12 bladed stalk roll
AssigneeCalmer Holding Company, LLC
InventorMarion Calmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stalk roll having twelve flutes extending radially from the main cylinder along the length of the main cylinder. Within the row unit opposing stalk rolls cooperate to engage and capture the corn stalk, thereafter, controlling and processing the corn stalk. The flutes may be configured with differing edges to facilitate control and movement of the stalk to the point of ear separation within the row unit. The flutes may be configured such that opposing compressive forces acting on the exterior of the stalk at approximately 180° of separation operate to implode the stalk while sharp edges on the flutes operate to cut the stalk into small segments which are deposited on the ground for decomposition.
Claims29
A stalk roll comprising:
- a. a main cylinder;
- b. twelve flutes of at least two differing lengths, each of the twelve flutes (i) having a blade defined by a leading end and a trailing end, (ii) having a heel;
- and (iii) engaged with the main cylinder, whereby:
- i. the trailing end of the flutes are all positioned in relative alignment to one another in forming the main cylinder,
- ii. the main cylinder comprises a counterrotation action to reduce unoccupied space in a processing area between each of the twelve flutes during operation which thereby causes an increased spreader load, wherein the processing area is sized to cut a corn stalk into approximately 1″ long segments of stalk which are linearly shredded by the implosive action created by a contact with the heels of the blades, whereby the contact with the heels causes a self-sharpening action of the blades that sharpens the blades to an angle of 37°-38°;
- and
- iii. a majority of the blade of each of the twelve flutes is in a center of an opposing valley to withstand the increased spreader load;
- c. a support member engaged with the main cylinder;
- and
- d. a nose cone positioned at the leading end.
A stalk roll comprising:
- a. a main cylinder;
- b. twelve flutes of at least two differing lengths, each of the twelve flutes (i) having a blade;
- (ii) having a heel, and (iii) engaged with the main cylinder, the twelve flutes consisting of:
- i. two hybrid flutes
- ii. two reduced flutes
- iii. two second reduced flutes
- iv. two third reduced flutes
- v. two fourth reduced flutes;
- and
- vi. two short flutes;
- whereby a trailing end of the flutes are all positioned in relative alignment to one another in forming the main cylinder;
- whereby the main cylinder comprises a counterrotation action to reduce unoccupied space in a processing area between each of the twelve flutes during operation which thereby causes an increased spreader load, wherein the processing area is sized to cut a corn stalk into approximately 1″ long segments of stalk which are linearly shredded by the implosive action created by a contact with the heels of the blades, whereby the contact with the heels causes a self-sharpening action of the blades that sharpens the blades to an angle of 37°-38°;
- and
- whereby a majority of the blade of each of the twelve flutes is in a center of an opposing valley to withstand the increased spreader load;
- c. a support member engaged with the main cylinder;
- and
- d. a nose cone positioned at the leading end.
An opposing pair of stalk rolls, each comprising:
- a. a main cylinder;
- b. twelve flutes of at least two differing lengths, each of the twelve flutes having a base comprising a part of the main cylinder and an edge segment extending outwardly therefrom, a blade, and a heel, whereby:
- i. a trailing end of the flutes are all positioned in relative alignment to one another in forming the main cylinder;
- ii. the main cylinder comprises a counterrotation action to reduce unoccupied space in a processing area between each of the twelve flutes during operation which thereby causes an increased spreader load;
- iii. the processing area is sized to cut a corn stalk into approximately 1″ long segments of stalk which are linearly shredded by the implosive action created by contact with the heels of the blades;
- iv. the contact with the heels features a self-sharpening action of the blades;
- v. the self-sharpening action sharpens the blades between an angle of 37°-38°;
- and
- vi. a majority of the blade of each of the twelve flutes is in a center of an opposing valley to withstand the increased spreader load;
- c. a support member engaged with the main cylinder;
- and
- d. a nose cone positioned at the leading end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.