311 results about "Crop residue" patented technology

Apparatus for clearing crop residue from a field is adapted for attachment to a tool bar of an agricultural implement or to a planter unit such that the apparatus is pulled through a field by the implement. The apparatus includes a support structure extending forward of the tool bar and at least one and preferably a pair of floating arms pivotally attached to a forward portion of the support structure and extending rearwardly, with a toothed wheel rotationally attached to an aft end of the arm(s). A coulter attached to the support structure is disposed between and extends forward of the soil-engaging toothed wheel(s) and in combination with the wheel(s) severs and removes residue in the seeding pathway. An adjustable biasing arrangement urges the toothed wheels, either in unison or independently, downwardly into engagement with the soil. Upper and lower stop limits are provided to limit vertical positioning of the toothed wheel(s).

A system and method for positively discharging crop residue from a combine for precisely and consistently delivering crop residue from the threshing and separating area of a combine to the combine's residue handling system or outwardly from the rear of the combine and onto the harvested field below as a windrow. The present invention can include, or operate in cooperation with, a discharge mechanism, such as a conventional discharge beater, which delivers at least some of the crop residue to a conveying mechanism of the system. The system also includes a guide mechanism including a door arrangement configurable in several alternative configurations for receiving and merging and regulating crop residue flow from the discharge mechanism and the conveying mechanism, and directing the merged flow to a desired processing mechanism, such as, but not limited to, a chaff spreader, a straw chopper and / or spreader, etc.

A system and method of controlling maximum available engine power of a combine harvester wherein the engine drives the harvester and additionally powers a threshing mechanism for separating harvested crop into grain and crop residue and at least one further crop processing subsystem that may be selectively configured and disengaged, including a straw chopper engageable for chopping the crop residue and propelling the chopped residue from the harvester, structure configurable for directing the crop residue into the chopper or to bypass the chopper, utilizing a controller for automatically reducing the maximum available engine power as a function of the status of the engagement of the subsystems, particularly the chopper and the configuration of the associated structure.

A chopper and wide-spread impeller spreader that feeds crop residue from the chopper into the spreader at a specific upward angle to more fully utilize the momentum the crop residue achieves in the chopper. The spreader incorporates air intake holes and air fins above the impellers to keep crop residue moving through the impellers without plugging of discharge material. The chopper propels the residue upwardly into the spreader resulting in a wide-spread broadcast, while preventing crop residue from plugging the spreader.

A solid fuel is formed in a cuber to form body pieces formed of materials extruded through a die with a density greater than 35 lbs / cu ft; an energy content greater than 6500 BTU / lb; transverse dimensions less than 1.5 inches; and a length less than 4 inches; from plant biomass material which contains components when extended of greater than 1.0 inch. Primarily the materials are paper or other cellulose product and crop residue such as wheat straw. The cellulose and lignin from these materials act without additional binders as binders and encasing materials. The moisture content is maintained at a target value by mixing selected quantities of the materials without drying. The cubing machine has a feeding system where the space between the inner rotor and outer casing is smaller than 4 inches and the height of the outer flight is less than 1 inch.

A method of converting a conventional round baler to a round baler with an accumulator chamber is disclosed.

A crop residue handling device is mounted to the rear of a combine harvester for intercepting crop residue that remains after grain has been separated from the crop by the separator and cleaning arrangement of the harvester. The residue handling device includes a chopper which chops and impels the chopped residue rearwardly through a discharge duct. A transition duct receives the crop exiting from the chopper and contains upright deflector vanes mounted for pivoting and being automatically moved among desired positions, by a power actuator so as to direct desired proportions of the crop residue between a blower for receiving and accelerating the crop through a discharge chute for collection in a receptacle of a towed trailer, and a pair of spreader disks located at opposite sides of the blower for receiving and dispersing the crop residue on the ground.

An apparatus and method for automatically controlling the settings of an adjustable crop residue discharge system of an agricultural combine is provided. The apparatus includes a sensor, an actuator, and a controller. The sensor detects a position of a residue deflector and / or a speed of the residue discharge system. The actuator operatively controls the residue deflector to adjustably position the residue deflector. The controller is operatively connected to the sensor and actuator. The controller includes a memory, a speed input device, a position input device, and a mode input device. The controller is configured to store in memory a plurality of positions and speeds of the residue discharge system and automatically adjust the positions and speeds of the residue discharge system upon receiving an input to change to headland mode.

An agricultural tillage implement constructed to condition crop residue and cultivate the conditioned crop residue. The tillage implement includes a first residue conditioner and a second residue conditioner pivotably attached to a frame of the tillage implement. The first and second conditioners are movable independent of each other and of the frame such that an operator may raise and lower the first and second conditioners relative to the frame to change the depths of the conditioners.

Spreader apparatus for a crop residue chopper of an agricultural harvesting machine or combine, mountable in a simple manner and quickly and precisely pivotable sidewardly, and optionally upwardly and downwardly, in a unitary manner, for adjusting or varying a direction and / or one or more characteristics of discharge of crop residue propelled from a chopper. The spreader apparatus includes a spreader board having vanes mounted thereon for guiding crop residue flow discharged from the chopper, the vanes and the spreader board being movable simultaneously and in a unitary manner, to achieve adjustments or shifts in crop residue deposition location, without altering consistency or uniformity of the crop residue distribution.

An active crop residue spreader for an agricultural combine including two horizontal rotor impellers for guiding and uniformly distributing the crop residue on a field, a triangular nose divider with a pyramidal shape which is wider at the base and an extension near or into the chopper. The spreader further comprises a straw guiding plate provided with specially shaped rakes on each side of the guiding plate.

A flow distributor apparatus for a vertical spreader operable for discharging a flow of straw or other crop residue in a sideward direction over a field, the flow distributor apparatus including a flow guide element, an adjusting mechanism, and a coupling connector connecting the flow guide element to the adjusting mechanism for controllable repositioning of the flow guide element relative to the spreader paddles. The flow guide element is disposed generally adjacent to the back plate of the spreader and intermediate the spreader paddles with an apex portion, laterally extending arm portions, and longitudinally extending crop residue flow surfaces, at least portions of which crop residue flow surfaces extend beneath the spreader paddles. The adjusting mechanism is operable to effect at least either vertical, horizontal, or rotational movement of the flow guide element relative to the spreader paddles to adjustably vary the clearances between the outer swept diameters of the spreader paddles and the crop residue flow surfaces to control the sidewardly outwardly discharge of crop residue from the spreader.

A system for chopping and spreading crop residue produced by an agricultural combine wherein the spreader is advantageously disposed directly rearwardly of a cleaning system of the combine for receiving chaff and other crop residue directly therefrom, without aid of a mechanism to convey the chaff to the spreader, and wherein the chopper is disposed just above and / or rearwardly of the spreader and is configured for discharging crop residue from the threshing system of the combine into the spreader for spreading thereby with the chaff.

The crop residue distribution apparatus and system use a horizontal crop spreader assembly and deflector door independently relatively positionable to be configurable in a straw windrowing and chaff spreading configuration in which straw flow is directed through an aperture between drive units of the spreader assembly while the chaff is directed to the spreader disposed in a lower opening; in a straw and chaff spreading configuration wherein the door closes the aperture and both straw and chaff are directed to the spreader; and in a straw and chaff windrowing configuration wherein the spreader is withdrawn from the lower opening such that the straw and chaff are both discharged therethrough to form a windrow without requiring removing disks of the spreader.

A residue splitter apparatus for use with a horizontal spreader assembly that employs a pair of spreader paddles disposed side-by-side to rotate about respective generally vertical axes for controlling the spread width distribution of crop residue on and over a field, and the method of use thereof, including a flow guide element located generally intermediate to the spreader paddles of the horizontal spreader assembly with crop residue flow surfaces that extend rearwardly from a front edge portion of the flow guide element and sidewardly to free end portions generally aft of at least portions of the spreader paddles to receive and direct the flow of crop residue from such spreader paddles. Preferably, the flow guide element is laterally expandable to permit the flow of crop residue from the spreader paddles to be adjustably varied to effect a desired pattern of crop residue flow from the spreader paddles, for instance, so as to better and more evenly distribute the flow side-to-side over a swath of an agricultural field from which the crop was harvested.

A windrow forming construction mountable at the rear of a combine above the level of a spreader assembly, such construction extending rearwardly from the combine to beyond the rear extent of the spreader assembly footprint and laterally across the expanse of the spreader assembly footprint and being adjustably positionable to vary the inclination thereof relative to the ground surface, the construction including side deflectors disposed at opposite sides of the construction so as to control to some extent the sidewardly distribution of the crop residue, which side deflectors are laterally pivotable about generally vertical axes to vary the spacing between the free ends thereof and are also longitudinally extendable so as to channel to some extent the crop residue towards the space between the free ends, and a positioning mechanism operable to vary the inclination of such construction relative to the ground surface so as to control to some extent the degree with which the crop residue is directed into the stubble remaining on the field and to support the construction in such position.