Abstract: A separator for a crop harvester configured to harvest sugarcane. The separator includes an extractor body that defines a chamber, the chamber extending through the extractor body and is in fluid communication with a cavity of a fan housing. The extractor body can generally define an inlet opening of the chamber, the inlet opening positioned to allow chopped billets and crop residue that are outputted from a chopper assembly to enter into the chamber. The inlet opening has a non-round, or non-circular configuration and/or cross sectional shape. Further, the inlet opening can have a width similar to a material flow width of the chopped billets and crop residue being outputted from the chopper assembly. Such a configuration can eliminate dead zones with respect to air flow that is to pull the chopped crop materials into the chamber and/or to separate crop residue from the chopped billets.

Abstract: A harvester that includes an elevator, a spreader conveyor and a secondary extractor. The elevator includes a lower proximal end that receives harvested material and a higher distal end that dispenses the harvested material. The spreader conveyor includes a proximal end that receives the harvested material from the elevator and a distal end that dispenses the harvested material. The secondary extractor includes an inlet and an outlet, where it extracts debris from the harvested material dispensed from the distal end of the spreader conveyor into the inlet and expels the debris out of the outlet. The spreader conveyor can include a spreader belt that rotates in an endless loop, where the harvested material received from the elevator spreads out on the spreader belt. An extractor fan can create air flow to pull debris through the secondary extractor. The spreader conveyor can throw harvested material into the air flow.

Abstract: A cleaning arrangement for separating a billet material from an extraneous plant matter in a sugarcane harvester includes a cleaning chamber defining an inlet for the billet material and the extraneous plant matter, a first outlet for the extraneous plant matter, and a second outlet for the billet material. A fan is positioned within the cleaning chamber and configured to generate an airflow to direct the extraneous plant matter toward the first outlet. A billet deflector is located between the inlet and the first outlet and configured to direct the billet material toward the second outlet. An actuation mechanism is coupled to the billet deflector and is controllable to adjust the position of the billet deflector. A sensor is configured to generate a signal. A controller is programmed to activate the actuation mechanism to adjust the position of the billet deflector based on the signal.

Abstract: An extractor is disclosed for a sugarcane harvester that chops stalks of sugarcane into billets. The extractor comprises a fan and a leaf shredder. The fan comprises fan blades mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation to induce a flow of air to extract leaf material from billets produced by the sugarcane harvester. The leaf shredder comprises shredding knives mounted for rotation about the axis of rotation to shred leaf material prior to its ejection from the extractor. The leaf shredder is positioned below the fan or upstream from the fan relative to the flow of air.

Abstract: An extractor is disclosed for a sugarcane harvester that chops stalks of sugarcane into billets. The extractor comprises a housing, a fan positioned within the housing and comprising fan blades mounted for rotation in a rotational path about an axis of rotation to induce a flow of air to extract leaf material from billets produced by the sugarcane harvester, and a leaf shredder positioned within the housing and comprising shredding knives fixed against rotation about the axis of rotation, the shredding knives offset axially from the fan blades relative to the axis of rotation in proximity to the rotational path of the fan blades such that the fan blades and the shredding knives cooperate to shred leaf material by shearing action as the fan blades rotate past the shredding knives about the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A chopper system and method for cutting crop material with a rotating first drum having first blades and a counter-rotating second drums having second blades. Blade pairs with one first blade and one second blade contact one another and cut the crop material. The blades of each blade pair contact one another for at least ten degrees of rotation. The blades can have beveled cutting edges, and the blade pairs can make bevel to bevel contact. The initial contact of the blade pairs during each rotation can form a swipe angle of 15 degrees or less. The initial contact of the blade pairs during each rotation can have the acute end of the first blade contact the second blade near the middle of the beveled edge. During each rotation, the acute end of the second blade can contact the back of the first blade.

Abstract: An extractor fan assembly for an extractor of a sugarcane harvester comprises a motor, fan blades, and a clamshell hub. The motor comprises an output that rotates about an axis of rotation. The clamshell hub comprises a base and clamp jaws. The base is coupled to the output for rotation therewith about the axis of rotation. The clamp jaws are positioned angularly about the axis of rotation. Each clamp jaw is fastened to and cooperates with the base to clamp a respective fan blade of the fan blades therebetween to position the fan blades angularly about the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A sugarcane harvester for harvesting sugarcane in a forward direction of travel comprises a chopper, a basket, and a sill. The chopper chops stalks of sugarcane into billets, and comprises a lower drum and an upper drum that counter-rotates relative to one another, each about a respective axis of rotation. The basket is positioned to receive a stream of billets discharged from the chopper. The sill is positioned between the chopper and the basket to guide billets discharged from the chopper toward the basket. A plate of the sill comprises a billet guide surface oriented to guide billets over the sill.

Abstract: An extractor for a sugarcane harvester that chops stalks of sugarcane into billets. The extractor comprises a fan, a leaf shredder, and a hub. The fan comprises fan blades to induce a flow of air to separate leaves from billets. The leaf shredder comprises shredding blades to cut leaves prior to their ejection from the extractor. The hub is rotatably driven about an axis of rotation. The fan blades and the cutting blades are coupled to the hub for rotation together with the hub about the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A chopper system and method for cutting crop material with a rotating first drum having first blades and a counter-rotating second drums having second blades. Blade pairs with one first blade and one second blade contact one another and cut the crop material. The blades of each blade pair contact one another for at least ten degrees of rotation. The blades can have beveled cutting edges, and the blade pairs can make bevel to bevel contact. The initial contact of the blade pairs during each rotation can form a swipe angle of 15 degrees or less. The initial contact of the blade pairs during each rotation can have the acute end of the first blade contact the second blade near the middle of the beveled edge. During each rotation, the acute end of the second blade can contact the back of the first blade.

Abstract: A conveyor guide unit for use in an elevator of a sugarcane harvester comprises a housing, an axle positioned in and supported by the housing, and a rotor mounted to the axle for rotation about a rotation axis and configured to interface with a conveyor of the elevator. The axle and the rotor mounted thereto are selectively repositionable axially along the rotation axis relative to the housing for lateral adjustment of the rotor relative to the conveyor.

Abstract: A separator for a crop harvester configured to harvest sugarcane. The separator includes a frame having: i) an inlet configured to receive cut sugarcane, wherein the cut sugarcane includes cut stalk and crop residue, ii) a cut stalk outlet configured to discharge the cut stalk from the frame; and iii) a crop residue outlet. An extractor is operatively connected to the crop residue outlet. The extractor includes a tapered nozzle disposed adjacently to the crop residue outlet and a fan disposed adjacently to the tapered nozzle, wherein the tapered nozzle is configured to provide a pressure differential between the crop residue outlet and the fan in response to air flow provide by the fan. The tapered nozzle, in one embodiment, is a truncated cone having a smaller end disposed adjacently to a flow of cut crop, wherein the fan draws air through the truncated cone to separate the crop residue from the cut stalk.

Abstract: A crop divider assembly for a sugarcane harvesting machine that has a first scroll having an upper end and a lower end, a first toe defined along a portion of the lower end of the first scroll, the first toe being a radially inward taper of the first scroll, and a shoe positioned adjacent to a portion of the first toe.

Abstract: A separator for a crop harvester configured to harvest sugarcane. The separator includes a frame having: i) an inlet configured to receive cut sugarcane, wherein the cut sugarcane includes cut stalk and crop residue, ii) a cut stalk outlet configured to discharge the cut stalk from the frame; and iii) a crop residue outlet. An extractor is operatively connected to the crop residue outlet. The extractor includes a tapered nozzle disposed adjacently to the crop residue outlet and a fan disposed adjacently to the tapered nozzle, wherein the tapered nozzle is configured to provide a pressure differential between the crop residue outlet and the fan in response to air flow provide by the fan. The tapered nozzle, in one embodiment, is a truncated cone having a smaller end disposed adjacently to a flow of cut crop, wherein the fan draws air through the truncated cone to separate the crop residue from the cut stalk.

Abstract: A crop divider assembly for a sugarcane harvesting machine that has a first scroll having an upper end and a lower end, a first toe defined along a portion of the lower end of the first scroll, the first toe being a radially inward taper of the first scroll, and a shoe positioned adjacent to a portion of the first toe.

Abstract: A conveyor guide unit for use in an elevator of a sugarcane harvester comprises a housing, an axle positioned in and supported by the housing, and a rotor mounted to the axle for rotation about a rotation axis and configured to interface with a conveyor of the elevator. The axle and the rotor mounted thereto are selectively repositionable axially along the rotation axis relative to the housing for lateral adjustment of the rotor relative to the conveyor.

Abstract: A sugarcane harvester may include a chassis with various discreet and laterally separated mounting locations. Crop divider support modules may be configured to separately and fixedly attach to the chassis at various of the mounting locations, in order to support respective crop dividers in a variety of discreet and laterally separated orientations.

Abstract: A method and control system are disclosed for orientating base cutters of a sugarcane harvester. A sugarcane harvester may include a crop divider, a rear base cutter, and a front base cutter. An indicator of a position of the crop divider may be determined. A target orientation of the front base cutter may be determined based upon the position indicator. The front base cutter may be adjusted with respect to a chassis of the harvester, in order to place the front base cutter in the target orientation. If adjusting the front base cutter includes moving the front base cutter beyond a predetermined range of motion, the rear base cutter may be adjusted with respect to the ground.

Abstract: A sugarcane harvester may include a chassis with various discreet and laterally separated mounting locations. Crop divider support modules may be configured to separately and fixedly attach to the chassis at various of the mounting locations, in order to support respective crop dividers in a variety of discreet and laterally separated orientations.

Abstract: A sugarcane harvester may include a chassis with various discreet and laterally separated mounting locations. Crop divider support modules may be configured to separately and fixedly attach to the chassis at various of the mounting locations, in order to support respective crop dividers in a variety of discreet and laterally separated orientations.