Sugarcane cleaning deflector arrangements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9456547-B2
Application number	US-201514695441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2015
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A cleaning arrangement for a sugarcane harvester with a cleaning chamber includes a deflector body with at least one deflection surface at least partly facing a feed stream of cane billets and other material from a feed train of a sugarcane harvester. The deflector body may be fixed to the sugarcane harvester such that the at least one deflection surface extends at least partly within the cleaning chamber. As the feed train moves the feed stream to the cleaning chamber, the at least one deflection surface may deflect at least a portion of the feed stream within the cleaning chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sugarcane cleaning arrangement for attachment to a sugarcane harvester, the sugarcane harvester including a cleaning chamber, a feed train to move a feed stream of cane billets and other material into the cleaning chamber, and a fan rotating about a rotation axis to create an air flow within the cleaning chamber to at least partly separate the cane billets from the other material, the sugarcane cleaning arrangement comprising:
a deflector body, with at least one deflection surface of the deflector body at least partly facing the feed stream, the deflector body being fixed to the sugarcane cleaning arrangement such that the at least one deflection surface extends at least partly within the cleaning chamber;
wherein, as the feed train moves the feed stream to the cleaning chamber, the at least one deflection surface deflects at least a portion of the feed stream within the cleaning chamber;
wherein the deflection surface includes a substantially planar surface extending in a plane that crosses the cleaning chamber and intersects the rotation axis.

2. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the at least one deflection surface extends away from the cleaning chamber such that, as the feed train moves the feed stream to the cleaning chamber, the at least one deflection surface deflects the portion of the feed stream at least partly toward the cleaning chamber.

3. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the at least one deflection surface includes first and second deflection surfaces at least partly facing the feed stream; and
wherein the deflector body includes:
a first body extending at least partly outside of the cleaning chamber, the first body supporting the first deflection surface such that the first deflection surface extends at least partly outside of the cleaning chamber; and
a second body extending at least partly within the cleaning chamber, the second body supporting the second deflection surface such that the second deflection surface extends at least partly within the cleaning chamber.

4. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 1 , further including:
an external deflector body extending at least partly outside of the cleaning chamber to deflect the portion of the feed stream at least partly toward the cleaning chamber; and
a mounting arrangement configured to secure the deflector body to the external deflector body.

5. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the fan includes a hub cover, wherein the deflection surface is configured to direct the portion of the feed stream towards the hub cover, such that at least some of the portion of the feed stream physically impacts the hub cover.

6. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the deflection surface includes an end portion extending at an angle that is directed toward the hub cover.

7. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the deflection surface includes a substantially planar surface extending from a perimeter of the cleaning chamber towards the hub cover.

8. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the cleaning chamber includes a perimeter wall with a plurality of guide vanes extending at least a first distance from the perimeter wall, wherein the at least one deflection surface at least partly extends within the cleaning chamber past the first distance from the perimeter wall.

9. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 1 , further including a mounting arrangement for the deflector body for moving the deflection surface between at least first and second characteristic angles.

10. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 1 , further including a mounting arrangement for the deflector body for moving the deflection surface between at least first and second extension distances within the cleaning chamber.

11. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 10 , further including:
an external deflector body extending at least partly outside of the cleaning chamber to deflect the portion of the feed stream at least partly toward the cleaning chamber; and
a mounting arrangement configured to secure the deflector body to the external deflector body with at least first and second orientations that correspond, respectively, to the at least first and second extension distances of the deflection surface.

12. A sugarcane cleaning arrangement for attachment to a sugarcane harvester, the sugarcane harvester including a cleaning chamber, a feed train to move a feed stream of cane billets and other material into the cleaning chamber, and a fan to create an air flow within the cleaning chamber to at least partly separate the cane billets from the other material, the sugarcane cleaning arrangement comprising:
a deflector body extending at least partly within the cleaning chamber, the deflector body including at least one deflection surface that at least partly faces the feed stream, the at least one deflection surface being configured to deflect at least a portion of the feed stream along a deflected path within the cleaning chamber; and
a hub cover for the fan, the hub cover extending within the cleaning chamber, with at least a portion of the hub cover extending into the deflected path of the feed stream;
wherein the deflection of the portion of the feed stream by the deflector body causes the portion of the feed stream to physically impact the hub cover.

13. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 12 , wherein at least part of the deflected path extends directly between an inner end of the deflection surface and the hub cover.

14. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 12 , further comprising:
a plurality of guide vanes oriented around a perimeter of the cleaning chamber.

15. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the fan rotates fan blades to generate the air flow, wherein the plurality of guide vanes are at least partly disposed upstream of the fan blades, with respect to the air flow.

16. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the fan rotates fan blades to generate the air flow, wherein at least one of the guide vanes includes a guide surface that at least partly faces the fan blades, the guide surface being oriented such that one of the rotating fan blades, in a single rotation, passes a first end of the guide surface before passing a second end of the guide surface, the first end of the guide surface being disposed higher than the second end of the guide surface, within the cleaning chamber.

17. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the hub cover is configured to be adjustable between at least first and second extension distances within the cleaning chamber.

18. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 12 , further including a mounting arrangement for the deflector body for moving the deflection surface between at least first and second extension distances within the cleaning chamber.

19. The sugarcane cleaning arrangement of claim 12 , further including a mounting arrangement for the deflector body for moving the deflection surface between at least first and second characteristic angles.

20. A sugarcane cleaning arrangement for attachment to a sugarcane harvester, the sugarcane harvester including a cleaning chamber, a feed train to move a feed stream of cane billets and other material into the cleaning chamber, and a fan rotating fan blades in a first direction to create an air flow within the cleaning chamber to at least partly separate the cane billets from the othe

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Cazenave Blain J
• Mixon Dusk S
• Chen Mingyong

Classifications

• A01D45/10 Primary

  of sugar cane {(for digging sugar cane A01D31/00)} · CPC title