Abstract:
An agricultural harvester with crop residue spreaders distributing crop residue laterally. Each crop residue spreader has a plurality of radially extending bats rotatable within a housing for directing residue from an axially directed inlet radially outward through an outer outlet. The housing has an outer wall with a height that increases axially in a uniform fashion around the periphery to minimize if not eliminate recirculation of residue to the inlet.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Belgian Application No. 2016/5571 filed Jul. 8, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to agricultural harvesters such as combines, and, more particularly, to crop residue systems used in such combines. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    An agricultural harvester known as a “combine” is historically termed such because it combines multiple harvesting functions with a single harvesting unit, such as picking, threshing, separating and cleaning. A combine includes a header which removes the crop from a field, and a feeder housing which transports the crop matter into a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, which may be in the form of adjustable concaves and performs a threshing operation on the crop to remove the grain. Once the grain is threshed, it falls through perforations in the concaves onto a grain pan. From the grain pan, the grain is cleaned using a cleaning system, and is then transported to a grain tank onboard the combine. A cleaning fan blows air through the sieves to discharge straw, chaff and other debris toward the rear of the combine. 
         [0004]    During the process of harvesting, crop material other than grain (MOG) is intended to be expelled from the combine. This material is usually derived from one of two areas, the threshing rotor or the cleaning system. The material expelled from the threshing rotor is generally referred to as straw and the material expelled from the cleaning system is generally referred to as chaff. This crop residue can be dealt with in several ways, generally categorized as spread and windrowed. 
         [0005]    Spread refers to using a mechanical device to distribute the straw and/or chaff evenly across the width of the combine header cut width. This spread material is usually chopped to as short a length as possible so that when it is spread it will break down as quickly as possible and not interfere with tillage or seeding operations. 
         [0006]    The residue spreader is usually formed from a rotor driven generally about a vertical axis and having a plurality of vanes or bats that propel residue entering from an axially directed inlet outward in a tangential stream so as to distribute residue continuously across a relatively wide swath. An example of such an arrangement is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,652. The residue comes through a vertical inlet and, as the bats rotate about the axis, the residue is propelled towards the tangential outlet. One of the issues occurring with prior art spreaders is that material towards the end of its path may recirculate back into the inlet and diminish the efficiency of the rotating bats. The recirculation of the residue to the inlet impedes the action of sucking material into the inlet of the crop residue spreader. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an efficient crop residue spreader that minimizes, if not eliminates recirculation of residue, for managing the distribution of crop residue in a combine. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention provides apparatus for crop residue management having efficiently directed crop residue. 
         [0009]    The invention, in one form, is a crop residue spreader having a plurality of radially extending bats mounted for rotational movement about an axis A. A housing surrounds the bats and has an inlet for residue adjacent axis A and a radially outward outlet. The housing has an axial height that increases around its periphery up to the outlet. 
         [0010]    In another form, the invention is an agricultural combine including a crop processing apparatus separating crop material from crop residue containing straw and chaff and for discharging crop residue therefrom in a stream. A crop residue spreader receives the stream from the crop processing apparatus and has a plurality of radially extending bats mounted for rotational movement about an axis A. A housing surrounds the bats and has an inlet for residue adjacent axis A and a radially outward outlet. The housing has an axial height that increases around its periphery up to the outlet. 
         [0011]    One advantage of the present invention is that recirculation of crop residue around the inlet of a residue spreader is minimized if not eliminated. 
         [0012]    Another advantage of the present invention is that crop residue is more efficiently spread. 
         [0013]    Still another advantage is that the instance of clogging in the inlet is minimized, if not eliminated. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    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: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an embodiment of an agricultural harvester in the form of a combine which may include a crop residue spreader of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a crop residue spreader incorporated in the agricultural harvester of  FIG. 1  showing a position in which crop residue is distributed laterally; and, 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the crop residue spreader of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
       [0018]    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 
       [0019]      FIG. 1  shows an agricultural combine  20  which includes the usual harvesting apparatus (not all of which is shown to facilitate an understanding of the invention). An axially oriented crop processing system  22  receives harvested crop and a crop residue treatment and distribution system  24  with a crop residue spreader  26  is positioned at the aft end of combine  20 . The crop residue treatment and distribution system  24  includes a cylindrical threshing rotor  28  that conveys a flow of crop material in a helical flow path. As the crop material is moved through the processing apparatus  22 , the desired crop such as grain or other material is loosened and separated from crop residue such as husk and pods in a cleaning system located beneath the threshing rotor  28 . The crop processing system  22  includes a blower  34 , schematically depicted, to aid in the separation of the desired crop from the crop residue. The blower  34  has a duct  35  extending aft in the combine  20  towards the cleaning system and the crop residue treatment and distribution system  24 . 
         [0020]    The crop residue spreader system includes a duct  30  that directs the crop residue stream towards a pair of crop residue spreaders  42 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , crop residue spreaders  42  include side-by-side disks  44  journaled for rotation about axis A and positioned laterally with respect to one another when in the spreading configuration. Disks  44  have a plurality of bats  46  that act like vanes to positively direct crop residue in a lateral direction. A cone  48  extends vertically upward from each disk  44  and directs residue from a direction along axis A radially outward so it is directed by the bats  46 . A motor  50  is connected to each disk  44  through a motor output shaft (not shown) causing the disks  44  to rotate as needed. Although motor  50  is illustrated as hydraulic, it may be in any one of a number of forms including mechanical interconnection to a remotely positioned motor. Rotation of disks  44  is set up so that when viewed from above and looking towards the front of the combine  20 , the right side disk (illustrated) rotates counterclockwise and the left disk rotates clockwise so that they propel crop residue between them aft and around and laterally. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show the crop residue spreader on the right of, and in the rear portion of, a combine. Each bat  46  includes an inner portion  56  secured to disk  44  and an outer portion  58  connected to the inner portion through a flexible connector  60  and suitable fasteners  62 . The flexible connector  60  enables better accommodation of varying quantities of residue passing through the crop residue spreader device  42 . 
         [0023]    The crop residue spreader  42  has a housing  64  including a floor  66  underneath the disk  44  and forming the structural base for the housing  64 . An outer wall  68  extends around the periphery of the bats  46  to form a straight sided curved outer wall. As discussed below, the width of the housing  64  may increase from a minimum height at reference point  70  and continuously increases to a maximum height around the periphery of the housing  64 . An outlet section  72  is connected to outer wall  68  and provides a closed tangentially directed outlet for residue. An upper housing wall  74  connects with the outer wall  68  and has a distance from the floor  66  in a direction parallel to axis A (housing width) that increases continuously from a minimum point at reference point  70  adjacent the outlet section  72  around the periphery of housing  68  to the outlet section  72 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the reference point  70  is located at the downstream end of the opening in the housing  68 , which opening forms the start of the outlet section  72 . Downstream and upstream are therein used as relative terms referring to the direction of rotation of the bats  46  and the residue propelled thereby.  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  show the right side spreader unit  42  wherein the bats are rotated counterclockwise (seen from above). For a rotating bat  46  passing the opening in the housing  68 , the reference point  70  is adjacent the end of the opening. The upper housing wall  74  has a circular inlet  76  with a tapered section  78  angled in the direction of flow into the interior of housing  64 . 
         [0024]    With particular reference to  FIG. 3 , the minimum dimension of outer wall  68  is at reference point  70 A directly behind the opening (seen from the tip of a rotating bat  46 ) and, during a full rotation of the bat  46 , continuously increases to its maximum at reference point  70 B. Thus, it is seen that the housing  68 , which surrounds the bats  46 , has an increasing width. With reference to  FIG. 2 , a radial distance of the outer wall  68  from the axis A increases continuously around the periphery of housing  64  to a maximum adjacent the outlet section  72 . As a result, the flow path for residue expands as the residue is directed around the periphery by the bats  46 . It is to be noted that the advantages of the invention are also obtained when the radial distance of the outer wall  68  from the axis A does not increase around the periphery of the housing. The increasing radial distance only adds to the functional advantages obtained by continuously increasing the width of the housing  64  around its periphery. 
         [0025]    By continuously increasing the width of the housing  64  around its periphery, it has been found that recirculation of residue into inlet  76  is minimized if not eliminated. A range of continuous increases around the periphery may be employed and a greater increase in the width than the radial distance may be employed. It should be noted that the expansion of the radial distance is such that the bats may still function as a residue particulate mover. 
         [0026]    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.