Patent ID: 7736218

Claim:
A discharge apparatus for a combine harvester for receiving the materials to be spread from the combine harvester and for discharging the materials from the combine harvester, the discharge apparatus comprising: a housing having a feed opening into which the materials are fed from the combine harvester; an assembly mounted in the housing for accelerating the materials for discharge; the housing having a discharge opening through which the materials are discharged; and a guide assembly for guiding the discharged materials for spreading; the guide assembly comprising a plurality of guide surface portions arranged to relative to the housing so as to receive thereon the materials from the discharge opening discharging from the discharge opening in an initial generally outward direction from the combine harvester for spreading of the materials; the guide assembly comprising a plurality of guide members each located adjacent a respective one of the guide surface portions; each guide member having a first edge in contact with the respective guide surface portion and a remote edge spaced from the respective guide surface portion; each guide member having a contact surface extending between the first edge thereof and the remote edge thereof for engaging the materials in their movement on the respective guide surface portion; at least some of the guide members being shaped and arranged such that the contact surface thereof contacts the materials engaging the respective guide surface portion and causes those materials to turn from the initial generally outward discharge direction from the combine harvester to a spreading direction at an angle to the initial direction; the contact surface of at least one of the guide members having: a first surface portion extending downwardly from the first edge at the guide surface portion to an outermost edge of the first surface portion spaced from the guide surface portion; a second surface portion extending from the outermost edge of the first surface portion to an outer edge of the second surface portion; and a third surface portion extending from the outer edge of the second surface portion to said remote edge of the contact surface; said second surface portion extending from the lowermost edge of the first surface portion in a direction toward said spreading direction; said third surface portion extending from the outer edge of the second surface portion in a direction generally toward said spreading direction and generally toward the guide surface portion, such that the remote edge is spaced from the guide surface portion and the remote edge is spaced from the first edge toward said spreading direction.