# US 4,395,866 A · Hay conditioner

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- Number: US 4,395,866 A
- Document ID: US4395866A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/322,480
- Filed: 1981-11-18
- Granted: 1983-08-02
- Earliest claimed: 1981-11-18
- Inventors: Bernard C. Mathews
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4395866A

## CPC

- A01D 43/10: with means for crushing or bruising the mown crop
- Y10S 56/01: Crusher
- A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A cooperative roll hay conditioner in which the rolls are pneumatic tired wheels and one of the pneumatic tired wheels is snuggly surrounded by a steel cage to effect the crimping of harvested hay as the hay passes between the cooperative pneumatic tired wheels.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hay conditioner comprising a pair of cooperative rolls between which harvested hay is passed, both of said rolls comprising pneumatic tired wheels, one of said pneumatic tired wheels having a steel cage formed therearound, said steel cage having spaced apart circular steel rings disposed at opposite sides of the pneumatic tire, a plurality of parallel steel rods at generally regular intervals passing over the tread face of the pneumatic tire and welded at their ends to the spaced steel rings, whereby when the pneumatic tires are fully inflated the steel rods of the cage on the one tire press into the uncaged cooperative tire to cause a crimping of the hay stalks as they are fed between these cooperative rolls.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the caged pneumatic tire is rotatably driven.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the uncaged pneumatic tired wheel is spring urged against the caged pneumatic tired wheel whereby when rocks or other foreign matter enter the space between the tires the uncaged tire may yield outwardly.

### Claim 4

A hay conditioning unit for a drum type mower in which a generally vertically disposed pair of cooperative hay cutting drums deliver cut hay rearwardly at the juncture thereof, the hay conditioning unit comprising a pair of cooperatively engaging pneumatic tired wheels set at an incline behind the mower, and means on the cooperatively engaging surfaces of the pneumatic tired wheels adapted to directly receive and cause intermittent crimping of the hay for effecting the conditioning thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A device as set forth in claim 4 in which the means on one of said pneumatic tired wheels comprises a steel cage therearound to cause a crimping of the hay as it passes between the cooperatively engaging pneumatic tired wheels.

### Claim 6

A hay conditioner comprising a pair of cooperative rolls between which harvested hay is passed, both of said rolls comprising pneumatic tired wheels, one of said pneumatic tired wheels having a steel cage formed therearound, whereby when the pneumatic tires are fully inflated the steel cage on the one tire presses into the uncaged cooperative tire to cause a crimping of the hay stalks as they are fed between these cooperative rolls.

### Claim 7

A hay conditioner comprising a pair of cooperative rolls between which harvested hay is passed, both of said rolls comprising pneumatic tired wheels, one of said pneumatic tired wheels having a steel cage formed therearound, said steel cage having spaced apart circular ring members disposed at opposite sides of the pneumatic tire, a plurality of parallel steel rods at generally regular intervals passing over the tread face of the pneumatic tire, whereby when the pneumatic tires are fully inflated the steel rods of the cage on the one tire press into the uncaged cooperative tire to cause a crimping of the hay stalks as they are fed between these cooperative rolls.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A device as set forth in claim 7 in which the ring members comprise chain link elements.

### Claim 9

A hay conditioning unit for a drum type mower in which a generally vertically disposed pair of cooperative hay cutting drums deliver cut hay rearwardly at the juncture thereof, the hay conditioning unit comprising a pair of cooperatively engaging pneumatic tired wheels behind the mower, and means on the cooperatively engaging surfaces of the pneumatic tired wheels adapted to directly receive and cause intermittent crimping of the cut hay for effecting the conditioning thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A device as set forth in claim 9 in which the means on one of said pneumatic tired wheels comprises a steel cage therearound to cause a crimping of the hay as it passes between the cooperatively engaging pneumatic tired wheels.

### Claim 11

A hay conditioner comprising a pair of cooperative rolls between which harvested hay is passed, both of said rolls comprising rubber tired wheels, one of said rubber tired wheels having a steel cage formed therearound, whereby the steel cage on the one rubber tire presses into the uncaged cooperative rubber tire to cause a crimping of the hay stalks.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A device as set forth in claim 11 in which the steel cage comprises spaced apart circular steel rings disposed at opposite sides of the rubber tire, a plurality of parallel steel rods at generally regular intervals passing over the tread face of the rubber tire and welded at their ends to the spaced steel rings.