Oscillating silage compactor

A silage compactor for compacting a pile of crop silage against a ground surface, the silage compactor comprising:

• a frame;
• a first roller assembly supported by the frame and rotatable about a first axis, wherein the first roller assembly is moveable relative to the frame in both an upward vertical component and a downward vertical component, and wherein the first roller assembly is positioned to compress the pile of compressible material against the ground surface;
• a second roller assembly supported by the frame and rotatable about a second axis, wherein the second roller assembly is moveable relative to the frame in both the upward vertical component and the downward vertical component, and wherein the second roller assembly is positioned to compress the pile of compressible material against the ground surface;
• an actuator coupled to the first roller assembly and the second roller assembly and operable to repeatedly move the first roller assembly and the second roller assembly relative to each other in both the upward vertical component and the downward vertical component such that the first roller assembly and the second roller assembly oscillate relative to each other to alternate a relative position between the first roller assembly and the second roller assembly between a respective lower position relative to a vertical axis and a respective upper position relative to the vertical axis;
• and a walking beam mounted to the frame and rotatable relative to the frame about a transverse axis;
• wherein the actuator includes a hydraulic cylinder interconnecting the frame and the walking beam and connected to the walking beam at a location spaced from the transverse axis, wherein the hydraulic cylinder is extendable and retractable to rotate the walking beam about the transverse axis to oscillate the first roller assembly and the second roller assembly;
• wherein the first roller assembly includes a plurality of first discs arranged parallel to each other along the first axis, with each of the plurality of first discs having an outer circumference defining a first annular crest extending circumferentially about the first axis, with each adjacent pair of the plurality of first discs defining a respective first annular groove therebetween;
• wherein the second roller assembly includes a plurality of second discs arranged parallel to each other along the second axis, with each of the plurality of second discs having an outer circumference defining a second annular crest extending circumferentially about the second axis, with each adjacent pair of the plurality of second discs defining a respective second annular groove therebetween;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of first annular crests is aligned with a respective one of the second annular grooves along the first axis, and wherein each of the plurality of second annular crests is aligned with a respective one of the first annular grooves along the second axis.