Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STRAW SPREADING SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved chopper for use
with a harvester-thresher and a Kirby type or similar straw and chaff
5 spreader for delivering a portion of the chopped straw rearwards to the
ground and for delivering a portion of the chopped straw to the straw and
chaff spreader.
BACKGROUND
When harvesting agricultural crops using a combined harvester-
10 thresher by-products are produced. The by-products are typically straw and
chaff however other by-products can also produced when harvesting various
crop types. Unless these by-products are collected and bailed it is important
to good farming practice to spread the by-products back over the area they
originally occupied before harvesting.
This is particularly the case when employing zero-tillage farming
techniques. Furthermore, when employing zero-tillage it is important that
the straw component of the by-products be chopped as finely as possible,
and for all the by-product to be distributed as evenly as possible.
A number of spreaders for use with harvester-threshers are
known. One such is the Kirby spreader as taught in Canadian Patent
2,066,860, issued November 23, 1993, which comprises a plurality of
rotating flails arranged above a plurality of spreader fins rotating in an
enclosure having an open top to receive straw and chaff therethrough and
having an outlet arranged on each side of the enclosure.
The Kirby spreader is designed to be used with harvester-
threshers that do not employ a straw choppers. The spreader is operated
by placing the spreader directly beneath the straw and chaff outlets of a
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harvester-thresher. The straw and chaff and other by-products exit the
outlets and pass through the rotating fiails of the spreader. Large pieces of
unchopped straw and some of the other by-products are spread by the flails
while the remaining smaller material falls to the spreader fins and are spread
5 thereby. The material spread by the spreader fins exits through the outlets
in the enclosure distributing the material a distance laterally outwards from
the harvester-thresher forming two spaced apart rows with the large straw
pieces spread by the flails Iying therebetween.
This process does not work well with a harvester-thresher
10 employing a straw chopper for chopping the straw into the small pieces
required for zero-tillage farming. Current choppers chop the straw into small
pieces and then deliver all the straw to the ground or to a spreader Iying
below the chopper. When used with a Kirby or like spreader most of the
straw will fall though the flails to the rotating spreader fins. This leads to
15 uneven distribution of the by-products since most of the material ends up in
the two spaced apart rows with very little material Iying therebetween.
An improved chopper is needed for use with a harvester-
thresher and a Kirby type or similar straw and chaff spreader which delivers
a portion of the chopped straw rearwards to the ground behind the
20 harvester-thresher and a portion of the chopped straw to the straw and
chaff spreader thereby permitting even distribution of the straw and other
harvest by-products.
SUMMARY
According to the present invention there is provided a
25 harvester-thresher for moving over the ground and harvesting agricultural
crops comprising: threshing means for separating straw and chaff from said
crops; outlet means for the straw and chaff arranged at a rearward end of
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the harvester-thresher; a straw and chaff spreader arranged beneath said
straw and chaff outlet means; and a chopper having chopping means for
receiving straw from the outlet means for chopping the straw into smaller
pieces, a chopper housing fixed to the harvester-thresher adjacent the outlet
5 means for directing the straw material to the chopping means, a least one
first outlet for communication of a first portion of the chopped straw to the
spreader, a second outlet arranged for the communication of a second
portion of the chopped straw beyond the spreader to the ground.
Preferably the chopping means comprise a plurality of spaced
10 apart knife blades arranged in a row. The knife blades are fixed to the
chopper housing. The chopping means includes a flail which has a rotatable
elongate member and a plurality of spaced apart flails arranged in a row on
the elongate member for rotation therewith such that the flails cooperate
with the knife blades by passing between the knife blades as the elongate
15 member rotates. A drive means is connected to the flail for rotation of the
elongate member.
The chopper includes optional flow restriction means for
varying the first portion of chopped straw passing through the at least one
first outlet. The flow restriction means comprise at least one baffle which is
20 removably and reengageably fixed to the chopper housing such that the at
least one baffle spans the at least one first outlet thereby reducing the
chopped straw passing through the at least one first outlet.
Preferably the at least one first outlet comprises two spaced
apart openings. Each opening is spaced inwards from a respective side of
25 the chopper housing. The openings are arranged in a row aligned with the
rotatable elongate member, and are spaced such that the second portion of
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chopped straw can pass to the sides of and between the openings to the
second outlet. The openings are substantially rectangular in shape.
Preferably the chopper housing includes a substantially vertical
portion arranged adjacent the outlet means and a substantially horizontal
S portion extending from an end Iying adjacent a bottom end of the
substantially vertical portion to an end remote from the substantially vertical
portion. The chopper housing includes a curved portion extending from the
bottom end of the substantially vertical portion to the end of the
substantially horizontal portion Iying adjacent the bottom end of the
10 substantially vertical portion to the end of the substantially horizontal portion
Iying adjacent the bottom end.
The knife blades are arranged on the substantially vertical
portion of the chopper housing, and the at least one first outlet is arranged
to extend from a point below and adjacent the blades into the substantially
15 horizontal portion of the chopper housing.
Preferably the second outlet includes a deck arranged to direct
straw outwards beyond the extent of the straw and chaff spreader. The
second outlet includes straw deflectors for direction of the second portion of
the chopped straw outwards and laterally away from the second outlet such
20 that the chopped straw is distributed substantially evenly over the ground.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is
provided a kit of parts for modifying a straw chopper used on a harvester-
thresher, the harvester-thresher being of the type for moving over the
ground and harvesting agricultural crops thereon, said harvester-thresher
25 comprising threshing means for separating straw and chaff from said crops,
outlet means for the straw and chaff arranged at a rearward end of the
harvester-thresher, a straw and chaff spreader arranged beneath said straw
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and chaff outlet means, the kit of parts comprising a chopper housing for
fixing to a harvester-thresher adjacent the straw and chaff outlet means,
said chopper housing having a least one first outlet for communication of a
first portion of the chopped straw to the spreader, a second outlet arranged
5 for the communication of a second portion of the chopped straw beyond the
spreader to the ground, and knife blade mounting means for fixing a plurality
of spaced apart knife blades arranged in a row on the chopper housing.
Although the above refers to crops having straw and chaff as
well as other byproducts it is intended that it be understood that this
10 invention may be used with any combined harvester-thresher and like
machine when harvesting any crop which can be harvested thereby. The
terms straw and chaff are meant to mean the stems, leaves and material
surrounding the seeds which are usually unused by-products of the
harvesting process.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a cut away view of the harvester-thresher.
Figure 2 is a top view of the harvester-thresher showing the
pattern of chaff and straw distributed by the chopper and spreader.
Figure 3 is and exploded isometric view of the chopper.
Figure~ is an enlarged top view of the spreader and chopper
deck.
Figure 5 is a side view of the chopper.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in the different figures.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 a preferred embodiment of the
improved chopper for use on a harvester-thresher 14 is shown generally at
12. The chopper 12 is for use with a harvester-thresher 14 of the type used
5 to harvest agricultural crops and which can be employed with a straw and
chaff spreader 16. The straw and chaff spreader 16 distributes the straw
and chaff back over a large area. Harvester-threshers 14 of this type
typically include threshing means 18 for separating straw and chaff from the
crops, and outlet means 20 for the straw and chaff arranged at a rearward
10 end of the harvester-thresher 14. Usually the outlet means provide separate
outlets 20a and 20b for the straw and chaff respectively, which are
arranged one above the other, and are off-set from one another in a
horizontal plane. The straw and chaff spreader 16 is arranged beneath the
straw and chaff outlet means 20 to collect and spread the straw and chaff.
Referring to Figure 3 and 5 the chopper 12 comprises a
chopper housing 22, chopping means 24, at least one first outlet 30
arranged in the chopper housing 22, and a second outlet 32 arranged in the
chopper housing 22 rearward of the plurality of first outlets 30.
The chopper 12 has an improved chopper housing 22 designed
20 to replace the chopper housings on currently available choppers. The
chopper housing 22 is fixed to the harvester-thresher 14 adjacent the outlet
means 20 to receive straw from the outlet means 20 and to direct the straw
to the chopping means 24 for chopping the straw into smaller pieces. The
chopper housing 22 is fixed to the harvester-thresher 14 by mounting
25 brackets and bolts 23. The improved chopper housing 22 is designed to use
the same mounting brackets and bolts 23 as the currently available chopper
housing which it is designed to replace. The chopper housing extends from
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a closed front downwards to a bottom, has removable side panels 25 and
26, an open top 28, and a rear plate 29 closing a portion of the rear of the
housing. The front chopper housing 22 is a substantially vertical portion 34
arranged adjacent the outlet means 20a and the bottom is a substantially
S horizontal portion 36. A curved portion 44 extends from the bottom of the
substantially vertical portion 34 to the substantially horizontal portion 36.
The chopping means 24 are of the type having a plurality of
spaced apart knife blades 46 and a plurality of rotating flails 48. The
plurality of spaced apart knife blades 46 are arranged in a row and have
10 mounting means for fixing the knife blades 46 to the chopper housing 22.
The mounting means comprise an elongate member 50 to which the knife
blades 46 are fixed, a plurality of openings 52 in the chopper housing 22
through which the knifes project, and fixing means for fixing the elongate
member in place on the exterior of the housing. Alternatively the knife
15 blades may be fixed directly to an interior surface of the chopper housing
22.
The plurality of rotating flails 48 having a rotatable elongate
member 58 are arranged in a row on the elongate member 58 for rotation
therewith. The flails 48 are arranged to cooperate with the knife blades 46
20 passing between the knife blades 46 as the elongate member 58 rotates. A
drive means is connected to the plurality of rotating flails 48 for rotation of
the elongate member 58.
In a conventional chopper the knife blades are located on a
bottom portion of the chopper housing, which in the chopper being
25 described would be on the substantially horizontal portion 36 of the chopper
housing 22. In the improved chopper the knife blades 46 have been moved
from the usual position to a position arranged on the substantially vertical
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portion 34 of the chopper housing 22. This allows for outlet means to be
positioned in a bottom portion of the chopper housing 22.
The chopper 12 includes at least one first outlet 30 for
communication of a first portion of the chopped straw to the straw and
chaff spreader 16. In the present chopper 12 the at least one first outlet 30
comprises two spaced apart openings 30 each being spaced inwards from a
respective side 68 and 70 of the chopper housing 22. The openings 30 are
arranged in a row aligned with the rotatable elongate member 58, and are
spaced such that the second portion of chopped straw can pass to the sides
of and between the openings 30 to the second outlet 32. The openings 30
are substantially rectangular in shape and are located in a bottom portion of
the chopper housing 22 from at position extending from a point 67 below
and adjacent the knife blades 46 downwards and rearwards into the
substantially horizontal portion 36 of the chopper housing 22.
To vary the first portion of chopped straw which passes
through the first outlets an optional flow restriction means may be included.
The flow restriction means comprise at least one baffle 68. The at least one
baffle 68 is removably and reengageably fixed to the chopper housing 22
such that the at least one baffle 68 spans each of the openings 30 thereby
reducing the chopped straw passing therethrough.
Referring to Figures 2, 3, and 4 the chopper 12 also includes a
second outlet 32. The second outlet 32 communicates of a second portion
of the chopped straw from the chopper 12 beyond the spreader 16
rearwards and onto the ground behind the harvester-thresher. The second
outlet 32 includes a deck 70 arranged to direct straw outwards beyond the
extent of the straw and chaff spreader 16 and straw deflectors 72 for
direction of the second portion of the chopped straw laterally outwards from
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the second outlet 32 such that the chopped straw is distributed substantially
evenly over the ground.
In use straw from the threshing process exits from the rear of
the harvester-thresher via the outlet means 20a and enters the chopper 12.
5 The straw is chopped into smaller pieces in the chopper 12 by the knife
blades 46 and the rotating flail members 48.
Referring to Figures 2 and 4 a first portion 73 of the chopped
straw exits through the openings 30 in the bottom portion of the chopper
housing 22 and enters the straw and chaff spreader 16 along with any chaff
10 and other byproducts of threshing exiting the outlet means 20b. This
material 73 is spread laterally a distance outwards from the harvester-
thresher 14 and falls to the ground substantially forming two spaced apart
rows 74 one on either side of the harvester-thresher 14. A second portion
75 of chopped straw passes between and to the side of the openings 30 to
15 the second outlet 32. The chopped straw passes through the opening in the
back of the chopper housing outwards onto the deck 70 where it is directed
by deflectors 72 outwards and laterally away form the harvester-thresher 14
beyond the spreader 16 to fall upon the ground behind the harvester-
thresher 14. The second portion of chopped straw is directed by the
20 deflectors 72 such that it falls substantially evenly into the area 76 Iying
between the two spaced apart rows 74 formed by the spreader. This
arrangement thereby provides for finely chopping and evenly spreading over
a wide area the by-products of harvesting and threshing the crops.
Although the above description has been primarily concerned
25 with crops such as grain having straw and chaff as well as other byproducts
it is intended that it be understood that this invention may be used with any
combined harvester-thresher and like machine when harvesting any crop
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- 10-
which can be harvested thereby. The terms straw and chaff are meant to
mean the stems, leaves and material surrounding the seeds which are
usually unused by-products of the harvesting process.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been
5 described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments
are possible within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be
considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.
