Abstract:
A spreader system for discharging residue from an agricultural combine to a ground surface. The spreader system including at least one rotatable member positioned to encounter the residue and to disperse the residue when in a first orientation. The at least one rotatable member having a second orientation wherein the rotatable member is configured to contact the ground and to assist in providing support to the agricultural combine when in the second orientation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a system and method for a dual use of the spreader mechanism of a harvesting system. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In common harvesting operations where a combine is used to cut or pick up crop while traveling through a field, it is generally desired to leave the residue in a compact windrow for eventual pickup, or to evenly distribute the residue or MOG (material other than grain) evenly across the entire cut width. Returning the material to the ground provides nutrients for future crops. It is important that MOG be spread evenly such that all future plants have a consistent seed bed, but also because bunched or thicker distribution of straw and chaff, the residue or MOG, can make future field operations more challenging. 
         [0005]    During the spreading of crop residue onto a field, a spreader performs only a spreading function and that function may be not used in the event the residue is left in a windrow for later gathering. This means that the spreading function is carried out with a dedicated system. Combines are now situated to carry more and more systems many of which can only perform one useful function. 
         [0006]    The problem is that larger combines are becoming too heavy to traverse roads and highways legally. The weight of combines has increased due to needing heavier structures to carry larger headers and with increased volumes of grain in the grain tanks 
         [0007]    What is needed is a system and method for optimization of residue spreading so that the residue may be spread evenly onto the field and that the spreading system serve multiple purposes including support of the weight of the combine. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method to spread the residue onto a field from a combine and to provide ground contacting support while in a transport mode. 
         [0009]    The invention in one form is directed to a spreader system for discharging residue from an agricultural combine to a ground surface. The spreader system including at least one rotatable member positioned to encounter the residue and to disperse the residue when in a first orientation. The at least one rotatable member having a second orientation wherein the rotatable member is configured to contact the ground and to assist in providing support to the agricultural combine when in the second orientation. 
         [0010]    The invention in another form is directed to an agricultural harvesting system including a chassis, a plurality of ground support devices carrying the chassis and a threshing section carried by the chassis. The threshing section produces an agricultural residue. There is a spreader system for discharging the residue to a ground surface. The spreader system includes at least one rotatable member positioned to encounter the residue and to disperse the residue when in a first orientation. The at least one rotatable member having a second orientation wherein the rotatable member is configured to contact the ground and to assist in providing support to the agricultural combine when in the second orientation. 
         [0011]    Advantageously, the present invention has a dual purpose in that it serves as a spreader and as a transportation assisting device. 
         [0012]    Another advantage is that the present invention reduces the overall weight of the harvester since two systems are combined into one. 
         [0013]    Yet another advantage of the present invention is that in the event the combine becomes stuck in the field the multi-purpose spreader can be oriented to reduce the load carried on other wheels and to even provide additional traction. 
         [0014]    Additional features and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a harvester combine with an attached header, threshing rotor, and spreader system according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates a partial side view of the harvester from  FIG. 1 , with the spreader system in a first orientation; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates another partial side view of the harvester combine of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , with the residue spreader system in a second orientation; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the spreader system of  FIGS. 1-3 , with the spreader bars not shown, to illustrate the orientation of the spreader system when in the first orientation; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is another top view of the spreader system of  FIGS. 1-4 , with the spreader bars not shown to illustrate the orientation of the spreader system when in the second orientation, which allows the tires to contact the ground; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a top view of one of the wheels of the spreader system of  FIGS. 1-5  with the spreader bars extended; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of one of the wheels of the spreader system of  FIGS. 1-6  illustrating the extendibility/retractability of the spreader bars. 
       
    
    
       [0023]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated an agricultural system  70  which includes agricultural harvesting equipment such as a combine  72  which is used for harvest. Combine  72  is depicted as a mobile agricultural work vehicle including a chassis/frame  74 , to which are installed a main body  76 , an operator&#39;s station or cab  78 , a grain tank  80 , an engine (not shown), and ground support devices including drive wheels  82  and steerable wheels  84 . However, the ground support devices could also be endless crawler tracks. 
         [0025]    Header  86  is shown in  FIG. 1 , which is commonly referred to as a grain header and is typically utilized for harvesting smaller grains, such as, but not limited to, wheat and soybeans. Headers such as header  86  used for this purpose can have a variety of widths, for instance, from about twenty to about forty five feet, as is well known. Another well known header is a corn header, and will typically be of a six, eight, twelve or sixteen row variety, and will have an overall width of from about fifteen to about forty feet. Header  86 , as well as other headers (not shown), are configured to be interchangeably mounted on the front end of a feeder  88  of combine  72  in the well-known, conventional manner, for configuring combine  72  for harvesting a particular crop. A header detector  87  is also shown in  FIG. 1 , as connected on the combine  72 . 
         [0026]    The crops harvested by a header  86  will be gathered up by header  86  and conveyed by feeder  88  rearwardly and upwardly into the body of combine  72 , for processing by a threshing system. The threshing system comprises a thresher  90 , which is located within main body  76  and is disposed to receive the crop materials from feeder  88 . Thresher  90  separates kernels of grain from larger pieces of other crop materials, referred to herein as MOG (materials other than grain). The grain kernels are then conveyed to a winnowing, or cleaning section  92 , where smaller bits of MOG, debris, dust, etc. are removed by mechanical agitation and a stream of air. Although combine  72  is depicted as an axial-flow combine (i.e., having a threshing system with a generally longitudinally disposed axis of rotation), the concepts described herein may also be used on other types of combines including those having threshers with transversely disposed axes of rotation. 
         [0027]    Quite often a machine of this nature must harvest additional material other than the main product in order to complete the separation process. The excess material or MOG (herein also referred to as crop residue, or simply as residue) is typically chopped or shredded and propelled from the rear  94  of the combine  72  by way of spreader  96 . 
         [0028]    Attached on combine  72  is a sensing device  32 , as shown or similarly, on or about spreader  96  for detecting attributes that can be used to optimize the residue spreading function of spreader  96  of the combine  72 . Sensing device  32 , may be a direction detector  32 , such as a GPS system, sensing device  32  can also be configured to detect wind speeds. Sensing device  32  can also be connected to agricultural system  70  at a variety of other locations, and particularly to a communication and control system. Sensing device  32  may be a steering angle sensor to thereby detect commanded changes in direction. The sensing device  32  may be connected to the communication and control system. 
         [0029]    Further, sensing device  32  may contain any of the sensors to sense temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, cloud cover, and trends thereof. The sensing device  32  may sense one or more various wind characteristics, such as wind speed and wind direction. Wind direction and speed change can reduce the harvesting machine&#39;s ability to spread the residue uniformly onto the ground surface. By using the information provided by the sensing device  32 , such as wind speed and wind direction, adjustments for residue spreading may be automatically made in real time, relative to the speed and direction of combine  72  travel. The communication and control system may incorporate connection of various other sensors (not shown) in the combine  72  to receive information pertaining to combine  72  travel and the location of edges of the adjacent standing crops. 
         [0030]    Combines equipped with a GPS may be used to determine the direction and speed of combine  72 . This data may be necessary in making the necessary corrections to compensate for wind speed and direction changes of combine  72 , as analyzed and determined by a controller. 
         [0031]    Referring particularly to  FIG. 2 , a rear end  94  of combine  72  is shown, including a crop residue spreader system  96  operable for spreading straw, stalks, and other crop residue and MOG that has been separated from the grain of the crops by thresher  90  of combine  72  located forwardly of rear end  94 . The straw, stalks and the like are propelled rearwardly by rotating beaters or the like (also not shown) from the threshing mechanism and downwardly through a rear cavity of combine  72  to spreader  96  for the spreading of the residue onto the ground. 
         [0032]    Now, additionally referring to  FIGS. 2-7 , spreader system  96  includes rotatable members  98  and  100 , each being rotatable about an axis, such as axis  102 . Pivotal members  104  and  106  respectively support rotatable members  98  and  100  and provide a connection to chassis  76  or to frame  74 , and is shown in a rather schematic fashion in  FIGS. 2-5 . It is also contemplated that pivotal members  104  and  106  may be directly connected to an axle assembly that is connected to wheels  82  and/or  84 , to thereby provide additional support to frame  74  and chassis  76 . Pivotal members  104  and  105  respectively pivot about axis  108  and  110 . Axes  108  and  110  are parallel or at least generally parallel with each other and are aligned with a plane oriented in a direction of travel of combine  70 . Axes  108  and  109  are generally horizontal, although other orientations are also contemplated. 
         [0033]    Rotatable members  98  and  100  each include a wheel  112  having a tire  114  thereon, and are rotated by motors  116 , which may be powered electrically or hydraulically. On a side of each wheel  112  is positioned a spreader arrangement  118 , which is illustrated as four bars extending outward from the rotational center of rotatable members  98  and  100 . Spreader arrangement  118  includes extendable bars  120  that are extended when in the spreader orientation and they are retracted when in the transport orientation, as can be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Spreader arrangement  118  also has a pivoting handle  122  that can be rotated to cause bars  120  to extend or retract depending upon the movement of handle  122 . It is also contemplated to make the extension and retraction of bars  120  automatic. 
         [0034]    While combine  72  is harvesting a crop, if the residue is to be spread onto the field then spreader system  96  is oriented as shown in  FIG. 2  so that the residue will contact rotatable members  98  and  100 , which are counter-rotating, to disperse the residue onto the field. When there is not a need to spread the residue, then spreader system  96  can be oriented as shown in  FIG. 3  by the pivoting of pivotal members  104  and  106  about axes  108  and  110 . Motors  116  can be used to provide additional drive, or they can simply freewheel, with rotatable members  98  and  100  and just providing load bearing support for combine  72 . 
         [0035]    The common spreader discs, of the prior art, are generally made in a disc form and may be made out of various materials. The discs are relatively light and are not capable of doing anything except the spreading of residue material from the machine. Advantageously, the present invention allows for multiple uses of the spreader system  96 , in that each rotatable member  98  and  100  has a wheel  112  and tire  114  to perform an additional function. With the installation of spreader paddles in spreader arrangement  118  onto the wheel  112  and tire  114  allowing for a dual use of the system. The bat length can be varied, as shown, to extend out and retract in. The bats are retracted to allow tires  114  to contact the ground when in transport mode ( FIG. 3 ). The spreader assembly would be mounted into the super structure of the machine and be rotatable to allow the spreader disc to rotate 90 degrees about axes  108  and  110 . When in the transport orientation, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , wheels  112  contact the ground or road surface. Several ways are contemplated to increase the down force onto tires  114  for road transport. 
         [0036]    While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.