Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02920644 2016-02-12
CA Patent Application
Agent Ref: 13137/00001
1 A DEVICE FOR SEPARATING FEED FOR LIVESTOCK
2
3 TECHNICAL FIELD
4 [0001] The invention relates to a device for separating feed for
livestock, in particular
compacted forage such as silage in a silo, or bales.
6 BACKGROUND
7 [0002] Silage is collected layer by layer into a silo and
compacted, for example by riding over
8 it with a tractor. By compacting, the feed is protected against
environmental factors, such as
9 oxygen, and storage becomes possible for a longer period of time. The
silage is typically
dissected into blocks which can then be used in a supply bunker or feed
kitchen. Also, the feed
11 can be separated at the spot, such as, for example, is known from EP 2
232 982 A. However,
12 this is labor intensive and non-computerized labor wherein usually more
is loosened than
13 necessary. An excess of loosened forage spoils quickly and cannot be
stored for a long period
14 of time.
[0003] From WO 2013/157931 a feed kitchen is known with a grabber for grabbing
loose
16 forage. Possibly present silage would first have to be cut loose from
the silo and have to be
17 released after which it could be picked up by the grabber. Once loosened
silage is perishable.
18 SUMMARY
19 [0004] In an example embodiment, there is a device with which compacted
forage can be
detached and dosed in a simple, efficient, and preferably automated manner.
21 [0005] In an example embodiment, a device is provided for the loosening
of forage, which
22 apparatus comprises a grabber which is provided with grabber shells of
which the edges that
23 are facing towards each other are provided with cutting elements. The
grabber shells can be
24 moved between a closed position and an opened position, wherein the
cutting elements are
arranged at an angle with the vertical, which angle lies in the range of -25
to 25 degrees,
26 preferably -15 to 15 degrees with the vertical.
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1 [0006] With such a device, it is possible to detach silage quickly and
efficiently from above. In
2 the opened position of the grabber, the cutting elements are at an
advantageous angle of
3 intersection with the upper surface of the silage. As a result, the
silage can for instance directly
4 be cut loose from the silo, and be dosed without having to be cut loose
in blocks first. Because
this intermediate step can be beaten, time and costs can be saved. The grabber
is capable of
6 penetrating to a desired depth of cut in the silage, after which the
grabber may be closed. This
7 enables the removal of an accurately metered amount of feed.
8 [0007] The grabber may, for example, be movable in a first horizontal
direction, along one or
9 more beams which are moveable along a guideway in a second horizontal
direction. As a result,
the full range of a silo or feed kitchen can be covered. The guideway may
thereby be provided
11 with flanges for the provision of a vertical reaction force on the beams
when the cutting
12 elements of the grabber are pressed into the silage. As a result, a
considerably larger cutting
13 force may be exerted.
14 [0008] The beams may for example be supported by columns, wherein the
girders and the
columns are moveable as a whole along said guideway.
16 [0009] The apparatus may be provided with, for example, at least two
parallel walls, each of
17 which is provided with a guiding rail on which one or more of the
columns rest and along which
18 the respective columns are movable. For example, the guiding rail may be
arranged on the
19 upper edge of the associated wall. The silage may be collected between
the walls and be
compacted there.
21 [0010] In an exemplary embodiment, one of the guiding rails may
cooperate without play with
22 rollers that support columns on the respective guiding rail. The guiding
rail may for example be
23 an l-profile, in which the columns are supported by a first roller with
a horizontal axis that runs
24 over an upper surface of the I-section, and two lateral, vertical
rollers that run on both sides of
the I-profile over the side faces of the profile. In order to prevent jamming
of the beams, the
26 other guiding rails may comprise a profile that incorporates rollers
with clearance in horizontal
27 and vertical direction. Such a profile may for example consist of a C-
profile in which at least one
28 roller that is attached to the respective column is rollably
accommodated with play. The upper
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Agent Ref: 13137/00001
1 flange of the C-profile herein prevents the roller can be moved up too
much, in particular, during
2 the cutting, whereby an upward force is exerted on the grabber and the
beams.
3 [0011] For collecting the amount of forage loosened by the grabber, the
device may be
4 provided with one of more collector bins. The collector bin may for
example be suspended to
one or more columns on one of the walls and be movable along with the columns.
Because the
6 collector bin moves along with the columns, the grabber needs to be
moved, after taking a bite,
7 only via the beams, while the columns will remain at their places. The
displacement of the
8 columns over the wall parts will in practice be more gradual than the
displacement of the
9 grabber via the beams. For limiting the displacement of the grabber via
the beams, the collector
bin is preferably positioned as central as possible.
11 [0012] The collector bin may for example be suspended on an outer side
of the device or in
12 an empty interspace between two parallel partitioning walls of the
device.
13 [0013] If the device is used for a silo with several silo slots, the
device may comprise three or
14 more of said parallel walls. These walls then comprise two outer walls
and one or more inner
walls, by which the longitudinal sides of all silo slots are bordered. Next to
each inner wall a
16 parallel auxiliary wall may be positioned. Between the respective inner
wall and the auxiliary
17 wall that is positioned next to it an interspace is present, in which
for example a collector bin
18 may be accommodated that is movable along with the columns. Preferably,
the collecting tray
19 can be moved vertically, for example along the columns standing on the
respective wall,
between a lower receiving position and an upper position in which it is
possible to empty the bin.
21 In order to be able to empty the bin, the bottom of the collector bin
may be arranged as a
22 conveyor belt that may is capable of discharging the forage via a
discharge opening in a wall of
23 the collector bin, for example to a loading platform of a trolley or a
feeding robot.
24 [0014] The collector bin may for example be provided with one or more
mixing means, such
as a rotatably drivable mixing auger. The drive of the mixing unit may thereby
be controlled by a
26 control unit that activates the mixing member as soon as the amount of
collected forage
27 exceeds a minimum value.
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1 [0015] The grabber may include one or more sensors for determining the
amount of forage
2 cut-loose. These sensors may, for example, be weight sensors or volume
sensors, such as
3 sensors for the measurement of the cutting depth, after which the
separated volume may be
4 calculated on the basis of the pre-known distance between the cutting
edges in the opened
position of the grabber and the length of the cutting edges. When the grabber
cuts loose a part
6 of the forage, the cutting depth and the cutting width may be determined
by a computer, and the
7 separated volume may be calculated, assuming a fixed cutting length (=
the distance between
8 the cutting edges when the grabber is fully opened). Preferably, this
does not happen at a first
9 bite of the grabber, because the upper face of the silage is then still
irregular and may contain
pits and holes. In a second or further bite, the removed strip has a more or
less uniform
11 thickness so that the volume may be easily determined. When both the
volume and the weight
12 have been determined, the specific gravity of the computer may be
calculated. Then, the
13 computer can always easily calculate the desired cutting depth and
cutting width of a next bite
14 that are needed in order to achieve a certain final weight.
[0016] If the grabber is driven by electric motors, it becomes possible to
measure the
16 horizontal and the vertical movements of the grabber accurately by the
number of revolutions of
17 the rotors of the electric motors, with the aid of a suitable sensor or
tachometer. In this manner,
18 it becomes possible to determine, for example, the cutting depth and the
cutting width (the width
19 of the bite that is to be taken off in the direction along the cutting
edges) accurately.
[0017] In a specific example embodiment, each inner wall may carry a front
column and a
21 rear column, wherein the front columns support a front beam and the rear
columns support a
22 rear beam, and wherein the grabber includes a frame, that is movable
along the front and rear
23 beam. The two columns supported by one and the same wall may thereby be
connected at the
24 bottom side by means of a coupling beam to which an auxiliary motor is
provided that drives the
movement of the columns along the guideway by means of a transmission.
26 [0018] The cutting edges of the grabber shells may, for example, consist
of straight knives,
27 serrated knives, cutting edges and / or point-shaped blades engaging in
one another. The
28 cutting edges may, for example, further be provided with a drive for
moving back and forth the
29 cutting elements in connection with the closing of the grabber. The
reciprocating cutting
elements may be, for example, saw segments. The back and forth movable cutting
elements will
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CA Patent Application
Agent Ref: 13137/00001
1 typically be moved in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction
of the cutting edge. For
2 example, a row of movable cutting teeth may be moved back and forth with
respect to a row of
3 fixed cutting teeth, wherein both rows of cutting teeth overlap each
other. In a particular
4 embodiment, the cutting elements comprise a fixed knife with a row of
cutting teeth, and a knife
that is movable back and forth and has a row of cutting teeth, wherein the two
rows of cutting
6 teeth overlap each other, and wherein the cutting teeth of the fixed
knife protrude with respect to
7 the cutting teeth of the moving knife. At the closing of the grabber the
long teeth of the fixed
8 knife will push aside any stones or other hard objects possibly present,
as a result of which the
9 moving cutting teeth of the moving knife are shielded and the risk of
damage is reduced.
[0019] The grabber shells may be arranged with edges that are vertical and
connecting to
11 each other, in the closed position. These edges may also be provided
with cutting edges, such
12 as knives, serrated edges, or saw segments that may optionally be driven
for a reciprocating
13 cutting or sawing movement.
14 [0020] In order to obtain a substantially straight cutting plane, the
grabber may be made so
that the grabber shells can be moved upwards through a slotted guideway during
the closing of
16 the grabber. The cutting edges of the grabber may thereby be moved in a
substantially straight
17 horizontal line towards each other during the closing. This allows flat
slices of forage to be cut
18 loose, whose volume can be properly determined by presetting the cutting
depth and cutting
19 width.
[0021] The grabber may further comprise a frame with a horizontal sliding or
roller guideway
21 along which the grabber shells are freely moveable. As a result, the
grabber is self-locating in
22 situations where the upper surface of the stock of silage is not flat:
if one of the grabber shells in
23 the opened position of the grabber experiences a cutting resistance
earlier than the other
24 grabber shell does, the grabber shell will move sideward until the
second grabber shell also
experiences cutting resistance. After this, the grabber may be closed further.
26 [0022] The frame of the grabber may comprise an upper sub frame, that is
movable forth and
27 back via the beams, and a lower sub frame, that may be moved up and down
relative to the
28 upper sub frame, for example by means of a scissor construction.
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Agent Ref: 13137/00001
1 [0023] If desired, the grabber may be rotatable about a vertical axis,
for example, over an
2 angular range of 180 degrees.
3 [0024] If the grabber is moveable downwards at an angle of at least 75
degrees with the floor,
4 the grabber is also suitable for detaching silage from bales or blocks.
[0025] The device may further also be provided with a control unit arranged to
at least
6 partially close the grabber and to re-open it one or more times during
grabbing, for example
7 after reaching a maximum cutting pressure. As a result, the silage at the
location of the cutting
8 line is loosened so that the knives are allowed to cut the silage more
easily and with less back
9 pressure.
[0026] The device may for example be used at a silo, for example a silo having
one or more
11 silo slots positioned next to each other. However, the device is also
suitable for use in a covered
12 feed kitchen where the silage has been put down in pre-cut blocks.
13 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
14 [0027] The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to
the example
embodiments shown in the drawings.
16 [0028] Figure 1: shows, in perspective, a preferred embodiment of a
device according to the
17 invention;
18 [0029] Figure 2: shows a grabber of the apparatus of Figure 1 in opened
position;
19 [0030] Figure 3: shows the grabber of Figure 2 in closed position;
[0031] Figure 4: shows the guideway of a column in relation to a silo wall of
the device of
21 Figure 1;
22 [0032] Figure 5: shows the guideway over a second or further wall;
23 [0033] Figure 6 shows an alternative guideway;
24 [0034] Figure 7: shows a perspective top view of the grabber;
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Agent Ref: 13137/00001
1 [0035] Figure 8: shows an alternative embodiment of a device according to
the invention;
2 [0036] Figure 9: shows another possible embodiment of the grabber;
3 [0037] Figure 10: shows a a front view of a cutting edge of the grabber;
4 [0038] Figure 11: shows a side view of the cutting edge of Figure 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
6 [0039] Figure 1 shows a silo 1 with four silo slots la, lb, lc, ld of
which one is filled with
7 silage 2 in the drawing. In the exemplary embodiment of Figure 1, the
silo is provided with a
8 device 3 with a number of parallel walls bordering the silo slots: two
outer walls 4, three load-
9 bearing inner walls 5 that allow columns 6 to rest upon them, and three
non-load-bearing
auxiliary walls 7 each positioned next to an inner wall 5.
11 [0040] The load-bearing inner walls 5 and the outer walls 4 are provided
at the upper side
12 with a guideway 8 along which the columns 6 are movable back and forth
in a first horizontal
13 direction A that coincides with the longitudinal direction of the
respective wall 5. Each load-
14 bearing wall 5 carries a front column 6a and a rear column 6b. The front
columns 6a jointly carry
a front beam 9a. The rear columns 6b jointly carry a rear beam 9b. At both
ends, the two
16 parallel beams 9a, 9b, are coupled by means of a coupling beam 11, which
is centrally
17 supported by a single column 6c which in turn is supported by the
guideway 8 at the upper side
18 of the respective outer wall 4.
19 [0041] The device 3 further comprises a grabber 13 having a frame 14
suspended from the
beams 9a, 9b, and that is movable along these beams 9a, 9b in a second
horizontal direction B,
21 which is substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal movement
direction A of the columns
22 6. The grabber 13 thus may be moved in the direction A as well as in the
direction B and may
23 thus be moved over the entire range of the silo 1.
24 [0042] Between each carrying inner wall 5 and the auxiliary wall 7
positioned next to it, an
intermediate space 16 is present. In one of the intermediate spaces 16, a
collector bin 17 is
26 positioned in which the forage that has been loosened by the grabber 13
may be collected. The
27 collecting bin 17 is vertically movable between a low position, in which
it is located in the
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1 intermediate space 16 between the two walls 5, 7, and an upper position,
as shown in Figure 1.
2 In this upper position, it is possible to empty the tray 17 in a conveyor
trolley 19. The collector
3 bin 17 may be provided to this end with a bottom consisting of a conveyor
belt 15 which
4 discharges the forage into the collector bin 17 via an opening in the
wall of the collector bin 17
into the conveyor trolley 19. After the collector bin 17 is emptied, it is
moved downwardly again
6 in the intermediate space 16, so that it becomes possible again to place
the grabber 13 above
7 the collector tray 17 in order to load new amounts of feed into the
collector bin 17.
8 [0043] Figure 2 shows the grabber 13 in the opened position. The grabber
13 comprises two
9 identical, symmetrically arranged grabber shells 21 with cutting edges 22
that point downward in
the opened position and that abut closingly against each other in the closed
position (Figure 3).
11 In the opened position, the cutting edges may be at an angle al, resp.
a2 with the vertical of, for
12 example, -15 to 15 degrees.
13 [0044] In the closed position (Fig. 3), the grabber shells 21 also have
vertical, mutually
14 adjoining edges 23, that are also provided with cutting edges. The
grabber shells 21 are each
suspended in a hinging manner by means of a hinge 24, to a suspension plate 26
that is carried
16 by a guiding plate 28 of the frame 14. The suspension plate 26 may move
up and down over a
17 short distance with respect to a guiding plate 28 via a vertical slotted
guideway 29. Both grabber
18 shells 21 are guided via a curved slide guideway 31, in such a manner
that the cutting edges 22
19 perform a substantially straight, horizontal movement during the closing
and the opening of the
grabber 13, such that it becomes possible to cut loose a substantially
straight slice of silage.
21 [0045] The drive 13 of the grabber (not shown) may comprise, for example
electric motors,
22 hydraulic cylinders, or similar drives that are common for grabbers. If
the drive consists of
23 electric motors, it may be provided with a tachometer so that the
cutting depth can be tracked
24 accurately. Optionally, the grabber may also be provided with one or
more distance sensors or
3D cameras for tracking the cutting depth. Another alternative is shown in
Figure 9, in which a
26 grabber is shown which is provided with a spacer 55 that may be set at
the desired length. As
27 soon as this touches the silage 2, the desired cutting depth has been
reached.
28 [0046] The frame 14 includes an upper sub frame 14a that is movable
along the girders 9a,
29 9b and a lower sub frame 14b that is suspended to the upper sub frame
14a by means of a
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1 scissoring frame 32. Through folding in and out of the scissoring frame
32, the lower sub frame
2 is movable up and down along with the grabber 13. The scissoring frame 32
may be rotatably
3 attached to the upper part frame 4a by means of a vertical axis of
rotation 40 so that the grabber
4 13 is rotatable around its vertical axis, for example, over an angular
range of 180 degrees, as
shown in Figure 7.
6 [0047] The lower sub frame 4b includes two horizontal rails 30, to which
the hanger plate 26
7 is suspended by means of rollers (not shown). This enables the grabber 13
to be moved freely
8 back and forth along the rails 30 between two stops 25. The two stops 25
are located at the
9 same distance from the center line of the grabber 13. When the grabber 13
is in opened
position, the grabber 13 simultaneously abuts to both stops 25. As a result
thereof, the grabber
11 13 is always suspended on the frame 4 in a centered manner.
12 [0048] If the top layer of the silage is not flat, the one grabber shell
21 will come into contact
13 with silage earlier than the other grabber shell 21 than when the
grabber 13 is closed. As a
14 result, the grabber 13 will move aside during the closing further until
the second grabber shell
also meets the silage. This causes both grabber shells to be loaded
simultaneously and evenly,
16 as a result of which the generation of pry and bending moments is
reduced. When the grabber
17 13 opens again above the collector bin, the grabber 13 is re-centered
again by means of the
18 stops 25, so that no forage falls outside the collector bin.
19 [0049] Figure 4 shows in cross-section a column support on one of the
walls 4 or 5. Here, the
guiding rail 8 comprises an I-profile 43 that is fastened at an upper edge of
the wall 4, 5 by
21 means of clamps 37, and extends in the displacement direction A. A first
roller 41 with a
22 horizontal axis 41a rests on an upper surface of the I-profile 43. On
both sides of the I-profile 43
23 two rollers 42 with vertical axes 42a are provided. The three rollers
41, 42 are placed around the
24 I-profile free of play or with little play, in such a manner that the
column 6 is movable on the I-
profile 43 only by allowing the simultaneous rolling of all three of the
rollers 41, 42.
26 [0050] In order to prevent jamming, the other walls 4, 5 are provided
with a different
27 guideway. This guideway is shown in Figure 5. The guiding rail 8
comprises a C-profile 44 with
28 two downwardly diverging flanges between which the upper edge of the
wall 4, 5 is clamped.
29 Other attachments may also be applied. In the cavity surrounded by the C-
profile, a roller 33 is
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I accommodated that is connected to the column 6 with play and that is
drivable by an auxiliary
2 motor 35 via a transmission 34.
3 [0051] When the grabber 13 is pressed into a stock of silage, a reaction
force will press the
4 grabber 13 with the beams 9a, 9b and the columns 6 upward. However, the C-
profile 44
prevents that the roller 33 can be moved upwards and as a result provides a
counterforce via
6 the column and the beams 9a, 9b and the column 6 with the beams and the
grabber 13. As a
7 result, it becomes possible to press the grabber 13 into the silage with
a larger force.
8 [0052] Figure 6 shows an alternative for the guideway of Figure 5. Here,
the roller 33 runs in
9 an L-profile 46 instead of a C-profile. The desired reaction force which
has to prevent that the
column 6 during grabbing of the wall 4, 5 is lifted off, is generated here by
means of a ledge 47
11 on the underside of the L-profile 46 and a flange 48 disposed below 48
this which is connected
12 to the impeller 33.
13 [0053] Figure 8 shows an alternative embodiment of a device according to
the invention. This
14 device 51 does not include a collector bin, but, instead thereof, a
conveyor belt 52 which forms
the bottom of the space between one of the walls 5 and the auxiliary wall 7
placed next thereto.
16 At the front side of the device 51 the conveyor belt 52 runs obliquely
upwards over a portion 53
17 to terminate in a raised horizontal end 54. A collecting car may be
driven under the horizontal
18 part 54, after which the conveyor belt may be activated to load forage
that has been collected
19 on the conveyor belt 52, into the collecting car.
[0054] Figures 10 and 11 show an example of cutting elements that are suited
for application
21 at the grabber 13 at the cutting edges 22, 23. The cutting elements 56
are mounted in recesses
22 57 at the ends of the edges 22, 23 of the grabber shells 21 and comprise
a static bottom knife
23 58 and a movable upper knife 59. Both knifes 58, 59 are provided with
cutting teeth 60, 61,
24 wherein the cutting teeth 60 of the lower blade 58 protrude by a
distance d above the cutting
teeth 61 of the moving knife 59. When the grabber 13 closes, the longer teeth
of the static knife
26 will push away stones or other hard elements that are possibly present.
Thus the moving knives
27 59 obtain an additional protection, so that the risk of damaging the
moving blades by stones in
28 the silage material is reduced significantly.
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1 [0055] The moving knife 59 may be moved forth and back during the closing
of the grabber
2 13 in a direction that is parallel to the cutting edge, in the direction
C in the figure.
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