Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE lNv~ ON
Forage conditioning machine.
FIELD OF THE lNv~.,ION
The present invention relates to an intense
forage conditioning machine that simultaneously mows the
crop and conditions it through macerating rolls.
BACRGROUND OF THE lNV~. ~ ION
U.S. Patent No. 4,265,076 to Krutz describes a
machine that macerates forage with two serrated rolls and
forms a continuous mat with two compression rolls. The
residence time of forage between two rolls during
maceration and two other rolls during compression is
relatively short, and makes it difficult to obtain very
severe conditioning and a uniform mat. Moreover, there
is no provision to recuperate juice when it flows out
from very wet forage at the compression stage.
U.S. Patent No. 4,332,125 to Holdren describes
a machine that makes discontinuous mats of macerated
forage. The main problem with this design is that it
accumulates forage on a compression belt until enough
material is prepared in a rectangular mat. Under modern
operating conditions of high yield and high feed rate, it
appears preferable to deposit the macerated forage
rapidly and continuously to avoid any plugging.
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U.S. Patent No. 5,036,652 to Schmittbetz and
Liebers describes a machine that macerates forage between
multiple planetary grooved rolls and compresses the mat
between two rolls. The main difference between this
machine and the above mentioned Krutz patent is the
macerating roll configuration.
Savoie and co-workers (1991, ASAE paper 91-
1578, St. Joseph, MI; 1993, Transactions of the ASAE
36(2):285-291) describe an experimental unit with a 2.1 m
wide cutterbar, eight 1.5 m wide macerating rolls and a
1.2 m wide double-belt press. Maceration was adequate
but the machine was bulky and complex. The two rubber
belts were subject to high lateral forces under variable
yield and moisture and sometimes deposited thick clumps
of forage instead of a uniformly thin mat.
Technical report no 13.93 dated June 1993 from
Deutz Fahr Company (Kodelstrasse 1, Lauingen, Germany, D-
89415) describes a 2.8 m wide disk mower, 8-roll
maceration system and 8-roll compression unit with
additional intermediate components (eight rolls and two
belts) to even out material flow. Such a machine is not
likely to handle large feed rates which would cause
plugging in the intermediate components.
U.S. Patent No. 5,152,127 to Koegel and co-
workers describes a machine that mows and macerates
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forage by impact. The machine requires upwardacceleration of the mowed forage to reach the impact
roll. This may limit the use of impact roll maceration
to flail mowers.
Commercial literature dated January 1994 from
Krone Company (P.O. Box 1163, Spelle, Germany, D-48478)
describes a machine with a hammer roll for intensive
forage conditioning. However, the hammer roll
conditioning machine is a separate unit that picks up an
already mowed swath and is therefore not integrated with
a mower. The machine does not have any provision for
forming compressed mats.
While there have been several attempts to
improve forage drying with intensive conditioning, none
has successfully handled large feed rates and produced
well-formed macerated continuous swaths or mats. It is
also important that the intensive conditioning system be
integrated in a single machine that includes a mowing
mechanism.
STA~ Nl OF THE lNV~ lON
The present invention pertains to a machine,
called an intensive conditioner or superconditioner, that
simultaneously mows fresh forage and macerates the crop.
The macerated forage may alternately be compressed and
deposited as a thin mat on the stubble, or ejected
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immediately after maceration as a fluffy swath on the
stubble. The machine with the compression unit can
recuperate any expressed juice by pouring it back on top
of the mat. Superconditioned forage dries faster than
conventionally conditioned forage. It also has a
greater feeding value for lactating dairy cows. The
machine will facilitate hay making, silage making and
forage harvest for dehydration under a variable climate.
Compared to the above described prior machines,
the present invention has the advantage of very thorough
maceration while maintaining a high feed rate. The
machine may also compress the macerated forage and
recuperate on top of the mat any expressed juice. When
left to dry under sunny conditions, macerated forage
dries more quickly than conventional forage windrows. It
also has a greater feed value than forage conditioned
with conventional rolls.
The present invention therefore relates to a
machine for intense conditioning of forage into a thin
20 mat and depositing the mat on a stubble, comprising:
a) means for cutting fresh forage off the ground
to leave a stubble;
b) conveying means to move the cut forage;
c) a macerating unit composed of a series of
grooved rolls rotating at different speeds to
severely condition the cut forage;
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d) a double track pressing unit to compress the
macerated forage and deposit the resulting
thin mat on the stubble.
Other features of this invention reside in the
particular arrangement of parts, the more thorough
maceration through multiple parallel grooved rolls, the
staggered position of the macerating rolls that convey
forage to the compression unit, a dual track system to
compress the macerated forage into a thin mat and slats
that recuperate and release expressed juice.
Other objects and further scope of
applicability of the present invention will become
apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.
It should be understood, however, that this detailed
description, while indicating preferred embodiments of
the invention, is given by way of illustration only,
since various changes and modifications within the spirit
and scope of the invention will become apparent to those
skilled in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of an intensive
forage conditioning machine made in accordance with the
present invention, using a pull-type disk mower;
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Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the
intensive forage conditioning machine of the present
invention, using a pull-type cutterbar mower;
Fig. 3 is a side view of the machine shown in
figure 2, adapted to and mounted on a self-propelled
tractor-mower unit;
Fig. 4 is a top view of the machine shown in
figure 1 with parts removed for clarity;
Fig. 5 is a schematic side view showing details
of the macerating unit;
Fig. 6 is a schematic side view showing details
of the pressing unit;
Fig. 7 is a view similar to figure 6, showing
the pressing unit in a compression mode;
Figs. 8a and 8b show top and side views of a
plastic slat with furrows;
Fig. 9a is a schematic side view of the
pressure plates and the counter pressure plate while Fig.
9b is a top view of the pressure plate and Fig. 9c is a
bottom view of the counterpressure plate;
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Fig. 10 illustrates a simplified configuration
of the pull-type disk mower-superconditioner; and
Fig. 11 illustrates a simplified configuration
of the self-propelled mower-superconditioner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE lNv~ ION
A first component of the forage conditioning
machine of the present invention is the mowing mechanism.
Referring to figure 1, it consists of a disk mower 1.
The freshly cut forage is pulled away by two feeding
rolls 2 and 3 that mix the crop and provide an even flow
of forage to the macerating rolls. The upper feeding
roll 2 turns counterclockwise while the bottom feeding
roll 3 turns clockwise. On some mowers, additional
feeding components, like a reel 16 and an auger 17 (see
fig. 2) may be necessary to convey material from the
mower to the feeding rolls 2' and 3'.
A second component of the conditioning machine
is the macerating unit composed of a series of grooved
rolls 4, 5, 6 and 7 of equal diameter placed in a
staggered sequence. Each macerating roll is made out of
hollow steel and is grooved on its outer surface with
longitudinal grooves along the axis of the roll.
Preferably, there are approximately 3 grooves per cm
(pitch equal to 3.2 mm or 0.125 inch); the depth of each
groove is 1.5 mm (0.059 inch).
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The two upper macerating rolls 4 and 6 turn
counterclockwise (at about 2000 rpm) while the two lower
rolls 5 and 7 turn clockwise (at about 1000 rpm). The
speed ratio between the upper and lower macerating rolls
is preferably in the range of 1.5 to 2.5. A higher ratio
close to 2.5 is recommended when less than four rolls are
used. The freshly cut crop is pulled aggressively and
macerated at the three interfaces between the upper and
lower macerating rolls. The macerated forage is
projected slightly upward out of the last two rolls 6 and
7 and into a press unit. At the exit of the macerating
rolls, a deflector 8 made of curved metal sheet extends
over the width of the macerating rolls and two vertical
metallic plates 18 and 19 (see fig. 4) are disposed at
each end of the macerating unit. The plates may pivot
inwards to reduce the feeding width of the crop to the
pressing unit. This is useful when the crop yield is
light so that enough material will be compressed into a
cohesive mat.
A third component of the conditioning machine
is the press unit. It is composed of an endless lower
track 9 and an endless upper track 10 that can squeeze
the macerated forage into a thin mat. Adjustable
pressure plates 11, 12 and 13 are located within the
upper track to apply the desired pressure against the
tracks. A fixed counterpressure plate 14 is located
within the lower track to prevent sag when pressure is
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applied vertically downward against the two tracks to
squeeze the forage into a thin mat. The macerated forage
is first ejected on the upper side of the bottom track 9
that moves clockwise. The upper track 10 moves
counterclockwise against the bottom track. The
compression time depends on the length of contact between
the two tracks and the forward speed. Both tracks move
at equal speed; the track speed is approximately equal to
the tractor ground speed. Thus, the compressed mat falls
on the stubble at a relative speed of zero which
minimizes losses.
Fig. 2 illustrates an intensive forage
conditioning device wherein the mowing component is a
pull-type cutterbar mower 15. All of the other
components are similar to those of figure 1, except that
the feeding rolls 2' and 3' may be located in a position
slightly different than the rolls 2 and 3 for the disk
mower 1 or might even be removed if the mower feeds
material evenly directly to the macerating rolls. As a
consequence, the macerating rolls 4', 5', 6' and 7' might
be positioned slightly differently to ensure proper flow
and maceration of the freshly mowed forage.
Fig. 3 illustrates the intensive forage
conditioning device adapted to a self-propelled cutterbar
mower and mounted to a tractor unit 50. The width of the
macerating roll components and the width of the
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compression unit must be adapted to space limitations
under the tractor unit.
Fig. 4 shows a top view of the pull-type disk
mower of the machine of figure 1. The upper safety
shields are not shown to illustrate the rotating
components and the deflecting vertical plates 18 and 19.
Similar plates are also used in a pull-type cutterbar
mower to control the width of the swath or the mat. On
a self-propelled cutterbar mower, diffusion horizontal
plates can be used to spread the macerated forage if the
macerated roll width is relatively narrow.
Fig. 5 shows in greater detail the macerating
rolls and the spring loading mechanism to adjust roll
tension and maceration intensity. The lower macerating
rolls 5 and 7 are fixed within the frame of the machine.
The upper rolls 4 and 6 are spring-loaded with a stop
plate to prevent them from touching the lower rolls.
Four individual springs, two of which are illustrated as
20 and 21, are linked by wires at each end of each upper
roll. They allow each upper roll to move upwards if
excessive yield or a foreign object, such as a stone,
enters the macerating unit. These springs reduce the
wear of the macerating rolls. They can also be adjusted
to influence the maceration intensity according to the
thickness of forage going through the machine. Two
pivoting shaft supports 22 and 23 allow to move the
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static position of the upper rolls and adjust the
clearance between the macerating rolls (which is usually
set at 1 mm).
Fig. 6 shows the compression system with the
upper track 10 in a raised position above the lower track
9. Each track is made of plastic slats that are riveted
to three roller chains, one at each end and one in the
center of the slats. The roller chains are activated by
sprockets 24 and 25 that are powered either by the
tractive wheels on the ground or by other sources of
power. The tracks move backward at a speed equal to the
forward travel speed so that the relative speed is zero.
The macerated forage is therefore deposited evenly and
delicately on the stubble. When a source of power other
than tractive wheels is used to drive the tracks, an
actuator must be used to adjust track speed automatically
to forward travel speed.
Four pivoting arms, two of which are shown as
26 and 27, raise or lower the upper track 10 by the
action of two hydraulic cylinders. When not in use, the
upper track can be raised to release pressure. It can
also be operated in a raised position if forage is to be
macerated only and not compressed. The bottom track will
continue to move and deposit the macerated forage
delicately on the stubble.
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Fig. 7 shows the compression system with the
upper track 10 in a lowered position, ready to compress
macerated forage into a thin mat. A double idler spring-
loaded sprocket 28 ensures that both tracks continue
turning in the same direction at the interface whether
the upper track is raised or lowered. In the lowered
position, some juice may be expressed as the macerated
forage is squeezed between tracks 9 and 10. The slats on
the upper track 10 have cavities or furrows that fill up
with forage juice when the two tracks squeeze the forage.
When the mat is released and deposited on the ground, the
juice in the cavities or furrows reaches a point above
the released mats and drips back on top of the mat.
Soluble nutrients contained in the juice are therefore
recuperated on the upper surface of the mat as the water
evaporates during natural field drying.
Figs. 8a and 8b show an example of a furrowed
plastic slat lOa used on the upper track 10. A preferred
slat is 2~" (63 mm) wide by 64" (1625 mm) long by ~" (13
mm) thick. Furrows are %" (6 mm) deep spaced 1" (25 mm)
apart and at an angle of 68. These furrows cover about
44~ of total area, allowing for excess juice to be stored
during compression. After compression, the juice drips
back on the upper surface of the mat to retain soluble
nutrients in the forage. Alternately, cavities can be
machined in the plastic slats for the same purpose of
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temporarily storing excess juice, although furrows are
easier to make.
Figs. 9a, 9b and 9c show the pressure plates
52, 54, 56 and the counterpressure plate 58 used to
compress the tracks one against the other. The plates
are made of steel protected against corrosion as forage
juice is slightly acid. The surface of the plates must
be as smooth as possible to minimize friction between the
plates and the moving plastic slats. If the compression
system is powered by ground driven wheels, the average
pressure applicable is about 1 psi (8000 Pa) over a 10
ft2 (0.9 m2) area of plates at typical travel speeds of 4-
6 mph (6-10 km/h) because of the limited amount of
tractive power available. If the compression system is
driven by the tractor engine (either hydraulically or
mechanically), power is usually less of a constraint and
a higher pressure may be applied to obtain thinner mats.
The number of macerating rolls can be less or
greater than four although four rolls have been found
satisfactory in providing a thorough maceration.
Similarly the macerated forage does not always need to be
compressed in a thin mat. No compression may be useful
when forage yield is heavy and compression would actually
hamper water evaporation from the bottom layer of the
forage. No compression may also be satisfactory when the
macerated forage is not sensitive to leaf loss during
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deposition on the stubble and during pickup of the dried
swath. Under these circumstances, a simplified
configuration as in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 may be
considered.
In Fig. 10, intensive conditioning is applied
to a pull-type disk mower by using a single feeding roll
31 and three macerating rolls 32, 33 and 34. A
compression system would be optional (and is not included
in the drawing). The heavily ribbed feeding roll 31 at
the bottom is necessary to pull the freshly mowed forage
upwards and to feed it through the macerating rolls.
When the mower-macerator is used without a compression
system, the macerated forage is ejected against a curved
plate 35 and drops onto the stubble as a fluffy swath.
In Fig. 11, a simplified configuration is
adapted to a cutterbar self-propelled mower. The freshly
mowed forage is fed by the conveying auger 36 directly to
a set of three macerating rolls 37, 38 and 39. The nip
point of the first two macerating rolls 37 and 38 is
located at a position below the axial center of the auger
so the mowed material flows easily downward and backward
by gravity. A short flat horizontal plate may be useful
between the auger and the first bottom macerating roll 37
to ensure proper feeding. The macerated forage is
ejected at the back of the machine against a plate 40
that deflects and deposits a fluffy swath on the stubble.
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A large scale prototype of the mower-
superconditioner was built and field tested. It had a
9'3" (2.8 m) wide disk mower, four macerating rolls 7'
(2.1 m) wide and 9" (0.23 m) diameter, and a pressing
unit with tracks 5' (1.5 m) wide and a contact length
between both tracks of 33" (0.84 m). The macerated
forage was left on the stubble by one of three modes:
macerated-ejected as with the machine in Fig. 10,
macerated-compressed-deposited as in Fig. 2 or macerated-
deposited without compression as in Fig. 2 with thecompression device open and acting simply as a conveyor
(Fig. 6).
Table 1 shows average field drying values of
second cutting alfalfa with the large scale prototype
compared to a commercial disk mower-conditioner with
steel finger flail conditioning (called hereafter
conventional conditioning). The initial moisture at
mowing averaged 83%, the dry matter yield averaged 1.1
ton per acre (2.4 tonne per hectare) and mowing was
assumed to occur at 9 a.m.. By the end of the first day
of drying (8 p.m.), the macerated forage was ready to
harvest as wilted silage (49 to 59% moisture) whereas the
conventionally conditioned forage was too wet (66%
moisture) to put in a tower silo. By 4 p.m. on the
second day, the macerated-deposited forage was
practically ready to harvest as baled hay if barn
ventilation or a moist hay preservative was used. Hay
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harvest would be at least one day sooner with mowing-
maceration compared to conventional mowing-conditioning.
Table 1. Observed field drying with an intensive forage
conditioning prototype compared to a
conventional mower-conditioner. Values are
averaged over four mowing dates.
Day Time Moisture Content (% wet basis)
Conventional Macerated- Macerated- Macerated-
conditioning ejected compressed- deposited
deposited
1 9 a.m. 83.0 83.0 83.0 83.0
1 8 p.m. 66.2 58.7 52.1 48.5
2 4 p.m. 57.9 44.8 35.6 29.0
Conventional conditioning would not allow
harvesting before the third day of drying with the risk
of rain, microbial deterioration of the forage and the
need to further manipulate the windrow to reach
appropriate moisture.
Macerated forage also has a potentially higher
feed value than conventionally conditioned forage. An
original feeding trial was completed with macerated
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alfalfa hay and unmacerated alfalfa hay (conventionally
conditioned with rubber rolls). Macerated hay was
harvested with an experimental field machine of eight
macerating rolls turning at a relatively low speed (670
and 1000 rpm for low-speed and high speed rolls
respectively) without a compression unit. Twenty-four
Holstein cows of second or greater parity were randomly
assigned to receive one of two treatments: (1) a ration
based on alfalfa hay harvested and baled traditionally
(small rectangular bales) or (2) a ration based on
superconditioned alfalfa hay baled traditionally. All
cows received 10 kg per day of an 18% crude protein
commercially produced concentrate and their respective
hay ad libitum (without limitation on quantity) beginning
their fourth week postpartum (after calving) until week
14 postpartum (10 weeks of early lactation). Cows fed
conventional hay ate 14.03 kg/d and cows fed
superconditioned hay ate 16.11 kg/d (a 15% increase).
Cows on the superconditioned hay ration produced 15% more
milk (34.32 kg/d vs 29.93 kg/d). Milk fat content was
the same for both milks (3.39%) but milk protein was
higher from cows eating superconditioned hay (3.27% vs
3.11%)-
Although the invention has been described above
in relation to some specific forms, it will be evident to
a person skilled in the art that it may be modified and
refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to have
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it understood that the present invention should not be
limited in scope, except by the terms of the following
claims.
