Patent ID: 8187064
Filing Date: 2012-05-29
Classification: A01F

Abstract:
1. A chopper for an agricultural combine comprising: a rotor housing having an inlet for receiving crop residue and an outlet for transmitting chopped crop residue; a generally cylindrical rotor disposed inside the housing and having a plurality of blades extending therefrom that are spaced generally equianqularly in a circumferential direction and spaced generally equidistantly in an axial direction, said rotor being configured to rotate inside the housing; and stationary blades extending into the housing and disposed to interact with the blade on the rotor to chop crop residue; wherein the stationary blades are releasably held in an operating position by an overload release mechanism in which the blades interengage with the rotor blades such that the stationary blades will move out of the way of the rotor blades when a predetermined load threshold is reached; wherein the stationary blades comprise a first plurality of blades disposed in spaced apart planes that are perpendicular to a rotational axis of the rotor that are spaced apart over substantially the entire length of the rotor; wherein the stationary blades further comprise a second plurality of blades having working edges that extend generally parallel to the rotational axis and collinear with each other; wherein the stationary blades are mounted to a plurality of blade holders that in turn are pivotally supported to pivot between an operating position in which the stationary blades and the rotor blades mutually engage to chop crop residue, to an overload position in which the blades of a blade holder are pivoted out of engagement with the corresponding rotor blades while other blade holders of the plurality of blade holders are still maintained in their operating positions.