US 12,457,940 B2
Weed seed destruction
Dean Mayerle, Saskatoon (CA)
Assigned to Tritana Intellectual Property Ltd., Saskatoon (CA)
Filed by Tritana Intellectual Property Ltd., Saskatoon (CA)
Filed on May 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/738,132.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/227,575, filed on Jul. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0037095 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. A01F 12/40 (2006.01); A01F 12/48 (2006.01)
CPC A01F 12/40 (2013.01) [A01F 12/48 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A combine harvester comprising:
a separation system for separating from harvested crop a first material including straw and a second material including chaff and weed seeds;
the separation system including at least one sieve at a rear end of which the second material is discharged;
a first material discharge system defining a first path for the first material including a straw chopper for the first material;
a rotary transfer member mounted at a rear of the sieve and rotatable about an axis along the rear edge and arranged to carry the second material along the axis;
and a weed seed destructor apparatus located in a second separate path for the second material including chaff and weed seeds;
the weed seed destructor apparatus being mounted on the combine harvester at a location to receive the second material in the second separate path from said at least one sieve;
the first and second paths being arranged such that the first material passes to the straw chopper and the second material passes to the weed seed destructor apparatus while by-passing the straw chopper;
the weed seed destructor apparatus comprising:
a primary destructor having one or more components acting on the weed seeds so as to cause devitalization of at least some of the weed seeds;
a secondary destructor arranged to receive the second material from the primary destructor, the secondary destructor having one or more components acting on the weed seeds so as to cause devitalization;
wherein the primary destructor is mounted at the rotary transfer member.