Sperry Rand Corporation

Feedmobile, Inc.

Sperry Corporation

Other

Aquila D Mast

Samuel E High, Jr

Robert L Rice

Terry A Young

Jack W Crane

Loren G Sadler

L Lavern Anstee

Jean Paul Lyet, Ii

Sam High

Wilson L Strausser

The machine has an inlet, multiple processing mechanisms for performing multiple feed material processing operations and a discharge mechanism disposed in flow communication with discharge sides of the respective processing mechanisms. The processing mechanisms include a hammermill, a sheller, and a roller mill. The machine also includes apparatus for selecting between which of the mechanisms is to be used. The apparatus comprises first and second diverter structures. The first diverter structure at its infeed side is disposed in communication with the machine inlet and at its discharge side is disposed in communication with an infeed side of the hammermill. The second diverter structure at its infeed side is disposed in communication with the discharge side of the first diverter structure and at its discharge side is disposed in communication with respective infeed sides of the sheller and roller mill. The first diverter structure has a first gate selectively shiftable to either one of first or second displaced positions for respectively providing flow communication from the machine inlet to the hammermill or to the second diverter structure. The second diverter structure has a second gate selectively shiftable to either one of third or fourth displace positions for respectively providing flow communication from the discharge side of the first diverter structure to the sheller or to the roller mill. The hammermill and roller mill are adjustable to modify the feed material processing operations they can perform.

Apparatus and method for selecting between multiple feed material

A feed mixing apparatus includes a tank, and bottom and upright augers. The tank has a top wall, front and rear end walls, side walls and a bottom wall. The bottom auger is rotatably mounted and overlies the bottom wall. Tubular housing portions are disposed adjacent to opposite sides of the bottom auger at an intermediate location therealong, and are connected to and protrude from the exteriors of the side and bottom walls. One housing portion has a horizontal bottom end wall connected to and extending generally tangentially from the tank bottom wall. The upright augers are disposed at the intermediate location adjacent to opposite sides of the bottom auger and extend within and upwardly from the tubular housing portions. One upright auger is rotatably mounted to the top wall and the housing portion bottom end wall. Hydraulic motors are provided for driving the bottom and upright augers. One hydraulic motor is disposed on the exterior of housing portion bottom end wall and coupled to the one upright auger. The lower end of the one upright auger flight is disposed adjacent the housing portion bottom end wall at the level of the bottom of the bottom auger flight. Thus, the bottom auger is only required to push feed material along the housing portion horizontal bottom end wall to reach the lower end of the one upright auger flight.

Feed mixing apparatus

A portable feed material transferring and bagging apparatus includes a transfer conveyor and a bagging unit both mounted on a mobile frame. The transfer conveyor is mounted such that the positions of its opposite inlet and discharge ends can be vertically adjusted to elevations at which the bagging unit would not fit below its inlet end but will fit below its discharge end. The transfer conveyor is operable in a feed material transferring mode of operation to transfer feed material from its inlet to discharge end where it is received in the bagging unit. The bagging unit is mounted such that its position can be vertically adjusted to various elevations to accommodate filling bags of different sizes. The bagging unit is operable in a bag filling mode of operation to fill bags with feed material up to preset weights. A flexible duct couples the discharge end of the conveyor with the bagging unit whereby discharging of feed material from the conveyor into the bagging unit can be accomplished at any combination of respective elevations of the bagging unit and the conveyor inlet and discharge ends within their respective adjustment ranges. An arrangement of electrical and hydraulic components powering the conveyor are controlled directly by a microswitch on the bagging unit for pacing periods of operation of the conveyor in coordination with periods of operation of the bagging unit.

Portable feed material transferring and bagging apparatus

Whole ears of corn are converted to a desired particulate feed material in a machine which first preconditions the whole ear by breaking it into several smaller pieces before its cob and kernels are separated from one another and respectively ground and cracked in other operative units of the machine, and then recombined into the desired feed material composed of the parts of the whole ear.

Whole ear corn conversion apparatus and method

Whole ear corn conversion method employing breaking of whole ears before

A finger drum having a plurality of extendable and retractable fingers is provided in a roll baling machine to feed crop material from a pickup device toward a bale forming apron and to help support a roll bale during its formation.

Round baler with dual function finger drum

An industrial and feed mixing system including a mixing tank being supplied in part by a hammermill. A pair of vertical augers rotatably mounted in the tank convey feed upwardly. A bottom horizontal auger includes inner and outer auger flights of opposite hand that move feed inwardly to the pair of vertical augers. A horizontal agitator agitates feed at its ends and moves feed inwardly toward the pair of vertical augers. A top horizontal auger has top flights of opposite hand that convey feed outwardly from the pair of vertical augers.

Feed processing system

A mobile roll baler including a pickup device at the forward end operable to pick up and move a windrow of crop material to a finger feed drum which then moves the material into contact with a section of an expandable and contractable apron driven in a direction to cooperate with the direction of movement of the finger feed drum to effect unidirectional coiling of the material into a roll which is coiled in the same direction in which a finished roll rotates during discharge from the rear of the machine when the tailgate frame is raised and the roll is still rotating from being formed, thereby minimizing discharge time and preventing uncoiling of the roll when discharged from the baler.

Round bale forming machine

A movable unloading auger is automatically latched and unlatched with respect to a support member by connecting a lifting winch and cable to a movable latch arm attached to the auger, thus advantageously permitting hands-off latching and unlatching operations. A guide member includes a slot and the latch arm extends through the slot and terminates adjacent a latch arm receiver.

Automatic latch for unloading auger

Apparatus in a crop roll forming machine for collecting particles of crop material lost from either the crop package or loose crop material during the roll formation process consisting of a collection pan, a horizontal collecting auger, an elevated delivery auger, intermeshing bevel gears, drive means and a discharge chute. The particles are recycled from the collection pan back into the roll forming region by the cooperative interaction of the horizontal collecting auger and the elevated delivery auger so that the crop material particles are directed out of the discharge chute and downwardly into the forwardmost portion of the bale forming region where the upper bale forming means works to include the particles in the crop roll being formed.

Method for collecting and recycling crop material particles in a roll

In a roll forming machine adapted to be towed across a field behind a prime moving vehicle controlled by an operator in a cab there is provided a full bale alarm system that signals the operator through a remote indicator that the bale has reached a predetermined desired size and is ready for discharge.

Full bale alarm system

Collection and recycling apparatus for crop particles in a roll forming

A roll forming machine picks up crop material and forms, twine wraps and discharges rolls or large round bales thereof as the machine is continuously moving across the field. The machine has a mobile frame supporting a pickup and a floor, the latter supporting a lower conveyor. A front upper apron is supported on the frame above a front portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a front roll forming region therewith. A rear upper apron is supported on the frame above a rear portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a rear roll forming region therewith. Formation of a crop material roll is initiated in the front region and completed in the rear region after the roll has been partially formed in the front region and transferred to the rear region. Mechanism on the frame supports portions of the rear upper apron being located respectively at front and rear ends of the rear region. The mechanism is operable for raising and lowering the rear upper apron portions toward and away from the lower conveyor and floor in a coordinated manner for facilitating receipt through the front end of the rear region of the roll when transferred from the front region, completion of the formation of the transferred roll in the rear region and discharge of the roll through the rear end of the rear region when completed.

Raising and lowering mechanism for the rear chamber in a crop material

A tractor mounted forage harvester includes a transverse hitch bar or frame, a crop processing unit mounted on the frame and a windrow pickup unit releasably attached to the front of the crop processing unit during the field operating mode. The total width of the harvester is reduced when converted to the transport mode by uncoupling the pickup unit, moving the same to the rear of the processing unit and the tractor, and coupling it to the frame via a subframe mounted thereon such that the major axis of the pickup unit is maintained in the same transverse relationship to the direction of movement of the forage harvester as when the unit is attached to the front of the processing unit.

Method and means for converting a crop pickup on a crop processing

A roll forming machine picks up crop material and forms, twine wraps and discharges rolls or large round bales thereof as the machine is continuously moving across the field. The machine has a mobile frame supporting a pickup and a floor, the latter supporting a lower conveyor. A rear upper apron is movably supported on the frame above a rear portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a rear roll forming region therewith. A front upper apron is movably supported on the frame above a front portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a front roll forming region therewith having an inlet end and a discharge end. The front upper apron has a portion located at the discharge end of the region which is disposable in closely spaced relationship above the conveyor means and floor. The lower conveyor is operable to move crop material along one path from the inlet toward the discharge end of the roll forming region, while the front upper apron is movably operable to move crop material along another path generally upwardly away from the discharge end of the roll forming region. Two embodiments of means are disclosed which are movable with the upper apron and have portions which extend outwardly therefrom and into the space between the apron and lower conveyor at the discharge end of the region and are thereby effective to divert crop material upon its arrival at the discharge end of the region out of the conveyor path and into the apron path away from the discharge end.

Growing community of inventors

Lancaster, PA, United States of America

Aquila D Mast