SIL POWER THRESHER OPERATIONS MANUAL. Developed by: Abdulai Gabriel Ayichim Zulkarini August-2016

Transcription

1 SIL POWER THRESHER OPERATIONS MANUAL Developed by: Abdulai Gabriel Ayichim Zulkarini August

2 INTRODUCTION The essence of this manual is to provide relevant information for the operation of the Soybean Innovation Lab power thresher. The thresher is an important machine that if well taken care of will help alleviate the challenges associated with threshing soybeans. We therefore wish to urge you to carefully follow the instructions in this manual, as they will enable you to properly handle and take care of your thresher. In the case of any challenges that will require you to seek external help, call the numbers on your thresher and this will be resolved. Thank you for spending time to read and adhere to the instructions in this manual. 2

3 PART NAMES- ENGINE POWERED Hopper Threshing drum cover Drum cover chute Engine mounting Shatter handle Blower shatter Transport wheels Blower Blower chute Stand Handle Seed collection outlet 3

4 PART NAMEs- PEDAL OPERATED THRESHER Threshing drum cover handle Hopper Bicycle handles Threshing drum cover Handles Removable bicycle stand Drive Chain Drive Sprocket Shatter handle Blower Shutter Drive Pedal Thresher stand Thresher Wheels Adjustable Bicycle stand 4

5 PART NAME-IMPORTANT PART CONSIDERATION Butterfly nut Shutter Handle Shutter Adjusting Air volume: The volume of air produced by your blower can be controlled by regulating the gate of the blower (shutter). This action is accomplished by first loosening the butterfly nut at the sides of the blower and moving the shutters down by means of their handle to increase the volume of air sucked in by the blower. This same action can be repeated to reduce your air volume by lifting the shatter handle to close the blower vents and locking it in place by means of the butterfly nut on the sides. Threshing drum cover handle Hinges & hooks During operations, there is a tendency for your thresher to be clogged. Clogging could be caused by overload or loading soybeans with high moisture content into your thresher. When this happens, first remove the hooks from your hinges as seen above. By means of the threshing drum handle, lift up your threshing drum cover and remove the clogged material. 5

6 TOW BAR To enhance the transport of the thresher on the field, a tow bar was designed and added to the components. We presume that carting the thresher from your home to the field will pose a challenge and so the tow bar was designed to help you attach the thresher to your motor bike and tow to the field. The tow bar has four holes on its extension to allow for attachments to the thresher through bolts and nuts. Hitch point to motorbike Tow bar frame Bolts and nuts to fasten tow bar to thresher 6

7 THRESHER OPERATION MECHANISM A: Feeding point for Soybeans B: Exit for stems of Soybeans C: Exit for chaff and small debris D: Exit for clean Soybeans 7

8 THRESHER OPERATION MECHANISM The diagram above is an illustration of the operation of the thresher. Below is an explanation of the working operation of the thresher. Feeding System [A] The feeding system consists of a hopper designed with a sloped neck to prevent the user from getting his or her hand entangled in the spikes of the threshing drum. The neck is also sloped at an angle to prevent the shooting out of seeds during threshing operations. Do not overload the feeding system. You can put plants in quickly, but do not try to force many plants through the chute all at the same time. Chute/Exit system After soybeans are fed into the thresher, there exists different chute or exit systems for the thresher. Stems chute [B] This chute is the pathway for the threshed stems to find their way out of the thresher. Debris chute [C] This chute allows smaller debris produced from threshing to be carried away by the film of air generated by the blower. Seed chute [D] This outlet allows seeds to flow into a receptacle after threshing. 8

9 THRESHER MAINTENANCE AND PRECAUTIONS 1. Ensure that the thresher is properly stored after use; store thresher in a shed or under a tarpaulin to avoid direct contact with sunlight/rain. 2. Grease your pillow bearings regularly (at least twice a week during threshing season). If you do not grease these bearings, your machine will break easily. Grease bearings through their nipples using a grease gun regularly 3. Ensure that the engine mounted on the thresher is regularly serviced (in the case of engine powered thresher). Check oil regularly to ensure there is enough in the engine. Change at least once a season. Use the right oils for the service of your engine (SAE 15W40, 10W30, SAE30) Ensure that your fuel is not contaminated with water as this will affect your carburetor and thresher performance. Clean your spark plugs during servicing. 4. Do not overload your thresher during operations as this can shorten the life span of your engine. Overloading your thresher will also result in clogging (Clogging occurs when beans with high moisture content are fed into the threshing chamber or too many plants 9

10 are shoved in at the same time). If this happens, turn off your engine, remove the locks on the hinges and lift the threshing drum cover to get rid of the threshed crops. 5. Tighten all bolts and nuts regularly to avoid them unscrewing through vibration. 6. Follow all instruction in this manual carefully. 7. Ensure that all belts are well tensioned during threshing operations. They should have a little slack in them but not so much they slip or come off the pulleys 8. Avoid the belt area during operations to prevent damage to operators. 9. Put off your engine in the event that your thresher gets stuck before trying to remove the blocked material. 10. Grease/oil all chains and sprockets of the pedal thresher regularly (daily or weekly when in use). 10

11 11. Avoid putting your hand into the threshing drum hopper during operations as this can result in damage to fingers. 11

12 TROUBLE SHOOTING No. Problem Causes Solution 1 Thresher stopped during operation but engine may continue to run Thresher overload, torn belt Reduce crop load, clean out jammed plants, replace belt 2 Engine stopped during operation Exhausted fuel, low engine oil Fill fuel tank, check oil and fill as needed 3 Poor cleaning efficiency Loose blower belt, unopened blower shutters Open blower shutter, tension blower belt 4 Seed in stalk Low engine speed, check belt tension Increase engine speed, tension blower belt 5 High vibration Loose bolts and nuts Tighten bolts and nuts 6 Crushed seeds High engine speed Reduce engine speed 7 Poor engine start poor fuel, carburetor dirty or contains water, air cleaner blocked, needs new spark plug Replace fuel, clean your carburetor and air cleaner, replace spark plug 12

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14 This document is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development. The contents are the responsibility of the Soybean Innovation Lab and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.