A residue management system or method can be implemented for an agricultural harvester that includes a residue processing system. A sensor arrangement can be in communication with one or more components of the residue processing system. The sensor arrangement can be configured to measure indicators of a mass flow rate of the crop residue through the crop residue system across a width of a stream of the crop residue.

A residue management system or method can be implemented for an agricultural harvester that includes a residue processing system. A sensor arrangement can be in communication with one or more components of the residue processing system. The sensor arrangement can be configured to measure indicators of a mass flow rate of the crop residue through the crop residue system across a width of a stream of the crop residue.

A shredding and baling apparatus provided includes a shredding assembly operatively connected to a baling assembly via a conveyor. A rotatable drum with cutting teeth spirally arranged along the drum is preferably centered within a lower portion of an intake hopper for cutting through material as it is fed into the hopper. Fixed cutting teeth are preferably arranged in a row or rows along each of the longitudinal sidewalls of the hopper, adjacent the cutting drum. A touch screen display and computer may be used in combination with sensors to monitor and control the shredding and baling operation, and a hydraulic system is used to drive the components. The shredding and baling assembly is preferably designed in an industrial size to handle high volumes of material and may be driven or transported from one location to another.

A rotor assembly for an agricultural baler. The rotor assembly has a rotor shaft having a central portion and first and second end portions either side of the central portion. The rotor assembly further has a number of tine plates to be arranged axially along the rotor shaft, each of the tine plates having one or more tines. The tine plates are arranged such that there is an angular spacing between the tines of adjacent ones of the tine plates. A magnitude of the angular spacing is greater or smaller at the central portion than at the first and second end portions of the rotor shaft.

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 forage bale feed out apparatus is described. The apparatus comprises a chassis arranged to be operatively mounted on or in association with a vehicle in use; feed out means comprising a feed out roller having an axis of rotational symmetry about which the roller is arranged to rotate, a drive motor arranged to rotate the feed out roller, conveying means for urging a bale towards said feed out roller as the size of a bale diminishes. The feed out roller is located at a feed out region, and the conveying means is orientated such that the end of the conveying means proximate the feed out region is elevated towards the axis of rotational symmetry of the feed out roller. The apparatus further comprises a spreader tool adapted to spread and distribute the forage bale portions fed out from the feed roller at the feed out region, wherein the spreader comprises a roller having an axis of rotational symmetry about which the roller is arranged to rotate. The spreader roller has radially extending tines at intervals which tines co operate in use to spread feed from a bale, and further comprising a spreader drive motor arranged to rotate the spreader roller, wherein the feed out roller and the spreader roller are parallel and driven in opposite directions.

A forage bale feed out apparatus is described. The apparatus comprises a chassis arranged to be operatively mounted on or in association with a vehicle in use; feed out means comprising a feed out roller having an axis of rotational symmetry about which the roller is arranged to rotate, a drive motor arranged to rotate the feed out roller, conveying means for urging a bale towards said feed out roller as the size of a bale diminishes. The feed out roller is located at a feed out region, and the conveying means is orientated such that the end of the conveying means proximate the feed out region is elevated towards the axis of rotational symmetry of the feed out roller. The apparatus further comprises a spreader tool adapted to spread and distribute the forage bale portions fed out from the feed roller at the feed out region, wherein the spreader comprises a roller having an axis of rotational symmetry about which the roller is arranged to rotate. The spreader roller has radially extending tines at intervals which tines co operate in use to spread feed from a bale, and further comprising a spreader drive motor arranged to rotate the spreader roller, wherein the feed out roller and the spreader roller are parallel and driven in opposite directions.

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.

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.

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.