US 12,108,706 B2
Sugarcane harvester with billet-guiding sill
Harmandeep S. Gill, Baton Rouge, LA (US); Surfraj Fattepur, Bijapur (IN); Dusk S. Mixon, Saint Armant, LA (US); Todd J. Rodrigue, Thibodaux, LA (US); Guy E. Burch, Thibodaux, LA (US); Andreive G. Silva, Catalão (BR); Douglas J. Silva, Catalão (BR); and Aureo F. Pasch, Catalão (BR)
Assigned to DEERE & COMPANY, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by DEERE & COMPANY, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/303,862.
Prior Publication US 2022/0394929 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. A01D 45/10 (2006.01); A01D 43/06 (2006.01); A01D 43/08 (2006.01)
CPC A01D 45/10 (2013.01) [A01D 43/06 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sugarcane harvester for harvesting sugarcane in a forward direction of travel, comprising:
a chopper that chops stalks of sugarcane into a plurality of billets, the chopper comprising a lower drum and an upper drum that counter-rotate relative to one another, each of the lower and upper drums arranged to do so about a respective axis of rotation,
a basket positioned to receive a stream of the plurality of billets discharged from the chopper, and
a sill positioned between the chopper and the basket to guide the plurality of billets discharged from the chopper toward the basket, the sill comprising a guide plate that comprises a billet guide surface oriented to guide the plurality of billets over the sill, the billet guide surface defining an imaginary line extending forwardly through or below the axis of rotation of the lower drum;
wherein the sill comprises a sill plate, the guide plate is a wear plate fastened to the sill plate, the billet guide surface is a first billet guide surface, and the sill plate comprises a second billet guide surface; and
wherein the sill plate comprises a front wall and a rear wall such that the front wall and the rear wall are angled relative to one another, the front wall extends downwardly as the front wall extends forwardly, the guide plate is removably fastened to the front wall which underlies the guide plate, and the rear wall comprises the second billet guide surface and extends downwardly as the rear wall extends rearwardly.