Abstract:
A topper/shredder arrangement of a cane harvester is designed so that a stream of air is created that aids in carrying pieces of cane tops to a location outside the harvesting throat of the cane harvester.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to sugar cane harvesters, and more specifically, relates to topper/shredders for such harvesters. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Sugar cane harvesters are equipped with sugar cane topping devices which take off the upper part of a sugar cane stalk since it does not contain a worthwhile amount of sugar. Conventional topping devices operate such that the top of the sugar cane stalk is severed and thrown into the furrow adjacent to the row being harvested. The transport vehicle runs upon the discarded tops on the next pass through the field. In wet weather this becomes a problem. The tops tend to collect and are pushed in front of the non-powered front tires of the transport tractor or the non-powered tires of the transport wagon. This continues until the transport can no longer push the pile. If at this point, the pile is too high to climb, the transport must back up and try to jump the pile. This problem can get so bad that harvesting operations must be suspended. 
   In order to alleviate this “bull dozing” operation, topper/shredders have been used that shred the tops into smaller pieces. An example of a topper/shredder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,700, granted to Fowler on Apr. 2, 2002. These devices have been used on both wholestick and chopper harvesters for many years, and are not as efficient in throwing the small shredded pieces as far as the conventional whole piece toppers. This results in some portion of the tops dropping into the throat of the harvester. To deliver cane having no more extraneous matter than that delivered by a harvester equipped with a conventional whole piece topper, the forward speed of the machine must be reduced. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the present invention there is provided an improved topper-shredder for use with a sugar cane harvester. 
   It is an object of the invention to provide a topper/shredder capable of depositing shredded cane stalk tops outwardly of the path followed by the throat of the harvester. 
   The above object is accomplished by a topper/shredder which incorporates blades for creating an air flow which aids in propelling the shredded cane top pieces outside the row being harvested. 
   This and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the ensuing description together with the appended drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a left front perspective view of a sugar cane harvester embodying a topper/shredder constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the topper/shredder shown in FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of the right-hand cane top gathering device shown in FIG.  2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a vertical sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a sugar cane combine or chopper harvester  10  including a main frame  12  supported on front and rear pairs of wheels  14  and  16 , respectively. Mounted on a forward location of the frame  12  is an operator&#39;s cab  18  containing the various controls for operating the harvester  10 . 
   Mounted to the forward end of the frame  12  are various components for harvesting a single row of sugar cane. Specifically, right-and left-hand row dividers  20  and  22  are provided for operation at opposite sides of a throat area  24  where a row of cane passes for being cut off by a pair of base cutters (not visible). The row dividers  20  and  22  respectively include spiral lifting devices  26  and  28  for elevating down or recumbent cane. 
   Located centrally between the row dividers  20  and  22  and coupled to the main frame  12  is a cane topper/shredder assembly  30  including a parallel linkage defined by parallel, upper and lower support arms  32  and  34 , respectively. The upper and lower support arms  34  and  36  have respective rear ends pivotally coupled, as at upper and lower horizontal transverse pins  36  and  38 , to upper and lower locations of an U-shaped bracket  40  fixed to an upper front location of the frame  12 . Referring now also to  FIG. 2 , while hidden, it will be understood that respective forward ends of the parallel arms  32  and  34  are pivotally coupled to upper and lower locations of a U-shaped bracket  42  located at a center, rear location of a topper/shredder frame  44 . Provided for adjusting the height of the topper/shredder is an extensible and retractable hydraulic cylinder  46  having its head end pivotally coupled to the harvester frame  12  and having its rod end pivotally attached to the lower arm  34 . 
   The topper/shredder frame  44  includes right- and left-hand, L-shaped tubular support members  48  and  50 , respectively. The right-hand support member  48  includes a horizontal section  51 R and a vertical section  52 R, with the latter extending along a vertical axis Y. A hydraulic motor mounting ring  53 R is welded, or otherwise fixed, within a lower part of the vertical section  52 R and a stop ring  54 R is received on and fixed to an upper location of the vertical section  52 R. Similarly, the left-hand support member  50  includes a horizontal section  51 L and a vertical section  52 L, with the latter extending along a vertical axis Y′. A hydraulic motor mounting ring  53 L is fixed within a lower part of the vertical section  52 L, and a stop ring  54 L is received on and fixed to an upper part of the vertical section  52 L. The horizontal sections  51 R and  51 L diverge forwardly from each other. 
   The frame  44  has right- and left-hand wing sections  56  and  58  which include forwardly facing surfaces  60  and  62  that are respectively curved about the vertical axes Y and Y′. The wing sections  56  and  58  have respective parallel, vertical, fore-and-aft extending inner walls  64  and  66 . The inner wall  64  includes four vertically spaced, horizontal, knife-mounting slots  68  in which are mounted stationary cutting knives  70 . Similarly, four vertically spaced knife-mounting slots  72  are provided in the inner wall  66  and are provided with stationary cutting knives (not visible). 
   Located centrally between the tubular support members  48  and  50  is a central or middle tubular support member  74  comprising a horizontal section  76  and a vertical section  78  disposed along a vertical axis Y″. The horizontal section  76  of the third support member  74  is considerably shorter than the horizontal sections  52 R and  52 L, with the vertical section  78  being approximately centered in a vertical, transverse plane joining respective forward edges of the inner walls  64  and  66 . A hydraulic motor mounting ring  80  is received within and fixed to a lower location of the vertical section  78 , and a stop ring  82  is received on and fixed to an upper location of the vertical section  78 . 
   A topper/shredder rotor  84  includes a central cylindrical tube  86  received on, and mounted for rotation about, the vertical section  78  of the central support member  74 . A reversible, hydraulic motor  88  includes an upper body projecting upwardly within the motor mounting ring  80 . A mounting flange  90  at the bottom of the body is positioned against, and bolted to, the mounting ring  80 . Hydraulic fluid supply/return hoses  92  and  94  are coupled to respective upper locations of the motor body and extend through the tubular support member  48 . The rotor tube  86  is received on the vertical section  78  of the central tubular support member  74 , with the upper end of the tube  86  abutting the stop ring  82 . Suitable bearings (not shown) support the rotor tube  86  for rotation about the axis Y″. A splined motor drive hub  96  is received on a splined output shaft (not shown) projecting from the bottom of the motor  88 . A circular drive plate  98  is welded within a lower end of the rotor tube  86 , and the drive hub  96  is secured to the drive plate  98  by a plurality of screws (not shown). 
   The chopper/shredder rotor  84  further includes four vertically spaced, knife mount disks  100 , and each disk has eight cutting knives  102  fixed about its periphery at equally spaced locations. The spacing of the disks  100  is such as to have the knives  102  pass closely adjacent fixed knives mounted within the knife mounting grooves  68  and  72 , respectively, located in the right- and left-hand wings  56  and  58 . Fixed to, and extending radially from the, rotor tube  86  and located between and fixed to adjacent disks  100  are a plurality of fins  104 , which not only rigidify the disks  100  but act to generate air flow. This air flow is aided by a plurality of circular holes  106  located in a circular pattern in each of the disks  100  at respective radial locations approximately halfway between the axis Y″ and the path traced by the outer tips of the knives  102 . 
   Cane tops are gathered for being processed by the topper/shredder rotor  84  by right- and left-hand gathering rotors  110  and  112 , respectively, that include central cylindrical tubes or cores  112 R and  112 L, respectively mounted for rotation about the vertical sections  52 R and  52 L of the support tube members  48  and  50 . Provided for driving the gathering rotors  110 R and  110 L are right-and left-hand hydraulic motors  114 R and  114 L, respectively, the motors having respective bodies inserted through the motor mounting rings  53 R and  53 L, with the bodies having respective mounting flanges  116 R and  116 L engaged with, and bolted to the mounting rings  53 R and  53 L. The hydraulic motor  114 R includes a pair of hydraulic fluid supply/return hoses  118  and  120  which extend through the tubular support member  48  from respective fittings adjacent an upper location of the body of the motor  114 R. Similarly, the hydraulic motor  114 L includes a pair of hydraulic fluid supply/return hoses  122  and  124  which extend through the tubular support member  50  from respective fittings adjacent an upper location of the body of the motor  114 L. Fixed to respective splined output shafts (not shown) projecting down from the lower end of the hydraulic motors  114 R and  114 L are respective drive hubs  126  and  128 . As can best be seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , circular drive plates  130  and  132  are respectively fixed within the lower ends of the rotor tubes  112 R and  112 L. The tubes  112 R and  112 L respectively have upper ends engaged with the stop rings  54 R and  54 L. The drive plates  130  and  132  are then respectively positioned against, and secured to the drive hubs  126  and  128  by a plurality of screws (not shown). The motors  114 R and  114 L are each reversible, and with respect to being viewed from the top, the motor  114 R is controlled for driving the gathering rotor  110 R counterclockwise, and the motor  114 L is controlled for driving the gathering rotor  110 L clockwise. 
   The gathering rotors  110 R and  110 L further include respective sets of three vertically spaced gathering disks  130 R and  130 L which are respectively welded to the rotor tubes  112 R and  112 L. Arranged at equally spaced locations about the periphery of each of the gathering disks  130 R and  130 L are respective sets of eight gathering projections  132 R and  132 L. Projecting radially from and fixed to the rotor tubes  112 R and  112 L, and extending between and fixed to adjacent ones of the gathering disks  130 R and  130 L are fan blades  134 R and  134 L. While the blades  134 R and  134 L may be of any desired shape capable of generating an air stream for aiding in conveying cane top pieces outwardly beyond the throat  24  of the harvester  10 , they are here shown as having a simple shape comprising a major straight base section that is joined to a tip section curved or angled from the base section such that it leads in the direction of rotation of the respective gathering rotor  110 R and  110 L. The flow of air generated by the fan blades  134 R and  134 L is aided by a plurality of circular air passages  136  and  138 , respectively provided in each of the gathering disks  130 R and  130 L. 
   The operation of the topper/shredder  30  is as follows. Assuming that the harvester  10  is harvesting a row of cane of a plot of standing cane located to the right-hand side of the harvester  10 , the hydraulic motor  88  will be controlled to cause the topper/shredder rotor  84  to be rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG.  2 . At the same time, the hydraulic motors  114 R and  114 L will be respectively controlled for driving the gathering rotors  110 R and  110 L counterclockwise and clockwise, as viewed in FIG.  2 . 
   With the topper/shredder rotor  84  rotating counterclockwise, the cutting knives  102  will engage and carry cane tops being delivered to it by the projections  132 R of the gathering rotor  110 R into engagement with the gathering rotor  110 L, which in turn carries the cane tops to the point where they are cut into pieces by the cooperative cutting action of the knives  102  and the stationary blades mounted in the blade mount grooves  72  and  78 . Furthermore, the fins  104  of the rotor  84  will tend to deflect the air stream delivered by the fan blades  134 R to the left where it is again deflected by the fan blades  134 L and caused to flow to the left in front of the curved surface  62  of the left wing  58  of the frame  44 . This stream of air will entrain the cut pieces of cane top and deliver it sideways with sufficient force to cause most of the top material to be deposited to the left of the throat  24  of the harvester  10 . 
   It will be understood that when harvesting a row of cane from a plot of cane located to the left of the harvester  10 , the chopper/shredder rotor  84  will be rotated in the clockwise direction resulting in the generated air stream passing outwardly in front of the curved surface  60  so as to carry top pieces to the right of the throat  24  of the harvester. 
   Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.