Abstract

The object of the invention is a straw-cutting machine which is positioned behind the grain separation devices of a combine harvester and whose separation organs chop the stalks falling from the straw walkers into short pieces. The aim of the invention is by means of a special design of the separation organs to reduce the required driving power, to chop and disintegrate stalks falling onto the straw-cutting machine in a lateral position or a longitudinal direction uniformly into the smallest possible pieces and subsequently to disperse the chopped stalks as uniformly as possible over the whole cutting width on the soil. This is achieved by positioning in uniform distribution fixed tang plates serrated on their front sides on the mantle of a chopping cylinder which tang plates separate laterally positioned stalks in a drawing cut in a uniform, relatively thin veil over cutting knives fixed rigidly, but equipped with springs on the chopping floor. The stalks taken up in a longitudinal direction by the tang plates are separated separately in a following device. In this process, this device can comprise a simple counter bar positioned directly after the chopping knives. For stalks which are more difficult to separate, optionally a cylinder-type chopper or several flywheel choppers can also be located after the lateral cutting device.