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 in a direction centrifugally away from the rotor onto a stator including angularly adjustable stator surfaces around the axis. Thus the discarded seeds rebound back and forth between the rotor and the stator to provide a plurality of impacts. The seeds are carried axially of the rotor by a controlled airstream so that they move to an axial discharge location where a discharge fan is mounted. The angle of the discharge around the rotor axis can be changed to direct the seeds to the side of the combine away from a straw chopper, towards the guide fins of the tailboard of the chopper, or into the housing of the straw chopper.

A fan assembly for a cleaning device of a combine harvester includes a fan rotor, a housing which accommodates the fan rotor and defines an air inlet opening through which the fan rotor is inserted during assembly, and an inlet ring, which extends radially inward from the air inlet opening of the housing. A retaining ring is fastened to the housing and is equipped with elevations distributed around its circumference. The inlet ring is attached to the retaining ring and is provided with elevations, which are complementary to and abut the elevations of the retaining ring. The retaining ring and the inlet ring are connected to one another at their respective elevations by insertable retaining elements extending through coaxial openings in the elevations.

A fan assembly for a cleaning device of a combine harvester includes a fan rotor, a housing which accommodates the fan rotor and defines an air inlet opening through which the fan rotor is inserted during assembly, and an inlet ring, which extends radially inward from the air inlet opening of the housing. A retaining ring is fastened to the housing and is equipped with elevations distributed around its circumference. The inlet ring is attached to the retaining ring and is provided with elevations, which are complementary to and abut the elevations of the retaining ring. The retaining ring and the inlet ring are connected to one another at their respective elevations by insertable retaining elements extending through coaxial openings in the elevations.

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 in a direction centrifugally away from the rotor onto a stator including angularly adjustable stator surfaces around the axis. Thus the discarded seeds rebound back and forth between the rotor and the stator to provide a plurality of impacts. The seeds are carried axially of the rotor by a controlled airstream so that they move to an axial discharge location where a discharge fan is mounted. The angle of the discharge around the rotor axis can be changed to direct the seeds to the side of the combine away from a straw chopper, towards the guide fins of the tailboard of the chopper, or into the housing of the straw chopper.

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 in a direction centrifugally away from the rotor onto a stator including angularly adjustable stator surfaces around the axis. Thus the discarded seeds rebound back and forth between the rotor and the stator to provide a plurality of impacts. The seeds are carried axially of the rotor by a controlled airstream so that they move to an axial discharge location where a discharge fan is mounted. The angle of the discharge around the rotor axis can be changed to direct the seeds to the side of the combine away from a straw chopper, towards the guide fins of the tailboard of the chopper, or into the housing of the straw chopper.

A sugarcane harvester includes an extractor operable to induce a flow of air through a stream of sugarcane billets for separating leaf material from the billets. The extractor includes a hood defining an exhaust outlet for discharging the leaf material from the extractor in a desired direction. An elevator includes a conveyor operable to receive the billets and lift the billets to the distal discharge end of the elevator. A residue capture system is attached to the elevator structure and is configured for receiving the leaf material discharged from the extractor and separating the leaf material from the flow of air, whereby the leaf material settles onto the conveyor of the elevator with the billets.

A sugarcane harvester includes an extractor operable to induce a flow of air through a stream of sugarcane billets for separating leaf material from the billets. The extractor includes a hood defining an exhaust outlet for discharging the leaf material from the extractor in a desired direction. An elevator includes a conveyor operable to receive the billets and lift the billets to the distal discharge end of the elevator. A residue capture system is attached to the elevator structure and is configured for receiving the leaf material discharged from the extractor and separating the leaf material from the flow of air, whereby the leaf material settles onto the conveyor of the elevator with the billets.

Weed seeds are destroyed in the chaff from a combine harvester by primary and secondary destructors where the primary feeds to the secondary. The secondary can use repeated high speed impacts caused by a rotor mounted in one of a pair of side by side housings which accelerate the discarded seeds in a direction centrifugally away from the rotor onto a stator including angularly adjustable stator surfaces around the axis. The primary can also use an impact arrangement of a different and simplified structure or can use another destruction modality such as radiation. The primary is mounted at a transfer device including a transverse auger which carries the chaff and weed seeds from the rear of the sieve to the secondary.

Weed seeds are destroyed in the chaff from a combine harvester by primary and secondary destructors where the primary feeds to the secondary. The secondary can use repeated high speed impacts caused by a rotor mounted in one of a pair of side by side housings which accelerate the discarded seeds in a direction centrifugally away from the rotor onto a stator including angularly adjustable stator surfaces around the axis. The primary can also use an impact arrangement of a different and simplified structure or can use another destruction modality such as radiation. The primary is mounted at a transfer device including a transverse auger which carries the chaff and weed seeds from the rear of the sieve to the secondary.

An agricultural vehicle, in the form of a combine harvester, includes a threshing and separating system and a cleaning system positioned beneath the threshing and separating system for receiving grain processed by the threshing and separating system. The cleaning system includes a first fan and sieves positioned downstream of a discharge outlet of the first fan. The sieves are positioned such that a stream of air produced by the first fan passes over the sieves. The vehicle also includes a housing having a hollow interior space that is positioned at least partially downstream of the first fan such that the stream of air passes into the hollow interior space. A second fan has a suction side that is in fluid communication with the interior space and a discharge side that exhausts to atmosphere for aspirating the interior space to reduce an air pressure within the interior space.