1460715 Harvesting machine CLAYSON NV 14 June 1974 [27 June 1973] 30634/73 Heading A1F A crop entering a harvesting machine is partially separated into grain and straw in a transversely extending threshing cylinder 6 before it passes into a rotary separating mechanism 27, of greater transverse extent than the threshing cylinder 6, where the crop is conveyed on a helical path 91 (Fig. 2) towards the end of the separating mechanism while undergoing a separating action. As shown, the crop is received into the threshing cylinder 6 from a conveyor 2, where it is struck and separated by rasp bars 10 as it is moved rearwardly. The crop passes to a straw beater 19 which is of the same transverse extent as the threshing cylinder 6 and in which the crop is further separated by beater plates 23 as it moves toward an opening in a casing 28 of the separating mechanism 27. Since the separating mechanism 27 is wider than the straw beater 19 the crop is fed to a central portion 37 of a first rotor 29 of the separating mechanism where it is engaged by tines 38, inclined rearwardly to the direction of rotation 86, and moved thereby to the central portion of a second rotor 30 where the crop is separated and split into two equal portions by separator vanes 50 which guide the crop onto a helical path 91 (Fig. 2). The crop moves almost one revolution on the second rotor 30 before it is reentrained by the first rotor 29, but, due to the helical action, at the ends which extend beyond the threshing cylinder 6, where it is again separated by separator vanes 43 and continues to be moved on a helical path until the crop reaches tines 40. Finally the crop passes back into the second rotor 30 where discharge vanes 51 impart a final separating action before discharging the straw through openings 57 (58). In each of the separating stages any grain separated falls through concaves, located under the threshing cylinder, straw beater and separating mechanism, to be collected. The rotor 30 can be positioned above the first rotor 29 (Fig. 9 not shown). In both rotor positions, the straw beater 19 may be omitted. In a further embodiment, the central area 37 of the first rotor 29 is replaced by a threshing mechanism. In a further embodiment, an intermediate wall, between the two rotors of the separating mechanism, defines two side openings through which the crop can pass from the first rotor to the second rotor (Fig. 12, not shown). In all of the embodiments described cutter means can be provided in the first rotor 29 to separate a single mat of crop from the threshing cylinder 6 into two equal portions.
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