Material guide for a straw hood of an agricultural vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10188034-B2
Application number	US-201514875315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2015
Priority date	Oct 5, 2015
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

An agricultural vehicle includes a chassis; a crop processing mechanism carried by the chassis and configured to separate crop material and discharge crop residue therefrom; and a residue handling system that receives separated crop material and discharged crop residue from the crop processing mechanism. The residue handling system includes at least one spreader device defining a spreader exit; a windrow exit; a straw door selectively positionable between a first position and a second position, the straw door directed toward the spreader exit in the first position and directed toward the windrow exit in the second position; and a flexible guide associated with the straw door and having a shape that deforms when the straw door switches between the first position and the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural vehicle, comprising:
a chassis;
a crop processing mechanism carried by said chassis and configured to separate crop material and discharge crop residue therefrom; and
a residue handling system that receives separated crop material and discharged crop residue from said crop processing mechanism, said residue handling system including:
at least one spreader device defining a spreader exit;
a windrow chute defining a windrow exit;
a straw door selectively positionable between a first position and a second position, said straw door directed toward said spreader exit in said first position and directed toward said windrow exit in said second position; and
a flexible guide associated with said straw door and having a shape that deforms when said straw door switches between said first position and said second position, wherein in said first position said flexible guide is placed in a flow of crop material such that said shape of said flexible guide creates a smooth trajectory path of crop material flow toward said spreader exit.

2. The agricultural vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said flexible guide is a sheet of flexible material.

3. The agricultural vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said residue handling system includes a wall and said straw door is pivotally connected to said wall.

4. The agricultural vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein said flexible guide is connected to said wall.

5. The agricultural vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein said straw door includes a track and said flexible guide is at least partially held in said track, said flexible guide being configured to move along said track when said straw door switches between said first position and said second position.

6. The agricultural vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein said track is a T-track.

7. The agricultural vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein said flexible guide has a first end contacting said wall and a second end contacting said straw door, said flexible guide being configured such that said first end defines a tangent to said wall and said second end defines a tangent to said straw door when said straw door is in said first position.

8. The agricultural vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein said first end of said flexible guide lays substantially flat against said wall when said straw door is in said second position and said second end of said flexible guide lays substantially flat against said straw door when said straw door is in said second position.

9. The agricultural vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein said wall is a top wall of said residue handling system.

10. The agricultural vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said straw door prevents crop material from being discharged into said windrow exit when said straw door is in said first position.

11. A residue handling system for an agricultural harvester, comprising:
at least one spreader device defining a spreader exit;
a windrow exit;
a straw door selectively positionable between a first position and a second position, said straw door directed toward said spreader exit in said first position and directed toward said windrow exit in said second position; and
a flexible guide associated with said straw door and having a shape that deforms when said straw door switches between said first position and said second position, wherein in said first position said flexible guide is placed in a flow of crop material such that said shape of said flexible guide creates a smooth trajectory path of crop material flow toward said spreader exit.

12. The residue handling system according to claim 11 , wherein said flexible guide is a sheet of flexible material.

13. The residue handling system according to claim 11 , further comprising a top wall, said straw door being pivotally connected to said top wall.

14. The residue handling system according to claim 13 , wherein said flexible guide is connected to said top wall.

15. The residue handling system according to claim 14 , wherein said flexible guide has a first end contacting said top wall and a second end contacting said straw door, said flexible guide being configured such that said first end defines a tangent to said top wall and said second end defines a tangent to said straw door when said straw door is in said first position.

16. The residue handling system according to claim 15 , wherein said first end of said flexible guide lays substantially flat against said top wall when said straw door is in said second position and said second end of said flexible guide lays substantially flat against said straw door when said straw door is in said second position.

17. The residue handling system according to claim 11 , further comprising a chopper assembly configured to discharge crop material toward said straw door.

18. The residue handling system according to claim 17 , wherein said straw door prevents crop material from being discharged into said windrow exit when said straw door is in said first position.

19. A residue handling system for an agricultural harvester, comprising:
a top wall;
at least one spreader device defining a spreader exit;
a windrow exit;
a straw door pivotally connected to said top wall and selectively positionable between a first position and a second position, said straw door directed toward said spreader exit in said first position and directed toward said windrow exit in said second position; and
a flexible guide connected to said top wall and associated with said straw door and having a shape that deforms when said straw door switches between said first position and said second position, wherein said straw door includes a track and said flexible guide is at least partially held in said track, said flexible guide being configured to move along said track when said straw door switches between said first position and said second position.

20. The residue handling system according to claim 19 , wherein said track is a T-track.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Reinecke Clay A

Classifications

• A01F12/18

  Threshing devices · CPC title

• A01F7/067

  with material-flow influencing means · CPC title

• A01D41/1243 Primary

  Devices for laying-out or distributing the straw · CPC title

• A01F12/444

  Fanning means · CPC title