Forage harvester recutter screen

Abstract

A forage harvester having an axially transverse generally cylindrical cutterhead mounted for rotation in a housing. The cutterhead includes knives that cooperate with a shearbar mounted at the front of the cutterhead housing to cut crop material being fed rearwardly into the housing over the shearbar under conditions where the cutterhead is being rotated. A removable arcuate screen is mountable rearwardly of the cutterhead and closely adjacent to the peripheral path of the knives. Crop material is forced by the cutterhead through the screen apertures to further cut the crop. Progressively larger apertures are provided in the screen. Desired length of cut determines the initial aperture size whereupon the cut crop material readily passes through the subsequent progressively larger apertures. Crop handling means then collect the crop material and deliver it to discharge apparatus, such as a blower.