GB1310971A - Devices for drying crops such as grass and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

1310971 Drying crop by circulation C VAN DER LELY NV 29 June 1970 [3 July 1969] 31462/70 Heading F4G Crop such as grass is dried by being circulated through a drying chamber 1 by conveying means including a substantially horizontal endless conveyer. In an embodiment, Fig. 1, the whole load of crop is unloaded from a pick-up wagon 38 by means of its moving floor and falls on to the endless conveyer 12<SP>1</SP> which conveys it to a discharging mechanism 16 comprising rotatable drums 18 provided with knives 19. The crop falls down the space 23 on to a transverse conveyer belt 25 which conveys it to an offset blower 26 whence the crop is carried in the airstream through conduits 28 and 29 to a pair of rotary spreaders 33 from which it falls back into the chamber 1 for further circulation. When the crop is dry, it is despatched to a store by setting a flap 31 in the position shown. Heated air from a heater 14 may be blown by a blower 15 through the perforated fixed floor 12 and moving floor 12<SP>1</SP>, and escape at 22. Alternatively, unheated air may be supplied, or hot air and cold air alternately. The rotary spreaders 33 may rotate about horizontal axes. The moving parts are driven by electric motors. In another embodiment, Fig. 4, the feeding device 16 in its full line position feeds crop to an endless conveyer 41 having an inclined portion 40 and a horizontal portion 42. The conveyer 41 comprises a spaced pair of chains supported by guides and interconnected by sawtooth crop-entraining members 45, and moves the crop along a plate 46. When the feeding device 16 and the inclined conveyer portion 40 are in dotted line positions, crop falls into a trough 47 whence it is blown to a store. In another embodiment, the feeding device feeds crop directly into a rising stream of air created by five fans on a common shaft, and the crop is either deposited on an endless nearhorizontal conveyer just below the top of the chamber or carried away to store. The endless conveyer delivers the crop to a pair of crushing rollers at its end remote from the feeding device. The heater comprises a vaned combustion chamber extending parallel to a shaft supporting five centrifugal fans. In a further embodiment, the feeding device feeds crop on to tines projecting from a near-vertical endless conveyer which delivers the crop to a pair of crushing rollers disposed at the top of the endless conveyer and passing the crop on to a near-horizontal endless conveyer extending just below the top of the chamber. The movement of the tines is controlled by a guide. The near-vertical conveyer is pivotable about its upper end to allow discharge of dried crop to store.