Abstract:
A chopping assembly for a harvesting implement having a blade assembly, a housing, and a guide. The blade assembly is disposed within the housing and the guide directs cornstalks toward an input port on the housing. The blade assembly not only cuts the cornstalk from its root but also chops the stalk into stover. A fluid dynamic force is created by the blade assembly to direct the stover with the aid of the housing to an output port.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/868,985 filed Aug. 26, 2009 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/420,494 filed Apr. 8, 2009. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    This invention relates to a chopper assembly. More particularly, this invention relates to a chopper assembly for a harvesting implement. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]    Harvesting corn is well known in the art. Conventionally, corn pickers remove the ears from the stalks and process those ears on through the machine, while leaving the stalks flattened against the ground and secured to their root structure. The stalks left in this condition are difficult to pick up and utilize for corn fodder, silage or biomass. To improve upon this, devices have been developed that not only remove the ears of corn from the stalks, but also cut the stalks and put them into a windrow whereupon they can be easily picked up and utilized as desired, such as by being processed through a chopping machine. 
         [0004]    While these devices have provided some improvement in the art, there are still deficiencies preventing commercial adoption. To begin, these devices require many moving parts, are complex to manufacture, and are susceptible to wear. In addition, the devices are built into the machine and therefore are difficult to remove and repair. Finally, because these devices are built into the machines they are not adaptable for use on different corn heads for desired applications. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a device that addresses these deficiencies. 
         [0005]    Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a chopping assembly for a harvesting implement that has fewer moving parts. 
         [0006]    Another objective is to provide a dedicated chopper/transport assembly for each individual row without impacting adjacent rows. 
         [0007]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a chopping device for a harvesting implement that is removable. 
         [0008]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide a chopping assembly for a harvesting implement that is adaptable to different sized corn headers. 
         [0009]    These and other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    A chopping assembly for a harvesting implement having a blade assembly, a housing, and a guide. The blade assembly is disposed within the housing and the guide directs cornstalks toward an input port on the housing. The blade assembly not only cuts the cornstalk from its root but also chops the stalk into stover. A fluid dynamic force is created by the blade assembly to direct the stover with the aid of the housing to an output port. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a combine having a corn head with an attached chopper assembly; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of a chopper assembly; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a bottom elevational view of a chopper assembly; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a bottom sectional view of a chopper assembly; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a side view in partial cross section of a chopper assembly; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a cutaway top plan view of a chopping assembly; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a elevated side plan view of a conveyor system for a farm implement; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a side plan view of a direct bale conveyor for a farm implement; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a side plan view of a door assembly for a farm implement; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a side plan view of a processor roll assembly for a farm implement. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    With reference to the figures, a harvesting implement  10 , such as a combine, has a corn head  12  carried by the combine. The corn head  12  has a plurality of gathering shoes  14  and a frame  16 . Positioned between each pair of adjacent gathering shoes  14  is a picking assembly  18  which has stalk rolls  20  that interact with the cornstalks and ears of corn, and an auger  22  positioned behind the picking assembly  18  to direct the picked corn to a desired location. While preferably the implement picks corn, other crops are contemplated including sunflowers, milo and the like. 
         [0022]    The chopping assembly  24  is positioned below and mounted to the corn head  12 . The chopping assembly  24  includes a blade assembly  26 , a housing  28 , and a chopper guide  30 . The blade assembly  26  includes a plurality of blades  32  that are attached to and extended outwardly from a drive shaft  34 . In one embodiment, the blades  32  lie in more than one generally perpendicular plane in relation to the drive shaft  34 . Preferably, each blade  32  has a wing  33  and a sharp cutting edge on both sides making the blades reversible. The drive shaft  34  is connected to a source of power (not shown). 
         [0023]    Surrounding the blade assembly  26  is a housing  28 . The housing  28  has a top wall  36  connected to the corn head frame  16  with an opening  38  through which the drive shaft  34  extends, an arcuate side wall  40  and a bottom wall  42  having an opening  41  and a slot  43 . The side wall  40  has an input port  44  and an output port  46 . 
         [0024]    The chopper guide  30  includes two elongated members  48 ,  50 . The elongated members  48 ,  50  are mounted in spaced angled relation to the bottom of the corn head  12  at one end and the bottom of the housing  28  at the opposite end. The angle of the elongated members  48 ,  50  tapers downwardly and inwardly from the corn head  12  to the housing  28 . 
         [0025]    Mounted to and in communication with the output port  46  is an outwardly extending exhaust channel or conduit  52 . The exhaust channel  52  is adjacent to a conveyor  54  at the end remote from the exhaust port  46 . 
         [0026]    The conveyor  54  has a removable cover  56  that allows for easy access to the conveyor  54  to unplug or service the conveyor  54 . Within the conveyor  54 , on the side walls of the cover  56  are guides  58  that direct material on the conveyor  54 . 
         [0027]    Located at the entrance of the exhaust channel  52  is an adjustable shear plate  60  that is connected to the exhaust channel  52 . The adjustable shear plate  60  allows one to adjust the clearance between housing  28  and the exhaust channel  52  to protect and prevent wear of the channel  52 . At the opposite end of the channel  52  is a deflector  62  that guides the material toward the center of the combine as material leaves the channel  52 . In one embodiment, the walls of the channel  52  are tapered such that the cross section is increasing as material moves toward the discharge end. 
         [0028]    In an additional embodiment the channel  52  has a door  64  that is part of the bottom wall of the channel  52 . In a normal position, the door  64  lies parallel to the bottom wall. The door is opened by a handle  66  which permits material to fall to the ground when desired. 
         [0029]    As best shown in  FIG. 6  the sidewall  40  of chopping assembly  24  can include an adjustable strike plate  70  adjacent the slot  43 . The strike plate is removable and replaceable depending on the desired particular application. For example when the stover is to be used for feed and then needs to be roughed up to provide greater surface area so the stover absorbs a maximum amount of moisture and additives the strike plate used has a roughened surface. Alternatively, when less damaged stover like that used in bedding application is desired, a smooth strike plate  70  is utilized. 
         [0030]    The strike plate  70  is positioned to take energy from stalk material entering the chopping assembly  24 . By making the strike plate  70  adjustable the clearance between the sidewall  40  and blades  32  can be controlled to ensure stover is not pinned between the wall and blades  32 . In addition any damage caused by a rock or broken blade  32  to the strike plate is easily handled because the strike plate can be replaced without replacing the entire housing. 
         [0031]      FIG. 7  shows an improved conveyor system  80  utilized with the chopping assembly  24 . The conveyor system  80  utilizes angled conveyors  82  to release the stover material coming out of the exhaust channel  52 . Additionally the angled non-perpendicular conveyors widen the windrow as a result of the material not being deposited in a tight line coming off the conveyor. The conveyor system  80  also utilizes a plurality of shields  84  adjacent the end of the angled conveyors  82  to block material coming off of conveyors  82  from landing in the center of the windrow, making a wider windrow and optionally two separate windrows. This assists in the drying of the windrow. Thus the conveyor system  80  provides an internal system that can be used to control the windrow without the need of varying the conveyor speed. 
         [0032]      FIG. 8  shows an alternative embodiment of the harvesting implement  10  that utilizes a direct bale conveyor  90 . In this embodiment the harvesting implement has a conveyor  92  that runs under the implement  10  and is positioned to receive the windrow. By having the windrow land on the conveyor  92  that runs under the implement  10  the stover can be moved from the corn head  12  as well as material coming out of the combine to a point at the rear of the implement  10 . A secondary processing unit  94  that preferably is a trailing baler can then accept the material on another baler mounted conveyor to be baled without contacting the ground and being contaminated with soil. Thus stover from the head and combine can be provided to the secondary or processing unit  94 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 9  shows a door controller system  100  that controls a door  64  or  102  associated with exhaust channel  52 . The door control system utilizes controllers  103  that have an operating system that can operate manually or utilize a GPS based system that can be utilized by a user in order to control an electric actuator  104  to close and open the door  102 . In this manner the operator is able to dump more stover in some areas of the field than others for erosion control purposes as well as insure that the right amount of stover is taken off the field where the crop is heavier or less dense. 
         [0034]      FIG. 10  shows yet another embodiment wherein processor rolls  110  are utilized that contain a plurality of teeth  112  and are positioned at the back of the combine adjacent to where corn cobs are discharged. Specifically the corn cobs discharge into the rolls  110  to be broken into multiple pieces to minimize the amount of whole cobs left in stover that may later need to be removed when the stover is utilized for certain beneficial uses such as cattle feed. 
         [0035]    In operation, as the harvesting implement moves forward cornstalks are directed toward the picking assembly  18  by the gathering shoes  14 . The picking assembly  18  engages the cornstalk with the stalk rolls  20  to separate the ear of corn from the stalk. The ear of corn is then transported by the auger  22  to its desired location. 
         [0036]    As the picking assembly  18  is engaging the stalk to separate the ear of corn from the stalk, the stalk is captured by the elongated guide members  48  and  50  and directed toward the input port  44  of housing  28 . As the stalk enters the input port  44  and is captured in the slot  43 , the blades  32 , which are rotated by drive shaft  34 , cut the stalk from its roots and further cuts the stalk into stover. Also, debris from the picking assembly  18  falls through the opening  38  in the top wall  36  and is added to the stover. The rotation of the blades  32  creates a fluid dynamic force that blows the stover, with assistance of the housing  28 , out of the output port  46 , through the exhaust channel  52  to the conveyor  54 . The conveyor  54  transports the stover to a windrow position.