Patent ID: 8662972

Claim:
A method for unloading crop stored in a grain tank ( 3 ) of a self-propelled combine harvester ( 1 ) into a drivable collecting container ( 8 ) equipped with a drive unit, including: positioning the collecting container ( 8 ) relative to the combine harvester ( 1 ) and moving the collecting container ( 8 ) parallel thereto while the crop is fed to the collecting container ( 8 ) directly or indirectly by way of a grain tank discharge pipe ( 4 ) equipped with an outlet chute ( 6 ), simultaneously with the harvesting operation; to unload the crop, using a control device to move the collecting container ( 8 ) in a constant position relative to the harvesting machine ( 1 ), behind a front harvesting attachment ( 2 ) or next to a front harvesting attachment ( 2 ), in which the outlet chute ( 6 ) is oriented toward an inlet region of a longitudinal conveyor provided in the collecting container ( 8 ); and reducing a spreading width of a chopper ( 5 ) provided at the straw and chaff outlet of the combine harvester ( 1 ), which is maintained in a direction of the collecting container ( 8 ), during a grain tank unloading process with a collecting container ( 8 ) traveling behind the front harvesting attachment ( 2 ).