Apparatus For Harvesting And Cleaning Windrowed Cane

Abstract

A tracked vehicle is disclosed having forwardly extending conveyor chains for picking up a windrow of cane, lifting the cane and agitating the cane with agitator rollers to dislodge loose leaf or trash particles with the cane being fed through parallel cooperating segmentizer rolls to be chopped into short segments. Chopped cane falls through an air blast path for removing the trash and leaf particles and lands on the lower end of an outfeed conveyor extending transversely from the vehicle. The upper end of the outfeed conveyor has a conveyor end shroud in which fans are provided creating a draft across cane falling from the upper end of the outfeed conveyor onto a plurality of parallel agitator rolls which dislodge any remaining leaf or trash particles to be blown away by the fan in the conveyor end shroud with the cleaned cane segments then falling into a receiving trough or the like.

Parent Case Text

This application is a continuation-in-part of earlier filed application Ser. No. 248,970, filed May 1, 1972 and now Pat. No 3,828,536.

The subject invention is in the field of agricultural equipment and is specifically directed to a sugar cane harvesting and cleaning device for field operation. More specifically, the subject invention is directed to a tractor mounted harvester and cleaner for picking up windrowed cane, chopping the cane into small segments, cleaning trash and debris from the cane segments and depositing the cane segments onto a truck or other vehicle for removal from the field.

Numerous devices have evolved in recent years for the harvesting of cane for delivery to the refinery; however, the prior known devices have suffered from a number of deficiencies which are eliminated by the subject invention.

Many prior cane harvesters have employed cane chopping apparatus in which a rotating blade cooperates with another rotating blade or in some instances with a fixed abutment for chopping the cane into small segments. Prior known devices of the foregoing type require that the rotating blade elements be carefully adjusted to provide for a minimum clearance with the elements with which they cooperate to effect the chopping operaton. The rough field usage to which such units are subjected results in frequent misalignment of the blade cutting components to the consequent damage to the apparatus. Consequently, such devices must frequently be stopped to be readjusted or repaired to the consequent detriment of the harvesting operation.

Another probelm of prior known devices for picking up the cane from the field is derivative from the fact that they also pick up a substantial amount of trash along with the cane leaves and the cane members. It is desirable that all of the leaves, trash and the like be separated from the cane segments and returned to the field if possible. Prior known devices have not provided adequate separation of the cane segments and the trash and leaf particles to the consequent detriment of, and increased cost to, the overall harvesting and refining operation.

Another frequently encountered problem in cane harvesters employing choppers or segmentizers for cutting the cane into shortened cane segments is that the segmentizers rapidly become dull to such an extent as to result in undesirable mutilation of the ends of the cane segments with a consequent undesirable loss of juice.

Another frequently found problem of prior known cane harvesters is that the segmentizers do not maintain uniform size of cane segments and frequently pass larger cane segments present with the other smaller segments to consequently create problems in subsequent handling of the cane segments.

Other prior known cane harvester and segmentizer devices have employed saws for cutting the stalks into shortened segments. However, devices of the last-mentioned type cause a loss of cane and juice in the sawdust resultant from the saw cut and in mutilation of the cane ends frequently resulting from the use of this type apparatus.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved cane loader-cleaner device.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved cane loader and segmentizer which eliminates excessive maintenance costs and which lessens cane and juice wastage in the harvesting process.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved cane harvesting machine for use in lifting windrowed cane from the field, chopping the cane and thoroughly cleaning the cane for deposit in a transport vehicle.

Obtainment of the objects of this invention is enabled by the preferred embodiment of the invention through the provision of a motor driven tracked vehicle having a main frame from which a pivotal cane pickup and conveying means extends forwardly of the vehicle in a cantilever manner with its lowermost forward end engaging the windrowed cane for lifting the cane upwardly from the field onto chain driven conveyor means which discharges the cane into a segmentizer. The segmentizer comprises a pair of axially parallel rotating segmentizer rolls driven in unison and each having radially extending blades which cooperate to sever the cane and propel the short cane segments and trash inwardly into a cleaning hood. One of the blades has a sharp edge which enters a slot in the outer edge of the other blade with the slot being sufficiently larger than the sharp edge of the blade to permit cane and leaf fibers to occupy the slot and provide a backing support for the cutting operation of the sharp blade edge.

The shortened cane segments fall through an air blast from a blower which removes leaf and other trash particles onto the lower end of an outfeed conveyor which extends transversely from the vehicle. The outfeed conveyor is power driven and is provided at its upper end with a combination cleaning and discharge hood in which a pair of fans are provided for creating a draft of air across cane segments falling from the upper or discharge end of the outfeed conveyor. The cleaning fans are on the outer end of the outfeed conveyor and serve to remove any remaining trash or leaf particles from the cane segments which fall onto agitating rollers which agitate the shortened segments to physically loosen further small leaf portions or the like. The agitating rollers are rotating in a direction to discharge the chopped cane segments into a receiving bin, truck or other receiving means.

Description

The manner in which the subject invention achieves the objects of the invention will be better understood when the following written description is considered in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cane segmentizer or chopping means of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of an alternate form of cane segmentizer means;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the cane segmentizer blade components;

FIG. 8A is a sectional end view of an alternate form of segmentizer blade means;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of agitator roller means employed in the perferred embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a rear elevation view of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along lines 11--11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along lines 12--12 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along lines 13--13 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along lines 14--14 of FIG. 13.

Attention is initially invited to FIG. 1 of the drawings which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of a vehicle 10 having crawler tracks 11 driven in conventional manner by motor means in a housing 9 over the surface 13 of a field on which windrows of cane C have been provided.

A chassis frame, generally designated 12, is supported by the track members 11 etc. and, in turn, provides support for the various operative components for picking up, segmentizing, cleaning and loading of the windrowed cane. It should be noted that a driver's operation station 14 is provided on a forwardly positioned upper platform 16 for enabling a clear forward view for the operator of the apparatus.

A cane pickup and conveying means, generally designated 20, extends forwardly from the vehicle frame 12 for engaging the windrow of cane C and lifting same upwardly from the field surface 13 to be processed by the harvesting and segmentizing apparatus. Support for and positioning of the forward end of the cane pickup and conveying means 20 is provided by gauge wheels 21 on opposite sides of the forward end of the pickup and conveying means; however, only one of the gauge wheels 21 is illustrated.

The cane pickup and conveying means 20 consists of a lower conveyor feed assembly generally designated 22 in FIG. 3 which supports and carries cane and an upper, or hold-down, conveyor feed assembly 24 which holds down and guides the cane carried by the lower conveyor assembly 22.

Lower conveyor feed assembly 22 consists of a rear portion including four chains 26 mounted on sprockets 28 and 29 respectively mounted on shafts 30 and 32 extending transversely between side frame arms 34 and 36 (FIG. 2) which are pivotally mounted adjacent their upper ends on the vehicle frame 12. Additionally, an idler sprocket 38 is provided for tensioning each of the chains 26. Four chains 26 are supported on the supporting frame with the two internal chains being respectively associated with the outside chains and connected thereto by transverse cylindrical rods 40 (FIG. 2). Additionally, feed lug plates 42 are connected to some of the rods 40 as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Transverse brace members 44 extend between the side frame arms 34 and 36 and are connected by intermediate brace members 46 to provide a rigid construction.

Lower conveyor feed assembly 22 also includes a forward lower end portion supported by pivotal side arms 48 and 50 mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of a shaft 52. The forward lower conveyor section includes a central pickup conveyor 54 and two side conveyors 56 (FIG. 2). Central conveyor 54 extends forwardly of the two side conveyors 56 and includes a pair of chains 58 each mounted on an upper sprocket 60 supported by a driven shaft 61 and a lower sprocket 62 (FIG. 3) with transverse cylindrical rods 64 extending between the chains 58. Also, upwardly extending feed lugs 66 are provided on the rods 64.

Similarly, the side conveyors 56 each comprise a pair of chains 68 between which transverse rods 70 which support feed lug plates 72 extend. Chains 68 are supported on upper and lower sprockets 71 and 69 with sprockets 71 being driven by the shaft 61 on which they are supported.

A lower agitator feed roller 74 is positioned on the lower ends of the side frame arms 34, 36 between the upper ends of chains 58 and 68 and the lower ends of chains 26. Roller 74, the details of which are illustrated in FIG. 9, is formed of a plurality of square plates 75 having clipped corners 75' and mounted on a hollow shaft 52 to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 for aiding in movement of the cane upwardly along the conveyor means and for also dislodging leaf particles and the like from the cane coming in contact with the periphery of the plates 75. Additionally, an upstream agitator feed roller 76 (FIG. 3) of less diameter than the lower agitator feed roller 74, but of otherwise identical construction, is provided for feeding the cane and dislodging the leaf particles therefrom.

Agitator feed roller 76 is mounted on a shaft 78 driven by two hydraulic motors 80 with power for driving the conveyors being provided from shaft 78 by a transmission chain 82 to the shaft 32 on which sprockets 29 are mounted. Rotation of shaft 32 drives the upper flight of chains 26 from left to right as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3 and serves to drive the lower shaft 30 supporting sprokets 28 and chains 26 in an obvious manner.

Power from shaft 30 is conveyed by a transmission chain 84 to a central axle 52' of hollow shaft 52 and from axle 52' by another transmission chain 86 mounted on an axle 61' of hollow shaft 61 on which sprockets 60 are mounted. Consequently, the lower conveyors 56, 58 are driven so that their upper flights move from left to right in the same direction as the upper flight of the conveyor provided by chains 26.

Upper or hold-down conveyor feed assembly 24 comprises a pair of chains 88 between which connecting rods 90 extend with feed lugs 92 being provided on spaced ones of the rods 90. Chains 88 are supported by a pair of upper sprockets 94 and a pair of lower sprockets 96 on a frame 95 with the upper sprockets 94 being mounted on a shaft 98 and the lower sprockets 96 being mounted on a shaft 99. Additionally, adjustable idler sprockets 100 are provided for maintaining the chains 88 in tensioned condition. Drive for chains 88 is provided by a hydraulic motor 102 or any other suitable drive means which is connected to a shaft 104 on which an upper feed agitator roller 106 of construction the same as agitator roller 76 is mounted. Power from shaft 104 to the chains 88 is provided by a transmission chain 108.

Cane picked up from the surface 13 of the field is discharged into the nip of two rotating cutting members conprising an upper segmentizer roll 110 and a lower segmentizer roll 111 as shown in FIG. 3. The upper segmentizer roll means 110 is mounted for rotation about the axis of a shaft 112 while the lower segmentizer roll means 111 is mounted for rotation about the axis of a shaft 114 as shown in FIG. 4. Meshing gears 116 drive the upper segmentizer roll 110 and the lower segmentizer roll 111 in unison and power for the driving operation is provided by a sheave 118 keyed on shaft 114 and driven by belts 120. Upper segmentizer roll 110 has six radially equidistantly spaced cutting blades 122 having sharp pointed edges 122' and positioned in aligned pairs in support blocks 124 that are interconnected by tangent plates 126 welded to the blocks 124 and which have their bases on a hollow cylindrical support shaft 112' coaxial with shaft 112. Radial end flanges 128 and 129, engage the outer ends of the aligned blades 122 and a central radial cutting flange 130 having a sharp cutting edge 131 separates the inner ends of the aligned blades as shown in FIG. 4.

The lower segmentizer element 111 has six equidistantly spaced backup blade members 132 positioned in aligned pairs and each having a slot 134 (FIG. 5) formed in its outer edge. Slot 134 is illustrated in FIG. 8 and comprises first and second side walls 135 connected at their innermost extent by a bottom wall 133 (FIG. 8). It is of great importance that the slot 134 be of substantially greater dimensions than edge of blade 122 which is received in the slot since the slot becomes filled with cane and leaf fibers F which provide a backup for enabling edge 122' to cut the cane into short segments. Additionally, the substantial clearance space around blade 122 in slot 134 makes the adjustment of the blade positions a simple uncritical matter.

Blade members 132 are supported in support blocks 136 analagous to the support blocks 124 on a hollow cylindrical shaft 114' coaxial with shaft 114 and tangent plates 138 are welded to the support blocks 136 for fixedly holding the blocks in position. A central radial cutting flange 140 having a sharp cutting edge 141 is provided in alignment with flange 130 but with the sharp edges 131 and 141 overlapping and end radial flanges 142 and 144 respectively provided in alignment with analagous flanges 128, 129 of the upper segmentizer roll 110. The outer sharp edge of the blade 122 moves inwardly into the slot 134 during each rotation of the two segmentizer members to provide an effective cane chopping action.

Backup blade members provide support for the cutting operation and additionally serve to grasp, strike and otherwise engage the cane and leaf members to effectively move them from the conveyor through the segmentizer station into the confines of a cleaning chamber defined by a shroud 148. A blower 160 is connected by a conduit 162 to provide an air blast internally of the shroud 148 for blowing trash and leafy particles from the cane segments C' that have been formed from the cane C by the chopping action of the segmentizer means 110, 111. The cane segments C' fall through the air blast from the conduit 162 onto the lower end of an outfeed conveyor generally designated 164 and best illustrated in FIG. 10.

Outfeed conveyor 164 comprises an inclined portion 165 having frame means 166 and a lower horizontal portion 168 having supporting frame means 169 along which a pair of spaced chains 170 having upper flights are mounted for movement over both the horizontal and inclined portions. The chain members 170 are connected by a plurality of spaced angle members 184. The lower surfaces of the angle members 184 in the upper flight of the portion of the chains 170 on the inclined conveyor portion ride on a plurality of supporting guide rods 186 extending parallel to the inclined frame members 166 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12. Guide rods 186 support the cane segments moved by angle members 184 and allow any trash to fall through the spaces between the rods. Side walls 190 supported by the inclined frame members 166 prevent cane segments carried by the inclined conveyor portion from falling off the side of the conveyor.

Chains 170 are driven by a hydraulic motor 200 connected to a shaft 202 (FIG. 14) adjacent the upper ends of the inclined frame members 166. A pair of upper sprockets 203 on each end of shaft 202 drivingly support the chains 170. A transmission chain 204 extending downwardly from the motor as shown in FIG. 10 is similarly driven by motor 200. Chain 204 drives a set 206 of four agitating rolls each including a hollow shaft 207 on which a plurality of square rims 209 are mounted and the rolls 206 are positioned to receive cane segments C" falling from the upper end of the inclined conveyor means. The square rims 209 of adjacent rolls are interleaved as shown in FIG. 13. Support for the set of rolls 206 is provided by a pair of side support plates 214 and 216 and rotative power provided from the chain 204 is conveyed to all of the rolls by chains 230, 232 and 234 as best illustrated in FIG. 13 of the drawings.

A fan shroud 240 encloses the upper or discharge end of the inclined conveyor member and supports a pair of fans 242 driven by motors 244 to cause air movement in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 14 for discharging any trash and leaf particles associated with the cane segments C" falling from the upper end of the inclined conveyor portion 164. The agitating action of the rolls 206 also physically serves to loosen and remove any leaf particles still adhering to the segments C" with such particles being carried away by the operation of the fans 242 in a manner that will be obvious from inspection of FIG. 14.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an alternate form of the invention in which each half of each half of the upper segmentizer roll 149 is provided with two radial blades 150' which are on diametric opposite sides of a central support cylinder 152 as best illustrated in FIG. 7. The lower segmentizer roll 151 is identically provided with four backup blades 150" oriented in the same manner as blades 150' . The blades 150' and 150" are clamped in a bifurcated clamp block 153 by nut and bolt assemblies 154. The blades 150' have two edges and can be reversed in their mounting block when one of the edges becomes dull. Brace plate 155 provides rigidity for the blade assembly. Each of the segmentizer rolls is separated at its midpoint by a central radial flange 156 and radial end flanges 158 are provided at each end of the segmentizer rolls as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The central flanges 157 have cutting edges 157' overlapping at the nip of the flanges as shown in FIG. 7. The central flange overlap provides an additional shearing action for any cane passing through the area of the central flange area in a manner that will be obvious from inspection of FIG. 7. The blades 150' on one side of central flange 156 of the roll 149 are displaced 90.degree. from the blades 150' on the other side of the central flange roll and the blades 150" on opposite sides of the central flange of the lower roll 149 are similarly oriented as will be obvious from comparing the dotted line illustration of the blades 150 and 150" with the solid line blades of FIG. 7.

It should be noted that the blade members 150" on the lower segmentizer roll are also reversible and are provided with V-shaped slots 151 in their outer edge surfaces which mate with the pointed outer edge surface of the other blades 150' of the upper segmentizer roll. V-shaped slots could also be used in the blades 132 of the segmentizer arrangement of FIGS. 4 and 5 if desired. Similarly, the blade construction of FIG. 8 could be used in the segmentizer arrangement of FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 8A illustrates on alternate form of blade construction in which one of the blade edges is pointed in the manner of the blades 122 and 150' , but the other blade edge is provided with a slotted opening defined with a plurality of stepped surfaces 159. The blade construction illustrated in FIG. 8A can be used either with the segmentizer construction of FIGS. 6 and 7, or in the construction illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Additionally, it should be noted that it is immaterial which of the roller members is provided with the sharp edge or the slotted edge surface, since the device operates equally well with either top or bottom segmentizer roll having either type of blade construction.

In operation, the vehicle is moved forwardly along the field surface 13 with the cane pickup and conveying means 20 being positioned so that the windrow of cane C is engaged by the forward lowermost surfaces of the central pickup conveyor 54 and the side conveyors 56 with the plates 66, 72 and rods 64, 70 serving to lift the cane upwardly for movement onto the agitator feed roller 52, 74 etc. which serves to feed the cane and to dislodge leaf and trash particles therefrom. Cane then moves onto the rods 40 and feed lugs 42 of the upper portion of the lower conveyor and is carried forwardly between the agitator rolls 104, 106 and 78, 76 which further serve to dislodge loose leaf or trash particles and which aids in moving the cane into the nip between the segmentizer rollers 110 and 111 as best illustrated in FIG. 3.

Cane segments C' are hurled from the segmentizer roll members 110 and 111 into the shroud 148 to fall downwardly onto the horizontal portion 168 of the outfeed conveyor means. During their falling movement, the cane segments C' are subjected to the air blast from the conduit 162 and the blower 160 which serves to dislodge additional trash and leaf particles from the cane segments. The cane is then conveyed upwardly along the inclined conveyor path 164 from the upper end of which the cane segments C" fall onto the set of agitator rolls 206 which provides a final mechanical and physical agitation of the segments to dislodge any remaining leaf or trash particles which are then blown away by the fans 242. The cleaned cane then falls into a receiving container generally designated T in FIG. 10 such as the body of a truck or trailer.

Numerous modifications of the subject invention will undoubtedly occur to those of skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is to be limited solely in light of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. Field harvesting means for gathering freshly cut windrowed cane comprising a motor driven vehicle, cane pickup and conveying means mounted on and extending forwardly from said vehicle for engaging windrowed cane extending in generally parallel relation to the direction of movement of said vehicle and lifting the cane of the windrow upwardly from the ground for rearward conveyance, cane segmentizer means positioned on said vehicle to receive cane from said pickup and conveying means, a cleaning chamber mounted on said vehicle in a position to receive cane segments discharged from said cane segmentizer means to fall downwardly through said cleaning chamber, an outfeed conveyor means mounted on the vehicle and having a lower end in said cleaning chamber to receive said cane segments falling through said cleaning chamber, said outfeed conveyor extending transversely upwardly from said cleaning chamber and having a discharge end spaced to one side of said vehicle, means mounted on said vehicle for providing an air blast in said cleaning chamber across said cane segments falling through said cleaning chamber onto said outfeed conveyor for removing trash and leaf particles from said cane segments and blower means mounted adjacent the outer end of said outfeed conveyor for creating an air flow across the path of travel of cane segments falling from the discharge end of said outfeed conveyor.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said cane segmentizer means includes first and second driven segmentizer roll means mounted for rotation about parallel axes, gear means drivingly connecting said first and second segmentizer roll members for rotation in unison, a plurality of radially extending blade members equidistantly spaced on each of said segmentizer roll members so that one blade on each roll passes in unison through the nip of said roll members with a cooperating blade on the other roll member as said roll members rotate in unison, the blade members on said first segmentizer roll member having an outer edge termination comprising a sharly tapered edge surface, said blades on said second segmentizer roll having surface portions defining a bottomed slot in their outer edge into which a sharply tapered edge surface of a blade member on said first segmentizer roll moves as the blades pass through the nip of said segmentizer rolls as the rolls rotate in unison.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said bottomed slots in said blade members on said second segmentizer roll member comprise stepped surfaces providing a plurality of cutting edges cooperable with the sharply tapered edge surface of the blade members on the first segmentizer roll member.

4. The invention of claim 2 wherein said cane pickup and conveying means comprises a lower conveyor feed assembly including a first chain driven conveyor system for picking and lifting cane from the surface of the ground, and agitating roll means positioned to receive said cane from said first chain conveyor system and including rotating members physically engageable with said cane for dislodging leaf and trash particles from the cane and for feeding cane to a second chain conveyor system positioned to receive cane from said agitator roll to convey said cane upwardly, a second agitator roll positioned to receive cane from the upper end of said second chain conveyor system and including means engageable with the cane for feeding the cane and for dislodging trash and leaf particles from the cane, said first and second segmentizer rolls being positioned immediately adjacent said second agitator roll for receiving cane from said second agitator roll.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said outfeed conveyor includes a horizontal portion extending across the lower end of said cleaning chamber with said outfeed conveyor comprising first and second parallel spaced chain members connected by parallel rods and angle members spaced along said chain members parallel to said rods for lifting cane segments upwardly from said cleaning chamber.

6. The invention of claim 2 wherein each of said segmentizer roll members includes a central radial flange, said blade means includes first and second radially extending blade members on each side of each of said central radial flange means extending in opposite radial directions 180.degree. from each other about the periphery of said roll and wherein the blades on one side of said radial flange are rotated 90.degree. about the axis of the roll member on which they are mounted with respect to the blades on the other side of said central radial flange.

7. The invention of claim 6 additionally including a sharp cutting edge defining a circular outer periphery of each of said central radial flange members and wherein the outer periphery of said central radial flanges on the first segmentizer roll radially overlaps the outer periphery of the central radial flange on the second segmentizer roll whereby said central radial flange members cooperate to provide a cutting action on any cane members passing through the area in which the central radial flange members overlap.

8. Field harvesting means for gathering windrowed cane comprising a motor driven vehicle, cane pickup and conveying means extending forwardly from said vehicle for engaging windrowed cane and lifting the cane upwardly from the ground, cane segmentizer means positioned to receive cane from said pickup and conveying means, a cleaning chamber into which cane segments are discharged from said cane segmentizer means to fall downwardly onto the lower end of an outfeed conveyor means extending transversely upwardly from said vehicle and having a discharge end spaced to one side of said vehicle, means for providing an air blast across said cane segments falling onto said outfeed conveyor for removing trash and leaf particles from said cane segments, shroud means enclosing the discharge end of said outfeed conveyor and power driven fan means in said shroud means for creating air flow across cane segments being conveyed by and discharged from the discharge end of said outfeed conveyor for blowing leaf or other trash particles away from said cane segments.

9. The invention of claim 8 additionally including a plurality of parallel agitator rolls mounted beneath the discharge end of said outfeed conveyor for receiving cane segments from said discharge end of said outfeed conveyor, means for driving said agitator rolls for physically agitating said cane segments to dislodge leaf or trash particles on said cane segments and to move said cane segments to a discharge point from which they are discharged into a receiving device.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein each of said parallel agitator rolls comprises a support shaft, a plurality of square rim members coaxially mounted on said support shafts and spaced along the length of said support shafts, the square rim members of each agitator roll being interleaved with the square rim members of adjacent agitator rolls.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein said cane segmentizer means comprises first and second segmentizer roll members mounted for rotation about parallel axes, gear means connecting said first and second segmentizer rolls, a plurality of radially extending blade members on each of said segmentizer roll members, the blade members on said first segmentizer roll member having an outer edge termination comprising a sharply tapered edge surface, said blades on said second segmentizer roll having a slot in their outer edge into which a sharply tapered edge surface of a blade member on said first segmentizer roll moves as the blades pass through the nip of said segmentizer rolls as the rolls rotate in unison.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said slots in said blade members comprise stepped surfaces providing a plurality of cutting edges cooperable with the sharply tapered edge surface of the blade members on the other segmentizer roll means.

13. The invention of claim 12 additionally including hold-down conveyor means positioned above said pickup conveying means for aiding in the conveyance of cane upwardly along said cane pickup and conveying means.

14. The invention of claim 9 wherein said cane segmentizer means comprises first and second segmentizer roll member mounted for rotation about parallel axes, each of said segmentizer rolls including a central radial flange, first and second radially extending blade means on each side of each of said radial flange extending in opposite radial directions 180.degree. from each other about the periphery of said roll, the blades on one side of said radial flange being displaced 90.degree. with respect to the blades on the other side of said central radial flange and gear means connecting said first and second segmentizer rolls whereby the blade means on the two rolls cooperate with each other as they pass through the nip between the first and second segmentizer rolls to effectively chop cane into short segments.

15. The invention of claim 14 additionally including a sharp cutting edge defining a circular outer periphery of each of said central radial flange members and wherein the outer periphery of said central radial flanges defined by said sharp cutting edges of the first segmentizer roll radially overlaps the outer periphery of the central radial flange of the second segmentizer roll whereby said central radial flange members cooperate to provide a cutting action on any cane members passing through the area in which the central radial flange members overlap.

16. The invention of claim 1 wherein said segmentizer means comprises a first rotary support means mounted for rotation about a first axis of rotation, a second rotary support means mounted for rotation about a second axis of rotation parallel to said first axis of rotation, cutting blades extending radially from said first rotary support means and each blade having a sharp outer edge, backup members mounted on said second rotary support means and each backup member having inwardly extending bottomed slots in its outer portions, said inwardly extending slots being of a sufficient depth and width to permit one of said sharp outer edges to be received in the confines of one of said inwardly extending slots with an appreciable clearance space between the sharp outer edge and the surface of said inwardly extending slot and drive means for rotating said first and seconod support means in unison so that said sharp outer edges move into the confines of one of said inwardly extending slots during each revolution of said first and second support means for effecting a cutting operation on cane or the like positioned between said cutting blade and said backup member.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein said inwardly extending slots are of V-shaped configuration.

18. The invention of claim 16 wherein said inwardly extending slots each comprise first and second side walls connected at their innermost extent by a flat bottom wall portion.

19. The invention of claim 18 wherein said backup members each comprise a blade member and said slot is formed in an outer edge of said blade member.

20. Means for cutting cane or the like into short segments comprising a first rotary support means mounted for rotation about a first axis of rotation, a second rotary support means mounted for rotation about a second axis of rotation parallel to said first axis of rotation, cutting blades extending radially from said first rotary support means with each cutting blade having a sharp outer edge termination, backup members mounted on said second rotary support means, each of said backup members having an inwardly extending bottomed slot facing outwardly and formed of relatively fixed immovable surfaces, said inwardly extending slots being of sufficient depth and width to permit the sharp outer edge of one of said blade members to be received within its confines without touching the inwardly extending slot surfaces while permitting a buildup of cane fibers in the slot to provide a backing for the cutting action of said sharp outer edge and drive means for rotating said first and second support means in unison so that each of said sharp outer edges moves into the confines of one of said inwardly extending slots during each revolution of said first support means for effecting a cutting operation on cane or the like positioned between said cutting blade and said backup member.

21. The invention of claim 20 wherein said surface portions defining said inwardly extending slots include first and second side walls connected at their innermost extent by a flat bottom wall portion to define each slot.

22. The invention of claim 20 wherein said backup members each comprise a blade member with said slot being formed in an outer edge of each of said blade members.

23. The invention of claim 22 additionally including end flanges on the ends of said first and second rotary support means, a central radial cutting flange mounted medially between said end flanges on each of said rotary support means, said central radial cutting flanges each having an outer sharp circular cutting surface with the cutting surfaces of the two central radial cutting flanges overlapping to provide a continuous scissor type cutting operation for any cane segments or the like passing through the overlapped portions of said central radial cutting flanges.

24. Field harvesting means for gathering windrowed cane comprising a motor driven vehicle, cane pickup and conveying means extending forwardly from said vehicle for engaging windrowed cane and lifting the cane upwardly from the ground, cane segmentizer means positioned to receive cane from said pickup and conveying means, said segmentizer means comprising a first rotary support means mounted for rotation about a first axis of rotation, a second rotary support means mounted for rotation about a second axis of rotation parallel to said first axis of rotation, cutting blades extending radially from said first rotary support means and each blade having a sharp outer edge, backup members comprising blade members mounted on said second rotary support means and each blade member having inwardly extending bottomed slots in its outer portions formed in an outer edge of each blade, said inwardly extending slots each defined by first and second side walls connected at their innermost extent by a flat bottom wall portion and being of a sufficient depth and width to permit one of said sharp outer edges to be received in the confines of one of said inwardly extending slots with an appreciable clearance space between the sharp outer edge and the surfaces of said inwardly extending slot, drive means for rotating said first and second support means in unison so that said sharp outer edges move into the confines of one of said inwardly extending slots during each revolution of said first and second support means for effecting a cutting operation on cane or the like positioned between said cutting blade and said backup member, end flanges on the ends of said first and second rotary support means and a central radial cutting flange mounted medially between said end flanges on each of said rotary support means, said central radial cutting flanges each having an outer sharp circular cutting surface with the cutting surfaces of the two central radial cutting flanges overlapping to provide a continuous scissor type cutting operation for any cane segments or the like passing through the overlapped portions of said central radial cutting flanges.