Title of Invention	A SELF PROPELLED COMBINE HARVESTER
Abstract	Abstract: The invention relates to a running gear for a self-propelled combine harvester, with a wheeled running gear and a threshing and separating device which is installed transversely with respect to the direction of travel and operates in accordance with the axial-flow system.

Full Text

Running gear for self—propelled combine harvester with a transversely located threshing and separating device The present invention relates to a self-propelled combine harvester with a wheeled running gear and with a threshing and separating device which is installed transversely, operates in accordance with the axial-flow system and below which there is provided a conveying device which transfers the grain/chaff mixture to the conveying bottom of a screen device. The prior art has disclosed a self-propelled combine harvester, explained in more detail in documents DE 37 38 991, with a threshing and separating device which is installed transversely with respect to the direction of travel and operates in accordance with the axial-flow system, which combine harvester deposits the straw, after it has gone through the threshing and separating device, to the side of the combine harvester. The machine described, however, exhibits a tracked running gear which involves a high degree of outlay as far as production and operation are concerned. Moreover, DAS 1 222 307 discloses a self-propelled combine har¬vester which likewise exhibits a threshing and separating device which is installed transversely with respect to the direction of travel and operates in accordance with the axial-flow system, but is equipped with a wheeled running gear. With the arrangements of the running gears and assemblies in the abovedescribed combine harveister, it is not possible to construct a small, compact and, accord¬ingly, cost-effective self-propelled combine harvester which, at the same time, exhibits a wheeled running gear and a threshing and separating device which is installed transversely with respect to the direction of travel. However, in the case of the small, compact self-propelled combine harvester described in DE 37 38 991, a wheeled . running gear cannot be fitted simply at the known loca¬tion, as is shown in DAS 1 222 307, since, otherwise, the length of the threshing and separating device would have to be shortened in order not to become too wide and, moreover, the depositing of straw would be disrupted, the self-propelled combine harvester shown in DAS 1 222 307 does indeed have a wheeled running gear, but the in¬dividual operating members are arranged in such an unfavourable manner that it is not possible to produce a small, compact and, accordingly cost-effective combine harvester with this arrangement. The object of the present invention is to design a combine harvester of the type outlined in more detail in the introduction, such that, on the one hand, it may be small and compact and on the other hand, it may be equipped with a wheeled running gear. The object according to the invention is achieved in that the front axle of the combine harvester is arranged, as seen in the direction of travel, in front of the threshing and separating device, in front of the foremost essentially vertical strut of the main frame of the combine harvester and below about the last third, between the feed opening of the inclined conveying channel and the discbarge end thereof. In a further configuration of the invention, at its straw-outlet end, the rotor at least partially projects beyond the front wheel, and the housing, which encloses the rotor and the conveying device located therebeneath, exhibits a clear¬ance which projects into the interior of the housing, it being possible for the front wheel beyond which the rotor at least partially projects to move along the outer boundary of said clearance. In order to utilize fully the overall space below the threshing and separating device, the shifting gear mechanism for shifting the transmission of the drive force to the front axle is arranged below the threshing and separating device. In order to accomjmo-date the braking system, it is proposed to arrange at least one brake disc on an output shaft of the gear mechanism. Moreover, the distance in the longitudinal direction between the shifting gear mechanism and the axle shaft of the front wheels, for transmitting the drive forces to the front wheels from the shifting gear mechanism, is spanned by at least one output shatt and via at least two gear wheels which belong to an output shaft and mesh one in the other, one of the gear wheels being connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the axle shaft of a front wheel. Accordingly the present invention provides a self-propelled combine harvester comprising a wheeled running gear, having front wheels and rear wheels a threshing and separating device installed transversely with respect to the direction of travel for operating in accordance with the axial-flow system and a conveying device is provided below said threshing and separating device for transferring the grain and chaff mixture to the conveying bottom of a screen device, characterized in that the axle shafts of said front wheels of the self-propelled combine harvester are located in front of the threshing and separating device, in front of the foremost essentially vertical strut of the main frame of the combine harvester and below about the last third, between the feed opening of the inclined conveying channel and the discharge end thereof. The invention is to be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to an exemplary embodiment and to a plurality of figures which represent said exemplary embodiment schematically and in which: Fig. 1 shows a side view of the combine harvester according to the invention, and Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the combine harvester according to the invention. Figure 1 shows a self-propelled combine harvester (2) with a wheeled running gear comprising front wheels (4, 6) and rear wheels (8, 10), and with a threshing and separating device (12) which is installed transversely and operates in accordance with the axial-flow system. Arranged below the threshing and separating device (12) is a conveying device (14) which transfers the grain/ chaff mixture to the conveying bottom of a screen device. The threshing and separating device (12) and conveying device (14) are enclosed by a housing (16) . During the harvesting, the crops for harvesting are cut by a cutting mechanism (18) and are conveyed sideways to the inclined conveyor (20) and, from the latter, into the threshing and separating device (12). While threshed grain/chaff mixture drops through the screen opening onto the convey¬ing device (14) located therebeneath, in order to be passed from there to the cleaning screens (22), the threshed straw leaves the threshing and separating device (12) through a discharge opening (24), from which the threshed straw drops onto the conveying belt (26) and drops down from there, at the rear end thereof, onto the ground in windrow foirm. In Figure 2, the axle shaft (28) of the front wheels is arranged, in spatial terms, below the inclined conveyor (20) and in front of the foremost essentially vertical strut (not shown in detail) of the main frame of the combine harvester. The drive force is transmitted in a known manner from the motor (30) to the shifting gear mechanism (32) and from there, via output shaft (34) into the drive housing (36). A breaking device (38) is arranged on an output shaft (34). In order to be able to arrange the axle shaft (28) as far forwards as possible, gear wheels (40) are arranged in the drive housing (36), which gear wheels transmit the drive force from the output shaft (34) to the axle shaft (28) and, in the process, simultaneously span, in a cost-effective manner, the distance between the axle shaft (28) and the body of the self-propelled combine harvester (2). In order that it is possible to achieve, on the one hand, the longest possible threshing and separating device (12) and, on the other hand, the narrowest poss¬ible machine width, the housing (16) exhibits, in the region of the hatched surface area (42) , a clearance which projects into the interior of the housing, the front wheel (4) beyond which the rotor at least partially projects moving along the outer boundary of said clear¬ance. The rotor of the threshing and separating Jevice (12) is fitted at a sufficiently high level to be able to project beyond the front wheel (4) over the full width of the machine. I CLAIM: A self-propelled combine harvester comprising a wheeled running gear, having front wheels (4, 6) and rear wheels (8, 10) a threshing and separating device (12) installed transversely with respect to the direction of travel for operating in accordance with the axial-flow system and a conveying device (14) is provided below said threshing and separating device for transferring the grain and chaff mixture to the conveying bottom of a screen device, characterized in that the axle shafts of said front wheels of the self-propelled combine harvester are located in front of the threshing and separating device, in front of the foremost essentially vertical strut of the main frame of the combine hai-vester and below about the last third, between the feed opening of the inclined conveying channel and the discharge end thereof. The self-propelled combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein at its straw-outlet end, the rotor at least partially projects beyond the front wheel, and the housing, which encloses the rotor and the conveying device located therebeneath, exliibits a clearance which projects into the interior of the housing, the front wheel beyond which the rotor at least partially projects moving along the outer boundary of said clearance. The self-propelled combine harvester according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a shifting gear mechanism for shifting the transmission of the drive force to the front wheels is located below the threshing and separating device. The self-propelled combine harvester according to claims 1 to 3 wherein a brake disc is located on at least one output shaft of the shifting gear mechanism. The self-propelled combine harvester according to one of claims I to 4 wherein the distance in the longitudinal direction between the shifting gear mechanism and the axle shaft of the front wheels, for transmitting the drive forces to the front wheels from the shifting gear mechanism, is spanned via at least one output shaft and via at least two gear wheels which belong to an output shaft and mesh one in the other, one of the gear wheels being connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the axle shaft of a front wheel. A self-propelled combine harvester comprising a vvneeled running gear and a threshing and separating device, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1502-mas-95 abstract.pdf

1502-mas-95 claims.pdf

1502-mas-95 correspondence others.pdf

1502-mas-95 correspondence po.pdf

1502-mas-95 description (complete).pdf

1502-mas-95 drawings.pdf

1502-mas-95 form-2.pdf

1502-mas-95 form-26.pdf

1502-mas-95 form-4.pdf

1502-mas-95 form-6.pdf

1502-mas-95 petition.pdf