Metering recycled-tailings stream in combine harvester

摘要

A harvester has a thresher for receiving at an intake a mixture of straw and grain and for separating the mixture into grain, straw, and tailings comprised of mixed grain and straw and a conveyor recirculates a stream of the tailings along a path back to the intake. A sensor is positioned in the path and intercepts at least a portion of the stream for counting a number of grains in the portion of the stream passing the sensor. The conveyor includes an elevator for raising the tailings stream to a location above the sensor and for dropping the tailings stream on the sensor. The thresher includes a main threshing drum and a cleaning unit downstream therefrom.