Chaff spread assisted by cross-blown airflow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9730390-B2
Application number	US-201514747647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	Jun 23, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A spreader for a harvesting machine includes a pair of counter-rotating spreader units each having an impeller and a fan supported on a common shaft. A plenum routes at least part of the airflow from a first fan to merge with chaff exiting the opposite impeller and at least a part of the airflow from the opposite fan to merge with chaff exiting the impeller on the machine side of the first fan. In one embodiment all airflow from a fan is ducted to an impeller on the opposite side, while a second embodiment commingles airflow from both fans in a plenum from which portions of the mixed airflows is directed to the chaff exiting each impeller exit. In a third, embodiment an established airflow receives chaff from the impeller on the side on which that airflow is generated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spreader arrangement for dispersing crop residue laterally from each side of an agricultural harvester, comprising:
at least first and second spreader units spaced one from the other on opposite sides of a harvester longitudinal centerline;
each spreader unit including a generally vertically extending rotor having an impeller near an upper end thereof for expelling crop residue from the harvester and a fan near a lower end thereof for creating an airflow to assist in dispersing crop residue; and
at least one conduit for ducting the airflow obliquely upward from said fan to said impeller.

2. The spreader arrangement of claim 1 , wherein rotation of each impeller causes residue to execute a generally circular motion and exit generally tangential thereto from the respective spreader unit directly into a laterally directed airflow from at least one of the fans, said laterally directed airflow intersecting said exiting residue at the point of said generally tangential exit from said impeller.

3. The spreader arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the laterally directed airflow for each spreader unit impeller is provided by the fan of that same spreader unit.

4. The spreader arrangement of claim 2 , each spreader unit further including an additional conduit for providing an additional airflow from the fan to the corresponding impeller to mix with residue within the circular motion prior to exiting.

5. The spreader arrangement of claim 1 , further including a plenum for routing at least part of the airflow from the first unit fan to the vicinity of the second unit impeller and at least part of the airflow from the second unit fan to the vicinity of the first unit impeller.

6. The spreader arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the plenum comprises first and second isolated conduits for routing substantially the entirety of the airflow from the first spreader unit fan to the vicinity of the second spreader unit impeller and substantially the entirety of the airflow from the second spreader unit fan to the vicinity of the first spreader unit impeller.

7. The spreader arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the plenum comprises a common chamber for commingling the airflow from each fan and supplying a portion of the airflow from each fan to the vicinity of each impeller.

8. A spreader arrangement for an agricultural harvester, comprising:
at least first and second spaced apart spreader units, each unit including an impeller for expelling crop residue from the harvester, and a pneumatic source for creating an airflow to assist in dispersing the crop residue; and
a plenum for routing at least part of the airflow obliquely upward from the first unit pneumatic source to the vicinity of the second unit impeller to aid residue expulsion therefrom and at least part of the airflow obliquely upward from the second unit pneumatic source to the vicinity of the first unit impeller to aid residue expulsion therefrom.

9. The spreader arrangement of claim 8 , wherein each spreader unit includes a rotor having a respective impeller near one end thereof, and a fan near the other end thereof comprising the respective pneumatic source.

10. The spreader arrangement of claim 9 , wherein the rotors are spaced apart and extend generally vertically, one to each side of an agricultural harvester longitudinal center line.

11. The spreader arrangement of claim 9 , wherein rotation of each impeller causes residue to execute a generally circular motion and exit generally tangential thereto from the respective spreader unit directly into said airflow, the plenum including a pair of nozzles, one at the point of said generally tangential exit of said residue from each impeller, for directing airflow along the tangential path of the exiting residue.

12. A process of dispersing crop residue from the operation of a harvesting machine, comprising:
generating at least one airflow near the bottom and laterally to at least one side of the harvesting machine;
spinning crop residue from a harvesting operation using at least one spinning mechanism, and causing crop residue to exit the harvesting machine from one of said at least one sides of the harvesting machine;
ducting said at least one generated airflow obliquely upward toward the crop residue exiting said at least one spinning mechanism;
shaping said at least one ducted airflow by passing it through at least one nozzle to provide at least one residue entraining airflow; and
directing the exiting crop residue with an initial velocity to join with and be entrained in said at least one shaped residue entraining airflow.

13. The process of claim 12 , including the additional steps of ducting a portion of said at least one generated airflow to the spinning crop residue, and merging said ducted airflow portion with the spinning crop residue at a point where said spinning crop residue exits generally tangentially from said at least one spinning mechanism prior to the crop residue exiting the harvesting machine.

14. The process of claim 12 , wherein the step of ducting is performed along a path which is optimally direct.

15. The process of claim 12 , further comprising:
generating a single airflow near the bottom and laterally to one side of the harvesting machine;
spinning crop residue from said harvesting operation using a single spinning mechanism, causing crop residue to exit the harvesting machine from said one side of the harvesting machine;
ducting said single generated airflow obliquely upward toward the crop residue exiting said single spinning mechanism;
shaping said single ducted airflow by passing it through a single nozzle to provide a single residue entraining airflow;
directing the crop residue exiting said one side of the harvesting machine with an initial velocity to join with and be entrained in said single shaped residue entraining airflow.

16. The process of claim 12 , further comprising:
generating a first airflow near the bottom and laterally to a first side of the harvesting machine;
generating a second airflow near the bottom and laterally to a second side of the harvesting machine;
spinning crop residue from said harvesting operation using a first spinning mechanism and a second spinning mechanism, causing crop residue to exit the harvesting machine from said first side of the harvesting machine and from said second side of the harvesting machine, respectively;
ducting at least part of said first generated airflow obliquely upward toward the crop residue exiting said second spinning mechanism;
ducting at least part of said second generated airflow obliquely upward toward the crop residue exiting said first spinning mechanism;
shaping said first ducted airflow by passing it through a first nozzle to provide a first residue entraining airflow;
shaping said second ducted airflow by passing it through a second nozzle to provide a second residue entraining airflow;
directing the crop residue exiting said first side of the harvesting machine with an initial velocity to join with and be entrained in said second shaped residue entraining airflow; and
directing the crop residue exiting said second side of the harvesting machine with an initial velocity to join with and be entrained in said first shaped residue entraining airflow.

17. The process of claim 12 , further comprising:
generating a first airflow near the bottom and laterally to a first side of the harvesting machine;
generating a second airflow near the bottom and laterally to a second side of the harvesting machine;
spinning crop residue from said harvesting operation us

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Maes Eli
• Duquesne Frank R G
• Dilts Mark D
• Fauconnier Dieter
• Desmet Stefaan

Classifications

• A01F12/00 Primary

  Parts or details of threshing apparatus (devices, other than safety devices for feeders, for protecting human beings A01D75/20, A01F21/00) · CPC title

• A01D41/12

  Details of combines · CPC title

• A01D41/1243 Primary

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