Separably-driven rotor portions and associated method for threshing grain

Abstract

Separably-driven rotor portions for a combine harvester and a method for threshing grain using separably-driven rotor portions are provided. The combine harvester is moved through harvest material comprising grain material and material-other-than-grain (“MOG”). The grain material is separated from the MOG using multiple processing areas. The auger portion may be stopped or rotated at a slower speed with respect to rotation of the threshing portion to simulate the gathering of a large amount of crop material even when small plots are involved, thereby providing the benefits of large-plot harvesting to small-plot applications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rotor for threshing grain in a combine harvester, the rotor comprising:
 an auger portion configured to rotate about an axle, wherein the auger portion defines an auger inlet end and an auger outlet end, and wherein rotation of the auger portion serves to move material to be threshed toward the auger outlet end; and   a threshing portion substantially aligned with the auger portion and configured to rotate about the axle, wherein the threshing portion defines a threshing inlet end and a threshing outlet end, wherein the threshing inlet end is configured to receive the material to be threshed from the auger outlet end, and wherein rotation of the threshing portion serves to thresh the material and move the threshed material toward the threshing outlet end,   wherein rotation of the threshing portion is independent of rotation of the auger portion about the axle.   
     
     
         2 . The rotor of  claim 1 , wherein the auger portion comprises an auger drive shaft end configured to be connected to an auger drive mechanism, and wherein the threshing portion comprises a threshing drive shaft end configured to be connected to a threshing drive mechanism. 
     
     
         3 . The rotor of  claim 2 , wherein the auger drive shaft end is disposed proximate the auger inlet end. 
     
     
         4 . The rotor of  claim 2 , wherein the threshing drive shaft end is disposed proximate the threshing outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The rotor of  claim 1 , wherein the auger portion comprises an auger drive shaft end and the threshing portion comprises a threshing drive shaft end, wherein the threshing drive shaft end is configured to be connected to a threshing drive mechanism, and wherein the auger drive shaft end is configured to be selectively connected to the threshing drive mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The rotor of  claim 5 , wherein the auger drive shaft end is disposed proximate the auger outlet and is configured to be selectively connected to the threshing drive mechanism via a clutch that selectively connects the auger drive shaft end to the threshing portion, such that rotation of the threshing portion causes rotation of the auger portion when the clutch is engaged. 
     
     
         7 . The rotor of  claim 1 , wherein the auger portion is configured to rotate at a first speed that is less than a speed of rotation of the threshing portion. 
     
     
         8 . The rotor of  claim 7 , wherein the first speed is idle. 
     
     
         9 . The rotor of  claim 7 , wherein the auger portion is configured to rotate at a second speed that is less than the speed of rotation of the threshing portion and is greater than the first speed. 
     
     
         10 . The rotor of  claim 1 , wherein the auger portion is configured to rotate at a predefined speed that is fixed with respect to a speed of rotation of the threshing portion. 
     
     
         11 . A method for threshing grain in a combine harvester, the method comprising:
 rotating an auger portion about an axle, wherein the auger portion defines an auger inlet and an auger outlet, and wherein rotation of the auger portion serves to move material to be threshed from the auger inlet toward the auger outlet; and   rotating a threshing portion about the axle, wherein the threshing portion defines a threshing inlet and a threshing outlet, wherein the threshing inlet is configured to receive material to be threshed from the auger outlet, and wherein rotation of the threshing portion serves to thresh the material and move the threshed material toward the threshing outlet,   wherein rotation of the threshing portion is independent of rotation of the auger portion about the axle.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the auger portion comprises an auger drive shaft end configured to be connected to an auger drive mechanism, and wherein the threshing portion comprises a threshing drive shaft end configured to be connected to a threshing drive mechanism. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the auger drive shaft end is disposed proximate the auger inlet. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the threshing drive shaft end is disposed proximate the threshing outlet. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the auger portion comprises an auger drive shaft end and the threshing portion comprises a threshing drive shaft end, wherein the threshing drive shaft end is configured to be connected to a threshing drive mechanism, wherein the method further comprises selectively connecting the auger drive shaft end to the threshing drive mechanism. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the auger drive shaft end is configured to be selectively connected to the threshing drive mechanism via a clutch that selectively connects the auger drive shaft end to the threshing portion, such that rotation of the threshing portion causes rotation of the auger portion when the clutch is engaged. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein rotating the auger portion comprises rotating the auger portion at a first speed that is less than a speed of rotation of the threshing portion. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein rotating the auger portion at a first speed comprises maintaining the auger portion idle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising rotating the auger portion at a second speed that is less than the speed of rotation of the threshing portion and is greater than the first speed. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein rotating the auger portion comprises rotating the auger portion at a predefined speed that is fixed with respect to a speed of rotation of the threshing portion.