CN111052933A

CN111052933A - Shell structure of lifter assembly of harvesting machine and harvesting machine

Info

Publication number: CN111052933A
Application number: CN201910986808.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·佩雷拉; J·卡尔马古; A·莫雷诺; M·多斯桑托斯
Original assignee: CNH China Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: CNH China Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-10-17
Filing date: 2019-10-17
Publication date: 2020-04-24
Also published as: BR102018071423A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a housing structure for an elevator assembly of a harvesting machine designed to harvest high stalk type plants, the housing structure being configured to significantly reduce the number of parts and components involved in its construction. More specifically, the invention relates to a housing structure internally housing an elevator (60) extending between a lower proximal end (62) fixed to a chassis (12) of a machine (10) and an upper distal end (64), the upper distal end (64) being connected in a discharge frame (85), and the housing structure (58) comprising a first shaped lateral beam (101) and a second shaped lateral beam (102) arranged parallel to each other and interconnected by at least one cross-bar (103) located above a return track (84) through which a chain (66) of towing slats (68) passes.

Description

Shell structure of lifter assembly of harvesting machine and harvesting machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a novel housing structure for the elevator assembly of a harvesting machine, in particular those designed for harvesting tall stalk-type plants (such as sugar cane and sweet sorghum), said structure being designed to facilitate a reduction in the number of parts and therefore a reduction in the weight and cost of the elevator assembly as a whole, but also to simplify the production line of the harvesting machine.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a harvesting machine for tall stalk plants, such as a sugar cane harvester, equipped with an elevator assembly mounted with said housing structure.

Background

The prior art is a field of numerous equipment and agricultural machine models developed to improve the harvesting efficiency of various vegetable crops, such as grain harvesters, forage harvesters and harvesters of so-called high and large stalk plants like sugar cane and sorghum.

The machinery used to harvest these high stalk plants is designed and developed to harvest this particular type of crop because the inherent characteristics of these crops require proper conditions to properly process them from cutting to transporting and/or truck transport.

In this context, it is well known that these harvesters of high and large stalk plants comprise a chassis supporting a series of mechanisms, including a series of conveyor rolls and choppers for driving and cutting the sugar cane into billets, which are transferred for transport and/or to trucks via elevator assemblies.

The elevator assembly consists of a housing structure, usually made of metal, consisting of a plurality of individual parts which, when associated, support various components which make it strong and bulky, such as mechanisms responsible for moving peg boards which drive and drag the blanks and dump the harvested material into transfer devices and/or trucks which, when in operation, move alongside the harvester in order to facilitate the transfer of the collected material with the top outlet end of the elevator assembly directed towards the transfer devices and/or trucks.

Due to the weight of the elevator assembly, its structure is anchored by a support mechanism formed by a hydraulic arm positioned on one side in a substantially central region of the structure and on the other side on the structure of the main extractor. In addition, the lower end of the elevator assembly is also anchored on the near side of the machine by a system of flanges, pins or shafts (also called a turntable) that can hold the elevator in place and connected at 180 ° degrees.

However, although proven to function properly, it should be noted that the manner in which the prior art elevator assembly is constructed, and in particular its structure, can be improved and refined in view of the complexity, cost and number of parts involved in the assembly (primarily the housing structure of the elevator assembly). As those skilled in the art will likely note, these factors generally directly affect the assembly process as well as the cost and production time of the harvester.

It should therefore be noted that the machines of the prior art, in particular those designed for harvesting sugar cane and sweet sorghum, reveal certain drawbacks which directly affect the production and assembly of the machines, in particular in terms of complexity and number of parts involved in obtaining a robust structure for the elevator assembly. It is therefore desirable to eliminate or minimize these disadvantages, thereby reducing the costs associated with manufacturing the structures, but primarily reducing the number of parts involved in assembling the structures. These objects are therefore achieved in particular by the development of the present invention.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel housing structure for an elevator assembly of a harvesting machine (e.g., a sugar cane harvester) that includes specially designed and developed technical, construction and functional features to reduce the costs associated with the production and assembly of the elevator assembly.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a housing structure for a lift assembly of a harvesting machine designed to harvest high stalk type plants, which is configured to significantly reduce the number of parts and components related to its configuration.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a harvesting machine, particularly designed for harvesting high and large stalk vegetable crops, such as sugar cane and sorghum, which includes an elevator assembly constructed by a housing structure as described above.

Therefore, in order to achieve the above objects and technical and functional results, the present invention relates to a new housing structure for an elevator assembly of an agricultural machine, the elevator extending inside the housing structure, comprising: at least one chain between the lower proximal end and the upper distal end and at least one peg board. The lower proximal end is fastened to the chassis of the machine and the upper distal end is connected in the discharge frame, said housing structure being formed by a first and a second shaped lateral beam arranged parallel to each other, these beams being connected to each other by at least one cross-bar.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the housing structure for an elevator assembly further comprises return rails positioned on at least one of said side beams, said return rails being shaped to pass a chain dragging said at least one slat, and said cross-bar being arranged above these return rails.

Further in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second side beams include a configuration obtained by forming a panel with upper and lower ends folded inwardly and the lower end designed to receive a structural reinforcement. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the structural reinforcement is a structural profile. Optionally, these structural reinforcements are fastened in the connection area between the side beam and the discharge frame at the distal end of the structure. Furthermore, according to a particular embodiment of the invention, these structural reinforcements are fastened by welding.

According to another embodiment of the housing structure of the present invention, the cross bar is welded into a bulkhead, which in turn is welded to the inner surface of the forming side beam.

Furthermore, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the inner return rail is fastened to the formed side member by welding.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a housing structure for an elevator assembly includes complementary plates mounted on the first and second side beams.

Optionally, according to the invention, the drain frame arranged at the distal end is mounted at an angle with respect to said side beam. Alternatively, the discharge frame may be mounted straight with respect to the side members.

Moreover, according to another embodiment of the invention, the housing structure for the elevator assembly may comprise a front rail for the passage of the chain towards the distal end of the elevator assembly, which is mounted on the side beams and, more particularly, is anchored at the upper end of said plates. Optionally, the front rails are mounted between the side beams and complementary panels.

Finally, the invention also relates to a harvesting machine, for example designed for harvesting high-stalk plants, comprising a lift assembly formed by a housing structure, the lift extending inside the housing structure between a proximal end and a distal end, and the housing structure being defined as described above. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the harvesting machine is designed and developed to facilitate the harvesting of sugar cane and/or sweet sorghum.

Drawings

The features, advantages and technical effects of the present invention will be better understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, given as a non-limiting example of a possible embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a harvesting machine such as those known in the prior art for sugar cane and sweet sorghum harvesters;

figure 2 is a perspective view of an elevator assembly of a harvesting machine for high stalk plants having a hull structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the housing structure of the elevator assembly shown in FIG. 2, viewed separately from other components and mechanisms in accordance with the present invention;

fig. 4 is a perspective view of a housing structure of an elevator assembly according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view according to reference A-A in FIG. 3 of a housing structure for an elevator assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a housing structure of an elevator assembly similar to that shown in FIG. 2, but coupled with a sidewall; and

fig. 7 is an exploded view of a portion of the housing structure of the elevator assembly of a harvesting machine for high stalk plants, showing a set of peg boards responsible for transporting sugar cane and/or sorghum.

Detailed Description

The present invention will now be described with respect to particular embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. The figures are schematic and their dimensions and/or proportions may not be in accordance with practice, as they are intended to teach the invention. Additionally, certain constructive and common details may be omitted in order to make the description set forth below clearer and more concise. Reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate the same or similar elements. Any terms that may be used, such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "right", "left", and variations thereof, should be construed in accordance with the guidance given in fig. 1.

As used herein, the terms (e.g., harvester, harvesting machine, and variants thereof) are used interchangeably to refer to agricultural machinery for harvesting vegetable crops, in the context of this description, for harvesting tall stalk plants, such as sugarcane, energy cane, sweet sorghum, and the like.

With respect to the figures, fig. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of an agricultural harvester 10 according to aspects known in the prior art. As shown, harvester 10 is configured as a sugar cane harvester. However, in other embodiments, harvester 10 may correspond to any suitable agricultural harvester known in the art.

Still with respect to fig. 1, the harvester 10 includes a chassis 12, a pair of front wheels 14, a pair of rear wheels 16, and an operator compartment 18. The harvester 10 may also include a primary energy source (e.g., an engine mounted on the chassis 12) that powers one or both pairs of

wheels

14, 16 through a transmission (not shown). Alternatively, the harvester 10 may be a belt driven harvester and may therefore include belts driven by a motor mechanism in place of the

wheels

14, 16 shown. The motor mechanism may also drive a hydraulic fluid pump (not shown) configured to generate pressurized hydraulic fluid to drive various hydraulic components of the harvester 10, including wheels or belts.

Additionally, the harvester 10 can include various components for cutting, processing, cleaning, and unloading the sugar cane as it is harvested from the field 20. For example, harvester 10 may include a terminal cutting group 22 at the forward end thereof to intercept sugar cane as harvester 10 moves forward. As shown, end cutting set 22 may include a tie down disc 24 and a cutting disc 26. The tie-down discs 24 may be configured to tie down the sugarcane stalks such that the cutting discs 26 may be used to cut the ends of each stalk. Typically, the height of the end cutting group 22 may be adjusted by a pair of arms 28 that are hydraulically raised and lowered, as desired by the operator.

Additionally, the harvester 10 can include a wire divider 30 that extends upwardly and rearwardly from the field 20. In general, the thread separator 30 may include two helical feed rollers 32, also referred to as "lollipop-type feed rollers". Each feed roller 32 may include a soil shoe 34 as its lower end assists the line dividers 30 by separating the sugar cane stalks for harvesting. Further, as shown in fig. 1, the harvester 10 may include dump rollers 36 located near the front wheels 14 and rollers 38 with projections located behind the dump rollers 36. As the dump roll 36 rotates, the stalks of the harvested cane are dumped as the spreader 30 binds the stalks from the field 20 toward the interior of the machine 10. Additionally, as shown in fig. 1, the roller 38 with projections may include a plurality of intermittently mounted fins 40 to help force the sugarcane stalk downward. As the rollers 38 rotate during harvesting, the cane stalks dumped by the dump rollers 36 are separated and then dumped by the rollers 38 as the harvester 10 continues to move forward relative to the field 20.

Still referring to fig. 1, harvester 10 may also include a base cutting group 42 located behind roller 38. As is generally understood, the base cutting group 42 may include blades (not shown) to cut the cane stalks as the cane is harvested. The blades on the outer skirt of the set 42 may be rotated by a hydraulic motor (not shown) driven by the vehicle's hydraulic system. Additionally, in various embodiments, the blades may be inclined downwardly to cut the roots of the cane as the cane is tipped by the rollers 38.

Additionally, the harvester 10 may include a set of one or more conveyor rollers 44 downstream of the base cutting group 42 to move the cut stems of the sugar cane from the base cutting group 42 along the processing trajectory. As shown in fig. 1, the transport roller group 44 may include a plurality of lower transport rollers 46 and a plurality of upper transport rollers 48. As the sugar cane is transported via a set of conveyor rollers 44, waste material (e.g., stones, dirt, and/or the like) may also be transported or dropped onto the field 20 by the bottom conveyor rollers 46.

Additionally, the harvester 10 can include a shredder set 50 located at a downstream end of the set of conveyor rollers 44 (e.g., adjacent to the

last conveyor rollers

46, 48 above and below). Generally, the chopper set 50 may be used to cut or chop harvested sugarcane stalks into small pieces or "bits" 51, which may measure, for example, 15.24 centimeters (six (6) inches), also known as billets or inserts. The pieces 51 may then be driven toward the elevator assembly 52 of the harvester 10 to be collected in an external receptacle or storage device (not shown).

Typically, waste 53 (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) separated from the pieces of sugarcane 51 can be flushed from harvester 10 through main extractor 54. The main extractor is located behind the shredder set 50 and is directed to direct waste 53 out of the harvester 10. Additionally, a fan 56 may be mounted on the main extractor 54 to create suction or sufficient vacuum to capture the waste 53 and force the waste 53 through the main extractor 54. The waste 53 is then discharged through the output of the main extractor 54, typically in the opposite direction to the harvester 10. Separated pieces 51 heavier than the waste 53 discharged from the extractor 54 may then fall onto the elevator assembly 52.

In accordance with the present description, the elevator assembly 52 should generally be understood to include an elevator receiving structure 58 and an elevator 60 extending within the elevator receiving structure 58 between a lower proximal end 62 and an upper distal end 64. The lower proximal end 62 is secured to the machine 10 and the upper distal end 64 has an opening 82 for discharging harvested material.

In additional or alternative embodiments, the lift 60 may include a chain or conveyor belt 66 and a plurality of blades or peg plates 68 coupled or evenly spaced on the chain 66. Peg board 68 may be configured to retain fragments 51 of sugar cane on elevator 60 as fragments 51 are lifted to upper portion 70 of elevator 60. Additionally, the elevator 60 may include lower and

upper gears

72, 74 located near the proximal and distal ends 62, 64, respectively. As shown in fig. 1, the elevator motor 76 may be coupled to one of the gears (e.g., the upper gear 74) to drive the chain 66, allowing the chain 66 and the peg board 68 to cycle between the proximal and distal ends 62, 64 of the elevator 60.

In addition, waste 53 (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) separated from the sugarcane fragments 51 may be discharged from the harvester 10 through a secondary extractor 78 coupled to the rear end of the elevator receiving structure 58. As shown in fig. 1, a secondary extractor 78 may be positioned adjacent the distal end 64 of the elevator 60 and may be directed to direct the waste 53 out of the harvester 10. Additionally, a fan 80 may be mounted on the secondary extractor 78 to create suction or sufficient vacuum to extract the waste 53 and force the waste 53 through the secondary extractor 78. Separated pieces 51 heavier than the waste 53 flushed through the extractor 78 may then fall out of the distal end 64 of the elevator 60. Typically, the cuttings 51 may fall through the discharge opening 82 of the elevator assembly 52 into an external storage device (not shown), such as a car, a transfer device, a skip, or the like.

During operation, the harvester 10 is driven across the field 20 to harvest sugar cane or any other tall stalk plant. After the height of the end cutters 22 (if used) is adjusted by the arms 28, the tie down discs 24 on the end cutting groups 22 may be operated to gather the cane ends together as the harvester 10 passes through the field 20, while the disc cutters 26 cut the leaf ends of the cane stalks to dump them along both sides of the harvester 10. The shoes 34 can be configured with an operative width to determine the amount of cane entering the throat of the harvester 10 in a fixed or adjustable manner as the stems enter the dividers 30. The lollipop-type feed roller 32 thus binds the stems at the entrance of the machine to allow the tipping roller 36 to tip the stems downward in conjunction with the action of the feed roller 38. Once the stems are positioned at the angle shown in fig. 1, the base cutting group 42 can cut the bases of the stems of the field 20. The cut stems are then directed to a set of conveyor rolls 44.

The cut cane stalks are transported rearwardly by

conveyor rollers

46, 48 which compress the stalks and the harvest. At the downstream end of the set of conveyor rolls 44, a chopper set 50 cuts or chops the compressed cane stalks into small pieces or chunks 51. Transported waste 53 (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) separated from the sugarcane fragments 51 is then extracted by the main extractor 54 using suction created by the fan 56. The separated/cleaned pieces 51 then fall onto the elevator assembly 52 and move upwardly through the elevator from the proximal end 62 to the distal end 64 of the elevator 60. During normal operation, once the fragments 51 reach the distal end 64 of the elevator 60, the fragments 51 fall through the discharge opening 82 to an external storage device. Similar to the primary extractor 54, waste is blown out of the harvester 10 by the secondary extractor 78 with the aid of a fan 80.

As mentioned above, the harvester 10 may be, for example, a machine known in the art, such as a sugarcane harvester by the commercial CNH industrial division ltd with the Case IH mark.

Fig. 2 shows the elevator assembly 52, separate from the chassis 12 of the harvester 10, constructed with a housing structure 58 according to the present invention. As shown, the elevator assembly 52 is defined by the housing structure 58 and the elevator 60, the elevator being substantially formed by a conveyor chain 66 and a plurality of peg plates 68 evenly coupled and spaced on said chain 66, these peg plates 68 being cooperatively configured with a grid or screen 83 to retain the sugar cane fragments 51 in the elevator 60 as the fragments 51 rise toward the distal end 64 of the elevator assembly 52. As described above, the elevator 60 includes lower and

upper gears

72, 74 positioned near the proximal and distal ends 62, 64, respectively. The elevator motor 76 may be coupled to one of the gears (e.g., the lower gear 72) to drive the chain 66, allowing the chain 66 and the peg board 68 to travel in an endless loop within the housing structure 58 between the proximal and distal ends 62, 64 of the elevator 60.

Based on what has been described above, the shell structure 58 according to the invention is formed by a first shaped side beam 101 and a second shaped side beam 102 arranged parallel to each other, said beams being mutually connected by at least one cross-bar 103 located above the return track 84 of the channel of the chain 66. Furthermore, at the distal end 64 of the housing structure 58, a discharge frame 85 is provided, which is connected to the support of the secondary extractor 78.

According to the configuration of the housing structure 58 of the present invention, the cross-bar 103 is welded into a bulkhead 103', which in turn is welded to the inner surfaces of the side beams 101, 102. It is emphasized that this way of constructing the housing structure 58 is a constructive option that improves and guarantees the structural stability of the whole assembly, bearing in mind that the use of screws may, under certain conditions, cause structural defects and instability of the assembly.

Moreover, for the same reason, said internal return track 84 is likewise fixed by welding, so as to ensure the structural stability of the assembly, in particular the stability of the movement of the chain along its path.

More specifically, according to an embodiment of the invention, said first and second side beams 101, 102 comprise a configuration obtained by forming a plate 104, the upper end 104a and the lower end 104b of which are folded inwards, and the lower end 104b is designed to house a structural reinforcement 105, such as a structural profile, and the purpose of which is to provide strength to maintain the assembly of the mechanism of the lift 60.

Furthermore, according to another embodiment of the invention, the connection zone between said side beams 101, 102 and the discharge frame 85 at the distal end 64 is provided with a structural reinforcement 105 which can be welded according to the angle formed by the

beams

101, 102 with respect to the frame 85.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the housing structure 58 may include complementary plates 106 mounted on the first and second side beams 101, 102 to prevent the pieces 51 from falling off the sides of the elevator assembly 52.

According to a possible embodiment of the housing structure 58 that achieves the object of the present invention, said discharge frame 85, mounted at the distal end 64 of the elevator assembly 52, can be mounted at an angle with respect to said side beams 101, 102, i.e. forming an angular extension of the side beams 101, 102. Alternatively, the discharge frame 85 may be fixed straight, i.e. as if it were a continuous extension of the

side members

101, 102.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the front rails 86 of the chain 66 moving towards the distal end 64 are mounted on the side beams 101, 102 and more particularly are anchored at the upper ends 104a of the plates 104, so that these front rails 86 are arranged between said side beams 101, 102 and the complementary plates 106.

In these cases, it can be seen that the housing structure 58, which achieves the objectives of the present invention, significantly reduces the number of parts and components used to mount the elevator assembly 52, thereby reducing the time required to manufacture these structures and reducing costs, but has a major positive impact on the overall machine production. Moreover, as a complementary result, the casing structure 58 of the present invention seeks to improve the performance of the machine, bearing in mind that it reduces the weight of the machine, thus facilitating their movement over the field and saving energy and fuel.

According to the solution proposed by the shell structure 58, according to the object of the present invention, the number of parts involved can be reduced without affecting the robustness and strength required to support the parts of the elevator assembly 52. In addition, the new shell structure proposed by the present invention seeks to obtain practical and functional results, without on the contrary impairing the work of the elevator assembly 52 of the harvester for improving the tall stalk plants.

In addition, as noted above, the present invention relates to a harvesting machine 10, such as those designed for harvesting large stalk plants as described above, and which includes an elevator assembly constructed and mounted with a housing structure 58 as described above.

According to a possible embodiment of the invention, the harvesting machine 10 is designed and developed to facilitate the harvesting of sugar cane and/or sorghum.

Finally, in view of all the above, it is important to underline that the present description is only intended to present and define an example of a particular embodiment of a casing structure 58 for mounting the elevator assembly 52 of a harvesting machine for high stalk plants according to the present invention. Thus, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, various modifications and combinations of equivalent elements and details are possible without departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A housing structure for a lift assembly of a harvesting machine, a lift (60) extending inside the housing structure, the lift comprising at least one chain (66) and at least one peg board (68) between a lower proximal end (62) and an upper distal end (64), the lower proximal end (62) being fixed to a chassis (12) of the harvesting machine (10) and the upper distal end (64) being connected to a discharge frame (85), wherein the housing structure (58) is characterized by a first shaped side beam (101) and a second shaped side beam (102) arranged parallel to each other and interconnected by at least one cross bar (103).

2. A housing structure of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing structure further comprises a return track (84) provided on at least one of the first and/or second shaped side beams (101, 102) for passage of the chain (66) dragging the at least one peg board (68), wherein the cross bar (103) is provided above the return track.

3. A housing structure of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and second shaped side beams (101, 102) comprise a configuration obtained by shaping a plate (104) whose upper and lower ends (104a, 104b) are folded inwards and which lower end (104b) is designed to house a structural reinforcement (105).

4. A housing structure of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the structural reinforcement (105) is a structural profile.

5. A housing structure of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross bar (103) is welded into a bulkhead (103') which in turn is welded to the inner surfaces of the first and second shaped side beams (101, 102).

6. The housing structure of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner return track (84) is fastened by welding.

7. A housing arrangement of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing arrangement comprises complementary panels (106) mounted on the first and second shaped side beams (101, 102).

8. A housing arrangement of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge frame (85) is mounted at an angle relative to the first and second shaped side beams (101, 102).

9. A housing arrangement of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge frame (85) is mounted straight with respect to the first and second shaped side beams (101, 102).

10. A housing structure of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the structural reinforcement (105) is fastened in the connection area between the first and second shaped side beams (101, 102) and the discharge frame (85) at the distal end (64).

11. The shell structure of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 3 or 10, characterized in that the structural reinforcement (105) is fastened by welding.

12. A housing structure of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a front rail (86) for the passage of the chain (66) towards the distal end (64) of the elevator assembly (52), which is mounted on the first and second shaped side beams (101, 102) and, more particularly, is anchored at the upper end (104a) of the plate (104).

13. A housing arrangement of an elevator assembly for a harvesting machine according to claim 12, characterized in that the front rail (86) is disposed between the first and second shaped side beams (101, 102) and the complementary panel (106).

14. A harvesting machine for harvesting high stalk plants comprising a lift assembly (52) formed by a housing structure (58), a lift (60) extending inside the housing structure between a proximal end (62) and a distal end (64), characterized in that the housing structure (58) is a housing structure of a lift assembly for a harvesting machine according to any one of the preceding claims.

15. The harvesting machine of claim 14, wherein the harvesting machine is designed and developed for harvesting sugar cane and/or sweet sorghum.