Residue Chopping and Distribution Arrangement for a Combine Harvester

• US 20150230408A1
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: PEARSON, MARK L., POHLMANN, NORBERT, FERRIS, JOEL D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,345,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1243 Devices for laying-out or distributing the straw
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 12/40 Arrangements of straw crushers or cutters
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 17/00 Straw conveyors for threshing machines or baling presses
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 29/06 having rotating knives with their cutting edges on a cylinder surface, e.g. of the helical-type
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 29/12 Discharge means loaders for hay or like field crop having blowers A01D87/10

Abstract

A residue chopping and distribution arrangement (48) for a combine harvester (10) comprises a first straw chopper (50) and a second straw chopper (52) arranged side by side and expelling the chopped straw laterally. A first chaff spreader (106) located in front of the first straw chopper (50) is driven by a first drive shaft (68) that also drives a first rotor (66) of the first straw chopper (50). A second chaff spreader (108) located in front of the second straw chopper (52) is driven by a second drive shaft (100) that also drives a second rotor (92) of the second straw chopper (52).

Claims

1. A residue chopping and distribution arrangement (48) for a combine harvester (10), comprising:

a first straw chopper (50) with a first straw chopper housing (54) and a first rotor (66) within the first straw chopper housing (54), wherein the first rotor (66) has chopper knives (72) distributed around its circumference, wherein the first rotor (66) is connected to a first drive shaft (68) which is supported within the first straw chopper housing (54) to rotate around a first rotation axis (70), and wherein the first drive shaft (68) is connected to a first drive mechanism (67),

a second straw chopper (52) with a second straw chopper housing (80) and a second rotor (92) within the second straw chopper housing (80), wherein the second rotor (92) has chopper knives (72) distributed around its circumference, wherein the second rotor (92) is connected to a second drive shaft (100) which is supported within the second straw chopper housing (80) to rotate around a second rotation axis (94), and wherein the second drive shaft (100) is connected to a second drive mechanism (93);

wherein the first rotation axis (70) and the second rotation axis (94) are at least generally parallel to a forward direction (V) of the combine harvester (10) and laterally offset, and wherein the first drive mechanism (67) and the second drive mechanism (93) are adapted to drive the first rotor (66) and the second rotor (92) in opposite directions during operation such that parts of the first rotor (66) that are disposed beneath the first rotation axis (70) and parts of the second rotor (92) that are disposed beneath the second rotation axis (94) move laterally outwards and expel chopped straw through a respective first outlet (64) and a second outlet (90) over a field;

further comprising a first chaff spreader (106) adapted to spread chaff over the field, wherein the first chaff spreader (106) is located in the forward direction (V) of the combine harvester (10) in front of the first rotor (66), and wherein the first chaff spreader (106) is coupled to the first drive shaft (68); and

a second chaff spreader (108) adapted to spread chaff over the field, wherein the second chaff spreader (108) is located in the forward direction (V) of the combine harvester (10) in front of the second rotor (92), and wherein the second chaff spreader (108) is coupled to the second drive shaft (100).

2. The residue chopping and distribution arrangement (48) according to claim 1, wherein the first straw chopper housing (54) has a closed front wall (56) disposed between the first chaff spreader (106) and the first rotor (66) and wherein the second straw chopper housing (80) has a closed front wall (82) disposed between the second chaff spreader (108) and the second rotor (92).

3. The residue chopping and distribution arrangement (48) according to claim 1, wherein the first chaff spreader (106) has paddles (110) distributed around the first drive shaft (68) and the second chaff spreader (108) has paddles (110) distributed around the second drive shaft (100).

4. The residue chopping and distribution arrangement (48) according to claim 3, wherein the paddles (110) are radially oriented with respect to the first drive shaft (68) or the second drive shaft (100).

5. The residue chopping and distribution arrangement (48) according to claim 3, wherein the paddles (110) are generally flat with a forwardly angled section (112) at an edge of the paddles (110) that faces forward in the forward direction (V) of the combine harvester (10).

6. The residue chopping and distribution arrangement (48) according to claim 1, wherein the first straw chopper housing (54) has a first funnel-shaped straw-introducing part above the first rotor (66) and wherein the second straw chopper housing (80) has a funnel-shaped straw-introducing part above the second rotor (92).

7. The residue chopping and distribution arrangement (48) according to claim 1, wherein the first straw chopper housing (54) comprises counterknives (74) disposed above the first rotation axis (70) and the second straw chopper housing (80) comprises counterknives (74) disposed above the second rotation axis (94).

8. A combine harvester (10), comprising:

a body (12) supported on ground engaging means adapted to move the combine harvester (10) in a forward direction (V) over a field,

a harvesting platform (20) mounted to the body (12) for receiving crop from the field,

a threshing and separating unit (22) within the body (12) for threshing and separating grain,

a cleaning unit (26) within the body (12) for cleaning grain, and

a residue chopping and distribution arrangement (48) according to claim 1,

wherein the threshing and separating unit (22) has a residue outlet (44) adapted to feed straw to the first straw chopper (50) and the second straw chopper (52), and wherein the cleaning unit (26) has a residue outlet (42) adapted to feed chaff to the first chaff spreader (106) and the second chaff spreader (108).

9. A combine harvester (10) according to claim 8, further comprising crop deflectors (114, 116) disposed between the residue outlet (44) of the threshing and separating unit (22), wherein the crop deflectors (114, 116) are staggered in at least one of a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction.