Harvesting machine having a flail cutter and a moisture removal mechanism

A harvesting machine, comprising:

• a) a frame having a first end and a second end, and at least one axle having a pair of wheels;
• b) a flail cutter mounted on said first end of said frame, said flail cutter having a rotatable shaft with a plurality of spaced apart cutting blades attached thereto, each of said cutting blades contacting growing plants in a field, each plant having a stem containing a high moisture content and a stem base, and each of said cutting blades cutting said stems at said stem base as well as lengthwise;
• c) a housing surrounding at least about 40% of said flail cutter for directing said cut plants rearward;
• d) an idler roller positioned rearward of said flail cutter;
• e) a first moisture removal mechanism positioned downstream of said idler roller, and said first moisture removal mechanism including a first suction roll positioned below a first press roll;
• f) a second moisture removal mechanism positioned downstream of said first moisture removal mechanism, and said second moisture removal mechanism including a second suction roll positioned below a second press roll;
• g) a moving belt forming a closed loop around said idler roller and a portion of both said first and second moisture removal mechanisms, said moving belt having a plurality of small apertures formed therethrough, said moving belt forming a first nip with said first press roll and a second nip with said second press roll for squeezing moisture out of said stems as a movable web is routed through said first and second nips;
• and
• h) routing said movable web into a baler to form a bale.

A method of operating a harvesting machine, said harvesting machine having a frame with a first end and a second end, and at least one axle having a pair of wheels;

• a rotatable flail cutter mounted on said first end of said frame, said flail cutter having a rotatable shaft with a plurality of spaced apart cutting blades attached thereto, each of said cutting blades contacting growing plants in a field, each plant having a stem containing a high moisture content and a stem base, and each of said cutting blades cutting said stems at said stem base as well as lengthwise;
• a housing surrounding at least a portion of said rotatable flail cutter for directing said cut plants rearward;
• an idler roller positioned rearward of said rotatable flail cutter;
• a first moisture removal mechanism positioned downstream of said idler roller, said first moisture removal mechanism including a first suction roll positioned below a first press roll, a second moisture removal mechanism positioned downstream of said first moisture removal mechanism, said second moisture removal mechanism including a second suction roll positioned below a second press roll, and a moving belt forming a closed loop around said idler roller and a portion of both said first and second moisture removal mechanisms, said moving belt having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, said moving belt forming a first nip with said first press roll and a second nip with said second press roll for squeezing moisture out of said stems as said stems are routed through said first and second nips, said method comprising the steps of:
• a) attaching said flail cutter to a self-propelled unit which can be driven across the field for the purpose of harvesting a crop;
• b) rotating said flail cutter to cut each of said stems adjacent to said stem base and routing said cut stems into said harvesting machine as a movable web;
• and
• c) directing said movable web between said first and second nips to reduce the moisture content of said movable web by forcing moisture out of each of said plants.

A header for attachment to a self-propelled unit or to a chopper type machine, which is either self-propelled or a pull-type unit, comprising:

• a) a frame having a first end and a second end;
• b) a flail cutter mounted on said first end of said frame, said flail cutter having a rotatable shaft with a plurality of spaced apart cutting blades attached thereto, each of said cutting blades contacting growing plants in a field, each plant having a stem containing a high moisture content and a stem base, and each of said cutting blades cutting said stems at said stem base as well as lengthwise;
• c) a housing surrounding at least a portion of said flail cutter for directing said cut plants rearward;
• d) an idler roller positioned rearward of said rotatable flail cutter;
• e) a first moisture removal mechanism positioned downstream of said idler roller, and said first moisture removal mechanism including a first suction roll positioned below a first press roll;
• f) a second moisture removal mechanism positioned downstream of said first moisture removal mechanism, and said second moisture removal mechanism including a second suction roll positioned below a second press roll;
• and
• g) a moving belt forming a closed loop around said idler roller and a portion of both said first and second moisture removal mechanisms, said moving belt having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, said moving belt forming a first nip with said first press roll and a second nip with said second press roll for squeezing moisture out of said plants as a movable web is routed through said first and second nips.