Tailings return system for combine harvester

A combine harvester (1) comprising

• a threshing and separating mechanism (8),
• a cleaning mechanism (9) disposed to receive threshed and separated crop material from said threshing and separating mechanism (8) and operable to separate tailings therefrom,
• tailings rethresher means (44) associated with said cleaning mechanism (9) for rethreshing the tailings separated therein, and
• tailings conveyor means (52) for recycling rethreshed tailings from said rethresher means (44) via a discharge aperture to said cleaning mechanism (9), the improvement comprising
• a screen (86) provided above said cleaning mechanism (9) at a location offset from said discharge aperture (62) of said tailings conveyor means (52), said screen (86) intersecting the tailings flow and being operable to absorb the kinetic energy thereof which is imparted thereto by said tailings conveyor means (52), and
• a deflector (72) operatively associated with said discharge aperture (62) of said tailings conveyor means (52) to receive the tailings emerging therefrom, said deflector comprising at least two individually directed deflector elements extending in the general direction of said screen (86) to substantially evenly spread said tailings across the full width of said cleaning mechanism (9) in the direction of said screen (86).