FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patent Rules, 2003
Complete Specification
(See section 10 and rule 13)
Improved Sugarcane Harvester And Method Of Using The Same
Kunal Enterprises; A/P-Bahe.Pin-415409. Tal.-Walwa, Dist.-Sangli. Works: Plot.No.-B-12,M.LD.C.5Islampur - 415409, Tal.-Walwa, Dist.-Sangli, Maharashtra State, India
Rajarambapu Institute of Technology; Sakharale - Rajaramnagar - 415414 (Taluka : Walva, District: Sangli) Maharashtra State, India
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in
which it is to be performed.

Improved Sugarcane Harvester And Method Of Using The Same
Field Of Invention
This invention generally relates to agricultural machines and particularly to machines for harvesting crops of the vertically elongated stalk type, such as sugarcane.
Discussion Of Prior Art
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is a giant, thick, perennial grass cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world for its sweet sap. The plant grows in clumps of solid stocks and has sword - shaped leaves and many jointed stems. Mature canes can grow to 10 to 26 feet in height and 1 to 2 inches in diameter.
Sugar cane is conventionally harvested by manually first burning the cane to remove the leaves, then hand cutting and piling the cane, and finally mechanical grab loading the piled cane into a transport vehicle. When a cane field that has not been burned (green cane) is cut by hand, the output of cut and piled cane is only approximately one-third of that which is achievable by hand cutting burned cane. Therefore, the cost of hand cutting green cane is uneconomical for most applications. As the economies of sugar cane producing areas improves, hand labor for cutting cane becomes difficult to justify. Accordingly, mechanical cane harvesters are being increasingly used to supplement and replace the vanishing hand cutters.

Figure 1 depicts a general arrangement of the components of a typical prior art conventional tropical sugarcane harvester or chopper - harvester and also prior - art process of sugarcane harvesting. This Figure I is shown in US patent No 6, 363, 700 Bl.
Figure 2 and Figure 3 depict general arrangement and also some details of s crop -divider and crop lifter of prior art sugarcane harvester. Figures 2 and3 are shown in US Patent No 4, 512, 142.
Their are two basic types of machines for mechanically harvesting cane which are developed since early 1950's: (1) a soldier-type harvester, and (2) a chopper harvester. The former type delivers excessive extraneous matter, the latter is costly, highly - consumptive of fuel due to the power necessary for the chopping and the power for the fans for trash separation, also the chopped material is subject to more rapid biodeterioration. Both types have a limited throughput of 100 tons per hour. A soldier harvester is used for harvesting erect cane, and takes the erect cane into a center carrier where the cane is conveyed through the body of the harvester while remaining vertical. While the cane is erect in the field, the tops of the cane are removed and the cane is base cut at ground level. If the cane is not standing erect, the soldier-type harvester is designed so that its front end lifts the cane to an erect position prior to the cane entering the center carrier for progressing through the

harvester in the erect position. The cane is thus lifted into the center carrier and, while held by the center carrier, is topped, base cut, and passed through the carrier in the body of the harvester. After being carried in its vertical position through at least a portion of the body of the harvester, the cane is piled in one or multiple row heaps, where the cane is later conventionally burned to remove the dead leaves on the millable cane stalks. The cut cane is loaded whole stalk into transports by grab loaders. Solider-type cane harvesters are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,379,577, 5,303,533, 4,483,130, 4,380,281, 4,232,775, 4,165,596 and 3,090,183.
While the soldier harvester works quite efficiently in conditions where cane varieties allow the cane to be easily moved to an erect position without burning, the soldier harvester does not work as well in cane fields where the row spacing is less than 5 ft. 6 inches wide, or where burning of the cane on the ground is not allowed. Since the cane is transversely piled whole stalk, a large row spacing is desired to stack the relatively long whole cane stalks. As a practical matter, Louisiana has the only significant location which has the type of cane varieties and field conditions which allow for the effective use of a soldier-type harvester,
Conventional tropical cane harvesters or chopper harvesters are characterized by their bottom first feeding of the cane stalks into the mouth of the harvester. This is followed by a chopper cleaning mechanism which cuts the passing cane and leaves

into short pieces. A forced air current is used to remove the free leaves. The chopped cane is conventionally passed through a side loading conveyor and loaded directly into the transport. While a conventional bottom first chopper harvester works reasonably well in a burned cane field where most of the cane is erect, it has more difficulty working in a green, unburned cane field, and also has difficulty working a field with much of the cane in a semi-erect or lodged condition.
Those familiar with cane harvesting operations recognize that as the yield per area of harvested cane increases, more of the cane is fallen and is either semi-erect or lodged, and less of the cane remains erect. While chopper harvesters theoretically are designed to work in green cane fields where cane varieties result in a high yield with more cane stalks being semi-erect or lodged, conventional chopper harvesters are almost never used to harvest green cane, and instead harvest cane predominantly from burned cane fields. Burning standing cane in the field removes most of the leaves, thereby facilitating harvesting of the cane without the harvester becoming plugged with material as it moves through the field. Cane burning is environmentally undesirable, however, since clouds of ash from a burnt field may drift over residential areas, thereby making breathing difficult and creating a significant nuisance by covering patio furniture, automobiles and outdoor plants with a layer of ash.
Those familiar with processing cane have long recognized that burning the cane has a

significant and undesirable effect upon the amount and quality of the sugar produced from the cane. From a cane processing standpoint, cane should desirably be brought to the processing plant whole stock and green, with little dirt and cane leaf or top matter. Conventional chopper harvesters which operate in burned cane fields cut the stalks of cane into billets which are typically from eight to ten inches long, thus increasing the likelihood that at least some of the sugar in the cane stalk adjacent the end cuts will become lost or will decompose before processing.
Even then harvesting burned cane, conventional bottom first chopper harvesters have the following problems when the cane is semi-erect or lodged: (1) the inability to remove tops from the cane; (2) the inability to base cut cane efficiently and cleanly; (3) substantial damage to the field and to the planted cane as a rcsull of harvester operations, resulting in future crop yield losses and requiring manual replanting of a higher percentage of total cane area; and (4) substantial harvesting costs due to low production rates and high initial costs of conventional single-row, bottom first copper harvesters.
Due to the above problems, the overall cost of mechanical harvesting burned cane can be higher than a reasonable hand cutting operation. When a chopper harvester attempts to harvest green cane, each of the problems mentioned above for the chopper harvester becomes more pronounced.

A primary problem for bottom first chopper harvesters working in green cane field is the abundance of leaves on the cane. This affects the harvester in two distinct places. namely the front end of the harvester and the body of the harvester. The front end of the harvester must allow the harvester to move through fallen down and windblown green cane in a continuous fashion without choking the cane prior to feeding the cane into the harvester. While conventional bottom first chopper harvesters may move reasonably well through some burned cane fields, bottom first chopper harvesters typically encounter extreme difficulty in green fields because of the abundance of cane leaves at the front end of the harvester. Moreover, once cane is in the body of a harvester, the harvester must clean the cane without choking by first removing the leaves from the cane stalks and then removing the leaves from the body of the harvester.
Conventional chopper harvesters do not have adequate mechanical devices to separate the leaves from the cane stalks while the green cane passes through the harvester. More particularly, conventional chopper harvesters have a topping mechanism that is far out in front of the cane intake into the body of the harvester and is operationally independent of the crop divider scrolls. Conventional crop dividers cannot therefore lift and feed much of the semi-erect or lodged cane into the topping mechanism. If tops are not efficiently removed at the front end before they enter the mouth or intake of a harvester, the body of the harvester must then accommodate this

extraneous material, which becomes particularly difficult in wet conditions. Some method of effectively and more efficiently topping green cane is desirable to facilitate removal of more of the cane tops prior to the cane entering the body of the harvester.
The distance separating adjacent rows of cane caused by the crop dividers scrolls on each side of conventional single-row chopper harvesters is typically not sufficient to fully separate the harvested row from the adjacent row. Accordingly, the leaves from an adjacent cane row with lodged cane become intertwined with leaves from the harvested row. Also, conventional dividers scrolls are substantially vertical with respect to the ground when working in the field. Conventional divider scrolls thus do not efficiently lift or transversely separate adjacent rows of cane, thereby impeding free movement of the harvester through a green cane field.
As the front of a conventional bottom first chopper harvester moves through fallen green cane, it pushes the tops of the cane in the same direction that the harvester is traveling. The harvester attempts to separate a leaf from its stalk of cane prior to the cane entering by pulling in an upward direction relative to the stalk, which is a much more difficult leaf removal operation than pulling perpendicular to the stalk or downward relative to the stalk. The action of conventional bottom first chopper harvesters in pulling leaves upward relative to the stalk practically restricts forward movement of the harvester through the cane field by pulling cane roots from the

ground. This action also intertwines the leaves of adjacent cane rows by lifting the leaves in a direction toward the top of the cane stalks. It then becomes necessary to cut through an accumulation of intertwined leaves and cane to separate adjacent rows, thereby limiting forward movement of the harvester. Cutting apart adjacent rows of cane is conventionally done with a vertical crop divider knife located near an upper portion of each crop divider scroll. This action of a crop divider knife results in a substantial amount of good millable cane being left in the field.
Conventional bottom first chopper harvesters remove leaves from the cane within the harvester by chopping simultaneously through both the cane and leaves. Conventional chopper harvesters blow away free cut leaves, but cannot blow away that part of the leaf which is still attached to the stalk or is trapped by the passing cane. Therefore, the cleaning efficiency of a conventional chopper harvester becomes a function of how short the cane billets are cut. As cane billets are shortened in length, the cane is cleaner. However, shorter billets result in more juice ioss and juice deterioration adjacent the many cut ends. Also, more pieces of good millable cane get sucked out of the harvester with the leaves.
One difficulty with existing harvesting techniques is the burning of the foliage in order to expose the base of the stalk to allow the combine operator to view the stalk / soil interface as well as to dispose of the foliage and in an effort to facilitate loading

of the cut sugar cane. It is common to burn the field either before harvesting while the sugarcane is standing (extremely high flames associated with large fires and smoke clouds) to facilitate harvesting with a combine, or after cutting to burn the leaves from the sugarcane stalks in order to facilitate loading with the conventional sugar cane loading equipment. After the sugarcane is cut, the fields are often burned to remove any residual cane stalks and stubble remaining in the field. The field burning, whether before or after the sugarcane harvest, has a harmful effect on the environment in that the burning produces clouds of smoke, ash and dust that are detrimental to air quality, create health hazards, reduce ozone, impede traffic , and create an environmental nuisance, and also affect living conditions in residential areas as discussed earlier.
A sugarcane harvester is a self propelled machine that travels along a sugarcane field to harvest the sugarcane. Many types of harvesters are known and the Figure 1 illustrates a particular conventional type of harvester. These harvesters typically have a forward topper that cuts the bushy top parts of the sugarcane stalk. A pair of spiral crop dividers is positioned in front of the harvester to divide the crop and also to straighten the sugarcane stalks. The crop divider mechanism consists of conical shaped cylinders with raised spiral flighting or scrolls. These scrolls move between the cane rows and comb the cane stalks, which have crossed into adjacent rows, back into their original rows. They also begin the orientation of the cane stalks for

introduction into the harvester gathering system. A base - cutter cuts the base of the sugarcane stalk, after which the stalks are fed into the harvesting machine. In some harvesting machines, the sugarcane stalks are cut into short lengths called billets. The billets are passed onto on elevator which passes the billets into an adjacent truck or trailer. These harvesters travel along the sugarcane field and harvest a single row of cane at a time.
A large, front, safety glass in operator's cabin provides a view of the sugarcane rows and the cutting heads to topping heads to assist the operator during harvesting.
There would be an advantage if it were possible to harvest more than one row of cane at a time, but still using a single operator in the harvester. The patent application US 2005/0034439 Al describes an attachment that can be attached to a conventional harvester with a separate supporting framework and which enables the harvester to cut and process at least two rows of cane during a single pass. The attachment carries a separate additional base - cutter wheel for cutting sugarcane stalks of the adjacent row. This patent application also discusses a then - existing prior art wherein, it is known to modify a sugarcane harvester to provide an additional base - cutter which will cut a second row of cane and lay the second row of cane on the ground while the first row of cane is being harvested. The second row of cane can then be picked up later on. However, this is not particularly efficient. Alternatively a tractor can be

fitted with the additional base - cutter to cut the second row of cane, the tractor reversing over the cane field. This requires two personnel to operate the tractor / cutter.
One disadvantage observed in use of existing mechanical harvesters is that, because the sugarcane stalk tends to weep at the cut it is necessary to maintain the length of the stalk as long as possible in order to avoid excessive loss of glucose. Also, the bacteria in the soil tend to enter the stalk at the cut and cause a process within the stalk that tends to reduce sugar production. This necessitates rapid processing of the cane before the bacteria - based process further reduces the yield.
Another disadvantage is that, in some cases, stalks with foliage are received in the processing plant. The processing plant arranges to remove the foliage which is shipped back to the field for reintroduction to the soil as fertilizer. Handling of the foliage waste by physical removal of foliage at the processing plant is a significant cost of the process. It is estimated that upto 75 percent of the handling cost associated with harvesting sugarcane with a mechanical combine is in handling the foliage.
Yet another disadvantage is that, because of different crop varieties and growing conditions, various adjustments must be made to the harvesting machine. Also,

because of the operational relationship of the various components of the harvester, adjustment of any one component often calls for corresponding adjustment of the other components.
Another problem, particularly for sugar cane harvesters used in harvesting green cane, that is, cane that has not been burnt prior to harvesting, it is necessary that the throat area through which the cut cane passes be as wide and unobstructed as possible. This is due to the large amount of crop material that must pass through the throat and be cut by the base cutter. With the cane harvester of the prior art, during harvesting of green cane, cane trash (leaves) wraps around the drive shaft of the base cutters, one layer on top of another. If left uncleaned, there will be sufficient build up of trash to stop the harvesting operation.
At present, most sugar cane harvesters are very large and have very powerful engines and very complex electronics. Harvester users are often people who do not have the prerequisites for carrying out harvesting adjustments and repairs to the harvesters when necessary.
Some harvesters do not succeed in harvesting the cane close to the soil, so as to cause the "uprooting" of the stump with an unwanted size or cut, which is high for re-sprouting.

Many harvesters tend to be unstable, even on account of its having been designed for use in topography of land which is flat and without any incline.
There are two basic cutting actions in sugarcane harvesting work with respect to the length of stalk of the sugarcane. First action is to chop-off the top leafy portion of the sugarcane, Second cutting action is cutting at the base of the stalk close to the ground.
Since cane tops contain gums and resins, which are detrimental to sugarcane processing, it is extremely important that these tops be removed from the sugarcane prior to processing of the cane at the factory.
In most of the prior - art sugarcane harvester machines, the same single operator, operating from the same single cabin of the operator provided in the harvester has to handle both of the above-mentioned two cutting actions. This makes it very difficult for the single operator to pay proper and enough attention to handle both of these cutting actions with sufficient accuracy and efficiency. In such a case, there is a chance of having lack of good yield of the properly cut sugarcane as the operator cannot appropriately concentrate on both cutting actions simultaneously.

In case of top - chopping action, this inappropriate concentration of the operator can lead to chopping - off the top of sugarcane at a location below the appropriate location, thereby losing some of the sucrose - containing part of the stalk of sugarcane with corresponding loss of sugar - yield. Otherwise, if the inappropriate concentration of the operator leads to chopping - off the stalk occurring at a location above the appropriate location, then some part of leafy portion at top of stalk of sugarcane will be transported to the sugar mill, thereby leading to lessen the efficiency of the milling operation, or to increase in the cost of operation of cutting these leafy portions at factory and transporting back to the field.
In the sugarcane harvester of prior - art, each of most of prior - art harvester machines has a limitation on its use, as it is designed to operate only in a field having corresponding appropriate row - width of each row of sugarcane plantation in that field, wherein the wheels of the harvester machine are having their centre to centre distance corresponding to that particular row - width.
Another limitation of most of prior art harvester machines is that of the restricted movement of the two counter - rotating base — cutter wheels in a particular machine, wherein the arrangement permitting the motion of the centre - point between the two centers of two base — cutter wheels is so located that the centre - point can have only upwards or downward movement only in a vertical plane and no lateral movement of

this centre - point, with respect forward motion direction of harvester machine, is permitted. In such a case, the operator cannot base - cut those stalks of sugarcane, which are located laterally far away from the centre - point of the base - cutter wheels. The operator will be able to base - cut only those stalks which are located in particular locations near about the centre - point.
Yet another limitation of most of the prior art harvesters is that they are operated by only one operator, who alone has to carry out top - chopping action and also base -cutting action. As such, as explained in discussion about the prior - art of top -chopping action, it is very difficult for the single operator alone of the prior art harvester, to pay proper and enough attention to handle both of the cutting actions, that is, top - chopping action and base - cutting action with sufficient accuracy and efficiency. In such a case, there is a chance of having lack of final proper good yield of the properly base - cut sugarcane as the operator cannot appropriately concentrate on both cutting actions simultaneously, and hence the stalk of cane is base - cut at inappropriate location.
Still another limitation of most of prior - art harvesters is that, in case of most of the prior - art harvester - machines, the operator is not able to have a clear view of the base of stalk of sugarcane being cut by the base - cutter wheels. This can also lead to cutting of the base at an inappropriate location.

The sugar cane harvesting or base cut operations require a certain degree of precision for good crop yield. Ideally, the cut height should be at a level substantially close to the surface of the ground so as to harvest the optimal crop without damage to the equipment and at minimal cost.
If the harvest base cut is made above the ideal cut height, the higher than desirable cut will result in harvest losses in the form of unharvested raw material, perhaps occasioning the need for an additional harvesting cut to try to recover the remaining unharvested raw material, with additional expenditures of time and additional wear and tear upon the harvesting equipment, or the loss of revenue from the unharvested raw material.
If the harvest base cut is made below the ideal cut height, various, other undesirable consequences may result. A harvest cut below the ideal height will not only result in increased damage to the plant, thereby decreasing the long term productivity of the cane plantation, but also in higher mineral levels in the harvested cane, and will cause increased damage to the base cutter knives, resulting in accelerated wear of such knives due to the constant wear against the soil. Such wear against the soil reduces productivity due to the need for more frequent stoppages of the machine for maintenance and for knife changes into fixed or floating base cutter units, and also

results in higher motor and energy costs and greater waste since the equipment is required to operate in adverse or less than desirable conditions.
The Patent no US 6,363,700 Bl, describes a sugarcane gathering system, which includes crop lifters which are set forward on the head of the apparatus at a steep angle to actively separate and lift downed or lodged cane with comb - like action. The abrasive resistant materials are used on skid plates for increased service life. The mounting system for the crop lifters use a "floating" skid which acts independently from the cutting discs to follow the contour of the ground and reduce the loss of cane stalks passing under the skids. The crop divider mechanism consists spiral flighting or scrolls. These scrolls move between the cane rows and comb the cane stalks, which have crossed into adjacent rows back into a vertical orientation and into their original rows. They also begin the orientation of the cane stalks for introduction into the harvest gathering system. The Figure No 3 provided in this above mentioned Patent shows the details of this crop divider mechanism.
The Patent No US 4, 512, 142 describes a typical gathering system of a sugarcane harvester. The figure numbers 1 and 2 provided in the patent show the construction of a typical crop divider. Referring to these two figures of the prior art, it is seen that, the gathering system or mechanism 10 includes a pair of tubular members 22 having a forward tapering end 24 and a spiral flange 26 extending from the tapered forward

end throughout the length of the member 22. As illustrated in FIGS, t and 2, the members 22 are oriented in upwardly inclined and rearwardly converging relation and the spiral flanges 26 engage the cane stalk on opposite sides thereof and lift the cane stalk and leaves upwardly as the sugar cane harvester moves forward!)'. The spiral flange or rib 26 on one member 22 is oppositely spiraled in relation to the other so that as the members 22 rotate, the sugar cane stalk and leaves thereon will be engaged and lifted with the top of the sugar cane stalk being positioned above the members 22. The members 22 are rotatably supported at the forward end as at 28 and at the rearward end as at 30 and are rotatably driven in any suitable manner at the rearward end by a suitable power device such as a hydraulic motor 32 or the like connected to an end shaft on the member 22. The specific details of the manner in which the scroll-type gathering system is rotated may be varied and may be conventional in and of itself.
The cane lifting mechanisms or crop dividers of the prior - art harvester - machines have some serious limitations. The free tip of the axis of the conical cylinder of these prior - art crop dividers move only in one vertical plane and the length of the conical cylinder is also fixed, depending upon the type of the harvester machine. Due to these limitations on the length and angular movement, it becomes very difficult to separate the excessively entangled cane stalks and bring them to near - vertical orientation and consumes long time to complete the work satisfactorily. Hence the speed of the

progress of the machine is reduced to a very large extent and hence the harvesting efficiency is reduced.
In view of the above, there is a need for developing an improved sugarcane harvester, which will overcome the limitations and problems of the prior -art harvester -machines as far as possible.
Objects And Advantages of Invention
Accordingly, the objects and advantages of the present invention are described below:
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved sugarcane harvester of reduced size, weight and cost and which is easier to operate.
Another object of the present inventions to provide an improved sugarcane harvester with better system and mechanism for top - chopping of sugarcane stalks.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved sugarcane harvester wherein the operator can see the location on the cane - stalk where base -cut is made , thereby providing improved and efficient base - cutting at appropriate height near ground surface.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved sugarcane harvester wherein improved crop dividers and lifter are provided, which are enabled to have telescopically adjustable lengths and movement of the tip of each of the two crop dividers and lifters in two mutually perpendicular planes, that is horizontal and vertical planes, thereby having capability of efficiently operating even in case of very complexly entangled sugarcane stalks and leaves.
Further object of the present invention is to provide an improved sugarcane harvester wherein a novel trash - removing - mechanism is provided to remove the leaves attached to the cane - stalk, when the stalk is traveling along the conveyer belt.
Still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved sugarcane harvester, wherein a special mechanism is provided to efficiently carry out the work of collecting together, bundling and tying the bundle of the cane stalks, in appropriate weight range.
Hence the advantages of the present invention are that:
- due to very less cost as compared to prior - art large - size and, heavy harvesters, it is easily affordable to small farmers having very small fields.
- due to its very small size as compared to prior - art harvesters, it is easily maneuverable in small fields having smaller row - widths.

- due to its lesser weight as compared to prior - art harvesters, there is reduced compacting of soil, thereby increasing the productivity of sugarcane - field.
- due to improved top - chopping system and mechanism, much lesser quantity of leafy , non - sucrose - containing portions are transported to sugar mills, thereby increasing the efficiency of milling process, also reducing cost otherwise involved in cutting leafy tops at the sugar mills and transporting them back to sugarcane field.
- due to improved visibility of location of base - cutting, each stalk is cut at ideal height, thereby giving appropriate yield of sucrose - containing stalk -lengths.
- due to improved crop dividers and lifters, the cane - dividing and cane -lifting is done appropriately even in case of very complexly entangled sugarcane stalks.
- due to improved trash - removing mechanism, no non - sucrose - containing leaves attached to cane - stalks are transported to sugar mills, thereby improving the percentage yield of sugar.
- due to the novel cane - collecting, bundling and tying mechanism, and using trash - rope for tying the cane - stalk - bundle, the process is faster and does not depend much upon human labor. As the use of nylon ropes or other ropes is avoided, there is no risk of having dangerous material of rope entering into, milling process along with cane - stalk - bundles.

Other objects and advantages will become obvious to the reader, while going through the description of invention and drawings.
Brief Description of Drawings
The description of invention will be clear when read with accompanying drawings,
which are briefly described below.
It should be noted that the present invention of Improved Sugarcane Harvester is a
complex machine comprising combination of many devices. The inventors have not
shown all devices in each figure. The only parts which are relevant to particular
mechanism being described in details are highlighted and shown in the corresponding
figure.
Figure 1 shows general arrangement of the components of the prior - art
conventional tropical sugarcane harvester or chopper harvester and prior - art process
of harvesting.
Figure 2 shows general arrangement of the crop - dividers and crop - lifters used in
the prior - art sugarcane harvesters.
Figure 3 shows some details of a crop - divider and crop - lifter of prior art
sugarcane harvester.
Figure 4 shows schematic diagrams of only some arrangements of components of the
improved sugarcane harvester of the present invention.

Figure 5 shows schematic diagrams of top - chopping mechanism of the present
invention.
Figure 6 shows schematic diagrams of arrangement of base - cutting mechanism of
the present invention.
Figure 7 shows schematic diagrams of genera! arrangement of crop - dividing and
crop - lifting mechanism and process of use of the present invention.
Figure 8 shows schematic diagrams of general arrangement of trash - removing
mechanisms and process of the present invention.
Figure 9 shows schematic diagrams of general arrangement of cane - collecting and
cane - bundling mechanisms of the present invention.
Figure 10 and 11 shows schematic diagrams of general arrangement of cane -
bundle - binding mechanisms using the trash - rope for tying the cane - bundle of the
present invention.
Figure 12 shows schematic diagrams of general arrangement for adjustably flexible
cane-stalk conveyor belt arrangement.
Reference Numerals and Nomenclature of Parts, Mechanisms, and. Arrangements used in Invention - Harvester (Not in Prior Art Drawings Fig 1 to 3)

Reference Numeral Nomenclature of Parts, Mechanisms and Arrangements
1 An Improved Sugarcane Harvester of present invention
2 A Chassis
3 A plurality of wheels for transporting harvesters
4 A steering arrangement for each cabin of operator

5 An engine (not shown in the figures)
6-A and 6-B Two operator cabins, one for each of the two operators
6-C and 6-D Two operators
6-E Control panel
7-A and 7-B Two top - chopping devices
8 A base cutting device
9-A and 9-B Two crop- dividing and crop - lifting devices
10 A cane - stalk - conveyor
10A, 10B,1OC Partially connected loops
11 A trash - removing mechanism
12 A cane - collecting and cane - bundling mechanism
12A Cane-bundle-weighing platform
13-Aand 13B Two cane - bundle -binding mechanisms
14-A and 14-B Two telescopic horizontal top - chopper arms
14-Cand 14-D Two pneumatic - telescopic - cylinders
15-Aand 15-B Two chopper - wheels
15-Cand 15-D Two pneumatic motors for rotating two chopper - wheels
16-A and 16-B Two vertical pneumatic telescopic arms
16- C and 16-D Two hydraulic cylinders
17-A and 17-B Two chopping - areas covered by swinging of two chopper arms 14-A and 14-B
18 An arm supporting base - cutter wheel
19 A base - cutter wheel
19-A Hydraulic motor for rotating base - cutter wheel
19-B Horizontal guideway for lateral movement of base - cutter wheel
19-C Hydraulic cylinders for effecting lateral movement of base-cutter wheel
19-D Hydraulic cylinder for effecting vertical movement of base-cutter wheel
20 A rotating disc of base - cutter wheel
21 Blades of base -cutter wheel
26 A plurality of flexible feed-blades of conveyor (10)
27 A brush for trash - removing
27-A A plurality of linear flexible elements of the brush (27)
28 A rotatable rigid rod for supporting elements (27 -A)
29 A telescopic arm comprising a pneumatic cylinder
31 A lower jaw
32 An upper jaw
33 A drive shaft

Reference Numeral Nomenclature of Parts, Mechanisms and Arrangements
34 A hydraulic cylinder
35 A driver gear for lower jaw (31)
36 A driver gear for upper jaw (32)
37 A driven gear for lower jaw (31)
38 A driven gear for upper jaw (32)
39 A lever in mechanism (11)
40 A pipe for lower jaw (31)
41 A pipe for upper jaw (32)
42 A set of bearings (not shown in figure)
43 A bearing - housing
44 A trash - rope bundle
45 A rope - tying - arm
46 A threadable eye at one end of rope - tying - arm
47-A and 47-B Two hydraulic telescopic lifting arms
48-A and 48-B Two hydraulic cylinders to effect angular movement of 47-A and 47-B in vertical plane
49-A and 49-B Two hydraulic cylinders
50-A and 50-B Two bell crank levers
50-C and 50-D Two supporting brackets
Summary of Invention
This invention relates to a machine for harvesting crop of vertically-elongated, stalk-type such as sugarcane. As the present large size harvester machines are designed to be efficiently used in large size sugarcane fields and are useful for base-cutting of sugarcane stalks of plantations only of one particular row width, they are not useful for countries where different framers use different row-width in there sugarcane fields and farm - sizes are small. Similarly, where same operator carries out top -chopping and base-cutting work, farmers face serial difficulties due to lack of proper chopping and cutting work. Also, in countries where collecting , bundling and cane-bundle-binding works are done before sugarcane stalks are transported to sugar mills,

farmer face serious difficulties due to lack of sufficient available labor and hence mechanizations if these operations is very essential. The present inventions provides new inventive mechanisms to carry out all these operations in sugarcane fields of different row widths and hence is a boon to sugarcane-farmers of developing countries.
Description Of Invention General
Figure 4- A schematically shows an improved sugarcane harvester (I) of the present invention which comprises a chassis (2), a plurality of wheels (3) for transporting the harvester (1), a steering arrangement (4), an engine (not shown in figure), two operator - cabins (6-A, 6-B) for use by two operators, two top - chopping devices (7-A, 7-B), a base cutting device (8), two crop - dividing and crop - lifting devices (9-A, 9-B).. Figures 8-A to 8-H show a trash - removing mechanism (II). Figures 9-A to 9-D and 10-A, 10-B show a cane collecting and bundling mechanism (12). Figure JI-A to 11-D show a cane - bundle - binding mechanism (13). The cabin (6-B) is relatively and forwardly disposed on the top platform of chassis (2) as compared to the location of the cabin (6-A). Figures 12-A to 12E shows a cane-stalk-conveyor (10).
Many of these harvester - machine - making - elements and their interconnections used in the present invention - harvester, are used in the prior - art harvester

machines and well known to the person skilled in the art. Hence in this description of the present invention, only the distinguishing features of some mechanisms used in the present Invention - harvester, which have solved some of the problems of the prior -art mechanisms used in prior - art sugarcane harvesters to a large extent, are described in details.
Top-Chopping
Referring to Figure 5-A to 5-D, in the present invention - harvester, the top -chopping action to chop - off the leafy portion (not containing sucrose) located near top of sugarcane - stalk is carried out and concentrated upon by only one operator (6-C) of the two operators, operating from one cabin (6-A) of the two operator cabins (6-A, 6-B) so that the operator (6-C) can fully and appropriately concentrate only on the top - chopping action. It is not required at all for this operator (6-C) to worry about the problems related to base - cutting operation. This increases the efficiency of top - chopping action so that for each stalk of sugarcane, the top - chopping occurs at appropriate location so that sucrose - containing part of sugarcane -stalk is not lost. In addition, as two telescopic horizontal top - chopper arms (14-A, 14-B), each supporting separately one of two chopper - wheels (15-A, 15-B), are provided in this invention - harvester and each of said two chopper - arms is enabled to operate for chopping at respective required height of sugarcane - stalk, the required heights of operation of two horizontal top - chopper arms (14-A, 14-B) being

adjustably same or different, depending on different situations, by adjusting the heights of vertical pneumatic telescopic arms (16-A, 16-B).
The telescopic movement of the top - chopper-arms (14-A, 14-B) is enabled by the pneumatic - telescopic - cylinders (14-C. 14D) respectively. The pneumatic motors (15-C, 15-D) enable the rotary motion of chopper- wheels (15-A. 15-B) respectively. The hydraulic cylinders (16-C, 16-D) enable the angular movements, of the pneumatic - telescopic - cylinders (14-C, 14-D) respectively, in the horizontal plane.
If some leafy top - portion is left out on a stalk after attempting to cut its top by operating first top - chopper (7-A) at a particular height of vertical pneumatic telescopic arm (16-A), then that leafy top - portion which is left out can be now chopped - off by operating the second top - chopper (7-B), now sequentially operated by the operator, at an appropriate height by correspondingly adjusting height of vertical pneumatic telescopic arm (16-B) as required for its second appropriate chopping action, so that none of the leafy portions, not containing sucrose, are transported to the sugar - mill along with the cut sugarcane - stalks, thereby increasing the percentage efficiency of sugar - making process. As the top -chopping of sugarcane - stalk thus occurs at appropriate desirable locations on the stalk, there is no loss of sucrose - containing portion of the stalk of sugarcane from

the top end portion thereof, as well as there are no leafy - portions, not containing sucrose, remaining at the top of the stalk of cut - sugarcane.
The two shaded areas (17A, 17B) shown in Figure 5C indicate areas of top-chopping-operation-coverage by the two top-chopper arms (14A, 14B) respectively.
Base - cutting
In the present Invention - Harvester, some of the problems existing with use of prior - art harvester machines with respect to base - cutting of sugar-stalks, are eliminated as described below.
Referring to Figure 6A to 6H, the base - cutting action in the present Invention -Harvester is carried out by being concentrated upon by only one operator (6-D) of the two operators, operating from one cabin (6-B) of the two operator cabins (6-A, 6-B) and operating the control panel (6-E) so that the operator (6-D) can fully and appropriately concentrate only on the proper base - cutting action. It is not at ail required for this operator (6-D) to worry about the problems related to top- chopping action. This increases the efficiency of base - cutting operation, so that base - cutting occurs at appropriate location on the cane - stalk, at appropriate distance above the ground.

The hydraulic motor (19-A) rotates the base - cutter - wheel (19). The vertical movement of base - cutter - wheel (19) is achieved by using hydraulic cylinder (19-D). The horizontal lateral movement of base - cutter - wheel (19) along the guideway (19-B) is achieved by using the hydraulic cylinder (19-C). All these operations are controlled by the operator (6-D) from cabin (6-B) by using the control panel (6-E).
The base - cutter wheel (19) comprises a rotating disc (20) to which are replacebly connected a plurality of cutting- blades (21).
The present Invention - Harvester can be used in different sugarcane fields, having different row - widths, for example, 0.915m (3 feet), 1.22 m (4 feet), 1.524, (5 feet), of sugarcane plantations, even though two front wheels of the present invention -harvester - machine have their centre to centre distance fixed to match appropriately with only one particular row - width. This advantageous flexibility of use of same Invention - Harvester - machine for base - cutting for sugarcane plantations of different - row - widths in different sugarcane fields, is made possible in the Invention - Harvester because herein the arrangement supporting the base cutter -wheel, while being used for base - cutting of sugarcane - stalks, is such that the arm (18) supporting the base - cutter wheel (19) is enabled to have a required motion in lateral — direction with respect to forward - motion - direction of the harvester -machine, by using guideway (19-B) and hydraulic cylinder (19-C) as discussed

above. When the row - width of a particular sugarcane plantation does not match with the fixed centre to centre distance between the central vertical planes of the vertical front wheels of a particular Invention - Harvester, the stalks of the sugarcane plantation do not lie in the vertical plane passing through the centre of base - cutter -wheel (19). Hence the stalks cannot be base - cut properly. In such a case, the base -cutter wheel is now moved laterally through appropriate required distance so that now the sugarcane - stalks of this particular sugarcane plantation of the particular row -width lie in the new location of vertical plane which is passing through the centre of the laterally - moved base - cutter - wheel and which is parallel to the longitudinal plane of plantation, when the base - cutter - wheel is in this new laterally displaced position. Thereby the base - cutter wheel now is enabled to appropriately cut those particular stalks near the bases thereof.
Figure 6F depicts position of base - cutter - wheel in base - cutting operation when a row - width of sugarcane plantation, matches the fixed centre to centre distance between the central planes of the front wheels of sugarcane harvester machine.
Figure 6E depicts laterally - moved base - cutter - wheel in appropriate position in base - cutting operation when a row - width of sugarcane plantation, is smaller than the fixed centre to centre distance between the central planes of the front wheels of sugarcane harvester machine

Figure 6G depicts laterally - moved base - cutter - wheel in appropriate position in base - cutting operation when a row - width of sugarcane plantation, is greater than the fixed centre to centre distance between the central planes of the front wheels of sugarcane harvester machine.
The position of the operator (6-D) operating from cabin (6-B) and, handling the operation of base - cutter - wheel, is favorable for performing base - cutting properly, because operator's cabin (6-B) is relatively and forwardly disposed on the top platform of chassis (2) as compared to the location of the other cabin (6-A). Hence, the operator (6-D) now can have clear view of the base of the stalk which is being base - cut at the moment. This will lead to cutting of the stalk - base at appropriate height - location on the stalk near the ground - level.
The cane stalks are cut at their base by a rotating disc (20) fitted with replaceable cutting segments or base cutter blades (21). The discs are designed for and placed at an angle to the ground line with apex of the triangle formed with the ground line making first contact with the base of the cane stalk. The location of the base - cutter wheel (19) with respect to cabin (6-B) allows for easy visibility of the blades by the operator (6-D), operating from cabin (6-B).

It is observed that a part of cane stalk being base - cut, is already held between the flexible feed - blades (26) of the conveyor (10), which conveys the stalk rearwardty in nearly - vertical state, after the base of the stalk is cut by base - cutter blades (21), to the trash - remover mechanism (11), with the cane stalks traveling through the space available between the adjacent sides of two operator - cabins (6-A) and (6-B).
Each of the operators' cabins (6-A) and (6-B) located in the invention - harvester includes levers operated manually for a direct linkage to the hydraulic / pneumatic valves, gauges and warning lights are well positioned for the operator of the unit. Foot pedals are used to move the harvester forward or reverse. This frees the operator's hands to control the levers used for carrying out different operations and steering of the unit. These details are well - known tot person skilled in the art of manufacturing and using a sugarcane harvester. Hence they are not shown in the drawings and also not described herein.
As the base - cut of sugar-cane stalk is not made here above the ideal base - cut height of sugarcane stalk due to sufficient visibility of base of stalk by the operator, this will prevent the occurrence of losses in the form of unharvested raw material; there will be no need of an additional harvesting - cut to try to recover the remaining unharvested raw material, so that additional expenditures of time and additional wear

and tear upon harvesting equipment will not be incurred or the loss of revenue from the unharvested raw material will not happen.
As the base - cut of sugarcane stalk is not made here, below the ideal base - cut height of sugarcane stalk due to sufficient visibility of base of stalk by the operator, various other undesirable consequences are prevented. This will prevent increased damage to the cane - plant, thereby preventing the decrease in the long term productivity of the cane plantation. This will also reduce higher mineral levels in the harvested cane and also reduce damage to base - cutter blades (21), thereby reducing the rate of wear of such blades which occurs due to constant wear against the soil. It should be noted that if such wear against soil occurs, then it reduces the productivity due to the need for more frequent stoppage of the harvester machine for maintenance and for blade changes into fixed or floating base with units. Such wear also results in higher motor and energy costs and greater waste, since, in such a case, the equipment is required to operate in adverse or less than desirable conditions. All these benefits are achieved by use of novel adjustable base - cutting arrangement of the present invention - harvester, enabling vertical and horizontal lateral movement of base -cutter-wheel (19).

Trash Removing Arrangement
Referring to figures 8-A to 8-H, the trash removing arrangement in this invention-harvester, comprises a pair of trash- removing comblike-mechanisms (H). Each mechanism (11) comprises plurality of brushes (27)- Each brusn (27) comprises plurality of flexible linear elements (27-A) made of material like nylon or other material with nylon-like properties. Each of the linear elements (27-A) is fixedly connected at one end thereof to a rotatable rigid rod (28), which is fixedly connected to a first link (28-A), the angular motion of the first l28-A) and rigid rod (28) is done about the first pin (28-B) pinned on the first link (ink (28-A). The first link (28-A) is rotatably connected to the second link (28-C) through the common second pin (28-D). The cylinder rod (29-A) of the hydraulic cylinder (29) is rotatably connected to the second link (28-C) by a third pin (28-E).
When the hydraulic cylinder (29) has a forward stroke the cylinder rod (29-A) pushes the second link (28-C) upwards through the third pin (28-E). When the second link (28-C) goes upwards, it gives angular motion to the first link (28-A) and rigid rod (28). This leads to rotation of the brush alongwim its linear elements, capably scraping the trash leaves on the cane-stalk.
As the nearly - vertical cane - stalks are moving along the conveyor belt, the projecting linear elements (27A) of the brush (27), during the rotational motion of the brush approximately 150°, move along the length of the stalk and because of being

very close to the circumferential surface of the sugarcane - stalk, cut and remove the leaves, which have still remained attached to the circumferencial surface of the stalk. These pieces of cut - leaves fall to the ground, through the space between the two cabins (6-A) and (6-B) and under the conveyor belt.
Cane - collecting , bundling and bundle-binding
Referring to Figure 9A to 9D, two sets of cane collecting and bundling mechanisms (12) are provided, in the present invention harvester, on two sides thereof, that is, left side and right side of the harvester machine. The mechanisms (12) are operated by operator (6-D) from cabin (6-B). Each set of these two sets of collecting and bundling mechanisms comprises one nearly - semicircular lower jaw (31) and one nearly -semicircular upper jaw (32), a drive shaft (33), a hydraulic cylinder (34), one driver gear (35) for the lower jaw (31), one driver gear (36) for the upper jaw (32). one driven gear (37) for the lower jaw (31) and one driven gear (38) for the upper jaw (32), a lever (39), a pipe (40) for the lower jaw (31) and a pipe (41) for the upper jaw (32), a set of bearings (42) (not shown in drawing), and a bearing - housing (43). The upper jaw (32) is enabled to undergo clockwise rotation through about 180° and the lower jaw (31) is enabled to undergo anticlockwise rotation through about 180°.
The drive shaft (33) is supported at ends thereof, by the bearings (42) disposed in the bearing - housing (43). During the upward and downward strokes of the hydraulic

cylinder (34) and due to corresponding movement of the lever (39) assembly, the driver shaft (33) rotates, thereby causing proportionate rotation of the two driver gears (35, 36), which are fixedly connected to the driver shaft (33). The two driven gears (37, 38) which are meshed with corresponding driver gears (35. 36), also proportionately rotate, thereby providing the required angular movement to the lower and upper jaws (31,32) through rotation of two corresponding concentric pipes (40. 41) of this set of collecting and bundling mechanism (12) , wherein each of the two driven gears (37, 38) is fixedly connected to respective concentric pipe out of the two concentric pipes (40, 41).
These two sets of collecting and bundling mechanisms have a common framework of pipes including inclined pipes capably enabling action of rolling - down or sliding -down of cane-stalks after their leaving the conveyor-belt and falling on said inclined pipes, further onto a tillable weighing platform capably activating a weight - sensor when the weight of collected cane-stalks exceeds a predetermined weight-limit say about 30 kg, said sensor capably activating a stopper - bar arrangement which prevents further falling and collecting of oncoming new cane-stalks, till the release of already tied-up cane-bundle from tiltable weighing platform to the ground is completed.

Referring to Figures 10A and 10L and 11A to 11D, for tying up the bundle of cane-stalks, two cane-bundle -binding mechanisms (13-A, 13-B) are used in the present Invention- Harvester. Each of these two mechanisms (13-A ,13-B) comprises a trash-rope-bundle (44) , rotatably, unwindably and supportedly disposed above the rear-end of the top horizontal platform of the chassis (2) near the two sides (left side and right side) of the harvester, a rotatably supported, nearly semicircular rope - tying -arm (45) , provided with a threadable - eye (46) , at the free end thereof, through which eye the loose end of the trash - rope is holdably threaded, with other end of rope - tying -arm (45) being rotatably connected to a hinged support and central axis of rotation thereof, coinciding with the common central axis of rotation of the lower and upper jaws (31, 32) of collecting and bundling mechanisms (12). The - rope -tying arm (45) is enabled to undergo a complete rotation through 360°, about central axis of rotation thereof. A slit - space is provided in the chassis (2) of the Invention -Harvester, so as to enable the rope- tying - arm (45) and the lower and upper jaws (31, 32) to undergo required amounts of corresponding rotations thereof.
For binding the bundle of the cane stalks together in order to hold the stalks together during transport of sugarcane stalks from farm to sugar mill, a portion of the trash -rope, made by using the cut - trash of cane leaves, is wound around the supported bundle of cane- stalks near each of the two ends of the stalk - bundle and tightly tied

up to form a tied - up - bundle of cane - stalks, which retains the stalks in the bundle in tightly - held - together state.
For effectively carrying out the collecting, bundling and binding work for cane -stalks, the following process is used:
Both ofthe lower jaws (31) of collecting and bundling mechanism (12) are rotated anticlockwise to bring them upto a position, wherein they are ready to receive and support the cane - stalk - bundle when the bundle will finally fall into the supporting curved portion of lower jaws (31).
Each ofthe rope - tying - arms (45), with the trash - rope - end holdably threaded through the eye thereof, is rotated through about 180° capably forming a partial loop of trash-rope.
When the total weight of the stalks gathered together on the tiltable weighing -platform exceeds a predetermined weight - limit say about 30 Kg, an automatic weight-sensor (not shown in drawing) is activated and thereby the two upper jaws (32) ofthe two sets of this collecting and bundling mechanism (12) rotate in clockwise direction about their respective centers of rotation.

Each of the upper jaws (32) support and lift the cane-stalks in the curved supporting portion thereof, and rotate through about 180° to ultimately let the lifted cane - stalk - bundle fall into the supporting curved portion of lower jaws (31) and also into the already - formed partial loop of the trash rope.
Now the rope - tying - arms (45) complete the remaining part of rotation thereofrso that the trash - rope is wound around the bundle of cane - stalks which are supportedly held between the lower and upper jaws (31, 32) and the larger formed -loop of the trash rope. Now the threaded end of the trash rope is brought near the other part of trash rope coming from the trash - rope - bundle (44), so that now a knot of trash - rope can be made and trash rope is cut -off near and outside this knot. Now after cutting the trash rope near the knot, the loose end of trash - rope coming from trash - rope - bundle is again threaded through the eye of rope - tying arm (45) to make it ready for the next bundle - binding process.
The lower and upper jaws (31, 32) are now released and taken back to their original positions. The tied up stalk - bundle is thereby released and slides or rolls down the tilted weighing platform, onto the ground and is now ready for transportation to the sugarmill.

A stopper - bar - arrangement (not shown in drawing) is provided in the Invention -Harvester, to prevent the entry of the oncoming newer cane - stalks to the collecting and bundling area on weighing platform, till the tied - up bundle of stalks is released from tilted weighing platform onto the ground. After this, the stopper - bar -arrangement is deactivated and the whole process of collecting, bundling and bundle-binding described above is repeated.
Another alternative arrangement for cane-collecting, cane-bundling and bundle-binding is shown in Figure IOC to 10L. The details given in these figures are self-explanatory and hence they are not described here in details.
Crop - dividing and Crop ~ lifting mechanisms
Referring to Figure 7A to 7J, it should be noted that the limitations and problems of prior- art harvesters are overcome in the invention-harvester. Each mechanism in the pair of crop-divider and crop-lifter mechanisms of the present invention comprises a pair of rectangular-cum-conical dividing and lifting arms (47-A, 47-B) having a telescopic hydraulic rectangular - cross-sectional construction made of plurality of segments with one segment sliding inside other lengthwisely adjacent segment wherein the free-tip-segment of said mechanism has a hollow conical shape and each of other segments has a hollow rectangular cross-sections shape. Alternatively, these other segments can have circular cross-sectional shape. The arms (47-A, 47-B) are

disposed near the forwardly end of invention-harvester in spaced relationship respectively on the left and right side thereof. These two arms (47-A, 47-B) are enabled to move angularly in vertically upward and downward directions, by hydraulic cylinders (48-A. 48-B) respectively and also to move angularly in horizontally leftward and rightward directions respectively by hydraulic cylinders (49-A, 49-B) and bell - crank - levers (50-A, 50-B) and supporting brackets (50-C, 50-D). The telescopic construction of the segments of the dividing and lifting arms enables appropriate change in the length of the dividing and lifting arm as required in different situations met with, in the sugarcane field during harvesting operation, with respect to the different levels of complexity of entanglement of cane stalks. In addition arrangement is done to have movement of the free tip thereof in vertical plane as well as in horizontal plane about the rearwardly supported upper end of the dividing and lifting arm, simultaneously retaining or modifying the length thereof during these movements, as per the requirement of the particular situation of complex entanglement of the cane - stalks in the field, by using the telescopic adjustment for modifying the length if required. Two separate hydraulic cylinders are provided in the invention - harvester with one hydraulic cylinder for each type of motion, that is in vertical or horizontal directions.
The angular movement of hydraulic telescopic arms (47-A, 47-B) in the vertical plane is achieved by using hydraulic cylinders (48-A, 48-B) respectively.

The stroke of the hydraulic telescopic arm (47-A, 47B) is adjusted as per the requirement in the sugarcane field.
Figure 7A to 7C show the arms with circular cross-section. Figures 7D to 7G show the arms with rectangular cross section.
The figures 7H to 7J show the details about sequential lifting action from fallen sugarcane to lifted sugarcane.
The crop - dividers and lifters are operated by the operator (6-D) from cabin (6-B) by using appropriate controls.
Cane-Stalk-Conveyor-Belt Arrangement
Referring to Figures 12A to 12E the cane-stalk conveyor-belt arrangement comprises two adjacently and engagedly disposed rotatable belts, one belt rotatable clockwise and other belt rotatable anticlockwise, each belt comprising of a plurality of small belt-loops, so that adjacent engaged belt-loops grippingly hold the cane-stalk therebetween and during rotation of belts, convey the tane-stalk from the front end of invention harvester towards rear-end thereof. As the near-vertical cane-stalk advances along the conveyor (10) the cane - stalk send to tilt from vertical state thereof, due to obstruction from lower parts of harvester coming in the way of free movement of the part of cane-stalk near lower end thereof. The cane-stalk being in

contact with the vertical surfaces of belt-loops along most of loop's full height, due to tendency of this relative movement between upper and lower part of cane-stalk, large amount of shearing forces come into play along the surfaces of contact between belt -loops and cane-stalk. These forces can lead to breaking of the gripped cane-stalk. To overcome this problem to some extent, the inventors have provided plurality of partial-length-slit-cuts in thickness of each of the belt-loops, the slit-cut being horizontal when surface of belt-loop of vertical. Alternatively, the slit-cuts can also be in direction inclined to horizontal. For example, with provision of two partial slit-cuts in one belt- loop, the loop is divided into three smaller partially-connected loops. (10-A, 10-B, 10-C) each smaller loop having a height much smaller than that of original loop. These three smaller-height loops can be relatively displaced and twisted with respect to each other more easily as compared to displacing and twisting of original single large loop of full height of the belt, as shown in figures 12D to 12E. thereby assisting the tilting cane-stalk to adapt to the contact-surfaces more easily, without being subjected to excessive shear forces, thereby preventing the breakage of the cane stalk.
The advancing cane-stalks are shown in Figures8D to 8E, with one cane-stalk being in near - vertical position and other cane-stalk being in tilted position.

It is thus seen that the invention harvester reduces the cost per tonne harvested and also reduces the down time for maintenance of the harvester. The purchase cost of the harvester is also reduced and consequently the manufacturing cost of the sugarcane harvester. The components of its hydraulic system are also reduced as is the weight and consequently there is a reduced compacting of the soil, increasing the productivity of the cane. Access for maintenance of engine and other components is also easier and stability of a harvester in the field, on land with steep inclined is improved.
In this invention, hydraulic system or pneumatic system can be used interchangeably.
In view of the details given in foregoing description of the present invention, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the present invention basically comprises the following items:
1) An improved sugarcane harvester, comprising:
a) a chassis (2),
b) a plurality of wheels (3),
c) a steering arrangement (4),
d) an engine,
e) two operato rcabins(6-A,6-B),
f) a first and a second adjustable top-chopping devices (7-A,7-B),

g) a base - cutting device (8) adjustable for vertical and lateral movement
of base - cutter-wheel (19), h) two adjustable crop-dividing and crop-lifting mechanisms (9-A, 9-B), i) an adjustably flexible cane-stalk conveyor-belt-arrangement (10), j) a first and a second trash-removing mechanisms (11 -A, 11 -B), k) a pair of cane-collecting and cane-bundling mechanisms (12) 1) a pair of cane-bundle-binding mechanisms (13), m) a cane-weighing-platform (12A), wherein, said plurality of wheels (3) capably support said chassis (2) thereupon; said engine being mounted on said chassis(2) capably supplying power for forward and rearward movement of said harvester; said operator -cabins (6-A,6-B) fixedly disposed in spaced relationship on said chassis (2) respectively near left - side and right -side thereof, said operator-cabin (6-B) being forwardly disposed with respect to said operator-cabin (6-A), said steering arrangement (4) capably moving said harvester turnably, in appropriate direction;
said second top-chopping device (7-B) capably chopping off the leafy top portion left-out on said cane-stalk after completion of chopping-off of leaves by said first top-chopping device (7-A), so that no leafy portions, not containing sucrose, are transported to a sugar-mill;

said base-cutting device (8) capably performing vertical and lateral movements of said base-cutter-wheel (19); said vertical movement enabling cutting of said cane-stalk at appropriate height from ground surface, so that no sucrose - containing portion of said cane-stalk is left out on the ground and also cane-stalk-roots are not damaged; said lateral movement of said base-cutter-wheel (19) capably enabling base-cutting of said cane-stalks located off-centre-line of forwardly moving harvester, thereby capably enabling use of same harvester to harvest plantation of cane-stalks planted in different sugarcane fields having different row-widths of said plantation therein;
said cane-stalk conveyor (10) comprising plurality of partially-connectingly-slit-loops (10A, 10B, IOC) capably allowing smooth tilting of said cane-stalks without breaking during onward movement thereof along said conveyor (10) due to application of lesser amount of shear forces as a result of smooth displacing and twisting of the belt of said conveyor (10);
said first and second trash — removing - mechanism (11-A, 11-B), disposed in spaced relationship near said conveyor (10) on two opposite sides thereof. said mechanism (11-A) capably removing trash-leaves of said cane-stalk in

nearly vertical position thereof; said mechanism (11-B) capably removing trash-leaves of said cane-stalk in tilted position thereof;
said pair of cane-collecting and cane-bundling mechanisms (12) capably collecting together said cane-stalks after being base-cut and after trash-leaves-removal and making bundles of cut-cane-stalks of appropriate predetermined weight preferably 30 kg ready for tying - up work;
said pair of cane-bundle-binding mechanisms (13) capably tying-up cane bundles with trash-rope sourced from respective trash-rope-bundle, and releasing the tied-up bundle of said cane-stalks from tilted weighing platform onto the ground.
2) An improved sugarcane harvester, as described in item I,
wherein, a pair of top-chopping arrangements comprises a first and a second telescopic horizontal top-chopper arms (14-A, 14-B) each arm of which respectively support a first and a second top-chopper wheels (15-A, 1 5-B), the height-level of said first and second top-chopper arms (14-A, 14-B) capably being adjustable by correspondingly adjusting heights of a first and a second vertical pneumatic telescopic arms (16-A, 16-B); horizontal telescopic movement of said top-chopper arms (14-A, 14-B) capably being effected by

correspondingly operating a first and a second pneumatic telescopic cylinders (14-C, 14-D); rotary motion of said first and second chopper wheels (15-A. 15-B) capably being enabled by a first and a second pneumatic motors (15-C. 15-D) respectively; a first and a second hydraulic cylinders (16-C, 16-D) respectively enabling angular movements of said first and second hydraulic cylinders (14-C, 14-D) in the horizontal plane.
3) An improved sugarcane harvester as described in item 1,
wherein said adjustable base-cutter mechanism further comprises a hydraulic motor (19-A) capably rotating a base-cutter-wheel (19) comprising plurality of base-cutter-blades (21) replaceably connected to a rotating disc (20). a hydraulic cylinder (19-D) capably effecting vertical displacement of said base-cutter-wheel (19), a guideway (19-B) capably facilitating horizontal lateral displacement of said base-cutter-wheel (19), said lateral movement capably being enabled by strokes of a hydraulic cylinder (19-C). thereby capably enabling use of same said harvester for base-cutting of cane-stalks located in different sugar-cane-fields with different row-widths of sugarcane-plantations.
4) An improved sugarcane harvester as described in item 1,

wherein said cane-stalk conveyor-belt arrangement (10) comprises a pair of adjacently and engagedly disposed rotatable conveyor belts, with one belt rotatable in clockwise direction and other belt rotatable in anticlockwise direction, each of said rotatable belts comprising a plurality of belt - loops capably holding said cane-stalk grippingly therebetween when said belt-loops are adjacently and engagedly disposed, and capably conveying said cane-stalk from the front end towards the rear end of said harvester during appropriate predetermined rotation of each of said conveyor belts, wherein in each of said belt-loops are provided a plurality of partial slit-cuts in the vertical surface and through thickness thereof, thereby dividing each of said belt-loops into plurality of partially connected smaller-height loops capably sliding and twisting easily, thereby capably enabling easy-tilting of said cane-stalk without breaking.
5) An improved sugarcane harvester, as described in item 1,
wherein said trash-removing arrangement comprises a pair of trash -removing comblike-mechanisms (11), each of Said combtike-mechanisms (11) comprising plurality of brushes (27), each of brushes (27) comprising plurality of flexible linear elements (27-A) which are made of material like nylon or material with nylon - like properties and are fixedly connected at one end thereof to a rotatable rigid road (28), which said rod (28) is fixedly

connected to a first link (28-A) with angular motion of said first link (28-A) and said rigid rod (28) capably occuring about a first pin (28-B) pinned on said first link (28-A) which is rotatably connected to a second link (28-C) through a common second pin (28-D), with a cylinder-rod (29-A) of a hydraulic cylinder (29) being rotatably connected to said second link (28-C) by a third pin (28-E), whereby forward and backward strokes of said hydraulic cylinder (29) capably cause angular motion of said first link (28-A), and said rigid rod (28) and said linear elements (27-A), thereby capably scraping the trash leaves left on said cane-stalk.
6) An improved sugarcane harvester, as described in item 1,
wherein each mechanism of said pair of cane-collecting and cane-bundling mechanisms (12), comprises a nearly semicircular lower jaw (31), a nearly semicircular upper jaw (32), a drive shaft (33), a hydraulic cylinder (34), a (ever (39), a first driver gear (35), a second driver gear (36). a first driven gear (37), a second driven gear (38), a first pipe (40), a second pipe (41). a set of bearings (42), a bearing housing (43), said lower jaw (31) capably being enabled for anticlockwise rotation of approximately 180° through a slit made in chassis (2) and a weighing platform (12A) said upper jaw (32) being capably enabled for clockwise rotation of approximately 180° through said slit; said first and second pipes (40, 41) being disposed concentrically, said

drive shaft (33) being supported at ends thereof by said set of bearings (42) which are disposed in said bearing housing (43); said first and second driver gears (35, 36) being fixedly mounted on said drive haft (33); said first and second driven gears (37, 38) being respectively meshed with first and second driver gear (35, 36); said first and second driven gears (37, 38) being fixedly connected respectively to said first and second pipes (40, 41); said pair of cane- collecting mechanisms further comprising a common framework of pipes including inclined pipes capably enabling action of rolling-down or sliding-down of said cane-stalks, after their leaving said conveyor belt and falling on said inclined pipes, onto a tiltable weighing platform (12A). which capably activates a weight-sensor when the weight of the collected cane-stalks exceeds a predetermined weight-limit, preferably 30 kg; said weight-sensor capably activating a stopper bar, arrangement capably preventing further falling and collecting of said cane-stalks which are oncoming, [ill the releasing of the already tied-up cane-bundle from said tiltable weighing platform onto the ground is completed.
7) An improved sugarcane harvester, as described in item i,
wherein each mechanism of said pair of bundle-binding-mechanism (13-A, 13-B) disposed in spaced relationship, comprises a trash-rope-bundle (44), rotatably, unwindably and supportably disposed near the cane-weighing-

platform (12A) on said chassis (2), a rotatably supported, nearly semicircular, rope-tying-arm (45) one end thereof being rotatably connected to a hinged support, with central axis of rotation thereof coinciding with the common central axis of rotation of said lower and upper jaws (31, 32); said rope-tying arm (45) capably undergoing a complete rotation of 360, about said central axis of rotation thereof, through said slit-space provided in said chassis (2), and said weighing platform (12A).
8) An improved sugarcane harvester, as described in item I wherein each mechanism in said pair of said adjustable crop-dividing and crop-lifting mechanisms comprises rectangular - cum- conical dividing and lifting arms (47-A, 47-B) having a telescopic hydraulic rectangular - cross- sectional construction made of plurality of segments with one segment sliding inside other lengthwisely adjacent segment wherein the free-tip-segment of said mechanism has a hollow conical shape and each of other segments has hollow - rectangular - cross-sectional shape; said arms (47-A, 47-B) being disposed near the forwardly end of said harvester in a spaced relationship respectively on the left and right side thereof; said arms (47-A, 47-B) also being capably enabled to angularly move vertically by hydraulic cylinder (48-A, 48-B) respectively and also to angularly move horizontally by respective hydraulic

cylinders (49-A, 49-B) and bell-crank-levers (50-A, 50-B) and supporting brackets (50-C, 50-D).
Although the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, the invention is not meant to be limited to those preferred embodiments. Alterations to the preferred embodiments described are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. However, the process and composition described above is intended to be illustrative only, and the novel characteristics of the invention may be incorporated in other forms without departing from the scope of the invention.

We Claim:
1) An improved sugarcane harvester, comprising:
a. a chassis (2),
b. a plurality of wheels (3),
c. a steering arrangement (4),
d. an engine,
e. two operator cabins (6-A, 6-B),
f. a first and a second adjustable top-chopping devices (7-AJ-B).
g. a base - cutting device (8) adjustable for vertical and lateral movement
of base - cutter-wheel (19),
h. two adjustable crop-dividing and crop-lifting mechanisms (9-A, 9-B), i. an adjustably flexible cane-stalk conveyor-belt-arrangement (10). j. a first and a second trash-removing mechanisms (II -A, 11 -B), k. a pair of cane-collecting and cane-bundling mechanisms (12) 1. apair of cane-bundle-binding mechanisms (13), m. a cane-weighing-platform (12A),
wherein, said plurality of wheels (3) capably support said chassis (2) thereupon; said engine being mounted on said chassis(2) capably supplying power for forward and rearward movement of said harvester; said operator -cabins (6-A,6-B) fixedly disposed in spaced relationship on said chassis (2)

respectively near left - side and right -side thereof, said operator-cabin (6-B) being forwardly disposed with respect to said operator-cabin (6-A), said steering arrangement (4) capably moving said harvester turnably, in appropriate direction;
said second top-chopping device (7-B) capably chopping off the leafy top portion left-out on said cane-stalk after completion of chopping-off of leaves by said first top-chopping device (7-A). so that no leafy portions, not containing sucrose, are transported to a sugar-mill;
said base-cutting device (8) capably performing vertical and iateral movements of said base-cutter-wheel (19); said vertical movement enabling cutting of said cane-stalk at appropriate height from ground surface, so that no sucrose - containing portion of said cane-stalk is left out on the ground and also cane-stalk-roots are not damaged; said lateral movement of said base-cutter-wheel (19) capably enabling base-cutting of said cane-stalks located off-centre-line of forwardly moving harvester, thereby capably enabling use of same harvester to harvest plantation of cane-stalks planted in different sugarcane fields having different row-widths of said plantation therein;

said cane-stalk conveyor (10) comprising plurality of partially-connectingly-slit-loops (10A, 10B, IOC) capably allowing smooth tilting of said cane-stalks without breaking during onward movement thereof along said conveyor (10) due to application of lesser amount of shear forces as a result of smooth displacing and twisting of the belt of said conveyor (10);
said first and second trash - removing - mechanism (11 -A, 11 -B), disposed in spaced relationship near said conveyor (10) on two opposite sides thereof, said mechanism (11-A) capably removing trash-leaves of said cane-stalk in nearly vertical position thereof; said mechanism (11-B) capably removing trash-leaves of said cane-stalk in tilted position thereof;
said pair of cane-collecting and cane-bundling mechanisms (12) capably collecting together said cane-stalks after being base-cut and after trash-leaves-removal and making bundles of cut-cane-stalks of appropriate predetermined weight preferably 30 kg ready for tying - up work;
said pair of cane-bundle-binding mechanisms (13) capably tying-up cane bundles with trash-rope sourced from respective trash-rope-bundle, and releasing the tied-up bundle of said cane-stalks from tilted weighing platform onto the ground.

2) An improved sugarcane harvester, as claimed in claim 1,
wherein, a pair of top-chopping arrangements comprises a first and a second telescopic horizontal top-chopper arms (14-A, 14-B) each arm of which respectively support a first and a second top-chopper wheels (15-A, 15-B), the height-level of said first and second top-chopper arms (14-A, 14-B) capably being adjustable by correspondingly adjusting heights of a first and a second vertical pneumatic telescopic arms (16-A, 16-B); horizontal telescopic movement of said top-chopper arms (14-A, 14-B) capably being effected by correspondingly operating a first and a second pneumatic telescopic cylinders (14-C, 14-D); rotary motion of said first and second chopper wheels (15-A, 15-B) capably being enabled by a first and a second pneumatic motors (15-C, 15-D) respectively; a first and a second hydraulic cylinders (16-C, 16-D) respectively enabling angular movements of said first and second hydraulic cylinders (14-C, 14-D) in the horizontal plane.
3) An improved sugarcane harvester as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said adjustable base-cutter mechanism further comprises a hydraulic motor (I9-A) capably rotating a base-cutter-wheel (19) comprising plurality of base-cutter-blades (21) replaceably connected to a rotating disc (20), a hydraulic cylinder (19-D) capably effecting vertical displacement of said

base-cutter-wheel (19), a guideway (19-B) capably facilitating horizontal lateral displacement of said base-cutter-wheel (19), said lateral movement capably being enabled by strokes of a hydraulic cylinder (19-C), thereby capably enabling use of same said harvester for base-cutting of cane-stalks located in different sugar-cane-fields with different row-widths of sugarcane-plantations.
4) An improved sugarcane harvester as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said cane-stalk conveyor-belt arrangement (10) comprises a pair of adjacently and engagedly disposed rotatable conveyor belts, with one belt rotatable in clockwise direction and other belt rotatable in anticlockwise direction, each of said rotatable belts comprising a plurality of belt - loops capably holding said cane-stalk grippingly therebetween when said belt-loops are adjacently and engagedly disposed, and capably conveying said cane-stalk from the front end towards the rear end of said harvester during appropriate predetermined rotation of each of said conveyor belts, wherein in each of said belt-loops are provided a plurality of partial slit-cuts in the vertical surface and through thickness thereof, thereby dividing each of said belt-loops into plurality of partially connected smaller-height loops capably sliding and twisting easily, thereby capably enabling easy-tilting of said cane-stalk without breaking.

5) An improved sugarcane harvester, as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said trash-removing arrangement comprises a pair of trash -removing comblike-mechanisms (11), each of said comblike-mechanisms (I t) comprising plurality of brushes (27), each of brushes (27) comprising plurality of flexible linear elements (27-A) which are made of material like nylon or material with nylon - like properties and are fixedly connected at one end thereof to a rotatable rigid road (28), which said rod (28) is fixedly connected to a first link (28-A) with angular motion of said first link (28-A) and said rigid rod (28) capably occuring about a first pin (28-B) pinned on said first link (28-A) which is rotatably connected to a second link (28-C) through a common second pin (28-D), with a cylinder-rod (29-A) of a hydraulic cylinder (29) being rotatably connected to said second link (28-C) by a third pin (28-E), whereby forward and backward strokes of said hydraulic cylinder (29) capably cause angular motion of said first link (28-A). and said rigid rod (28) and said linear elements (27-A), thereby capably scraping the trash leaves left on said cane-stalk,
6) An improved sugarcane harvester, as claimed in claim I,
wherein each mechanism of said pair of cane-collecting and cane-bundling mechanisms (12), comprises a nearly semicircular lower jaw (31), a nearly

semicircular upper jaw (32), a drive shaft (33). a hydraulic cylinder (34), a lever (39), a first driver gear (35), a second driver gear (36), a first driven gear (37), a second driven gear (38), a first pipe (40), a second pipe (41), a set of bearings (42), a bearing housing (43), said lower jaw (31) capably being enabled for anticlockwise rotation of approximately 180° through a slit made in chassis (2) and a weighing platform (12A) said upper jaw (32) being capably enabled for clockwise rotation of approximately 180° through said slit; said first and second pipes (40, 41) being disposed concentrically, said drive shaft (33) being supported at ends thereof by said set of bearings (42) which are disposed in said bearing housing (43); said first and second driver gears (35, 36) being fixedly mounted on said drive haft (33); said first and second driven gears (37, 38) being respectively meshed with first and second driver gear (35, 36); said first and second driven gears (37, 38) being fixedly connected respectively to said first and second pipes (40, 41); said pair of cane- collecting mechanisms further comprising a common framework of pipes including inclined pipes capably enabling action of rolling-down or sliding-down of said cane-stalks, after their leaving said conveyor belt and falling on said inclined pipes, onto a tillable weighing platform (12A), which capably activates a weight-sensor when the weight of the collected cane-stalks exceeds a predetermined weight-limit, preferably 30 kg; said weight-sensor capably activating a stopper bar, arrangement capably preventing further

falling and collecting of said cane-stalks which are oncoming, till the releasing of the already tied-up cane-bundle from said tillable weighing platform onto the ground is completed.
7) An improved sugarcane harvester, as claimed in claim 1,
wherein each mechanism of said pair of bundle-binding-mechanism (13-A, 13-B) disposed in spaced relationship, comprises a trash-rope-bundle (44). rotatably, unwindably and supportably disposed near the cane-weighing-platform (12A) on said chassis (2), a rotatably supported, nearly semicircular, rope-tying-arm (45) one end thereof being rotatably connected to a hinged support, with central axis of rotation thereof coinciding with the common central axis of rotation of said lower and upper jaws (3L 32); said rope-tying arm (45) capably undergoing a complete rotation of 360, about said central axis of rotation thereof, through said slit-space provided in said chassis (2), and said weighing platform (12A).
8) An improved sugarcane harvester, as claimed in claim-1 wherein each
mechanism in said pair of said adjustable crop-dividing and crop-lifting
mechanisms comprises rectangular - cum- conical dividing and lifting arms
(47-A, 47-B) having a telescopic hydraulic rectangular cross- sectional
construction made of plurality of segments with one segment sliding inside

other lengthwisely adjacent segment wherein the free-tip-segment of said mechanism has a hollow conical shape and each of other segments has hollow - rectangular - cross-sectional shape; said arms (47-A, 47-B) being disposed near the forwardly end of said harvester in a spaced relationship respectively on the left and right side thereof; said arms (47-A, 47-B) also being capably enabled to angularly move vertically by hydraulic cylinder (48-A, 48-B) respectively and also to angularly move horizontally by respective hydraulic cylinders (49-A, 49-B) and bell-crank-levers (50-A, 50-B) and supporting brackets (50-C, 50-D).
9) An improved sugarcane harvester, substantially as herein described and illustrated in accompanying drawings.