EP4255166A1

EP4255166A1 - Mower-chopper apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP4255166A1
Application number: EP21824100.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Piet REGNERUS; Wilko REGNERUS
Original assignee: Alamo Group Netherlands Middelburg BV
Current assignee: Alamo Group Netherlands Middelburg BV
Priority date: 2020-12-07
Filing date: 2021-12-07
Publication date: 2023-10-11
Also published as: WO2022124891A1; NL1043860B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an mower-chopper apparatus (1) to be coupled via an attachment head (16) to a movable extension arm (30) on a tractor (28) or the like utility vehicle (29), for mowing, chopping, crushing and discharging grass and/or vegetation material from roadside verges and other (semi)natural terrains comprising a primary housing (2), carrying a cutter bar (3) supporting a plurality of cutting elements for mowing grass and/or grass like vegetation and a secondary housing (6) which encloses a rotor axle (4) supporting a plurality of pendulously chopping elements (4) cooperating with stationary cutting blades (8) and a stationary crushing bar (15) mounted to said secondary housing (6), operable to chop and crush cutted clippings and configured to accelerate and discharge the chopped and crushed material outside of the secondary housing outlet (11) of the apparatus (1). The present innovation is, normally, operating in cooperation with a movable extension arm (30) mounted to a tractor (28) or the like self-propelled utility vehicle (29) for collecting grass cuttings from roadsides verges, (semi)natural areas and/or airport terrains where the secondary housing outlet (11) is connected by a hose (31) coupled to a suction mechanism (26) which draws the chopped material from the secondary housing (6) of the apparatus (1) and discharge it in a, to said tractor or other utility vehicle coupled, trailer wagon (25).

Description

MOWER-CHOPPER APPARATUS

The present invention relates to an apparatus, to be coupled to a movable extension arm on a tractor or the like utility vehicle, for mowing, chopping, crushing and discharging residual grass and/or vegetation clippings, from landscape, (semi)natural areas and roadside verges or airport terrain management, in one work. The apparatus comprises a primary housing in which included a horizontal rotating cutter bar which cuts grass and other vegetation and transports it to a secondary housing carrying horizontal rotating rotor axle supporting a plurality of pendulously mounted chopping elements cooperating with a bed of stationary cutting blades and a stationary crushing bar to chop and crush the cutted residue clippings into smaller particle size of one to two centimeters, said rotor axle further accelerates the chopped and crushed residue material to an outlet opening for discharging outside the apparatus.

It is well known to fit a flail mowing apparatus to a moveable extension arm to mow, i.e. cut, and collect grass and other vegetation on landscape, (semi)natural areas and roadside verges or airport terrain management. It is also known that currently used flail mowing and collecting methods always leads to grass/biomass clippings being heavily polluted by sand and inorganic debris. Currently used method of flail mowing attachment head for mowing and collecting grass clippings where the mowed residue, fresh or dry grass clippings and/or other plant material, hereinafter generalized as ‘residue’ , is discharged by a hose to a suction mechanism which draws the material from the housing of the said attachment head and discharge it in a, to or on a tractor or other vehicle coupled, trailer wagon. Depending on the requirements of the client, mostly municipalities, water authorities and governmental organizations who administer roadside verges and other terrains, the residue grass clippings are generally disposed to a composting facility or an incinerator. It is also known that grass clippings are a highly valuable material to utilize as feedstock in bio-energy plants for generating biogas through Anaerobic Digestion. Only, some important practical challenges related to the processes of Anaerobic Digestion are identified. This include management of soil and inorganic debris in the harvested grass residue and operational failures due to long grass particles getting stuck in the digester stirring equipment. Polluted and long grass particles therefore are less efficient in digestion process and thus produce a lower biogas output and higher operation costs in bio-energy plants.

Known flail mowing attachment heads generally comprising a driven horizontal rotating flail rotor assembly in a housing with a plurality of cutting members, referred to as ‘flails’, attached to the rotor. Grass fed into the housing is sucked up and beat off tangentially under the rotor whereafter the cuttings are discharged, by a hose coupled to a suction mechanism which is coupled to said trailer wagon. Conventionally flail mowing attachment heads are commonly coupled to, a hydraulically driven, movable extension arm on a tractor or the like utility vehicle for mowing and collecting grass and/or vegetation clippings from landscape, (semi)natural areas, roadside verges or airport terrains.

Mentioned flail mowing attachment heads are known for a large suction power which causes considerable pollution of the residue grass clippings by soil and other inorganic debris. It is known that these contaminations cause considerable problems for, in particular, bio-energy plants and lowers the biogas-output. Secondly, known flail mowing devices do not chop the grass clippings in a, by bio-energy plants, desired particle size of smaller than five centimeters. Therefore, the flailed and collected residue clippings need a second processing step to be cleaned by sieving from unwanted pollution and, after sieving, to be chopped into a smaller one to two centimeters particle size before optimal usable in a bio-energy plant.

It goes without saying that pollution of grass clippings leads to lower output, more damage, higher service costs and unwanted down time of bio-energy plants. Also, too large particle size of the residue clippings causes a slower and inefficient Anaerobic Digestion and lower biogas output. So, polluted and non-conform particle size of grass clippings and/or vegetation add to the overall costs and inefficiency of bio-energy plants and are therefore less wanted for biogas-production.

It is known that Anaerobic Digestion is dedicated to the valorization of organic waste and energy crops grown on farmland as a source for renewable energy. However, more and more governments issuing that the use of energy crops grown on farmland as bio-energy plant feedstock should be limited. Where possible, biomass residues, such as grass clippings from roadside verges, should be used. Therefore, it’ s highly important to lower or prevent co-collection of grass clippings residue with soil and other inorganic debris (e.g. plastics and metals) and to chop the residue material into smaller fraction so the residue is useable to utilize as an effective feedstock, and substitution for energy crops, in bio-energy plants.

That is why, the objective of the present invention is to improve mentioned problems by a combination of a horizontal rotating cutter bar without suction effect which cuts the grass and/or vegetation, without collecting noteworthy pollution, combined with a horizontal rotor for chopping the residue cuttings into a, for bio-energy plants, desirable particle size of one to two centimeters.

Therefore, the present invention aims to improve the quality of the residue grass and/or vegetation clippings from roadside verges and/or other (semi)natural terrains, i.e. less pollution and an optimal particle size, and make the residue more suitable and productive as biomass feedstock in bio-energy plants for production of biogas.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an apparatus, to be mounted to a movable extension arm, which combines mowing (i.e. cutting), chopping, crushing and discharging of grass and/or vegetation clippings, from roadside verges and other (semi) natural terrains, comprising a primary housing, with an flexible inlet opening, carrying a horizontal rotating cutter bar supporting a plurality of cutting elements, one or more adjustable guide vanes, a secondary housing which includes a chopping rotor supporting a plurality of pendulously mounted chopping elements cooperating with a, to the secondary housing mounted, bed of stationary cutting blades and a stationary crushing bar to chop and crush the mowed clippings. Further, the secondary housing comprises one or more air inlet openings, a trapezium shaped acceleration zone, one or more residue guide vanes, an inlet opening and an outlet opening aligned with the center of the chopping rotor.

Advantageously, the apparatus has no suction power that co-collect unwanted soil and inorganic wastes into the mowed clippings.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention are elucidated on the basis of a preferred embodiment thereof, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

In the following the invention will be discussed based upon the drawings, in which: figure 1A & IB are a schematic side view of the apparatus, coupled to a movable extension arm; figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus of the present invention; figure 3 is a front view of the cutter bar installed in the primary housing section; figure 4 is a front view of the chopping rotor secondary housing section; figure 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the chopping section; figure 6 is a plan view of secondary housing section including a bed stationary cutting blades, a stationary crushing bar, an acceleration zone and residue guiding vanes; and figure 7 is detail view of the secondary housing including one or more air inlet openings. Figure 1 A shows a movable, hydraulicly driven, extension arm 30, coupled to a tractor 28, including a hydraulic power-unit 27 which drives the apparatus 1. Although the movable extension arm is coupled to a tractor, it could also be coupled to another utility vehicle 29 shown in Figure IB. Apparatus 1 is coupled via an attachment head 16 to said extension arm 30. Apparatus 1 is supported by a roller 5.

A suction turbine 26, coupled via a hose 31 to apparatus 1 and a following bulk trailer wagon 25, is used for depositing the cutted, chopped and crushed grass clippings residue from the secondary the apparatus 1.

The operation of the apparatus 1 is controlled from the, to the movable arm coupled, tractor 28 and/or other self-propelled utility vehicle 29 operators cab. Although the invention is illustrated as being used as attachment head to a movable extension arm 30, the present invention can also be used as attachment to, or build in, other machines as mowing, chopping and crushing unit.

Referring to Figures 1 A, IB and 2, apparatus 1 in the illustrated embodiment includes a primary housing 2, an attachment head 16 for coupling the apparatus to a movable extension arm 30, a supporting roller 5, a horizontal rotating cutter bar 3 comprising a plurality of cutting elements 22, a secondary housing 6, a rotor axle comprising a plurality of pendulously mounted chopping elements 18, a bed of stationary cutting blades 8, a stationary crushing bar 15, a trapezium shaped top cover 9 and a round shaped outlet 11. In figure 2, the chopping rotor would rotate in a clockwise direction. It is clear to the skilled person that other shapes for the trapezium shaped top cover 9 and the round shaped outlet 11 are also possible. Trapezium shaped top cover 9 may for example be circular or rectangular, while round shaped outlet 11 may be rectangular.

Cutter bar 3, shown in more detail in Figure 3, may be divided into two sections; namely, a center cutting section including two horizontal rotating cutter discs 23, comprising a plurality of cutting elements 22, of which one is rotating clockwise and one disc is rotating in a counterclockwise direction for pivoting the residue clippings axially towards the center of the secondary housing inlet. The outward section of the cutter bar consists of two horizontal rotating cutter discs 21, comprising a plurality of cutting elements 22, of which one is rotating clockwise, and one disc is rotating in a counterclockwise direction. Cutter bar 3 is driven by hydraulic motor 34. Both outside cutter discs include an extension drum 20 for pivoting the residue clippings axially towards the center of the secondary housing inlet. Secondary housing 2 is provided with a flexible inlet opening 12 for the cutter bar 3 to receive the grass and/or other vegetation material to be cut off. The cutted grass and/or vegetation residue clippings is received by the chopping rotor axle 4, via a fixed inlet opening in the secondary housing, by movement and acceleration speed of residue clippings material by means of the horizontal rotating cutter bar discs 21 and 23 and one or more adjustable residue guide vanes 14.

Rotor axle 4 is shown in more detail in Figures 4 and 5. Rotor axle 4 is provided with a plurality of cutting blade joints 17 for pendulously mounting cutting elements 18. Cutting elements 18 include a sharp, serrated, cutting edge. The pendulously mounted cutting elements 18 cooperate with a bed of stationary cutting blades 8 and a stationary crushing bar 15 to chop and crush the mowed residue grass and/or vegetation clippings. Rotor axle 4 also acts as centrifugal force mechanism to propel the chopped and crushed residue materials towards the secondary housing outlet 11. Rotor axle 4, which is also referred to as chopping rotor axle 4, is positioned upstream of the inlet 12 and downstream of the outlet 11. It is noted that outlet opening 11 in this example is positioned in an upper rear quadrant of secondary housing 6. The upper rear quadrant is this example is the quadrant that is located nearest to the storage to which the processed residue materials are to be transported. In general, the upper rear quadrant is positioned relative to a horizontal plane that extends along a bottom surface of the secondary housing.

Residue guide vanes 32, shown in more detail in Figure 6, mounted on the inside of secondary housing 6 are shaped in a round form, to impart an axial force upon the, by the bed of stationary cutting blades 8 and stationary crushing bar 15, chopped and crushed residue clippings and direct residue towards outlet 11. Guide vanes 32 are adjustable and included on the inside of the trapezium shaped top cover 9 acceleration zone 10.

To assist in providing amplified air flow for enhanced suction and prevent clogging, trapezium shaped top cover 9 and secondary housing 6 include a plurality of air inlet openings 13 and 24 at opposite longitudinal ends of the secondary housing 6 and trapezium shaped top cover 9. Air inlet openings 13 and 24, shown in more detail in Figure 7, act as air flow amplifier for an enhanced efflux and anti-clogging mechanism as chopped and crushed residue materials move through the trapezium shaped top cover 9 towards round shaped outlet 11. When the secondary housing outlet 11 is coupled via a hose 31 to a suction turbine mechanism 26, shown in Figures 1A and IB, chopped and crushed materials will be efficiently transported from the trapezium shaped top cover 9 and outlet 11, via a strong suction air flow, and deposit into a following bulk trailer wagon 25, shown in Figures 1 A and IB. Air is drawn, using suction power of turbine mechanism 26, axially into trapezium shaped top cover 9 and outlet 11, merge with, propelled by first hydraulic motor 33 driven rotor axle 4, chopped and crushed residue material and induce a strong angled flow of residue material drawn towards outlet 11. It is clear to the skilled person that hydraulic motors 33 and 34 also could be other motors, such as electric motors.

The present invention is by no means limited to the above described preferred embodiments thereof. The rights sought are defined by the following claims, within the scope of which many modifications can be envisaged.

Claims

6 CLAIMS

1. A mower-chopper apparatus (1) for cutting, chopping, crushing and discharging grass and/or vegetation, comprising: a primary housing (2) and a secondary housing (6), wherein the primary housing (2) is carried by an attachment head (16) and is supported by a roller (5), and wherein the primary housing (2) carries a, by a motor (34) driven, cutter bar (3) comprising horizontal rotating discs (21, 23) which carry a plurality of cutting elements (22) and one or more clippings guiding vanes (14), and wherein the secondary housing (6) carries a, by a motor (33) driven, rotor axle (4) including a plurality of pendulously mounted chopping elements (18) which cooperates with a bed of stationary cutting blades (8) and a stationary crushing bar (15), one or more residue guiding vanes (32) and one or more air inlet openings (13, 24) included in said secondary housing (6) and thereto attached top cover (9) consisting of an acceleration zone (10) and an outlet opening (11).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motors (33, 34) are hydraulic motors, and/or wherein the top cover (9) is trapezium shaped and/or wherein the outlet opening (11) is round shaped.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the least one bed of stationary cutting blades (8) and the stationary crushing bar (15) are mounted to an interior surface of the secondary housing (6) between the inlet opening and the outlet opening (11).

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cutting blades and crushing bar are configured to interact with the rotating pendulously mounted chopping elements (18) to chop by cutter bar (3) cutted grass and vegetation clippings into one to two centimeters particle size.

5. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotor axle (4), which preferably is a chopping rotor axle (4), accelerates upstream the chopped and crushed residue material towards the outlet opening (11).

6. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outlet opening (11) is located in the upper rear quadrant of the secondary housing (6) and wherein the rotor axle (4) rotates in a direction wherein chopping elements (18) move towards the outlet opening (11). 7

7. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a flexible inlet opening (12) is located in front of the cutter bar (3).

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said flexible inlet opening (12) is limited in width to the dimensions of the cutter bar (3) width.

9. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the cutter bar (3) with at least two discs.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the outer discs (21) have top extensions drums (20) to guide the swath of cutted grass and/or vegetation clippings to the inlet opening of the secondary housing (6).

11. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet opening, and the outlet opening (11) of the secondary housing (6) are centrally located with respect to the cutter bar (3) and chopping rotor axle (4) width.

12. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the primary housing (2) comprises the one or more clippings guiding vanes (14) to steer and direct the cutted material to the middle of the inlet opening of the secondary housing (6).

13. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the one or more air inlet openings (13, 24) that are preferably located in the acceleration zone (10) of the secondary housing (6) and the top cover (9), wherein the top cover (9) is preferably trapezium shaped.

14. The apparatus according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the acceleration zone (10) is devoid of chopping elements.

15. The apparatus according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein at least one adjustable set of residue guide vanes (32) is mounted to the interior surface of the top cover (9) acceleration zone (10). 8

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the top cover (9) further includes an acceleration zone (10) that is preferably trapezium shaped and at least one outlet opening (11) that is preferably round shaped.

17. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary housing (6) is cylindrical.

18. The apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus (1) comprises the attachment head (16) mounted on the primary housing (2) for attachment to a movable extension arm (30).