A combine harvester separates crop into straw and chaff and weed seeds using a sieve, a chopping rotor with a spreading device and at least one weed seed devitalization section. The components can be operated in a first mode where both the first material and said second material are directed to the chopper and a second mode the first material is directed to the chopper inlet and the second material is directed to the WSD. This can be effected by providing a guide wall which has a leading edge attached adjacent a rear edge of the sieve and extends rearwardly therefrom. The chopper and the WSD can also be moved to provide the change of modes. A construction of destructor mill with an outer stator on the housing is also disclosed along with a method of feeding the lost grain to the WSD.

The present invention relates to servicing a harvester discharge beater and, more particularly, to remove and install the discharge beater without disassembly inside the harvester.

The present invention relates to servicing a harvester discharge beater and, more particularly, to remove and install the discharge beater without disassembly inside the harvester.

A combine harvester includes a crop material sensor arrangement having a crop material sensor configured to monitor crop material downstream of a threshing and separating system of the combine, and having a sensor window through which the crop material sensor monitors the crop material. The sensor window is arranged adjacent to a flow path of the crop material such that crop material flows past the sensor window as it flows along the flow path, and the sensor window is arranged such that an angle is formed between a plane defined by the sensor window and a tangential projection that extends from a component of the combine harvester that influences the flow path immediately upstream of the sensor window. This ensures that the camera window remains sufficiently clean to allow the crop material sensor to monitor crop material through the window.

A controller for controlling a chopper arrangement of an agricultural harvester. The controller receives sensor data indicative of an intensity of chopping performed on crop material by the chopper arrangement, and sensor data indicative of a power consumption of the chopper arrangement. The controller has a processor to determine an actuator setting for a chopper arrangement actuator of the agricultural harvester in dependence on the received sensor data indicative of the intensity of chopping and the received sensor data indicative of the power consumption. The controller sends an actuator control signal to the chopper arrangement actuator to control the chopper arrangement actuator to operate in accordance with the associated determined actuator setting. The determined actuator setting includes an amount of insertion, and an angle of insertion, of at least one bank of counter knives of the chopper arrangement relative to rotatable knife rows of the chopper arrangement.

A method is provided for controlling a threshing system for an agricultural harvester. The method includes using a camera for obtaining images of a crop flow, processing the obtained images and controlling an operational setting of the threshing system. The images are obtained downstream of the threshing system, preferably somewhere between the threshing rotor or threshing drum and the residue spreader. The image processing aims at detecting grain ears in the obtained images, and to derive from those images at least one physical property of the detected grain ears. The operational setting of the threshing system are controlled in dependence of the derived at least one physical property.

Methods and systems for mapping the distribution of residue material in an environment in which one or more agricultural machines are operable. A sensing arrangement including one or more sensors mounted or otherwise coupled to an agricultural machine operating within the environment is used to obtain sensor data indicative of residue material spread by a spreader tool of the machine. A local distribution of material associated with the spreader tool is determined and used to update a map of a global distribution of the material across the environment. The map of the global distribution comprises one or more sub-regions categorized based on the local distribution dependent on material characteristics at those sub-regions.

A residue management system comprises a chopper to chop crop residue, a residue spreader, and a floor extension. The residue spreader is mounted for pivotable movement relative to the chopper between a dispersal position to disperse crop residue and a windrow position to deposit crop residue in a windrow. The residue spreader comprises a first spreading device, a second spreading device, and a splitter positioned laterally between the first and second spreading devices to divide flow of crop residue therebetween. A floor of the chopper and a floor of the residue spreader are spaced apart from one another to define a gap. The floor extension projects rearwardly from the floor of the chopper partially over the floor of the residue spreader about the gap alongside the splitter to guide flow of crop residue from the chopper to the residue spreader.

An impact processing device has a central impact mechanism arranged to rotate about a rotation axis and a first processing stage that includes the impact mechanism and a first structure extending circumferentially about the impact mechanism. The first structure has a first processing sector, and a first screening sector, where the processing sector extends for a first circumferential portion of the first structure and has an impervious textured surface and the first screening sector has a plurality of holes and extends for a second circumferential portion of the first structure. The impact mechanism is operable to impact material against the first processing sector and generate a flow of the impacted material to first screening sector through which at least a portion of the impacted material can pass.

A chopper arrangement for an agricultural harvester, having a housing and a plurality of rotatable knife rows in the housing. The chopper arrangement includes a counter knife arrangement including a first counter knife bank and a second counter knife bank downstream of the first counter knife bank. The counter knife arrangement is movable between an engaged position, in which the first and second counter knife banks at least partially overlap the plurality of rotatable knife rows, and a disengaged position, in which the first and second counter knife banks are retracted away from the plurality of rotatable knife rows. The counter knife arrangement also includes a mechanical linkage coupling the first counter knife bank to the second counter knife bank to provide for simultaneous movement of the first and second counter knife banks upon actuation of the counter knife arrangement between the engaged and disengaged positions.