Combines Proto type rotor

[Harvester]

Terry, in talking with some of the combine guys at AGCO, this rotor has been silently in the works for 3 years or more. Great minds think alike, so it would seem.

 

[tj]

Don't know about great minds, but I think that we probably trip over the same conclusions at the same rate. My epiphany came from converting IH rotors for use with P3 bars -- I realized that midsize rotors (1460, etc.) were the same diameter and we were only installing a total of 9 rotor bars on them. More concave crossbars on the IH, and more aggressive separation, but without a great leap it was logical to assume that doubling the number of crossbars for the straight in feeding on Gleaner as opposed to axial feeding on the IH would compensate for the lesser number of threshing_separating concave and separator grate crossbars on the Gleaner. Sweeps were added to provide a nudge toward the discharge and to agitate the crop for separation. I suspect that the pics and explanation I sent to AGCO may have reinforced their decision to go ahead since we already had rotors in the field. I did take time to patent use of rasp type bars on enclosed rotors and cylinders, and it was approved in July of '01. However, big companies have a tendency to use other people's ideas without consulting. They have attorneys on staff and I don't. Same thing happened with Massey rotors -- we modified our first one in '98, and in the fall of '01 AGCO came out with pretty much the same product. Don't know what happens next, guess we'll probably just have to compete with them. Sorry about the complaining, but I've been working with combines for about 30 years and it irritates me to see someone else take credit for my ideas.

 

[tj]

Addendum to the above -- Forgot to say HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.

 

[ahbecalm]

Jerry at Midway Farm Equipment demoed an R65 with a Gen 2 SunnyBrook rotor this fall. Until the Agco rotor is in production they'll offer a Sunny as an option. The Agco totally enclosed rotor will be slightly different. (I suspect it will be sufficiently different to avoid patent infringement.) If anyone knows how to install a Gen 2 Sunny Jerry would appreciate any advice, his number is 1-800-657-3249. They currently use a forklift with the "normal" Gleaner rotors.

 

[tj]

Actually, it would be pretty hard to build this rotor without using the patent. The patent applies to installing rasp type bars (which are installed on all Gleaners, as opposed to rub type bars on JD, etc.) on all fully enclosed rotors and encompasses all makes and models. If you'd like to read it, go to www.uspto.com_ -- click on search -- next page go to patent number search -- next page type in 6,261,176 -- if you' like to see the full text and drawings there's a fast download which takes about 2 minutes.

 

[T__langan]

As they say - "The Pioneers are the ones with the arrows in their backs!" Happy New Year to you and all here on Gleaner Talk. Tom langan

 

[R_O_M]

Americans and their companies do it to Australians too, which does not help international relations one little bit!

 

[NDDan]

I'm pretty sure we both know who's ideas are in that Gleaner proto. I sure thank you for any part you have. We were dying to try find a way to get the tough edible beans threw these long P3s. We had tried everything under the sun with cage, helicals, concave, ect, ect. Then we built our first proto type rotor sweeps to fasten to standard rotor and away we went. I do know you had built similiar product at least as soon as us. I don't know what Gleaner put on for sweeps but it sound good by Rex for if they work in edible beans they will help in a great variety of crops. From what I understand there was some bypassing of normal channels at Gleaner to get this thing built and I say it is about time. I hope they go ahead and extend at least every other bar into discharge on the production rotor. Thanks again for helping make a great Gleaner even better and you'll be busy for awile building other color rotors with Gleaner bars so you shouldn't get to bored. Hope you have a good year.

 

[NDDan]

Thanks for the report. I would love to have picture too if you could. I haven't seen one with the sweeps or I believe Gleaner may be calling them shark fins. If you keep that rotor you will want to have the best hard surface you can find gas welded onto sweeps or fins so you don't start rubbing out the helicals again in edible beans. Do you know if you were using a reduced diameter rotor (24")IJ Thanks again

 

[tj]

No, it's more like dropping your wallet on a San Francisco sidewalk. You need to look in all directions before you bend over.