Sugar cane harvester

1. A sugar cane harvester with cab ( 23 ), the harvester comprising;

a chassis ( 5 );

a tip cutting device ( 2 );

a cane line dividing device ( 3 );

a base cutting device ( 14 ) having base cutting discs the ends of which are aligned with the point where a front ground contact means ( 13 ) first touches the soil;

a set of sugar cane conveying rollers ( 6 ) for conveying sugar cane;

a sugar cane chopping device ( 7 );

a cane cleaning device ( 8 );

an engine ( 12 ) located in a rear portion of the harvester, independent of the chassis ( 5 );

ground contacting means ( 13 , 25 ) for moving the harvester; and

an elevator ( 9 ) located in a central portion of the harvester having a 180-degree turning mechanism and wherein the set of sugar cane conveying rollers ( 6 ) comprises fixed lower rollers and moveable upper rollers ( 6 ) which convey the cane and wherein each cane conveying roller ( 6 ) is powered by at least one hydraulic motor housed inside the roller, an aperture ( 5 a ) being provided in the chassis through which motor can be removed.

2. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the base cutting device ( 14 ) has an angle of attack (A) between the machine and the start of cutting in the range of 55 to 75 degrees with respect to the soil.

3. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 , wherein at least one feed roller ( 15 ) is provided which is capable of inclining the cane to be cut with respect to the soil.

4. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the moveable upper rollers of the set of sugar cane conveying rollers ( 6 ) are detachably interconnected for simultaneous movement away from the fixed rollers by a single pivot pin ( 6 c ).

5. A sugar cane harvester with cab, comprising:

a chassis:

a tip cutting device;

a cane line dividing device;

a base cutting device;

a set of rollers for conveying sugar cane;

a sugar cane chopping device;

a cane cleaning device;

an engine;

ground contacting means for moving the harvester; and

an elevator located in a central portion of the harvester having a 180-degree turning mechanism and wherein the engine is located in a rear portion of the harvester, independent of the chassis and the base cutting device has base cutting discs the ends of which are aligned with the point where a front ground contact means first touches the soil, wherein each cane conveying roller has an internal ring surrounding each end of the roller, the ring extending axially over an end portion of the roller to protect bearings and/or motor which are housed inside the roller from soil.

6. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the sugar cane chopping device ( 7 ) has a shielded case ( 7 a ).

7. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 , wherein an uppermost portion ( 19 ) of the elevator ( 9 ) can be moved relative to the lower portion of the elevator to position the uppermost portion for unloading.

8. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 , wherein a lower side of the elevator carries a protective shield which is spring mounted on the remainder of the elevator to allow movement of the protective shield relative to the remainder of the elevator to provide protection for the elevator from impacts with adjacent vehicles during unloading.

9. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the ground contacting means comprise four tires ( 13 ).

10. A sugar cane harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the ground contacting means comprise two front tires ( 13 ) and two rear half-tracks ( 25 ).

11. A sugar cane harvester with a cab ( 23 ), comprising:

a chassis ( 5 );

a tip cutting device ( 2 );

a cane line dividing device ( 3 );

a base cutting device ( 14 );

a set of rollers ( 6 ) for conveying sugar cane;

a sugar cane chopping device ( 7 );

a cane cleaning device ( 8 );

an engine ( 12 ); and

an elevator wherein the set of cane conveying rollers ( 6 ) comprises pairs of lower and upper rollers, each roller being powered by at least one hydraulic motor housed inside the roller, an aperture being provided in the chassis through which the motor can be removed.