Calmer Holding Company, LLC recently secured a major technological breakthrough with the issuance of U.S. Patent No. US12772934B1. This patent, titled ‘Systems and methods for disrupting the flow of grain through a concave combine to improve the harvest thereof’, introduces a powerful way to enhance agricultural harvesting efficiency. Farmers can now optimize grain threshing and separation to improve crop yields and minimize field losses.
ILLINOIS PATENT OF THE MONTH – NOVEMBER 2026
The innovation focuses on a disruptor system that integrates into a combine’s concave mechanism. The system is designed to alter the traditional flow of grain and material other than grain, promoting better threshing action and improved crop separation inside the combine harvester. By disrupting the crop mat as it passes over the concave, the machinery can recover more clean grain and reduce the amount of crop that is inadvertently discharged out the back of the combine. The invention is highly innovative and won the Illinois Patent of the Month for November 2026 granted by Swanson Reed because it offers a practical mechanical solution to optimize crop retention during high capacity harvesting. Designed by inventors Marion Calmer, Andrew Dahl, Jay Dahl, and Joe Edmonson, the technology helps agricultural operations achieve maximum efficiency during critical harvest windows.
Practical Applications and R&D Tax Credit Eligibility
The practical applications of this technology span across the agricultural machinery and farming sectors, where maximizing crop yield and reducing harvesting losses are critical for profitability. When businesses in the USA adopt or adapt these grain flow disruptor systems to develop new harvesting protocols or improve their custom combine configurations, the associated engineering efforts often involve a distinct process of experimentation. This systematic testing to evaluate grain retention, material flow dynamics, and overall machinery performance under various crop conditions qualifies as permitted research activities under IRS guidelines. Consequently, companies investing time and resources into integrating these advanced threshing modifications can capture significant Research and Development (R&D) tax credits, effectively reducing their financial burden while funding future agricultural innovations.
