Steerable discharge chute

A discharge chute for a material reducing machine having a discharge opening, said discharge chute comprising:

• (a) a plurality of adjacent chute segments, each of which is pivotally connected to an adjacent chute segment, said plurality of chute segments including a rear chute segment which has a rear end that is attached to the material reducing machine at the discharge opening, an intermediate chute segment, and a front chute segment which:
• (i) has a front end through which material may be discharged;
• (ii) has a centerline;
• (b) a linkage system comprising:
• (i) a plurality of links that interconnect the adjacent chute segments;
• (ii) an actuator that is adapted to cause the discharge chute to be steered to the left through a range of up to about 75°, as measured by the angle formed by the intersection of the centerline of the front chute segment and the discharge direction by pivoting the intermediate chute segment to the left with respect to the adjacent rear chute segment, and to cause the discharge chute to be steered to the right through a range of up to about 75°, as measured by the angle formed by the intersection of the centerline of the front chute segment and the discharge direction by pivoting the intermediate chute segment to the right with respect to the adjacent rear chute segment.

A discharge chute for a material reducing machine having a discharge opening, said discharge chute comprising:

• (a) a plurality of adjacent chute segments including a rear chute segment, an intermediate chute segment and a front chute segment, each of which:
• (i) has a front end;
• (ii) has a rear end;
• (iii) has a link pivot mount;
• (iv) wherein the rear end of the intermediate chute segment is pivotally connected to the front end of the adjacent rear chute segment;
• (v) wherein the rear end of the front chute segment is pivotally connected to the front end of the adjacent intermediate chute segment;
• (b) a linkage system comprising:
• (i) a plurality of links including a rear link and a pivot link, wherein said pivot link is pivotally mounted on the link pivot mount for the intermediate chute segment;
• (ii) an actuator that is adapted to apply a first linear force and a second linear force to the rear link;
• wherein the chute segments and the links of the linkage system are configured and arranged so that the application of a first linear force to the rear link causes the linkage system to steer the discharge chute to the left by pivoting each chute segment to the left with respect to the adjacent chute segment that is behind it, and the application of a second linear force to the rear link causes the linkage system to steer the discharge chute to the right by pivoting each chute segment to the right with respect to the adjacent chute segment that is behind it.