Weed Seed Destruction

Abstract

Weed seeds are destroyed in the chaff from a combine harvester by repeated high speed impacts caused by a rotor mounted in one of a pair of side by side housings which accelerate the discarded seeds in a direction centrifugally away from the rotor onto a stator including angularly adjustable stator surfaces around the axis. Thus the discarded seeds rebound back and forth between the rotor and the stator to provide a plurality of impacts. The seeds are carried axially of the rotor by a controlled airstream so that they move to an axial discharge location where a discharge fan is mounted. The angle of the discharge around the rotor axis can be changed to direct the seeds to the side of the combine away from a straw chopper, towards the guide fins of the tailboard of the chopper, or into the housing of the straw chopper.

1 . Apparatus for destroying weed seeds comprising:
 a housing arranged to be mounted at a location on a combine harvester for receiving a feed material containing separated chaff and weed seeds separated by the combine harvester from harvested crop;   a rotor mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis and including rotor surfaces thereon for engaging the feed material and for accelerating the feed material in a direction outwardly from the axis of the rotor;   at least one stator arranged at a location along the direction and comprising a stator support member and a plurality of stator portions mounted on the support member for engaging the weed seeds in the accelerated feed material;   wherein there is provided a generally horizontal shaft mounted on the housing and including a gear box for driving a generally upstanding drive shaft and wherein the rotor is mounted on the drive shaft on top of the horizontal shaft.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the stator support member is cylindrical so as to surround the axis of the rotor and the stator portions are part cylindrical with each of the plurality of stator portions extending around a part only of the periphery of the support member. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein there is provided a discharge opening between each stator portion and the next. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  or  3  wherein there are provided inner and outer coaxial cylindrical stators. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein there are provided rotor components between the inner and outer stators. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 2  to  5  wherein each stator portion comprises a plurality of upstanding impact posts at spaced positions around the axis. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 2  to  6  comprising a plurality of the stator portions having different characteristics which can be selected for different weed seed sizes. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 2  to  7  wherein the stator portions are hard surface coated as a separate component from the support member. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 2  to  8  wherein each of the stator portions comprises mounting edges at angularly spaced ends of the portion for attachment to a rail of the support member. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the support member comprises a top and bottom ring around the axis of the rotor with a plurality of rails parallel to the rotor axis. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 2  to  10  wherein each of the stator portions comprises an angularly spaced row of deflector surfaces parallel to the rotor axis. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 2  to  11  wherein the stator includes a plurality of discharge openings at angularly spaced positions around the stator with the support member being angularly adjustable around the rotor axis to move the openings. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein there is provided an inner stator and an outer stator coaxial therewith and at least one of inner and outer stators is adjustable to change the angular relationship therebetween. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the angular position of at least one of the stators is adjustable by a control linkage from a cab of the combine harvester. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the rotor comprises a hub carrying rotor blades defining said rotor surfaces where the blades are pivotally mounted about an axis parallel to the rotor axis so as to act as blades. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein each of the rotor blades includes a sharpened cutting edge radial to the axis and a fan blade portion generally axial of the axis. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the rotor also includes an additional blade element outside of the outer stator element. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 17  wherein each of the additional blade elements includes a sharpened cutting edge radial to the axis and a fan blade portion generally axial of the axis. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 17  or  18  wherein each of the additional blade elements is located underneath the stator. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to any preceding  claim 17  wherein there are two rotors each mounted on a respective gear box at spaced positions along the horizontal shaft. 
     
     
         21 . Apparatus for destroying weed seeds comprising:
 a housing arranged to be mounted at a location on a combine harvester for receiving a feed material containing separated chaff and weed seeds separated by the combine harvester from harvested crop;   a rotor mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis and including rotor surfaces thereon for engaging the feed material and for accelerating the feed material in a direction outwardly from the axis of the rotor;   at least one stator arranged at a location along the direction and comprising a stator support member and a plurality of stator portions mounted on the support member for engaging the weed seeds in the accelerated feed material;   wherein there is provided an inner stator and an outer stator coaxial therewith and at least one of inner and outer stators is adjustable to change the angular relationship therebetween;   and wherein the angular position of at least one of the stators is adjustable by a control linkage from a cab of the combine harvester.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21  wherein the stator support member is cylindrical so as to surround the axis of the rotor and the stator portions are part cylindrical with each of the plurality of stator portions extending around a part only of the periphery of the support member. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 22  wherein there is provided a discharge opening between each stator portion and the next. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 22  or  23  wherein there are provided inner and outer coaxial cylindrical stators. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 24  wherein there are provided rotor components between the inner and outer stators. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 22  to  25  wherein each stator portion comprises a plurality of upstanding impact posts at spaced positions around the axis. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 22  to  26  comprising a plurality of the stator portions having different characteristics which can be selected for different weed seed sizes. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 22  to  27  wherein the stator portions are hard surface coated as a separate component from the support member. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 22  to  28  wherein each of the stator portions comprises mounting edges at angularly spaced ends of the portion for attachment to a rail of the support member. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 21  to  29  wherein the support member comprises a top and bottom ring around the axis of the rotor with a plurality of rails parallel to the rotor axis. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 21  to  30  wherein the stator includes a plurality of discharge openings at angularly spaced positions around the stator with the support member being angularly adjustable around the rotor axis to move the openings. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 21  to  31  wherein the rotor comprises a hub carrying rotor blades defining said rotor surfaces where the blades are pivotally mounted about an axis parallel to the rotor axis so as to act as flails. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus according to  claim 32  wherein each of the rotor blades includes a sharpened cutting edge radial to the axis and a fan blade portion generally axial of the axis. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus according to any one of  claims 21  to  33  wherein the rotor also includes an additional blade element outside of the outer stator element. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus according to  claim 34  wherein each of the additional blade elements includes a sharpened cutting edge radial to the axis and a fan blade portion generally axial of the axis. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus according to  claim 34  or  35  wherein each of the additional blade elements is located underneath the stator. 
     
     
         37 . Apparatus for destroying weed seeds comprising:
 a housing arranged to be mounted at a location on a combine harvester for receiving a feed material containing separated chaff and weed seeds separated by the combine harvester from harvested crop;   a rotor mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis and including rotor surfaces thereon for engaging the feed material and for accelerating the feed material in a direction outwardly from the axis of the rotor;   at least one stator arranged at a location along the direction and comprising a stator support member and a plurality of stator portions mounted on the support member for engaging the weed seeds in the accelerated feed material;   wherein each of the rotor blades includes a sharpened cutting edge radial to the axis.   
     
     
         38 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein each of the rotor blades includes a fan blade portion generally axial of the axis. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  or  38  wherein the rotor also includes an additional swinging flail element outside of the outer stator element. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus according to  claim 39  wherein each of the additional swinging flail elements includes a sharpened cutting edge radial to the axis and a fan blade portion generally axial of the axis. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus according to  claim 39  or  40  wherein each of the additional swinging flail elements is located underneath the stator. 
     
     
         42 . Apparatus for destroying weed seeds comprising:
 a housing arranged to be mounted at a location on a combine harvester for receiving a feed material containing separated chaff and weed seeds separated by the combine harvester from harvested crop;   a rotor mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis and including rotor surfaces thereon for engaging the feed material and for accelerating the feed material in a direction outwardly from the axis of the rotor;   at least one stator arranged at a location along the direction and comprising a stator support member and a plurality of stator portions mounted on the support member for engaging the weed seeds in the accelerated feed material;   wherein the rotor also includes an additional blade element outside of the outer stator element.   
     
     
         43 . The apparatus according to  claim 42  wherein each of the additional blade elements includes a sharpened cutting edge radial to the axis and a fan blade portion generally axial of the axis. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus according to  claim 42  or  43  wherein each of the additional blade elements is located underneath the stator. 
     
     
         45 . Apparatus for destroying weed seeds comprising:
 a housing arranged to be mounted at a location on a combine harvester for receiving a feed material containing separated chaff and weed seeds separated by the combine harvester from harvested crop;   a rotor mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis and including rotor surfaces thereon for engaging the feed material and for accelerating the feed material in a direction outwardly from the axis of the rotor;   at least one stator arranged at a location along the direction and comprising a stator support frame and a plurality of replacable stator insert portions mounted on the support frame for engaging the weed seeds in the accelerated feed material.   
     
     
         46 . The apparatus according to  claim 45  wherein the insert portions are arranged such that insert portions of different geometry are utilized in said stator support frame. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus according to  claim 45  or  46  wherein the insert portions are of a different hardness as compared with the support frame. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus according to  claim 45 ,  46  or  47  wherein the insert portions comprise a different material than the support frame.