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US 5,105,563 AGranted
Apparatus for harvesting and drying crops
AssigneeHeartland Forage, Inc.
InventorsConrad F. Fingerson, Donald W. Eickhoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A harvester apparatus is provided for drying and baling forage crops in the field. The harvester apparatus includes an inlet for conveying forage crops to a dryer arrangement of the harvester where the forage crops are substantially evenly dried as they are conveyed through the dryer arrangement. The harvester apparatus includes compacting structure for compacting the forage crops before the drying process in completed. The harvester apparatus produces a layer of dried and compacted forage crops which are exited from the harvester apparatus at an exit which is adjacent a baling mechanism for securing the forage crops into bales. The layer of forage crops is converted by the baling mechanism into a column of stacked blocks secured together to form a bale.
Claims22
An apparatus for drying forage crops, comprising:
- a portable housing supported on wheels;
- drying means disposed in the housing for drying forage crops;
- inlet means proximate a first end of the housing for feeding forage crops into the drying means;
- outlet means proximate a second end of the housing for exiting the forage crops from the drying means;
- and
- a conveyor apparatus disposed in the housing, the conveyor apparatus passing through the drying means and linking the inlet means to the outlet means, the conveyor apparatus having a channel shape of decreasing cross-sectional area in the direction along the conveyor apparatus toward the outlet means, the conveyor apparatus having means for conveying the forage crops from the inlet means to the outlet means, the drying means, the means for conveying, and the channel-shape of the conveyor apparatus cooperating to produce a dried and compacted layer of forage crops having a moisture content less than the moisture content of the forage crops at the inlet means and further having a density greater than the density of the forage crops at the inlet means.
3 more elements
An apparatus for drying forage crops, comprising:
- a portable hosing supported on wheels;
- drying means disposed in the housing for drying forage crops;
- inlet means proximate a first end of the housing for feeding forage crops into the apparatus;
- outlet means proximate a second end of the housing for exiting forage crops from the apparatus;
- conveying means disposed in the housing for moving the forage crops from the inlet means through the drying means to the outlet means;
- and
- distributing means disposed in the housing intermediate the inlet means and the drying means, the distributing means substantially evenly distributing the forage crops across a width of the conveying means so as to have a density more uniform and greater than a density of the forage crops at the inlet means.
4 more elements
A forage crop dryer and baler apparatus, comprising:
- a portable housing;
- drying means disposed in the housing for drying forage crops;
- inlet means proximate a first end of the housing for feeding forage crops into the drying means;
- outlet means proximate a second end of the housing for exiting forage crops from the drying means;
- conveying means disposed in the housing for conveying the forage crops from the inlet means through the drying means to the outlet means;
- compacting means disposed in the housing for compacting the forage crops before the forage crops exit the drying means, the compacting means forming the forage crops into a single layer of predetermined thickness having a density greater than a density of the forage crops at the inlet means;
- and
- baling means adjacent the outlet means for separating the single layer into a plurality of blocks of predetermined length, stacking a predetermined number of the blocks into a column, and securing the column of stacked blocks into a bale.
5 more elements
An apparatus for drying forge crops, comprising:
- a portable housing supported on wheels;
- drying means disposed in the housing for drying forage crops;
- inlet means proximate a first end of the housing for feeding forage means into the apparatus;
- outlet means proximate a second end of the housing for exiting forage crops from the apparatus;
- conveying means disposed in the hosing for moving the forage crops from the inlet means through the drying means to the outlet means;
- and
- distributing means disposed in the housing intermediate the inlet means and the drying means, the distributing means substantially evenly distributing the forage crops across a width of the conveying means so as to have a density more uniform than a density of the forage crops at the inlet means, the distributing means including a compacting area, the forage crops accumulating in the compacting area during distribution to a predetermined density which is greater than a density of the forge crops at the inlet means.
4 more elements
An apparatus for drying forage crops, comprising:
- a portable housing supported on wheels;
- drying means disposed in the housing for drying forage crops;
- inlet means proximate a first end of the housing for feeding forage crops into the apparatus;
- outlet means proximate a second end of the housing for exiting for crops from the apparatus;
- conveying means disposed in the housing for moving the forage crops from the inlet means through the drying means to the outlet means;
- and
- distributing means disposed in the housing intermediate the inlet means and the drying means, the distributing means substantially evenly distributing the forage crops across a width of the conveying means so as to have a density more uniform than a density of the forage crops at the inlet means, the distributing means including a rotating auger, the auger engaging the forage crops during distribution.
4 more elements
An apparatus for drying forage crops, comprising:
- a portable housing supported on wheels;
- drying means disposed in the housing for drying forage crops;
- inlet means proximate a first end of the housing for feeding forage crops into the apparatus;
- outlet means proximate a second end of the housing for exiting forage crops from the apparatus;
- conveying means disposed in the housing for moving the forage crops from the inlet means through the drying means to the outlet means;
- and
- distributing means disposed in the housing intermediate the inlet means and the drying means, the distributing means substantially evenly distributing the forage crops across a width of the conveying means so as to have a density more uniform that a density of the forage crops at the inlet means, the distributing means including a reciprocating plate, the plate engaging the forage crops during distribution.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.