Patent ID: 8141805
Filing Date: 2012-03-27
Classification: A01F

Abstract:
1. A chopper assembly for harvesting equipment comprising: a rotary chopper element; a chopper grate assembly spaced from the rotary chopper element to form a passageway for crop residue; a knife bank adjustably connected to the chopper grate assembly, the knife bank being movable between a first position where the knife bank is fully inserted into the passageway and a second position where the knife bank is fully retracted from the passageway; at least one panel at least partially enclosing the rotary chopper element, the chopper grate assembly and the knife bank; an actuating mechanism to move the knife bank between the first position and the second position; a sensor to measure the position of the actuating mechanism and determine a position of the knife bank; and the sensor being positioned on an opposite side of the at least one panel from the rotary chopper element, the chopper grate assembly and the knife bank.