Deere + Company

Guy Burch

Dusk S Mixon

Surfraj Fattepur

Todd J Rodrigue

Blake C Gettig

John A Dighton

Eric P Richard

Matthew J Hansen

Alexander C Reiners

Mark S Louviere

Brian J Fields

Kerry J Morvant

Michael L Halbrook

Prashant M Jundale

Daniel Joseph Corbett

Sandeep B

Yogesh V Malani

Harmandeep S Gill

Andreive G Silva

Emmett J Hummel, Iv

Douglas J Silva

Aureo F Pasch

Javier J Moscoso

A chopper system for a sugarcane harvester comprises a chopper and a wear indicator. The chopper comprises a first chopper drum, a second chopper drum, and a timer. The timer has an operational configuration in which a first timer portion and a second timer portion are operatively connected to one another to coordinate rotation of the first and second chopper drums and a timing-adjustment configuration in which the first and second timer portions are operatively disconnected from one another allowing relative movement between the first and second timer portions and corresponding relative rotation between the first and second chopper drums to adjust a timing of operation between blades of the first and second chopper drums. The wear indicator indicates an extent of blade wear of the chopper upon adjustment of the timing of operation via the timer in the timing-adjustment configuration.

Chopper system with wear indicator

A harvester that includes an elevator, a spreader conveyor and a secondary extractor. The elevator includes a lower proximal end that receives harvested material and a higher distal end that dispenses the harvested material. The spreader conveyor includes a proximal end that receives the harvested material from the elevator and a distal end that dispenses the harvested material. The secondary extractor includes an inlet and an outlet, where it extracts debris from the harvested material dispensed from the distal end of the spreader conveyor into the inlet and expels the debris out of the outlet. The spreader conveyor can include a spreader belt that rotates in an endless loop, where the harvested material received from the elevator spreads out on the spreader belt. An extractor fan can create air flow to pull debris through the secondary extractor. The spreader conveyor can throw harvested material into the air flow.

Elevator spreader conveyor system

A sugarcane harvester for harvesting sugarcane in a forward direction of travel comprises a chopper, a basket, and a sill. The chopper chops stalks of sugarcane into billets, and comprises a lower drum and an upper drum that counter-rotates relative to one another, each about a respective axis of rotation. The basket is positioned to receive a stream of billets discharged from the chopper. The sill is positioned between the chopper and the basket to guide billets discharged from the chopper toward the basket. A plate of the sill comprises a billet guide surface oriented to guide billets over the sill.

Sugarcane harvester with billet-guiding sill

An extractor for a sugarcane harvester that chops stalks of sugarcane into billets. The extractor comprises a fan, a leaf shredder, and a hub. The fan comprises fan blades to induce a flow of air to separate leaves from billets. The leaf shredder comprises shredding blades to cut leaves prior to their ejection from the extractor. The hub is rotatably driven about an axis of rotation. The fan blades and the cutting blades are coupled to the hub for rotation together with the hub about the axis of rotation.

Sugarcane harvester extractor with leaf shredder

A chopper system for a sugarcane harvester comprises a chopper and a timing-adjustment tool. The chopper comprises a first chopper drum mounted for rotation about a first axis of rotation and comprising blades, a second chopper drum mounted for rotation about a second axis of rotation and comprising blades that cooperate with the blades of the first chopper drum to sever sugarcane stalks into billets upon rotation of the first and second chopper drums respectively about the first and second axes of rotation, and a gearbox that coordinates rotation of the first and second chopper drums relative to one another to establish a timing of operation between the blades of the first and second chopper drums. The timing-adjustment tool removably mounts to the chopper to adjust the timing of operation.

Sugarcane harvester chopper system with timing-adjustment tool

A chopper system and method for cutting crop material with a rotating first drum having first blades and a counter-rotating second drums having second blades. Blade pairs with one first blade and one second blade contact one another and cut the crop material. The blades of each blade pair contact one another for at least ten degrees of rotation. The blades can have beveled cutting edges, and the blade pairs can make bevel to bevel contact. The initial contact of the blade pairs during each rotation can form a swipe angle of 15 degrees or less. The initial contact of the blade pairs during each rotation can have the acute end of the first blade contact the second blade near the middle of the beveled edge. During each rotation, the acute end of the second blade can contact the back of the first blade.

Chopper drum system and method with improved blade configuration

An extractor fan assembly for an extractor of a sugarcane harvester comprises a motor, fan blades, and a clamshell hub. The motor comprises an output that rotates about an axis of rotation. The clamshell hub comprises a base and clamp jaws. The base is coupled to the output for rotation therewith about the axis of rotation. The clamp jaws are positioned angularly about the axis of rotation. Each clamp jaw is fastened to and cooperates with the base to clamp a respective fan blade of the fan blades therebetween to position the fan blades angularly about the axis of rotation.

Extractor fan assembly with clamshell hub

A bearing coupler assembly that has a bearing housing sized to at least partially receive a bearing assembly, the bearing housing defining a bearing axis therethrough, a shaft positioned at least partially through the bearing housing along the bearing axis, the shaft defining a shaft lip and a fastener end, the bearing assembly coupling the shaft to the bearing housing so the shaft can rotate about the bearing axis relative to the bearing housing, a fastener configured to be coupled to the fastener end of the shaft, a tone wheel positioned axially along the bearing axis between the fastener and the bearing assembly, the tone wheel having at least one indicator, a sensor coupled to the bearing housing and configured to identify when the indicator passes thereby.

Bearing housing

A sugarcane harvester including a base cutter configured to cut sugarcane from a field and a feed roller chassis, disposed adjacently to the base cutter, configured to receive the cut sugarcane. A plurality of feed roller assemblies are supported by the feed roller chassis, wherein each of the plurality of feed roller assemblies includes a roller body defining a roller body cavity, a motor support located within the roller body cavity, the motor support defining a support cavity, and a bearingless hydraulic motor disposed within the support cavity. The bearingless hydraulic motor includes a spindle extending from the motor and through the support cavity. A spindle adapter is releasably coupled to the spindle and fixedly coupled to the roller body. A roller bearing, disposed within the support cavity, includes an inner surface in contact with the spindle adapter, wherein rotation of the spindle rotates the roller body while the bearingless motor remains stationary with respect to the motor support.

Harvester having a feed roller driven by a hydraulic motor

A basecutter assembly for a sugarcane harvester comprises a first cutter, a second cutter, a first feeder, a second feeder, a cutter drive, and a feed drive. The first and second cutters are adapted to sever sugarcane stalk. The first and second feeders are adapted to feed the severed sugarcane stalk. The cutter drive is coupled to the first cutter and the second cutter to rotate the first cutter and the second cutter respectively about the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis. The feed drive is coupled to the first feeder and the second feeder to rotate the first feeder and the second feeder respectively about the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis. The basecutter assembly may comprise a variator. According to another aspect, the basecutter assembly may comprise a planetary gear set.

Variable basecutter assembly

A chopping system for a crop harvester comprises a chopper-timing adjuster configured to adjust a timing of operation between a first chopper and a second chopper by use of a worm.

Chopper timing adjustment

A chopper mechanism for chopping stalk-like plant wherein the chopper mechanism includes a plurality of chopping elements that are removably mounted on the pair of chopper drums via associated holders. The chopping elements are mounted on the chopper drums circumferentially spaced apart and define a predetermined radial angle (&#x3b1;) therebetween. Each of the chopping elements having a pair of substantially parallel cutting edges spaced apart by substantially parallel mounting surfaces. One of the cutting edges is selectively engaged in the chopping while the other cutting edge is enclosed within the holder. The parallel cutting edge of the chopping elements facilitates in reversing each chopping element depending on the degree of abrasion of the cutting edge.

Chopper mechanism for stalked crop

A sugarcane feed roller structure comprises a sugarcane feed roller, a motor, a coupling, and a seal. The coupling interconnects the motor and the sugarcane feed roller, and comprises a splined joint. The seal protects the splined joint. An associated method is disclosed.

Sugarcane feed roller structure with sealed coupling and associated method

A chopper drum module and sugarcane harvester vehicle include a module frame distinct from a chassis of the sugarcane harvester having first and second drum bores on each side of the module. The first and second drum bores support, respectively, first and second chopper drums for parallel rotation. A plurality of mounting devices may be attached to the module frame or the chassis, wherein when the mounting devices are in an engaged state the module frame is secured to the chassis by the mounting devices such that the chopper drums receive sugarcane from a feed mechanism supported by the chassis. When the mounting devices are in a disengaged state, the module frame and the chopper drums may be collectively removable from the chassis and the sugarcane harvester.

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Thibodaux, LA, United States of America

Guy Burch