Alfalfa harvesting and processing apparatus
OwnerAllen B. Neely, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A harvesting apparatus adapted to move through a field of vegetation having a liquid component and a fiber component to mow and gather the vegetation and a processing means to grind the vegetation to a pulp as it is received, extract and collect the liquid component thereof, and condition and discharge the fiber therefrom.
Claims15
In the combination of a harvesting apparatus adapted to move through a field of vegetation having a liquid component and a fiber component to mow and gather the vegetation, a processing means to grind the vegetation to a pulp as it is received, extract and collect the liquid component thereof and discharge the fiber therefrom, wherein a grinding means includes:
- a cylindrical screen rotating on a generally horizontal axis;
- rotating means provided with pivoted hammers whose circle of maximum extension is less than the interior diameter of said screen, said hammers moving close to the lower inside portion of said screen for grinding;
- and
- means spaced from the path of said hammers for forcing material inwardly through the holes in said screen.
In the combination of a harvesting apparatus adapted to move through a field of vegetation having a liquid component and a fiber component to mow and gather the vegetation, a processing means to grind the vegetation to a pulp as it is received, extract and collect the liquid component thereof and discharge the fiber therefrom, a press means to compress the pulp to separate the liquid component from the fiber component and a conditioning means to treat the fiber component to adjust the moisture content therein to a selected value before the fiber is discharged, wherein the fiber conditioning means includes:
- a centrifuge means to receive the pressed fiber and to extract any excess moisture remaining in the fiber after pressing the same and being adapted to leave a selected residual amount of moisture in the fiber such that the fiber is suitable for pelletizing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.