US2194976A - Combine - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1940. H. J. HEKRDLE 2,194,975

COMBINE Filed Nov. 29, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. JHG/if'dl INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

March 26, 1940.

H. J. HEKRDLE COMBINE Filed NOV. 29, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet .2

A TTORNEYS March 26, 1940. I H. J. HEKRDLE 2,194,976

COMBINE Fil'ed Nov. 29, 1958 4 Sheetsheet 4 =I RI I m g In a: I I fi a I um II II RI 3 n Q Q LO ii x i WI I I R I L L 3 g II I} I a I I m I I I I N I I q I I 7+ m I I I I; I I \3 I I H I II (D I I Q I- l I I W 8 my JR I I m m I I N 1 a a? s: If I HQEHIPLZZB INVENTOR. BY

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINE Henry J. Hekrdle, Redfield, S. Dak.

Application November 29, 1938, Serial No. 243,007

7 Claims. (01. 130-27) This invention relates to machines for harvesting and threshing grain, these being generally known as combines.

In machines of this character it has always been a problem to keep an accurate record of the amount of grain delivered from the machine, this being due to the fact that measuring devices have not always been available. Some attempts have been made to mount scales on the combine for the purpose of weighing the grain before it is delivered from the machine and while it is still in the field but such weighing devices have not been satisfactory due to the fact that the violent agitation to which the machine is subjected while travelling over a field, has tended to injure any weighing means employed by displacing or pro-. ducing undue wear upon the delicate parts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a combine utilizing weighing scales which normally are held against operation but which can readily be brought into operative position while the machine is in the field so that the contents of the grain hopper can be weighed prior to being delivered from the machine into wagons or other containers, it being possible thereafter to again lock the scales against objectionable motion until the hopper has again been filled with grain ready to be weighed.

A further object is to provide mechanism which is simple and compact in construction, will not readily get out of order, and can be manipulated readily.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the

' invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a combine equipped with the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the scale mechanism forming a part thereof, a portion being broken away.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3--3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5, Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section through a portion of the weighing mechanism, showing one of the means employed for locking the grain hopper against movement.

Figure '7 is a section on line 'll, Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a section through one of the bearings of the weighing mechanism. 5

Referring to the figures by characters of reference I designates .the wheel-supported frame of a combine the threshing portion 2 of which is provided with an elevator 3 designed to carry the threshed grain upwardly and deliver it from a 10, spout 4 as ordinarily. In the present structure the frame I is provided with a superstructure 5 suitably braced the upper portion of which supports, at the front, upper and lower transverse boards 6 and I while similar boards are also sup- 1, ported at the upper portion of the rear of the superstructure.

Mounted on each of the upper boards 6 is a pair of standards 8 each having a longitudinal recess 9 providing a recessed jaw H7 at the upper 2 be mounted on the stem for the purpose of hold- 30 ing it against rotation after it has been adjusted to bring jaw I5 to any desired distance from the plunger I3. I

A link I! is pivotally connected to and extends downwardly from each plunger l3, the lower end 35 of each link being pivotally connected to an arm l8 extending upwardly from a transverse shaft [9 which is journalled in bearings 20 carried by the boards L The spout 4 is adapted to deliver grain into a 40,

hopper 2| located above the superstructure 5 and having a bottom 22 which is inclined downwardly toward an outlet 23 normally closed by a gate 24. This gate, which is preferably slidably mounted in suitably disposed guides, is 5 adapted to be actuated by a link 25 which connects it to a crank arm 26 extending from a transverse shaft' 21. This shaft extends beyond one side of the hopper and has an operating arm 28 extending therefrom. Obviously by swinging this 5 arm 28 in one direction the arm 25 will pull through link 25 and cause the gate 24 to open, thereby allowing the contents of the hopper to gravitate through the outlet 23. By reversing the movement of the arm or handle 28, however,

the gate will close, this closing operation being facilitated by the gravitation of the parts to their normal or closed positions.

The hopper 2! has a rigid frame 23 connected thereto and extending downwardly therefrom, this frame being extended around the upper portions of the standards 8. Extending inwardly from opposed portions of the frame are lugs 39 provided with terminal balls 3| which are positioned between the jaws ill and i5 so that when the jaws 55 are moved upwardly, they will operate to clamp the ball-like terminals of the lugs against jaws 13 as shown in Figure 6, thereby holding the hopper 2i and its frame fixed relative to the standards 8 and the superstructure on which they are mounted.

The arms !3 and links I? cooperate to form toggles and when the arms l8 are swung in one direction for the purpose of moving the links ll and plungers l3 upwardly, said arms will come against stops after the arms have passed their dead center and as shown by full lines Thus the plungers ill be held in elevated positions. It is to understood of course that the stems i i and the jaws l5 t" reon are to be adjusted relative t plungers s that when ti e plungers are raised, as shown, the lug 3!.- will be properly gripped and held.

Each of the shafts it is pro ided at one end with a crank arm 33 whereby the shaft can be rotated readily to move the toggle into or out of plung r-supporting position.

Guide plates 35 can be secured to the inner sides of the standards 8 as shown particularly in Figure so that side shifting of frame and the hopper 2i thereo will thus be prevented.

Depending from each corner portion of the frame '28 is a foot 35 having an. angular recess 3'? in the bottom thereof and each of these recessed feet overlies a kn edge 3? extending upwardly from an 38 which, in turn, is extended radially from a shaft 3 Two of these shafts are provided, the same being arallel and being mounted at th ir ends in anti-friction bearings carried by the superst ucture 5.

Secured to the respective shafts 39 and er tending toward each other are levers 49 connected by a yoke 5-2 and, shown particularly in Figures 4. and 5, this yoke is extended over and bears upon an intermediate portion of a laterally extending lever 32 one end of which is pivotally mounted at 43 on a bracket 44.

Laterally extending lever 52 projects through a slot 45 in the inner ide of a housing 48 which can be relnovably mounted on one side of the superstructure 5 and, the structure illus trated, contains a tubular standard M slotted longitudinally as at 38 to permit up and down swinging movementof lever 2 therein. This lever 42 is connected by a rod 40 to a graduated scale beam 58 fulcrumed as at 5! upon the upper end of the standard and carrying suitably arranged weights 52.

When the lugs and their ball extensions 3! are gripped between the jaws l0 and 15, the iopper 2E obviously is held securely against movement in any direction relative to the superstructure and the frame l. At the same time the feet. are supported out of contact with the knife edges 3?, as shown in Figure 3 consequently, when the combine is moved over a field. during its operation, and during the gradual filling of the hopper, there will be no lateral or longitudinal thrust transmitted from the feet 35 to the weighing mechanism and, consequently,

said mechanism will not be injured or have any of its parts displaced because of excessive strains. After the hopper 2i is filled and while the machine is still in the field, said machine is brought to a stop but before the contents of the hopper are discharged into a wagon or into sacks 1 other containers, said contents are first weighed so that a correct record may be kept of the grain delivered. To effect the weighing operation it is merely necessary for the operator to swing arms 33 so as to move the arms l8 away from stops 32 and pass their dead centers. This allow the plungers l3 to move downwardly .der the weight of the load transmitted thereto through the lugs 38 and this movement will in turn result in the feet 35 coming gradually into contact with the knife edges 31. As a result of this operation the arms 38 will be swung downwardly and the two shafts 39 given a rotary motion. Thus levers 40 will be swung downwardly and notion will be transmitted therefrom through link 4! to lever 42 and thence to the scale beam. Allowance having previously been made for the weight of the hopper 2i and its frame 29, the weights on the scale beam 58 can quickly adjusted so as to acciu'ately weigh the contents of the hopper. The eafter arms 33 can be svrur in the opposite direction to elevate the plungers 3G and bring the parts to the positions shown in Figure 6 so that the hopper thus will be held securely against movement. With the parts thus located the gate 24 is opened and the contents the hopp r will be free to gravitate into the container provided therefor. After the gate has been closed the combine can continue on its way, the threshed grain being elevated to the hopper after which the operation can be completed.

The scale mechanism, exclusive of the bin. and its locking means, can be made detachable from the superstructure E if so desired so that it can be set up at any desired point on the ground for the purpose of effecting weighing operations independently of the hopper. Such arrangement is so obvious that no detailed illustration or description thereof appears to be necessary.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with the wheel-supported frame of a combine, and weighing scales movable with the frame, said scales including depressible levers, of a hopper for receiving threshed grain, cooperating means carried by said levers and the hopper for transmitting motion from the hopper to the levers, and separate means under the control of an operator for simultaneously releasing the weighing mechanism from the weight of the hopper and supporting the hopper rigidly relative to the frame, said means being shiftable to release the hopper for application of its weight to the weighing mechanism and including separate pairs of opposed fixed and movable jaws carried by the frame, a member carried by the hopper and extending between the jaws, and means for shifting the movable jaws toward or from the fixed jaws to bind upon or to release said member.

2. The combination with the wheel-supported frame of a combine, and weighing scales movable with the frame, said scales including depressible levers, of a hopper for receiving threshed grain, cooperating means carried by said levers and the hopper for transmitting motion from the hopper to the levers, and separate means under the control of an operator for simultaneously releasing the weighing mechanism from the weight of the hopper and supporting the hopper rigidly relative to the frame, said means being shiftable to release the hopper for application of its weight to the weighing mechanism and including separate pairs of opposed fixed and movable jaws, a member carried by the hopper and extending between the jaws, means for shifting the movable jaw toward or from the fixed jaw to bind upon or to release said member, and means for adjusting the movable jaw relative tothe fixed jaw.

3. .The combination with a combine includin a wheel-supported frame, weighing mechanism including a depressible lever, and a grain receiving hopper, of cooperating means on the hopper and lever for. transmitting motion from said hopper to the lever, and separate means under the control of an operator for simultaneously releasing the weighing mechanism from the Weight of the hopper and supporting the hopper rigidly relative to the frame and for releasing the supported hopper for application of its weight to the weighing mechanism, said means including separate pairs of superposed fixed and movable jaws, a member extending from the hopper and interposed between the jaws, a toggle movable past a dead center to shift the movable jaw and grip said member between the jaws, and means for actuating the toggle.

4. The combination with a combine including a wheel-supported frame, weighing mechanism including a depressible lever, and a grain receiving hopper, of cooperating means on the hopper and lever for transmitting motion from said hopper to the lever, and separate means under the control of an operator for simultaneously releasing the weighing mechanism from the weight of the hopper and supporting the hopper rigidly relative to the frame, and for releasing the hopper for application of its weight to the weighing mechanism, each of said means including superposed fixed and movable jaws, a member extending from the hopper and interposed between the jaws, a toggle movable past a dead center to shift the movable jaw and grip said member between the jaws, means for actuating the toggle, and means for adjustably connectingeach movable jaw to its operating means.

5. The combination with a combine including a wheel-supported frame, weighing mechanism including a depressible lever, and a grain receiving hopper, of cooperating means on the hopper and lever for transmitting motion from said hopper to the lever, and means for locking the hopper against movement relative to the lever and wheel-supported frame, each of said means including a standard having a longitudinal recess, said standard being fixedly mounted relative to the wheel-supported frame, a jaw at one end of the standard, a plunger slidably mounted in the standard, a jaw carried by the plunger, a member extending from the hopper and interposed between the jaws, and means under the control of an operator for actuating the plunger to bind said member between the jaws.

6. The combination with a combine including a wheel-supported frame, weighing mechanism including a depressible lever, and a grain receiving hopper, of cooperating means on the hopper and lever for transmitting motion from said hopper to the lever, and means for locking the hopper against movement relative to the lever and wheel-supported frame, each of said means including a standard having a longitudinal recess, said standard being fixedly mounted relative to the wheel-supported frame, a jaw at one end of the standard, a plunger slidably mounted in the standard, a jaw carried by the plunger, a member extending from the hopper and interposed between the jaws, and means under the control of an operator for actuating the plunger to bind said member between the jaws, said actuating means including a toggle, means for limiting the movement of the toggle in one direction when moved past said dead center.

'7. In a combine the combination with a wheelsupported frame, weighing scales thereon including a depressible lever, a grain receiving hopper, and means for transmitting motion from said hopper to the lever, of separate means under the control of an operator for simultaneously releasing the weighing mechanism from the weight of the hopper and supporting the hopper rigidly relative to the frame, and also for releasing the hopper for application of its weight to the weighing mechanism, each of said means including a recessed standard, a jaw at one end thereof, a member fixedly connected to and extending from the hopper and movable within the recess, means at one side of the recess and cooperating with said member for holding the hopper against movement in one direction relative to the standard, a movable jaw within the recess, a plunger adjustably engaged by the jaw and slidable in the standard, and means for actuating the plunger to bind said member between the jaws.

HENRY J. HEKRDLE.

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