AU742387B2 - Crop shredder - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT CROP SHREDDER cc The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: CROP SHREDDER This invention relates to improvements in devices for the dispersing of agricultural crops usually after harvest.

Many crops, such as cotton and sorghum need to be dispersed at the end of harvest so the ground can be prepared as soon as possible for the next crop.

One current method of dispersal involves running a slasher or mower over the crop to smash the foliage and stems. This method has its problems; because this operation is best done when the crop is dry, large amounts of flammable dust are created and many tractors have caught fire. Large amounts of horsepower and revs are required also as with any smashing action involving blades so the number of crop rows that can be done at any one time is limited.

A further problem is that the stems and roots of the crop are left in the ground making cultivation planting a problem as these roots catch around the tines of these implements.

Other methods of crop dispersal involve steel blades, plates or fingers passing between each other to smash or crush the crop. Once again the same problems exist they work best when the crop is dry, flammable dust is created, they have high horse power and rev requirements, a limited number of crop rows can be worked at any one time and these machines are very expensive and heavy.

These problems are overcome by the present invention, which provides a crop .25 shredding device comprising of 2 gangs of discs each spaced on its own shaft vertically mounted to a tractor tool bar so that the discs are back to back S° and overlapping. Because the discs are scalloped and sharp they create a continual by-pass secateur action as they are rotated in opposite directions thus grabbing and efficiently cutting the stems and foliage of the crop into small pieces, even when green, with minimum power requirements. These two gangs form a unit and a complete machine may have any number of these units mounted to a tractor tool bar. The bottom discs can travel underground as the machine moves through the crop thus cutting the roots as well.

In one form of the invention, the vertical shafts will be inclined from bottom to top in the direction of travel but remain parallel to and vertical with each other when viewed from the rear. The discs, through which the shafts pass, will usually be held apart by equal length spacer bushes and two or more of the spacers will be replaced by bearings attached to a vertical frame leg) which is attached to the tractor toolbar. On top of the shaft is a hydraulic motor and on the bottom a large locking nut that when tightened locks the whole gang together through the bearings attached to each leg.

4 2 Two gangs are attached together to form a unit so that the discs are back to back, parallel and overlapping thus creating this unique by-pass cutting action against each other which becomes a continual secateur motion when the shafts rotate in opposite directions. The shafts may turn at the same or different speeds to each the later enhancing the cutting action.

In another form of the invention, the gang of discs on one side may be scalloped and on the other side they may be plain round discs or they may alternate along the shaft. The mating discs from each side may touch each other on their flat faces however for wear or other reasons they may have clearance.

The spacer bushes between the discs may have finger like protrusions at or "near right angles to the shafts axis to assist with the feeding of the crop.

The drive mechanism for the shafts may be self propulsion, belt and pulley, PTO or any other form of drive system.

ooe• It is envisaged that all parts will be made of metal, most commonly steel, but no component is limited to this material.

In the drawings: FIG. 1 shows one example of a crop shredding device according to this 25 invention; FIG. 2 shows a top view of the relative position of two sharpened scalloped discs one from each gang.

.ooo 30 FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the relative position of two sharpened scalloped discs one from each gang.

Referring to FIG. 1 it can be seen that the crop shredding device according to this invention comprises of a steel shaft 2 which is threaded at the top and bottom. An hydraulic motor 3 fitted with the retaining plate 4 and its appropriate screwed keyed adapter is fixed solid to the top of the shaft 2.

Onto the left hand shaft 2 are placed equal length pipe bushes 6 alternated with scalloped discs 5 with their bevelled sharpened edges facing down. Two of the pipe bushes are replaced with saw block bearings 7 at the appropriate positions to align with the frame legs 9 and 10. The nylock nut 8 is then tightened hard against the bottom disc 5 to form the left hand gang of discs 1L.

The right hand gang of discs IR is formed in the same manner except that the discs 5 have their bevelled sharpened edges facing up.

The frame legs 9 and 10 with bearing mount plates welded to ends are welded to the frame 11 which is then welded to the mount plate 12.

The same procedure takes place to fix the right hand frame 11 and legs 9 and to the mount plate.

The left hand gang of discs 1L is bolted to the left frame legs 9 and 10 and the right hand gang 1R to the right frame legs 9 and The hydraulic motor retaining plates 4 are bolted through a large clearance hole to the top of their respective frames 11. The large clearance holes allow for any inaccuracy with the alignment of the hydraulic motors 3 onto the shafts 2.

1 The assembled crop shredding device is now a unit ready to be attached to a 15 tractor's tool bar 13 with U bolts 14 along with any number of similar units connected to the tractors hydraulic system.

FIG. 2 shows the top view of a left hand disc 101 overlapping its mated right hand disc 102 when in their working position. The arrows indicate the direction of rotation when the top of the page is the direction of travel.

It is to be noted that the rotation speed of the discs need only be faster than the relative ground speed and that the disc need not be revolving in sequence or timed with each other in fact it would be advantageous for the left hand disc to be revolving at twice the speed say as the right hand disc to create a better "25 cutting action.

FIG. 3 shows the rear view of a left hand disc 103 overlapping its mated right hand disc 104 with the bevelled sharpened edges on opposite faces to each 9 o.

other i.e. one up, one down.

Because of the high efficiency of this continuous secateur cutting motion created by these sharpened scalloped discs in rotation against each other many of these crop shredding devices can be fitted as units behind a single tractor.

It will be realised that the crop shredding device according to this invention is not restricted to the form or material of disc shown in this example but may use any suitable discs that create this same secateur cutting action.

Claims (7)

1. A crop shredding device comprising of two gangs of sharpened scalloped discs each spaced on its own shaft vertically mounted to a tractor toolbar by means of a frame and bearings so that the discs are back to back, parallel and overlapping creating a continual by-pass secateur cutting action as each gang is rotated in opposite directions thus grabbing and cutting the stems, foliage and roots of a crop into small pieces.

2. The crop shredding device of claim 1 wherein the vertical shafts of each gang of discs are inclined from bottom to top in the direction of travel but remain parallel to and vertical with each other when viewed S:.i from the rear.

3. The crop shredding device of claims 1 and 2 wherein some or all of the scalloped discs are replaced with plain round discs.

4. The crop shredding device of claims 1 to 3 wherein the spacer bushes between the discs have protruding fingers attached to assist with the feeding of the crop into the device.

The crop shredding device of claims 1 to 4 wherein common agricultural discs are used as components.

6. The crop shredding device of claims 1 to 5 wherein any diverse form of drive mechanism is used to rotate the shafts. oO.o

7. A crop shredding device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. D. J. MENGEL 12 FEBRUARY 1999