Crop threshing or separating – Straw chaff spreader or handling – With chopper
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2001-12-18
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)
Crop threshing or separating
Straw chaff spreader or handling
With chopper
C460S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331142
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a straw chopper and in particular a chopper having a housing that is provided with a chopping region and a discharge region, a chopping and conveying element arranged in the housing, and a distributor having several guide vanes for the transverse dispersal of the chopped straw. The discharge region of the housing can be pivoted about a first axis relative to the chopping region of the housing and the distributor can be separately pivoted about a second axis relative to the chopping region of the housing.
2. Description of Related Art
GB 2 165 732 A describes a chopper for a combine that has a rotationally driven chopper shaft with knives attached thereto and a housing enclosing the shaft and knives. The chopped straw is ejected through an ejection housing to which several guide vanes are fastened. The ejection housing is supported in bearings so as to pivot about the chopper shaft. The lower wall of the ejection housing forms at least a part of the bottom of the chopper housing in all pivotal positions of the ejection housing. In this way the ejection conditions should remain constant at all pivoted positions of the ejection housing. To enable the straw to be deposited in swaths for later collection, the chopper may be mounted to the combine to move forward relative to the combine body. This creates a large free space through which the straw can reliably fall to the ground from the combine. Mounting the chopper in this manner results in additional cost but has the advantage that when the chopper is moved forward, the ejection housing does not interfere with over-the-road transport of the combine with the header towed behind the combine. To avoid the added cost of a movable chopper, in most cases the chopper is rigidly connected to the combine. Upward pivoting of the ejection housing is required for over-the-road transport of the combine with the header towed behind the combine. However, sufficient upward pivoting of the ejection housing cannot be performed due to the position of the center of rotation of the ejection housing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The chopper of the present invention includes a housing having a chopping region fixed to the combine and a discharge region that pivots relative to the chopping region. A distributor having guide vanes is also pivotally mounted to the housing for rotation relative to the chopping region of the housing separate from the discharge region. A chopping and conveying element is rotatable carried by the housing for chopping and conveying straw.
During operation of the chopper, straw is conducted through a slot between the chopping and conveying element and the chopping and discharge regions of the housing and is then ejected. The straw reaches the guide vanes that are provided in order to distribute the straw as evenly as possible in the sideways direction, that is, transverse to the direction of operation of the combine. The discharge region of the housing is pivotal to permit it to be positioned so that the crop is thrown onto the guide vanes as long as possible. The airflow produced by the chopping and conveying element is also guided optimally in the desired direction, that is, toward the guide vanes, and supports the ejection of the chopped straw. The discharge region of the housing extends, as a rule, over the entire width of the chopping and conveying element, as preferably also does the chopping region of the housing. By pivoting the discharge region of the housing, the direction of ejection of the chopped straw can be selected. In its operating position the distributor can be locked in various inclinations. The goal is to control the direction of ejection in the horizontal plane from the chopper with the discharge region of the housing in such a way that the chopped straw is directed optimally through the guide vanes with each inclination of the distributor.
The distributor is arranged to pivot in such a way that the guide vanes are located in a certain relationship in space relative to the discharge region of the housing. Normally the distributor is adjusted in its inclination with respect to the horizontal in order to control the width of dispersal. The discharge region of the housing then conforms to the inclination of the straw distributor. This provides the assurance that the guide vanes are contacted optimally by the chopped straw. The guide vanes consist of a multitude of sheet metal components arranged vertically and extending in the direction of the transport of the combine. As a rule the vanes are curved in the horizontal direction to disperse the straw over a wide area and may be configured so as to be adjustable or to be bent in their lateral position.
It is an advantage of the invention that the distributor can be pivoted independently of the housing discharge region and therefore can be pivoted upward or downward for transport over the road. Movement of the chopper between its operating position and its non-operating position is not required.
In a preferred embodiment, the distributor can be pivoted about a second axis that extends parallel to the first axis about which the housing discharge region is pivoted and is spaced at a distance from it. The second axis can connect the distributor with the discharge region of the housing, or alternatively, establish a connection between the distributor and the chopping region of the housing.
During the operation of the chopper, locking of the discharge region of the housing and the distributor is required. Although it would be conceivable to lock both aforementioned pivot axes separately by appropriate mechanical means, such as screws or cam clamps, it is preferred that the discharge region of the housing and the distributor be configured so that they can be connected to each other in a positive or a friction lock. If the distributor is supported in bearings, free to pivot with respect to the chopping region of the housing, then a single locking arrangement can determine both pivot angles, specifically that of the discharge region and that of the distributor. If on the other hand the distributor is supported in bearing, free to pivot about the discharge region, then locking of the distributor and the discharge region could be performed by a removable connection between the chopping region of the housing and the distributor. The connection could, in particular, be a detent connection, where several different detent positions can be provided that make available different ejection directions for the chopped straw.
In a preferred embodiment for uniform distribution of the chopped straw, the guide vanes are positioned with respect to the discharge region such that an imaginary extension of the lower edge of the guide vanes at least approaches the tangent to the path of movement of the chopped straw from the discharge region of the housing. Thereby, chopped straw ejected tangential to the conveying element reaches the lower edge of the guide vanes, while chopped straw that is ejected further from the edge, in the direction of rotation of the conveying element (that is usually driven as a rotating unit) is conveyed in the direction of the centerline of the guide vanes and reaches the guide vanes at a distance from the edge. In this way a loading of the entire guide vanes with chopped straw can be attained. Since various ejection directions are desirable, the aforementioned geometric condition is attained preferably in several detent positions between the discharge region of the housing and the guide vanes.
It is proposed that at the discharge region of the housing, a first detent element be provided that is arranged to engage a second complementary detent element connected to the guide vanes. Here it is preferred, that the discharge region (or the guide vanes) be provided with several detent elements with which, in each case, the other detent element can be selectively engaged, in order to attain different ejection directions. The detent elements are preferably provided at the side edge of the chopping
Deere & Company
Kováacs ÁArpáad Fáabiáan
Will Thomas B.
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