Abstract: A billet severing apparatus for sugar cane harvesters comprises a conveyor (1) to feed cane longitudinally into a three bladed cutter (5) having cutter blades (7) axially mounted on a hub rotatable about an axis (6) transverse to the direction of feed of the cane stalks. The cutter blades (7) coact with a rotary anvil (11) which counter-rotates relative to the cutter (5). In addition to severing the cane stalks into billets, the rotary anvil (11) serves as a conveyor by throwing the severed billets vertically into a discharge chute (27). The rotary anvil (11) is located in a housing (25) with a close fitting peripheral wall surface extending about part of the swept volume of the anvil whereby a region of reduced air pressure created by rotation of the anvil (11) causes separation and discharge of cane trash through a port (26) in the lower part of the housing (25).

Abstract: A sugar cane harvester has a wheel-mounted or equivalent main frame, a base cutter for cutting the cane near ground level as the harvester advances, a chopping cutter for cutting the cane stalks into billets, means for feeding the stalks from the base cutter to the chopping cutter, and means for elevating and discharging the billets, the chopping cutter and elevating means including a rotary cutter with a knife blade on a rotatable shaft, and a thrower having a vane extending from a thrower shaft, the two shafts being parallel and counter-rotated, the cutter knife blade and the vane coacting to sever cane fed to the chopping cutter into billets, the thrower vane acting to throw the severed billets upwardly through a cane guide chute from which they are discharged, preferably into a bin mounted on the main frame and capable of being tilted to empty its contents.