Deere + Company

Todd J Rodrigue

Guy Burch

Dusk S Mixon

Surfraj Fattepur

Matthew J Hansen

Blake C Gettig

John A Dighton

Eric P Richard

Alexander C Reiners

Brian J Fields

Jason R Dehnke

Jesus Reinaldo Landinez

Andreive G Silva

Douglas J Silva

Aureo F Pasch

Yogesh V Malani

Juraj Kocis

Jae-jae Young

Harmandeep S Gill

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

An extractor is disclosed for a sugarcane harvester that chops stalks of sugarcane into billets. The extractor comprises a housing, a fan positioned within the housing and comprising fan blades mounted for rotation in a rotational path about an axis of rotation to induce a flow of air to extract leaf material from billets produced by the sugarcane harvester, and a leaf shredder positioned within the housing and comprising shredding knives fixed against rotation about the axis of rotation, the shredding knives offset axially from the fan blades relative to the axis of rotation in proximity to the rotational path of the fan blades such that the fan blades and the shredding knives cooperate to shred leaf material by shearing action as the fan blades rotate past the shredding knives about the axis of rotation.

Sugarcane harvester extractor with fixed leaf shredder

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

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 for harvesting sugarcane including a cutter configured to cut sugarcane into a sugarcane mat and a primary extractor disposed adjacent to the sugarcane mat configured to remove crop residue from the sugarcane mat. An elevator includes a conveyor to move the sugarcane mat to an end of the conveyor and an extractor is operatively connected to the elevator. The extractor includes a fan housing having an arm extending laterally from a sidewall of the fan housing and toward a center of the fan housing. A fan assembly is supported by the arm and is configured to remove crop residue from the sugarcane mat at the end of the conveyor. A cover assembly is fixedly connected to the support arm and subtends a fan of the fan assembly and a portion of the support arm, wherein the cover assembly directs crop debris away from the fan and the support arm.

Harvesting machine including a crop residue deflector

A conveyor guide unit for use in an elevator of a sugarcane harvester comprises a housing, an axle positioned in and supported by the housing, and a rotor mounted to the axle for rotation about a rotation axis and configured to interface with a conveyor of the elevator. The axle and the rotor mounted thereto are selectively repositionable axially along the rotation axis relative to the housing for lateral adjustment of the rotor relative to the conveyor.

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Thibodaux, LA, United States of America

Todd J Rodrigue