Apparatus for Chopping and Discharging Straw from a Combine Harvester

Abstract

A chopper for receiving the straw and/or chaff from a combine harvester includes a housing with a chopping rotor to transport the materials though a discharge opening onto a tailboard construction with downwardly facing guide surface and fins for spreading of the crop materials. A rotary spreader has a plurality of fan members with blades rotatable for discharge to a respective side of the rotary spreader. An arrangement is operable so that in a first mode the crop material is spread wholly by the tailboard and in a second mode the crop material is spread at least mainly by the rotary spreader. In the second mode the tailboard remains position above the rotary spreader which is therefore located underneath a guide surface with fins of the guide surface facing downwardly adjacent the blades. The movement to the second ode is provided by the rotary spreader being moved forwardly and downwardly.

1 . A chopper and discharge apparatus arranged to be mounted at the rear discharge of a combine harvester for receiving the straw and/or chaff from the combine harvester and for discharging the materials from the combine harvester, the apparatus comprising:
 a housing having a feed opening into which straw and/or chaff can be fed from the combine harvester;   a chopping assembly mounted in the housing;   the housing having a discharge opening through which the chopped materials are discharged;   a tailboard construction arranged relative to the housing so as to receive the stream of crop materials from the discharge opening to engage onto a downwardly facing guide surface of the tailboard construction for spreading of the crop materials;   and a rotary spreader for spreading the crop material, the rotary spreader comprising rotating fan members each having a plurality of blades around an axis of the fan member so that the crop material enters the fan members and is carried around the axis by the fan members for discharge to a respective side of the rotary spreader;   and an arrangement operable so that in a first mode the crop material is spread wholly by the tailboard and in a second mode the crop material is spread at least mainly by the rotary spreader.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said arrangement comprises a mechanism for moving at least one of the tailboard and the rotary spreader relative to the housing from a first position in which the crop material is spread wholly by the tailboard to a second position in which the crop material is spread at least mainly by the rotary spreader. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein in the second position the rotary spreader is located underneath the tailboard with the fins of the tailboard facing downwardly adjacent the blades. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the fan blades are open at edges thereof opposite the base wall so that crop material lifting upwardly out of the fan members encounters the guide fins of the tailboard. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the base wall and the guide surface are generally parallel in the second position so as to confine the blades of the rotary spreader and the guide fins of the tailboard therebetween. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the guide fins have a bottom edge closely adjacent the open edge of the fan blades. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the guide fins have a leading edge which is inclined downwardly and forwardly so as to tend to direct any lifted crop material back down onto the fan members. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said arrangement comprises a floor portion of the housing which is movable to direct flow into either the tailboard in the first mode or into the rotary spreader in the second mode. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein the floor portion is pivotal from a substantially horizontal position for guiding the crop material rearwardly into the rotary spreader to an upwardly inclined position for guiding the crop material onto the guide surface of the tailboard. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein said arrangement comprises a mechanism for moving the rotary spreader between first and second positions. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the tailboard remains in position in the second position of the rotary spreader. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the rotary spreader is movable in the first position downwardly and forwardly to a position underneath the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein in the second position of the rotary spreader the crop material is directed into the rear of the fan members rather than onto the guide surface of the tailboard. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the rotary spreader is mounted for adjustment pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the housing so as to change the angle of the base wall. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the tailboard is mounted for adjustment pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the housing so as to change the angle of the guide surface. 
     
     
         16 . A chopper and discharge apparatus arranged to be mounted at the rear discharge of a combine harvester for receiving the straw and/or chaff from the combine harvester and for discharging the materials from the combine harvester, the apparatus comprising:
 a housing having a feed opening into which straw and/or chaff can be fed from the combine harvester;   a chopping assembly mounted in the housing;   the housing having a discharge opening through which the chopped materials are discharged;   a rotary spreader for spreading the crop material, the rotary spreader comprising rotating fan members each having a plurality of blades around an axis of the fan member so that the crop material enters the fan members and is carried around the axis by the fan members for discharge to a respective side of the rotary spreader;   wherein in the rotary spreader is located underneath a guide surface with fins of the guide surface facing downwardly adjacent the blades.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the fins have a leading edge adjacent the chopper discharge and extend rearwardly and outwardly from the leading edge to guide the crop material in the spread pattern as the escaping crop material flows over the guide surface. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the rotary spreader includes a base wall lying in a radial plane of the axes and wherein the base wall and the guide surface are generally parallel so as to confine the blades of the rotary spreader and the guide fins therebetween. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the guide fins have a bottom edge closely adjacent the open edge of the fan blades. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the rotary spreader is mounted for adjustment pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the housing. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according  claim 16  wherein the guide surface is mounted for adjustment pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the housing. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according  claim 16  wherein the crop material is directed into the rear of the fan members rather than onto the guide surface.