A rotor assembly for harvesting a crop. The rotor assembly has a rotating portion defined along a rotation axis, a surrounding assembly at least partially surrounding the rotating portion, the surrounding assembly having at least one separation grate coupled to a support. The support defines an inner surface and has at least one interrupter receiver. The at least one interrupter receiver is selectively coupleable to an interrupter to position the interrupter radially inward of the inner surface towards the rotation axis.

A multistage hammer mill (10) has a plurality of milling stages arranged concentrically about each other. The plurality of milling stages arranged so that substantially all material in a first inner most of the milling stages passes through all subsequent adjacent milling stages. The milling stages include a first milling stage and a second milling stage. A central feed opening (12) enables material flow into a primary impact zone (14) of the first milling stage. The first milling stage has an impact mechanism (16) and a first screen arrangement (20a). The impact mechanism (16) rotates about a rotation axis (18). The first screen arrangement (20a) is disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from the impact mechanism (16) and is provided with a plurality of apertures (22) through which impacted material of a first size range can pass. The second milling stage has a second arrangement (20b) disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from the first screen arrangement (20a) and a circular array of impact elements (50a) disposed between the first screen arrangement (20a) and the second screen arrangement (20b).

A multistage hammer mill (10) has a plurality of milling stages arranged concentrically about each other. The plurality of milling stages arranged so that substantially all material in a first inner most of the milling stages passes through all subsequent adjacent milling stages. The milling stages include a first milling stage and a second milling stage. A central feed opening (12) enables material flow into a primary impact zone (14) of the first milling stage. The first milling stage has an impact mechanism (16) and a first screen arrangement (20a). The impact mechanism (16) rotates about a rotation axis (18). The first screen arrangement (20a) is disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from the impact mechanism (16) and is provided with a plurality of apertures (22) through which impacted material of a first size range can pass. The second milling stage has a second arrangement (20b) disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from the first screen arrangement (20a) and a circular array of impact elements (50a) disposed between the first screen arrangement (20a) and the second screen arrangement (20b).

A self-propelling combine and a method for operating a self-propelling combine are disclosed. The combine includes a straw chopper for processing a residual flow formed by plant residues, a cleaning device for cleaning a flow of material formed primarily by grains from residual components contained therein, a chaff spreader, and a power spreader. Using the chaff spreader, the residual components separated from the flow of material by the cleaning device are removed. Further, the residual flow, processed using the straw chopper, is ejected using the power spreader. For improved distribution of unutilized plant residues on the field, the power spreader is assigned to the straw chopper at the bottom such that the residual flow leaving the straw chopper is transferred directly to a material inlet region of the power spreader, and the residual components leaving the chaff spreader are emitted into a transfer region upstream from the power spreader.

A crop residue spreader for an agricultural crop harvester such as a combine includes a rotor having a plurality of paddles including a first paddle having a first cross-sectional shape and a second paddle having a second cross-sectional shape, the second cross-sectional shape of the second paddle being different from the first cross-sectional shape of the first paddle. Different V-shapes can be used for the first and second cross-sectional shapes, the openings of the V-shapes facing in a forward rotational direction of the rotor. Multiple pairs of similarly shaped paddles can be used.

A crop residue spreader for an agricultural crop harvester such as a combine includes a rotor having a plurality of paddles including a first paddle having a first cross-sectional shape and a second paddle having a second cross-sectional shape, the second cross-sectional shape of the second paddle being different from the first cross-sectional shape of the first paddle. Different V-shapes can be used for the first and second cross-sectional shapes, the openings of the V-shapes facing in a forward rotational direction of the rotor. Multiple pairs of similarly shaped paddles can be used.

A rotary implement for harvester combine dispersal of plant cuttings, the implement incorporating a base plate; a drive shaft connected to the base plate; a first plurality of channel and passage port combinations extending from the base plate to an elevation, the first combinations including channels underlying passage port lower ends; a second plurality of channel passage port combinations extending radially outwardly from a radially outer end of one of combinations among the first plurality of channel and passage port combinations, the second combinations having a channel upper walls sloping upwardly from passage port lower ends to the elevation; and a plurality of radially outer channels extending radially outwardly from second combinations.

A spreader of a combine for conveying crop residue rearwardly from a rotor assembly includes a frame coupled to the combine and has a top portion adapted to receive a portion of crop residue during a harvesting operation. An impellor includes one or more blades for rotatably conveying crop residue rearwardly, and an actuator is controllably moved between an extended position and a retracted position. The actuator is pivotally coupled to the combine. A linkage assembly is pivotally coupled to the actuator at one end and to the frame at another end. The spreader is disposable in a first position when the actuator is in the extended position, and the spreader is disposable in a second position when the actuator is in the retracted position. A movement from the extended position to the retracted position induces pivotal movement of the spreader from the first position to the second position.

Weed seeds are destroyed in the chaff from a combine harvester by repeated high speed impacts caused by a rotor mounted in one of a pair of side by side housings which accelerate the discarded seeds into contact with stator bars at angularly spaced positions around the axis of the rotor. U-shaped bars are symmetrical and can be reversed when the second leg is worn for extended life. Parts of the rotor and stator which are radially outward of other parts are formed with a higher resistance to wear approximately proportional to the radius so that the wear characteristics of the different parts are matched to the velocity of the particles impacting the different portions to generate symmetrical wear throughout the structure

Weed seeds are destroyed in the chaff from a combine harvester by repeated high speed impacts caused by a rotor mounted in one of a pair of side by side housings which accelerate the discarded seeds into contact with stator bars at angularly spaced positions around the axis of the rotor. U-shaped bars are symmetrical and can be reversed when the second leg is worn for extended life. Parts of the rotor and stator which are radially outward of other parts are formed with a higher resistance to wear approximately proportional to the radius so that the wear characteristics of the different parts are matched to the velocity of the particles impacting the different portions to generate symmetrical wear throughout the structure