earlier. The example nozzle 404 is disposed within a chamber 406 of the housing 400 of the conveyor 402. The nozzle 404 includes a ramp 406 and a sidewall 408 that extends along a portion of the length of the conveyor 402. The shaft 410 of the conveyor 402 is received in a recess 412 formed in the nozzle 404. The shaft 410 may be the shaft of a screw conveyor flight (which may be similar to the flight 108 described earlier). As shown, the nozzle 404 conforms to the inner surface 414 of the housing 400 of the conveyor 402. A longitudinal axis 416 of the conveyor 402 extends longitudinally along the length of the conveyor 402, and a central axis 418 of the nozzle 404 is aligned with the longitudinal axis 416. In the example shown, the longitudinal axis 416 corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 410. The ramp 406 includes a curved edge 407 that conforms to the inner surface 414 of the housing 400, and the side wall 408 includes a side edge 409 that extends longitudinally along the conveyor 402 and conforms to the inner surface 414 of the housing 400.

As shown, the nozzle 404 forms a restriction that reduces the cross-sectional dimension of the chamber 406 to a reduced portion 420. The size of reduced portion 420 may be selected to compact the grain produced to a level that provides accurate sensor measurements by sensor 422 (which may be similar to the sensors described earlier). In some implementations, the cross-sectional reduction provided by the nozzle 400 may be in the range of up to 55%. In some implementations, the reduction may be greater than 55%. The amount of cross-sectional area reduction provided by the nozzle may be selected based on, for example, crop type, grain size, or harvesting speed. The amount of contraction can be selected to increase the density of the grain produced so as to provide a continuous flow of the grain produced as it flows past the sensor 412. The continuous flow avoids voids or air gaps in the grain that lead to erroneous sensor measurements.

Nozzles within the scope of the present disclosure may be formed of, for example, metal, plastic, composite materials, or combinations of different materials.

The user may swap one nozzle that produces a first limit amount in the conveyor for another nozzle that produces a second limit amount in the conveyor different from the first limit amount in response to changing harvesting conditions. The altered harvesting conditions may include crop type, grain size, or harvesting speed. Thus, the nozzle may be selectively removed from the conveyor, for example, in response to changing harvesting conditions.

Without in any way limiting the scope, interpretation, or application of the claims appearing below, a technical effect of one or more of the example implementations disclosed herein is to provide a nozzle that is replaceable in response to changing harvesting conditions so as to provide a continuous flow of grain past the sensor so as to provide accurate sensor measurements of the grain.

While the above describes example implementations of the present disclosure, these descriptions should not be taken in a limiting sense. Rather, other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.