Patent ID: 8167691

Claim:
A crop residue chopping and distributing arrangement for a combine harvester, comprising: a straw chopper ( 60 ) that is equipped with chopping knives ( 96 ), two discharge blowers ( 100 ), each said blower having a rotational axis ( 108 ), and wherein said blowers are arranged laterally adjacent to one another downstream of the straw chopper ( 60 ) and rotate in opposite directions during operation, such that regions of the two discharge blowers ( 100 ) that face the straw chopper ( 60 ) move toward each other during operation and a guide element ( 150 ) having a point ( 156 ) that faces the straw chopper ( 60 ), wherein said guide element ( 150 ) is arranged between said discharge blowers and is situated in front of the rotational axis ( 108 ) of the two discharge blowers ( 100 ), wherein two free passages ( 162 ) remain in the lateral direction between the guide element ( 150 ) and the two discharge blowers ( 100 ), respectively, and a crop residue stream delivered from the central region of the straw chopper ( 60 ) can extend rearward from the straw chopper ( 60 ) as far as the field through said two free passages wherein the discharge blowers ( 100 ) are each enclosed by partial casings ( 134 , 140 ), and between each said partial casings ( 134 , 140 ) a gap is ( 142 ) provided, each said gap ( 142 ) being situated adjacent to the guide element ( 150 ) and between the respective discharge blower ( 100 ) and the guide element ( 150 ).