A windrow system of a combine includes a chopper and a spreader. The chopper includes a chopper housing having a roof and a rotor assembly positioned in the chopper housing, and the spreader is pivotably coupled to the chopper and includes a top surface and an impellor that is positioned below the top surface and includes one or more blades for rotatably conveying crop residue rearwardly and outwardly from the spreader. The windrow system also includes top segment coupled to a main body of the combine, a first curtain, and a second curtain having a portion thereof positioned outwardly of the first curtain. Each of the curtains are movable relative to the main body of the combine when the spreader and/or chopper move between at least one of wide and narrow positions, chopping and windrowing positions, and chopping and stowed positions.

A residue management system of a combine harvester includes a tailboard with a guide surface and guide fins for spreading of the residue to the sides. At least one of the fins includes a leading portion which is smoothly concavely curved up to a trailing portion which intersects with the leading portion at a change in direction or defined bend in the sheet metal. The trailing portion thus extends across and intersects with a path of the residue as it passes along the concave side surface at the leading portion and leaves the end of the leading portion to apply increased pressure on the stream and thus increase the spreading action. The trailing edge of the trailing portion is also inclined to a line across the trailing portion at right angles to the tailboard surface which causes the residue to leave the trailing edge at different angles.

A dual rotary cutter bale processor operable in a first mode for producing ground material and dispersing ground material for a first use and a second mode for producing cut material and dispersing cut material from the processor for a second use, where the cut material is coarser than the ground material. Material is processed for feeding into a container, bunk, or tire, into windrows on the ground, making piles of material, spreading the material for use as animal bedding, and/or mulching newly seeded areas. A screen and moveable bypass door for each rotary cutter and a position of a deflector direct a cut path such that the bypass doors can be used to force the material through the screens to further reduce size of the material or the deflectors can be used so the material bypasses the screens for dispersal from the processor in a coarser state.

A dual rotary cutter bale processor operable in a first mode for producing ground material and dispersing ground material for a first use and a second mode for producing cut material and dispersing cut material from the processor for a second use, where the cut material is coarser than the ground material. Material is processed for feeding into a container, bunk, or tire, into windrows on the ground, making piles of material, spreading the material for use as animal bedding, and/or mulching newly seeded areas. A screen and moveable bypass door for each rotary cutter and a position of a deflector direct a cut path such that the bypass doors can be used to force the material through the screens to further reduce size of the material or the deflectors can be used so the material bypasses the screens for dispersal from the processor in a coarser state.

Processing of baled material includes a bale opening stage, a separation stage, and a decortication stage. The bale opener features a conveyor moving incoming bales toward a toothed extractor with an array of teeth driven on a revolutionary path moving upwardly past the adjacent end of the conveyor to rake through the bale and extract material therefrom. The conveyor tilts upward reduce a working angle between the conveyor and the toothed extractor to urge the shrinking bale toward the moving teeth. A separation stage features multiple sets of vertically stacked, counter-rotating rollers with different characteristics from one set to the next. A decorticator has an external container, an internal drum rotatably supported therein, and an array of teeth on the drum. Driven rotation of the internal drum spins the fibrous stalks around the internal drum and impacts the fibrous stalks against surrounding interior wall surfaces of the external container.

Processing of baled material includes a bale opening stage, a separation stage, and a decortication stage. The bale opener features a conveyor moving incoming bales toward a toothed extractor with an array of teeth driven on a revolutionary path moving upwardly past the adjacent end of the conveyor to rake through the bale and extract material therefrom. The conveyor tilts upward reduce a working angle between the conveyor and the toothed extractor to urge the shrinking bale toward the moving teeth. A separation stage features multiple sets of vertically stacked, counter-rotating rollers with different characteristics from one set to the next. A decorticator has an external container, an internal drum rotatably supported therein, and an array of teeth on the drum. Driven rotation of the internal drum spins the fibrous stalks around the internal drum and impacts the fibrous stalks against surrounding interior wall surfaces of the external container.

When using a cross auger assembly on a crop harvesting header with a flexible frame having end frame sections pivotal relative to a centre frame section, mounting devices are coupled between the bearing housings at opposing ends of the cross auger assembly and the outer ends of the end frame sections. Each mounting device includes a first mounting structure fixed relative to the outer end of the end frame section, a second mounting structure fixed to a portion of the respective bearing housing, and a flexible mounting arrangement between the mounting structures to accommodate variation in lateral positioning of the bearing housings relative to the ends of the flexible frame as the flexible frame flexes over varying ground contours without requiring a telescoping shaft arrangement on the cross auger assembly.

When using a cross auger assembly on a crop harvesting header with a flexible frame having end frame sections pivotal relative to a centre frame section, mounting devices are coupled between the bearing housings at opposing ends of the cross auger assembly and the outer ends of the end frame sections. Each mounting device includes a first mounting structure fixed relative to the outer end of the end frame section, a second mounting structure fixed to a portion of the respective bearing housing, and a flexible mounting arrangement between the mounting structures to accommodate variation in lateral positioning of the bearing housings relative to the ends of the flexible frame as the flexible frame flexes over varying ground contours without requiring a telescoping shaft arrangement on the cross auger assembly.

A combine double-decker crop residue spreader for use with a rotating chopper having chopper blades and through which air is blown may include a divider panel separating a lower portion from an upper portion of the spreader. The divider panel extends rearwardly from a location where the chopper blades transition from rotating towards the divider panel to rotating away from the divider. An airflow conduit extends above the divider panel in the upper portion to rearwardly direct air flow. At least one lower vertical panel below the divider panel in the lower portion rearwardly directs crop residue.

A combine double-decker crop residue spreader for use with a rotating chopper having chopper blades and through which air is blown may include a divider panel separating a lower portion from an upper portion of the spreader. The divider panel extends rearwardly from a location where the chopper blades transition from rotating towards the divider panel to rotating away from the divider. An airflow conduit extends above the divider panel in the upper portion to rearwardly direct air flow. At least one lower vertical panel below the divider panel in the lower portion rearwardly directs crop residue.