Adjustable spreader system for agricultural harvesters

Abstract

The present application relates to an adjustable spreader system for an agricultural harvester. The spreader system includes two spreader rotors configured to rotate about a vertical rotation axis and discharge crop residue material centrally between the rotors in a tangential direction to the rotors; a first structural member configured for oscillatory motion, such as rotational oscillation about a central axis oriented in the tangential direction; and adjustable deflector blades. The adjustable deflector blades are adjustable and movable to any one of a plurality of stationary positions relative to the first structural member. The first structural member may be a main deflector having a main deflector blade, the adjustable deflector blade being parallel to the main deflector blade and adjustable by translating upward or downward relative to the main deflector blade to affect the gap between the main deflector and a lower plane of the spreader rotor. According to another embodiment, each of the adjustable deflector blades is pivotable relative to a frame so that its angular position relative to the frame can be set to any one of a plurality of positions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to agricultural harvesters, such as combine harvesters, and more particularly to crop residue spreader systems included in combine harvesters. Background Art

[0002] Agricultural harvesters are generally customarily referred to as "combine harvesters" because they combine multiple harvesting functions, such as picking, threshing, separating, and cleaning, in a single harvesting unit. A combine harvester includes a header that removes crops from the field and a feed housing that transfers crop material to a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates in a perforated housing that can be in the form of an adjustable concave plate and performs a threshing operation on the crop to remove the grain. Once the grain has been removed, it falls onto the grain pan through the perforations in the concave plate. A cleaning system is used to clean the grain from the grain pan and then transfer the grain to a grain box carried on the combine harvester. A cleaning blower blows air through a screen to discharge chaff and other debris toward the rear of the combine harvester. Non-grain crop materials (e.g., stalks) from the threshing section travel through a residue handling system that can utilize a stalk chopper to process the non-grain materials and remove them from the rear of the combine harvester. When the grain bin is full, the combine is positioned adjacent to a vehicle (e.g., semi-trailer, gravity bin, single-unit truck, etc.) into which the grain is to be unloaded, and the unloading system on the combine is actuated to transfer the grain to the vehicle.

[0003] During the harvesting process in a combine harvester, the desired grain is collected and stored, while crop material other than the desired grain is discharged from the combine harvester. Non-grain crop material or crop residue typically comes from two areas in the combine harvester, namely the threshing rotor and the cleaning system. The material discharged from the threshing rotor is collectively referred to as stalks, which includes most of the larger plant material (such as stalks, stems, cobs, leaves, etc.) as well as foreign matter or non-crop material. The material discharged from the cleaning system is collectively referred to as chaff, which includes most of the smaller plant material residues, such as seed pods, fragments of husk and particles. The combined stream of crop residue discharged from the combine harvester can be processed in a variety of ways; however, the processing of the residue material back into the field can generally be divided into either laying or spreading.

[0004] In the windrowing process, crop residues are deposited onto the harvested crop stubble in the form of continuous narrow strings or strips, much narrower than the width of the harvested swath. Deposited in this manner, the windrowed residue material can be easily picked up for baling or other subsequent processing or use.

[0005] In spreading, a mechanical device distributes the stems and / or chaff evenly across the cutting width of the combine harvester's header. The material to be spread is usually cut into short lengths so that it will break down quickly after spreading to add nutrients to the soil and / or is cut small enough not to interfere with subsequent tillage or seeding operations.

[0006] Residue spreaders can be of both horizontal and vertical types. A horizontal spreader comprises a spreader rotor driven on a generally vertical axis and a plurality of blades or paddles on the spreader rotor to push the residue into a wide swath behind the combine. Typically, two such side-by-side spreader rotors are used, which rotate in opposite directions to each other within a housing. The chopped crop residue enters the spreader rotor area via a vertical inlet in the spreader housing and is pushed towards a tangential outlet of the housing as the blades rotate about the axis. Generally, the spreader system includes a fixed deflector, the orientation and shape of which determines the spreading pattern of the crop residue. It is desirable to achieve a uniform distribution of the material so as to break down the residue material more evenly and consistently and facilitate subsequent field tillage and seeding operations.

[0007] As combine harvesters increase in size and crop handling capacity, the width of the combine's header can be increased to reduce the number of round trips across the field. As header width increases, the width of the crop residue spread behind the combine must also increase to evenly cover the now mostly crop-free field. The spread width can be adjusted, for example, by increasing the speed of the spreader rotor and blades to spread crop material a greater distance from the spreader system. The positioning of the deflector is controlled to prevent, for example, crop residue from being spread onto unharvested crops, which would then have to be collected and reprocessed by the combine.

[0008] A particular problem that arises with increasing spreading widths is the development of "stripe" and "streaking" of heavy and light crop residue in the direction of the combine's travel under poor crop conditions. These streaks are areas of uneven residue thickness, with heavy residue producing heavy streaks and light residue producing light streaks. This streaking of residue distribution can result in some areas of the field receiving little to no residue and minimal added nutrients from the residue, while other areas of the field have excessive residue, hindering seeding and tilling.

[0009] One approach to remedying the uneven residue spreading problem is to provide a horizontal spreader with two spreader rotors and an oscillating deflector, such as described in patent publication WO 2018 / 162680 A1. The preferred embodiment described in this reference involves a deflector comprising two curved deflector blades, each cooperating with a spreader rotor. The deflectors are angularly oscillated by reciprocating about a central horizontal axis. As a result, the blades move up and down relative to the discharged crop residue, imparting additional impact to the residue and thereby improving the uniformity of the spread pattern.

[0010] However, even with such an oscillating spreading system, uneven spreading can still be a problem. A particular problem associated with the oscillating deflector blades about a horizontal axis as described above is that the oscillation has little or no effect on the central region of the deflector because the angular displacement produced by the oscillation is minimal in this region. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The present invention relates to a spreader system for use in a self-propelled harvester and a harvester having such a system, as described in the accompanying claims. The spreader system of the present invention comprises: two spreader rotors configured to rotate about a vertical rotation axis and discharge residual crop material centrally between the spreader rotors in a tangential direction relative to the spreader rotors; and a first structural member configured to perform an oscillating motion, such as an oscillating motion, rotating about a central axis oriented in the tangential direction. The spreader system further comprises adjustable deflector blades. The blades are adjustable and can be moved to any one of a plurality of stationary positions relative to the first structural member. The first structural member can be a main deflector having main deflector blades, wherein the adjustable deflector blades are parallel to the main blades and can be adjusted by translating in an upward or downward direction relative to the main deflector blades to affect the gap between the main deflector and a lower plane of the spreader rotors. According to another embodiment, each adjustable blade is pivotable relative to the first structural member, such that the angular position of the adjustable blade relative to the first structural member can be set to any one of a plurality of positions.

[0012] The present invention enables adjustment of the spreading behavior of an oscillating spreader system, such as controlling the size of the central opening through which crop residues are discharged without being deflected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 A schematic side view of an agricultural harvester is shown, illustrating some key components.

[0014] Figure 2 is a more detailed view of a harvester spreader system known in the prior art.

[0015] Figure 3 Simplified front and top views of a spreader rotor and deflector in a spreader system according to the prior art are shown, wherein the deflector is configured to oscillate by rotating about a horizontal axis.

[0016] Figure 4a and Figure 4b Shown Figure 3 The extreme positions of the deflector's oscillation in the prior art system.

[0017] Figure 5 Shown are front and top views of a spreader system according to a first embodiment of the present invention including an adjustable deflector in an upward position.

[0018] Figure 6 Shown Figure 5 In the system, the adjustable deflector is in the down position.

[0019] Figure 7a and Figure 7b Shown Figure 5 The deflector assembly in the system has its swing limit position, with the adjustable deflector in the upward position.

[0020] Figure 8a and Figure 8b Shown Figure 5 The deflector assembly in the system has its limit of swing, with the adjustable deflector in the downward position.

[0021] Figures 9a to 9d Shown Figure 5 Optional shape of the lower edge of the adjustable deflector in the system.

[0022] Figure 10 Shown are front and top views of a spreader system according to a second embodiment, comprising two deflector blades whose angular position relative to the swing frame is adjustable.

[0023] Figure 11 Shown Figure 10 In the system, the deflector blades are adjustable in the tilted position.

[0024] Figure 12a and Figure 12b Shown Figure 10 The deflector assembly of the system has its swing limit position, and the adjustable deflector blade is located at Figure 11 tilt position.

[0025] Figure 13 Shown Figure 10 Another tilted position of the deflector vanes of the system is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.The detailed description does not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the appended claims.

[0027] For convenience the terms "grain", "stalks" and "tails" are primarily used in this specification, but it will be understood that these terms are not intended to be limiting. Thus, "grain" refers to the portion of crop material that is threshed and separated from the disposable portion of the crop material (referred to as non-grain crop material, MOG or stalks). Crop material that is not fully threshed is referred to as "tails". Furthermore, the terms "front", "rear", "left" and "right" when used in connection with an agricultural harvester and / or components thereof are generally defined with reference to the forward working direction of travel of the harvester, but again they should not be construed as limiting. The terms "longitudinal" and "lateral" are defined with reference to the fore-aft direction of the agricultural harvester and again should not be construed as limiting. The terms "vertical" and "horizontal" are not limited to precise geometric directions relative to the ground, but refer to a generally upright direction and a direction generally perpendicular to the upright direction, respectively.

[0028] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 An agricultural combine 20 is shown, representative of various agricultural harvesters. Combine 20 includes a threshing system 22 having a rotatable rotor 24 in a known manner for separating desired crop components or grain from stalks, silage, and other plant residues. A rotatable sweeping wheel 26 pushes or directs a stream of plant residues, collectively referred to as stalks 28, toward the rear of combine 20. A cleaning system 30 receives the threshed crop components from threshing system 22, removes chaff and other remaining residues, such as seed pods and husks (collectively referred to as chaff 32), and directs the stream of chaff 32 toward the rear of combine 20. The stalks 28 and chaff 32 pass through a cavity 34 and flow toward a horizontal spreader assembly 36 located at a lower opening 38 of cavity 34. Spreader assembly 36 is part of a crop residue spreader system 40, which includes a spreader rotor and paddles and is described later herein. It should be understood that although a horizontal spreader assembly 36 is illustrated and described herein, the principles of the present invention may also be applied to a vertical spreader assembly or an angled spreader assembly.

[0029] Now also refer to Figure 2 The spreader assembly 36 of the spreader system 40 includes first and second spreader rotors 42, 44 arranged side by side and supported for counter-rotation about upright rotational axes 46, 48, respectively, as indicated by arrows Rt. The spreader rotors 42, 44 are supported and driven by upright first and second spreader drive units 50, 52, respectively, positioned above the spreader rotors 42, 44. An open area or space 54 is defined between the laterally positioned spreader drive units 50, 52.

[0030] At the rear end 60 of the combine harvester 20, the crop residue spreader 40 may also include a pivotally supported deflection gate 62 configured to adjustably position a lower portion 66 of the deflection gate 62 relative to the open area 54 defined between the drive units 50, 52 of the spreader assembly 36. The spreader assembly 36 may be supported for pivotal movement about an axis 68 between a lower, operable position, as shown, for receiving a stream of stalks 28 and chaff 32 for spreading on a field, and an upper, or stowed, position (not shown), in which the spreader assembly may be stowed when not in use for spreading. Accordingly, the crop residue spreader system 40 also includes a frame 70 and first and second pivot arms 72, 74 located on either side of the combine harvester 20 along the pivot axis 68 and movable about first and second pivot points 76, 78, respectively. The arms 72, 74 are further interconnected by a crossbar 106.

[0031] The first and second drive units 50, 52 may include upright shields 80, 82 that protect first and second drive motors 84, 86, respectively, of the drive units 50, 52. The drive motors 84, 86 are coupled in driving relationship to the first and second spreader rotors 42, 44 via first and second drive shafts 108, 110, respectively.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, each counter-rotating spreader rotor 42, 44 includes a plurality of structures for receiving and engaging the stalks 28 and chaff 32 to forcibly remove the stalks 28 and chaff 32 from the crop residue spreader system 40. Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, these structures are generally represented by a plurality of blades 120, 122. The number and configuration of blades 120, 122 included in each spreader rotor 42, 44 can vary in a variety of ways as is known in the art. For example, the blades can be V-shaped or U-shaped, and / or the blade tips facing the deflector can have serrated or wavy edges. Figure 2 The spreader assembly is shown without a deflector. Such deflector assemblies are known in the art, including deflector assemblies configured to perform an oscillating motion, such as disclosed in WO 2018 / 162680 A1. The system of WO 2018 / 162680 A1 will be described in greater detail below, followed by a description of deflector assemblies according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3A simplified diagram of the spreader system known from WO 2018 / 162680 A1 is shown in front and top views. Spreader rotors 42 and 44 are shown as representatives, without showing the drive unit or details of the blades. The direction of rotation of each spreader rotor about its respective axis of rotation 46, 48 is indicated by arrows along the circumference of the spreader rotor. Vertically, the spreader rotors extend between a lower plane 2 and an upper plane 3, shown in the front view. As best shown in the top view, the deflector 1 comprises two curved deflector blades 4a and 4b, which are interconnected by a central connector, which can be in the form of a central connector plate 5 or any other equivalent mechanical connector, and are arranged to deflect discharged residual material from a central region between the spreader rotors toward the periphery on either side of the central region. To strengthen the deflector 1, at least one bracket 6 is preferably fixed between the convex surfaces of the deflector blades 4a and 4b. The deflector 1 is configured to oscillate by reciprocating about a horizontal axis 7. For this purpose, the deflector 1 is connected to a horizontal shaft 8 which is coupled to an actuator (not shown) for driving the oscillation. Figure 4a and Figure 4b The angle α shown in the figure is in the example shown in FIG. Figure 4a and Figure 4b The extreme positions shown are approximately +4.5° and -4.5° respectively.

[0034] In the front view, the orthographic projection of the deflector blades 4a and 4b onto the drawing plane is a trapezoid. This shape could also be rectangular or another shape. As described in WO 2018 / 162680 A1, the cyclical effect of the deflector blades 4a and 4b on the discharge path results in a more uniform distribution pattern for the crop residue material.

[0035] It can be seen that in Figure 3 In the neutral position of the deflector 1 (i.e., position α = 0), a gap 9 is shown between the lower edge 10 of the deflector blade and the lower plane 2 of the spreader rotors 42 and 44. Crop residue material is discharged by the spreader rotors 42 and 44 through the central portion of this gap 9 without being deflected by the deflector blades 4a and 4b. This gap 9 is intentionally provided so that not all residue material is deflected toward the periphery. This allows for even distribution of the discharged material over the field area extending behind the advancing harvester. However, depending on conditions such as crop moisture, less or more undeflected crop may need to be discharged through this central area. This oscillation does not significantly affect the central portion of the gap 9, as the blade angular displacement is minimal there.

[0036] It can also be seen that in the example shown, the width of the gap 9 (measured in the vertical direction) present in the neutral position is constant over the entire width (measured in the horizontal direction) of the deflector 1. This is because the lower edges 10 of the deflector blades 4a and 4b are Figure 3 The orthographic projection on the front view plane shown is straight and parallel to the lower plane 2 of the spreader rotors 42 and 44 (in the neutral position). Likewise, depending on conditions such as humidity or other crop-specific conditions, it may be beneficial to use deflector blades whose edges in the neutral position are not parallel to the lower plane 2 of the spreader rotors in order to influence the spreading pattern in a specific way. Figure 3 With the oscillating deflector shown in FIG4 , such an adaptation is not possible.

[0037] The present invention provides a spreader system that allows such adjustment of the deflector. To this end, a deflector assembly is provided, comprising: a first structural member arranged to oscillate like a main deflector of a prior art system; and two deflector blades that are adjustable to a plurality of positions that are stationary relative to the first structural member, but that oscillate together with the first structural member when adjusted to one of the stationary positions.

[0038] A first embodiment of the spreader system according to the present invention is Figure 5 As shown in Figure 8. According to this embodiment, the "first structural member" of the deflector assembly itself is a deflector that can be the same as the swing deflector 1 of the prior art system. Figure 5 As shown, the deflector is also designated by the numeral 1 and will be referred to hereinafter as the "main deflector" 1 of the deflector assembly. Like prior art deflectors, the main deflector 1 comprises two curved deflector blades 4a and 4b, a central connecting plate 5, and a bracket 6. The main deflector 1 is fixed to a horizontal shaft 8 and is configured to oscillate by rotating about a horizontal rotation axis 7. Also shown is a gap 9 between a lower edge 10 of the main deflector and the lower plane 2 of the spreader rotor when the main deflector is in a neutral position (α=0°).

[0039] The deflector assembly also includes an adjustable deflector 11 comprising two deflector blades 12a and 12b connected by a central connecting plate 13. In the embodiment shown, this is a central connecting plate, but any other type of mechanical connection is possible. Each of the retractable deflector blades 12a and 12b extends between an inner end 39 and an outer end 41. The adjustable deflector 11 is configured to oscillate with the main deflector 1. Figure 5 As can be seen in the top view of the , the adjustable deflector blades 12a and 12b are parallel to the deflector blades 4a and 4b of the main deflector 1 and are arranged in close proximity to the deflector blades 4a and 4b of the main deflector 1. The deflector 11 is adjustable, that is to say it can be moved upwards or downwards by translation relative to the main deflector 1 while maintaining the parallel configuration visible in the top view.

[0040] exist Figure 5 In the front view of the adjustable deflector blades 12a and 12b, they are in an upward position, almost completely overlapping the main deflector blades 4a and 4b, so that the gap 9 is not affected or is only slightly affected by the adjustable blades 12a and 12b. Figure 6 In the system shown in FIG, the adjustable deflector 11 is in the downward position, thereby almost completely closing the gap 9. Any position between these limits can be set, thereby controlling the width and / or shape of the gap 9 depending on the shape of the lower edge of the adjustable deflector, as will be explained further. However, a first embodiment of the mechanism for adjusting the deflector 11 is described.

[0041] refer to Figure 5 As shown in front and top views, the base portion 14a of the variable-length actuator 14 is mounted on a bracket 6 fixed to the main deflector 1. The adjustable deflector 11 has a similar bracket 15 fixed to the convex surfaces of the adjustable blades 12a and 12b. The telescopic portion 14b of the actuator 14 is connected to the bracket 15 of the adjustable deflector 11. Furthermore, according to the illustrated embodiment, a guide cylinder 16 is mounted on the first bracket 6. A guide pin 17 fixed to the second bracket 15 is slidably inserted into the cylinder 16 to guide the translational displacement of the adjustable deflector 11 relative to the main deflector 1. However, this guide mechanism may be omitted, or other equivalent guide mechanisms may be employed within the scope of the present invention.

[0042] like Figure 7a and Figure 7b as well as Figure 8a and Figure 8b As shown, regardless of the relative positions of the main deflector and the adjustable deflector, the assembly of the main deflector 1 and the adjustable deflector 11 will perform rotational swinging, for example, in the extreme upward position ( Figure 7a 、 Figure 7b ) or extreme downward position ( Figure 8a 、 Figure 8b ) and any other intermediate positions. In other words, the two deflectors 1 and 11 are stationary relative to each other, and the assembly of the two deflectors 1 and 11 oscillates in rotation about the horizontal axis 7. However, during the oscillation, the adjustable deflector 11 may move from one stationary position to the other.

[0043] exist Figure 58, the lower edges 18 of the adjustable deflector blades 12a and 12b are generally parallel to the lower edge 10 of the main deflector 1, except in a central region where the adjustable deflector blades 12 and 12b include portions 19 proximate the inner ends 39 of the deflector blades that extend downwardly relative to the remainder of the lower edges of the blades 12a and 12b. Figure 6 and Figure 8a 、 Figure 8b ), the central region of the adjustable deflector 11 together with the connecting plate 13 which also extends downwards to merge with the portion 19 substantially closes the central portion of the gap 9 between the main deflector 1 and the lower plane 2 of the spreader rotor.

[0044] Thus, this particular profile of the lower edge of the adjustable deflector 11 prevents undeflected crop residues from being discharged through the central region of the gap 9 by fully lowering the adjustable deflector. By adjusting the deflector 11 to an intermediate position between the fully upward position and the fully downward position, the amount of residue material discharged from the center can be controlled, for example, depending on the material moisture determined by a moisture sensor.

[0045] However, the invention is not limited to this particular profile of the lower edge of the adjustable deflector. Figures 9a to 9d Examples of other possible profiles are shown in FIG, each showing the adjustable deflector 11 in a fully upward position and in a swing neutral position. A top view of each of these configurations is shown with Figure 5 The top view shown is the same. Figure 9a In , the lower edges 18 of the adjustable blades 12a and 12b are completely parallel to the lower edge 10 of the main deflector 1, so that the central area of the gap 9 can be controlled, but not completely closed. Figure 9b In the embodiment, the lower edge 18 of the adjustable deflector blades 12a and 12b includes a portion 21 extending upwardly relative to the remainder of the lower edge 18 and adjacent to the inner end 39 of the blade. Figure 5 The profile of FIG8 is reversed: the central area of the gap 9 is now always open, regardless of the position of the adjustable deflector 11, and the position of the adjustable deflector 11 only affects the width of the gap 9 outside the central area. Figure 9c A profile is illustrated in FIG, wherein the orthographic projection of the lower edge of the adjustable deflector blade onto the plane of the drawing forms a reverse tilt line 23 at a non-zero angle relative to the lower edge 10 of the main deflector. Figure 9d In the embodiment shown, the profile of the lower edge 18 of the adjustable deflector blade is wavy. Other shapes of the lower edge 18 of the adjustable deflector are also conceivable and fall within the scope of the present invention. Figure 9c and Figure 9dThe illustrated shape can be configured to apply a specific spreading force to the expelled and deflected crop as the deflector assembly oscillates about the central axis 7, thereby affecting the spread pattern in a specific manner. This shape and other shapes can also help prevent clogging or obstruction of the residue spreader system by allowing larger pieces of residue to pass through.

[0046] exist Figure 5 In the embodiment of FIG. 9 , the outer ends 41 of the adjustable blades 12a and 12b are substantially aligned with the distal ends of the main deflector blades 4a and 4b, i.e., the adjustable blades 12a and 12b are substantially the same length as the main deflector blades 4a and 4b. According to other embodiments, the adjustable deflector blades may be shorter than the main deflector blades 4a and 4b, i.e., they may extend from the inner end 39 toward the outer end, for example, to a position two-thirds of the length of the main deflector blades 4a and 4b, while remaining parallel to the main deflector blades. Alternatively, the adjustable deflector blades may be longer than the main deflector blades 4a and 4b.

[0047] According to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 10 . According to this embodiment, the spreader system again includes two spreader rotors 42 and 44 and a deflector assembly. The assembly includes a frame 100 fixed to a horizontal shaft 8, the frame being configured to swing between extreme positions (i.e., the frame 100 swings) by rotating about the rotation axis 7 in the same manner as described above. The frame 100 includes a support member 25 (e.g., a crossbeam structure) fixed to the shaft 8 at a central position and preferably a pair of brackets 27a and 27b for strengthening the frame. The assembly also includes two adjustable deflector blades 29a and 29b extending between an inner end 39 and an outer end 41. The deflector blades are not fixed to each other, but are each pivotally connected to the support member 25 and can pivot about respective horizontal axes 31a and 31b, which are parallel to the tangential direction of the spreader rotor along which the crop is discharged. Figure 10 The front view shows the blades 29a and 29b in a neutral position, with their lower edges 18 being parallel to the lower plane 2 of the spreader rotors. Similar to the first embodiment, in the neutral position of the blades, a gap 9 of constant width remains between the lower edges 18 of the blades and the lower plane 2 of the spreader rotors 42 and 44.

[0048] like Figure 10The angular position of blades 29a and 29b relative to support member 25, as shown in orthographic projection onto the front view plane, is adjustable. In the illustrated embodiment, this is achieved by a pair of variable-length actuators 33a and 33b. The base portions of the actuators are connected to frame 100 via respective supports 35a and 35b, which in this example are fixed to brackets 27a and 27b, respectively. The telescopic portions of actuators 33a and 33b are rotatably connected to adjustable deflector blades 29a and 29b at respective pivot points 37a and 37b.

[0049] Thus, this configuration enables the angular position of the blades 29a and 29b to be set to any number of stationary positions relative to the swing frame 100 within a given angular range. Figure 11 As shown, by extending actuators 33a and 33b downwardly by the same length, blades 29a and 29b can be tilted downwardly by approximately 5° toward shaft 8, thereby at least partially closing the central region of gap 9 between blades 29a, 29b and spreader rotor lower plane 2. Figure 12a and Figure 12b The entire assembly is shown at its extreme swing positions, with blades 29a and 29b in a tilted position relative to the frame. Any other relative position of the blades can be set, enabling the spread pattern to be controlled independently of one side relative to the other. For example, Figure 13 A position is shown where blades 29a and 29b are tilted at opposite angles to each other.

[0050] The mechanical system for setting the tilt angles of the blades 29a and 29b is not limited to the system shown, where two separate actuators 33a and 33b are arranged to set the angles independently of each other. Other mechanical systems are also within the scope of the present invention, including, for example, a system comprising only one actuator that simultaneously sets the angular position of each blade to positions that are independent of each other via one or more linkages mounted between the movable portion of the actuator and one or more pivot points coupled to the deflector blades 29a and 29b.

[0051] In any of the above embodiments, the adjustment may be controlled based on the output of one or more sensors mounted on the harvester. This may be, for example, a moisture sensor, one or more radar sensors for observing the spreading pattern behind the harvester, a crop feed flow sensor, or a speed / torque sensor on the spreader rotor. The harvester may include a control unit configured to receive input signals from the one or more sensors and / or machine parameters of the combine (e.g., combine forward speed) and to send control signals to an actuator mechanism (e.g., actuator 14 or a pair of actuators 33a and 33b) for setting the position of the adjustable deflector blades so as to change the position of the adjustable blades according to the received input signals in accordance with an appropriate control algorithm. For example, when the crop residue is moist, it is better to discharge more material without deflecting the material. Therefore, when using Figure 5 8, the detection of increased humidity will be an indication to raise the adjustable deflector 11, thereby increasing the width of the gap 9 in the central area. Instead of an automatic control system, the adjustment can also be set manually by the harvester operator based on input from multiple sensors received on the screen in the harvester cab.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to deflector assemblies configured to oscillate by rotating about a substantially horizontal axis 7. The adjustable deflector blades according to the present invention may be combined with other types of oscillation, for example, translational oscillation of the main deflector 1 or frame 100, wherein the structural members as a whole perform a reciprocating up and down movement between upper and lower extreme positions.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the spreader system is configured such that the oscillation of the "first structure" of the deflector assembly (e.g., the main deflector 1 or the frame 100) is adapted according to the position of the adjustable deflector blades (e.g., the blades 12a, 12b of the deflector 11 or the adjustable blades 29a, 29b). The oscillation can be adapted in terms of its frequency or amplitude, for example, increasing the frequency when the adjustable blade is in a given position.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the spreader system of the present invention can be activated when the harvester is not in operation. Figure 5 In the system, a given sequence can be applied, wherein the spreader rotor is activated without being supplied with crop residue, while the main deflector 1 is oscillated multiple times and the adjustable deflector 11 is moved up and down multiple times relative to the main deflector 1. Such a sequence can be applied as part of a cleaning operation for clearing crop residue material remaining in the spreader system after a harvesting stroke.

Claims

1. A spreader system for use in a self-propelled agricultural harvester (20) for spreading crop residue into an area behind the harvester as it travels, the spreader system comprising a pair of spreader rotors (42, 44) configured to rotate about vertical rotation axes (46, 48) to discharge crop residue in a central area between the spreader rotors in a direction tangential to the spreader rotors, wherein: The spreader rotor itself extends in the direction of the axis of rotation between a lower plane (2) and an upper plane (3), The spreader system is characterized in that it further comprises a deflector assembly for deflecting discharged crop residue laterally away from the central region to both sides of the central region, the deflector assembly comprising: a first structural member (1, 100) configured to oscillate by reciprocating motion relative to a neutral position; and two adjustable deflector blades (12a, 12b; 29a, 29b) arranged to deflect residue material discharged by two spreader rotors (42, 44), respectively, each adjustable deflector blade being at least partially curved and extending between an inner end (39) in the central region between the spreader rotors and an outer end (41) in the side regions, wherein the adjustable deflector blades (12a, 12b; 29a, 29b) are coupled to the first structural member (1, 100) so that: The adjustable deflector blade swings together with the first structural member, The adjustable deflector blade is movable to any one of a plurality of rest positions relative to the first structure.

2. The spreader system of claim 1, wherein: The reciprocating motion is a reciprocating rotation about an axis (7) oriented in a direction tangential to the spreader rotors (42, 44) and located between the axes of rotation (46, 48) of the spreader rotors.

3. The spreader system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first structural element is a main deflector (1) comprising two main deflector blades (4a, 4b) fixed to each other by a connecting piece (5) located in a central area between the spreader rotors (42, 44), the main deflector (1) having a lower edge (10) formed by the lower edges of the main deflector blades (4a, 4b) and the lower edge of the central connecting piece (5), wherein a gap (9) exists between the lower edge (10) of the main deflector (1) and the lower plane (2) of the spreader rotors (42, 44) when the main deflector (1) is in a neutral position, The adjustable deflector blades (12a, 12b) are substantially parallel to the main deflector blades (4a, 4b) of the main deflector (1) and are arranged in close proximity to the main deflector blades of the main deflector, and are configured to be able to extend downwardly and retract upwardly relative to the main deflector (1) while overlapping the main deflector blades of the main deflector so as to adjust the width and / or shape of the gap (9).

4. The spreader system of claim 3, wherein: The adjustable deflector blades (12a, 12b) are fixed to each other by a central connecting piece (13), the adjustable deflector blades and the central connecting piece together forming an adjustable deflector (11).

5. The spreader system of claim 4, comprising a variable length actuator (14), the variable length actuator comprising a base portion (14a) and a telescoping portion (14b), wherein: The base portion is coupled to the main deflector (1) and the adjustable portion is coupled to the adjustable deflector (11).

6. The spreader system of claim 3, wherein: The lower edges (18) of the adjustable deflector blades (12a, 12b) are not parallel to the lower edge (10) of the main deflector (1).

7. The spreader system of claim 6, wherein: The lower edge (18) of each adjustable deflector blade (12a, 12b) includes a portion (19) extending downwardly relative to the remainder of the adjustable deflector blade lower edge, the downwardly extending portion being proximate to an inner end (39) of the adjustable deflector blade.

8. The spreader system of claim 6, wherein: The lower edge (18) of each adjustable deflector blade (12a, 12b) includes a portion (21) extending upward relative to the remainder of the adjustable deflector blade lower edge (18), the upwardly extending portion being proximate to an inner end (39) of the adjustable deflector blade.

9. The spreader system of claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first structure is a frame (100) comprising a support element (25) oriented transversely relative to the axis of rotation of the spreader rotor (42, 44); wherein adjustable deflector blades (29a, 29b) are pivotally coupled to the support element (25) and configured to enable adjustment of the angular position of the adjustable deflector blades relative to the support element and about a pivot axis (31a, 31b) parallel to a direction tangential to the spreader rotor.

10. The spreader system of claim 9, comprising a first variable length actuator (33a) and a second variable length actuator (33b), each actuator comprising a base portion and a telescoping portion, wherein: The base portion is fixed to the frame (100) and the telescopic portion is rotatably coupled to each adjustable deflector blade at positions (37a, 37b) respectively, so that the angular position can be set by extending or retracting the telescopic portion of the actuator (33a, 33b).

11. The spreader system of claim 9, wherein: The spreader system comprises a single variable length actuator having a base portion fixed to a frame (100) and a telescoping portion coupled to a linkage system which is itself coupled to adjustable deflector blades (29a, 29b) such that the angular position of the adjustable deflector blades can be adjusted by extending or retracting the telescoping portion of the actuator.

12. A self-propelled agricultural harvester equipped with a spreader system according to any one of claims 1-11.

13. The harvester according to claim 12, wherein: The harvester comprises a control unit and one or more sensors, the control unit being configured to receive input signals from the one or more sensors and / or machine parameters of the harvester and to send control signals to a spreader system for adjusting the position of adjustable deflector blades (12a, 12b; 29a, 29b) according to the received input signals.

14. The harvester according to claim 13, wherein: The sensors include one or more of: a sensor for measuring moisture in the harvested crop and / or crop residue, a crop feed flow sensor, a speed / torque sensor on the spreader rotor, and a radar sensor configured to detect the spread pattern of crop residue discharged from the spreader system.

15. The harvester according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: The harvester includes a manual control device configured to enable a harvester operator to manually set the position of the adjustable deflector blades (12a, 12b; 29a, 29b).

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