FLAX HARVESTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Russian patent published in 2004 - IPC

FIELD: agriculture. SUBSTANCE: method involves pulling flax stalks and combing free seeds and seed capsules from flax stalks by means of combing drum; directing resultant heap onto rotor-type separator for combing said heap by means of roll teeth, with roll rotational frequency being equal to 180-240 rev/min; separating free seeds and seed capsules from tangled heap and joining to seed capsules and free seeds previously separated by combing drum. Apparatus has pulling unit, clamping conveyor, combing drum, screen, fan, tangled heap conveyor, and spreading device. Rotor-type separator arranged behind combing drum is composed of at least three replaceable toothed rolls. Screen has set of arced members, which embrace each roll from the bottom. Hopper is mounted under screen and connected to fan inlet window. Rotor-type separator and screen are arranged at an angle of 7-16 deg with respect to longitudinal-horizontal plane. Diameter of each roll of rotor-type separator is 18-25 cm. Method and apparatus allow maximal amount of free seeds and seed capsules to be separated from flax stalks. EFFECT: increased efficiency, reduced costs for seed separation, increased amount of seeding material, simplified construction of apparatus owing to simplified pressure system. 3 cl, 2 dwg