Case Corporation

Jason M Benes

Joshua J Wolters

Robert A Matousek

A crop residue spreader for an agricultural harvesting machine, including a housing at least partially containing a rotor rotatable about an rotational axis, the housing including at least one inlet opening for receiving a flow of crop residue from the harvesting machine and a discharge opening through which the flow will be propelled by the rotor when rotated, and a linkage arrangement movably connecting the housing containing the rotor to the agricultural machine for allowing the housing and rotor to be moved between at least one position in relation to the harvesting machine for receiving a flow of crop residue from a threshing mechanism of the machine and a flow of crop residue from a cleaning mechanism of the machine through the at least one inlet opening, at least one position for receiving a flow of crop residue from the cleaning mechanism of the harvesting machine through the at least one inlet opening while preventing a flow of crop residue from the threshing mechanism from entering the at least one inlet opening, and at least one position spaced from the cleaning mechanism to allow an operator access thereto through the space. Additionally, a convenient and easy to use locking mechanism which allows the spreader to be securely locked in any of the positions thereof.

Multi-position linkage and locking mechanism for a crop residue spreader and/or chopper

A crop residue spreader for an agricultural combine including a unique support element which is an elongate tube, including a center portion and a pair of legs extending outwardly in opposite directions from the center portion, each of the legs including an end portion opposite the center portion and an intermediate portion. The end portions include pivot elements coaxially aligned about a pivotal axis for pivotal connection to a rear end of the combine for movement between spreading and non-spreading positions. The intermediate portions include mounting elements for supporting rotatable crop accelerators in side-by-side relation, and the center portion includes at least one mount for mounting a pair of crop residue deflectors in cantilever relation to the tube and extending partially around the crop residue accelerators, respectively. The tube can also include mounts or supports for holding a shield in desired relation to the crop residue accelerators.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Island, NE, United States of America

Jason M Benes