Cross flow fan

Abstract

A fan for a cross flow fan assembly, including a plurality of elongate fan blades supported in an axial cylindrical pattern about a rotational axis by disk shape fan blade mounting members located adjacent ends of the blades. The fan blades have radial outer end portions defining an outer diameter of the fan, radial inner end portions opposite the radial outer end portions, and curved intermediate portions between the radial outer end portions and the radial inner end portions, respectively. Each of the fan blades is oriented such that the radial outer end is at about a 28° angle to a line tangent to the fan diameter at the outer end portion thereof, and the radial inner end portion is directed radially inwardly directly toward the axis or such that a line tangential to the radial inner end portion will pass through the axis.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This invention relates generally to a fan for a cleaning system of an agricultural combine, and more particularly, to a cross or transverse flow fan which provides a relatively high air flow volume at a relatively lower cost than other known cross flow fans for combine cleaning systems. BACKGROUND ART [0002] A typical agricultural combine includes a crop header apparatus which reaps planted grain stalks and then feeds them to a threshing apparatus arranged within a body of the combine. The threshing apparatus functions to separate grain from material other than grain. The grain falls through openings in the threshing apparatus and is directed to a cleaning system also arranged within the combine body. [0003] A typical cleaning system includes oscillating cleaning sieves. The cleaning sieves are located below the threshing apparatus to receive the grain and other materials expelled from the threshing apparatus. The oscillation of the sieves arranges the materia...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Developments in modern agricultural combines have led to increased power and output demands, such that cleaning system capacity has been and continues to be a limiting factor to performance of the combine.

However, it has been found that increasing the width of the cleaning area requires increasing the width of the combine.

Because of the width of fence openings and the size of doors of equipment storage buildings and the like, increasing the width of a combine beyond current limits presents significant problems.

Because the fan in an agricultural combine is disposed closer to the ground over which the combine moves, increasing fan diameter so as to decrease ground clearance would be undesirable.

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