System to reduce material accumulation on top of a power residue spreader on an agricultural combine and method thereof

A combine harvester, comprising:

• a housing including a rear hood and opposite side walls which define an interior;
• a blower disposed in the interior of the housing, the blower configured to generate an air stream in a substantially rearward direction;
• a cleaning system disposed in the interior at a location rearward of the blower, the cleaning system separating residue from a crop material such that the residue is transported via the air stream rearwardly to be discharged from the housing;
• a chopper rotor assembly disposed within the interior and comprising a chopper rotor mounted about a hub for rotation about an axis defined by the hub and a plurality of blades coupled to the hub of the chopper rotor for chopping the residue as it is received via the air stream;
• a chopper housing disposed within the interior and defining an inlet opening for receiving the residue being transported via the air stream from the cleaning system and an outlet spaced rearward from the chopper rotor for discharge of the chopped residue from the interior of the housing;
• a spreader configured to convey crop residue rearwardly from the chopper rotor assembly, the spreader including a frame coupled to a rear portion of the combine and having a top portion adapted to receive a portion of crop residue during a harvesting operation;
• an impellor of the spreader comprising one or more blades for rotatably conveying crop residue rearwardly;
• an actuator controllably moved between an extended position and a retracted position, the actuator being pivotally coupled to the combine;
• a linkage assembly pivotally coupled to the actuator at one end and to the frame at another end;
• wherein, the spreader is disposable in a first position when the actuator is in the extended position, and the spreader is disposable in a second position when the actuator is in the retracted position.

A spreader of a combine for conveying crop residue rearwardly from a chopper rotor assembly, comprising:

• a frame configured to be coupled to a rear portion of the combine, the frame including a top portion adapted to receive a portion of crop residue during a harvesting operation;
• an impellor comprising one or more blades for rotatably conveying crop residue rearwardly;
• an actuator controllably moved between an extended position and a retracted position, the actuator being pivotally coupled to the combine;
• a linkage assembly pivotally coupled to the actuator at one end and to the frame at another end;
• and
• a control system comprising a controller for controllably operating the actuator between its extended and retracted positions;
• wherein, the spreader is disposable in a first position when the actuator is in the extended position, and the spreader is disposable in a second position when the actuator is in the retracted position;
• wherein, a movement from the extended position to the retracted position induces pivotal movement of the spreader from the first position to the second position;
• wherein, in the second position, an accumulation of crop residue on the top portion falls off therefrom.