GB2089760A

GB2089760A - Supported wheeled skip for dispensing cattle feed or for spreading manure.

Info

Publication number: GB2089760A
Application number: GB8138134A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Lucas G SA
Current assignee: Lucas G SA
Priority date: 1980-12-18
Filing date: 1981-12-17
Publication date: 1982-06-30
Also published as: IT8149925A0; IT1144542B; FR2496571B1; GB2089760B; FR2496571A2

Abstract

A skip enabling fodder or straw to be dispensed. The skip 1 is equipped with a conveyor belt 2 which conveys the product towards a shredding device composed of horizontal rotors 3 and shredding teeth 4 and of cutting discs 5 provided with teeth 6, the shredded product being picked up by an ejection device consisting of a fan of large diameter 11 moving in a circular fairing 12 communicating with the skip via a central cut-out made in the wall 13, ejection taking place through lateral orifices equipped with deflector flaps, and a harrow 7, which is located in a frontal plane upstream of the rotors and between the teeth of which move the cutting discs and the shredding teeth of the rotors, prevents the formation of plugs capable of causing blockage of the shredding device, a ceiling plate 8 preventing any projection outwards. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Supported or semi-supported wheeled skip for dispensing cattlefeed or for spreading manure The present invention relates to agricultural trailers, supported or semi-supported skips coupled to or designed for a tractor and used for dispensing cattle feed into the troughs and for providing the litter in stabling buildings.

In cattle-breeding installations, the feed composed or fodder to which meals or minerai complements are or are not added is dispensed by being discharged laterally along a strip parallel to the stall dispensing channels at as uniform a rate as possible.

The skip described in G.B. Patent 1,545,568 comprised, grouped on one and the same chassis, a conveyor device supplying feed via a shredding device, and a device for ejecting the product to be dispensed outwards, these being located laterally on one side or the other of the skip. The conveyor device of this version was a group of two or more conveying cylinders with parallel axes carrying the product contained in the skip towards the front of the latter. The shredding device consisted of two rotors mounted diametrically opposite one another on a circular platform located at the front of the skip and capable of rotating about a horizontal axis, this platform also being equipped with blades, thus producing a fan, and the effect of the rotation of the latter was to generate a flow of air necessary for ejecting the product.This type of skip is intended especially for dispensing silage feed, and the extraction of this from the silo by means of suitable machines commonly called silage removers effects a first preliminary shredding.

In agriculture, the method employed more and more involves, at the time of harvesting, putting the feeding fodder and the straw intended for forming the cattle litter in the form of cylindrical bales of a diameter which can reach approximately one metre seventy and of a height of approximately one metre fifty. Because of the nature and moistness of the product, the spikes forming the shredding device described in G.B. Patent 1,545,568 cause the centre of the bale to be detached in a compact block, the sufficiently large volume of which can bring about blockage of said shredding device.

The skip according to the invention enables these disadvantages to be avoided: by means of its equipment it is, in fact, possible to carry out, upstream of the shredding device, an operation to cut the bale into lengths and to regulate the rate of flow of the product into the shredding device.

The skip which is the subject of the invention is mounted conventionally on a chassis equipped with wheels and with means for coupling to an agricultural tractor. Its bottom is equipped with a chainconveyor belt of variable speed; the periphery of the skip consists of very high rails to ensure that the cylindrical bales placed on their generating lines can be contained. Located at the front of the skip is the shredding device consisting of rotors having horizontal axes arranged parallel to and above one another in a frontal plane in relation to the displacement of the product to be shredded. These rotors are equipped with shredding teeth associated with a certain number of cutting discs provided with teeth on their periphery. The diameter of these discs is distinctly greater than the revolution diameter of the shredding teeth.The number of these and the method of distributing them over the length of the rotors ensure perfect cutting of each bale into lengths in proportion as it advances towards the front of the skip before the shredding teeth take effect in the mass of the bale. The cutting discs and the shredding teeth move between the teeth of a harrow located frontally upstream of the rotors, in order to prevent any formation of plugs capable of causing blockage of the shredding device.Located downstream of this shredding device is the device for ejecting the product: this consists of a fan or turbine of large diameter moving in a circular fairing, and the rotation of this fan or turbine provides the flow of air necessary for conveying the shredded product, after sucking it at the outlet from the shredding device so as to force it outwards in the form of a jet, the distance of which can be adjusted by means of flaps forming deflectors which equip the lateral dispensing orifices provided on each side of the fairing of the fan.

The attached drawings illustrate, by way of example, an embodiment of the skip according to the present invention. These drawings show: in Figure 1, a longitudinal section of the skip, in Figure 2, a cross-section of the skip, seen from the rear, in Figure 3, a plan view of the skip.

As illustrated, the skip 1 mounted on a chassis equipped with wheels and with a coupling shaft possesses at its bottom a chain-conveyor belt 2 of conventional type provided with bars for driving and variable speed of movement. The vertical walls of the skip or rails have sufficiently great height to make it possible to contain the diameter of the cylindrical bales arranged transversely and flat on the conveyor belt, and the length of the skip can be fixed so that it can contain, for example, at least two bales. The advance of the belt brings each of the bales in contact with the assembly of the shredding device which, in the example chosen, consists of a series of rotors 3 having horizontal axes and arranged parallel to and above one another in a frontal plane at the front of the skip. These rotors can be spikes of conventional type having a hexagonal drum provided with teeth.These rotors can also be of the type of disentangling and scattering rotors with retractable fingers, as described in French Patent Application 79.05,690, these consisting of a crankshaft, the end pins of which are mounted fixedly on the frame of the machine and the handles of which are connected to a shaft, about which pivots a crossbar provided with fingers or teeth which more or less pass through the cylindrical shell of a drum during rotation of the latter round the end pins of the crankshaft, the maximum retraction of the teeth and the levelling of them on the outer face of the drum allowing the product to be released and ejected.In the example illustrated in Figures 1,2 and 3 and corresponding to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotors 3 are equipped with shredding teeth 4 and cutting discs 5, the latter having on their periphery teeth 6 intended for cutting the product forming the bale. These discs have a diameter greater than the revolution diameter of the shredding teeth 4, thus ensuring that the bale is cut in lengths in proportion as it advances towards the front of the skip, before the shredding teeth take effect. In a relative position from one rotor to the other, the cutting discs are positioned in a staggered arrangement. The centre-to-centre distance between the rotors is such that the circles of revolution of the teeth of the cutting discs interfere with one another.

As a complement to this arrangement, the skip possesses, in a frontal plane located upstream of the rotors, a harrow 7, between the teeth of which move the cutting discs and the shredding teeth equipping the rotors: the profile of the teeth of the harrow is such that it determines the projection necessary for said cutting discs and shredding teeth to take effect properly in the mass of the product. The bale being shredded is maintained in position by means of a ceiling plate 8 which has the double function of preventing the bale from retreating under the action of the rotors and projecting the shredded product outwards. This plate is mounted to pivot at one of its ends about a horizontal axle 9. The shaped profile of the plate is such that the part opposite the pivot axis is turned upwards so as not to oppose the introduction of a new bale when the preceding bale has been shredded.This turned-up part has an inclination which is determined so as to cause the ceiling plate to be raised during the passage of the bale towards the shredding station under the action of the conveyor device. The downward pivoting of the ceiling plate is limited in an adjustable way by means of a chain 10. The product is ejected outwards by means of a fan or turbine of large diameter 11 which moves in a circular fairing 12 located at the rear of the shredding device and forming the front transverse wall of the skip. This fairing possesses, in the frontal plane separating the region of revolution of the blades of the fan and the region of rotation of the rotors of the shredding device, a plate 13, the surface of which is illustrated in Figure 2 by the hatched region.As shown in this figure, this plate has in its central part a cut-out portion which puts the fairing of the fan in communication with the interior of the skip. Such an arrangement improves the suction and delivery of the fan: the light-weight fragments of the shredded product are sucked and lifted by the flow of air and are conveyed into the fairing of the fan to be ejected outwards through one or other of the two lateral orifices 14 provided for this purpose in the iongitudinal walls of the skip and in the top part of these. According to an arrangement which is already known, these orifices are provided with deflector flaps 15 with adjustable opening controlled, for example, by a jack, the amount of this opening determining the distance of the projection point.

Ejection on one or other of the sides of the-skip is obtained by reversing the direction of rotation of the fan.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment specially described, and it embraces all the possible alternative forms which do not depart from its scope.

Thus, there can be any number of cutting discs: likewise, the harrow can be of any height so as to involve a part or all of the rotors.

The skip which is the subject of the invention can be used for dispensing cattle feed directiy into the troughs, whatever the height of these, and for providing litter by regular spreading in the stabling buildings ozones. or zones.

Although the invention has been particularly designed for dispensing cattle feed and the like, it will be appreciated that it can also be used for spreading hay and straw, and manure and silage, and like products.

Claims

1. Supported or semi-supported wheeled skip (1) intended for dispensing the fodder or straw intended respectively for feeding cattle or for providing their litter, and, more particularly, when said litter or said straw takes the form of a cylindrical bale, said skip (1 ) possesing, for this purpose, a conveyor device consisting of a chain-conveyor belt (2) of variable speed which conveys the cylindrical bales placed transversely flat and on said belt (2) towards a shredding device arranged upstream of an ejection device located at the front of the skip, characterised in that, on the one hand, the shredding device consists of rotors (3) having horizontal axes and arranged parallel to and above one another in a frontal plane in relation to the displacement of the product to be shredded, and in that, on the other hand, the ejection device is a fan or turbine of large diameter (11) which moves in a circular fairing (12) forming the front transverse wall of the skip (1), this fairing (12) communicating, on the one hand, with the interior volume of the skip (1 ) via a central cut-out made in thefrontwall of said fairing (12) located between the region of revolution of the blades of the fan (11) and the region of rotation of the rotors (3) of the shredding device and, on the other hand, with the outside of the skip via one or other of two lateral orifices (14) made in the top part of the lateral walls of the fairing (12) according to the direction of rotation of the fan (11), the distance of the projection point of the shredded product being determined by means of a device of a known type, such as a deflector flap (15) having an adjustable opening controlled by a jack.

2. Skip according to Claim 1, characterised in that the rotors (3)'forming the shredding device are equipped with shredding teeth (4) and with cutting discs (5) provided on their periphery with teeth (6) intended for cutting the product forming the bale, the diameter of these discs (5) being greater than the diameter of the circle of revolution of said shredding teeth (4), so as to ensure that the bale is cut in lengths in proportion as it advances towards the front of the skip (1 ) before the shredding teeth (4) take effect, the cutting devices (5) being arranged in a staggered formation from one rotor to the other, the centre-to-centre distance between the rotors (3) being such that the circles of revolution of the teeth (6) of the cutting discs (5) interfere with one another.

3.Skip according to one of Claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it contains, arranged in a frontal plane upstream of the rotors (3), a harrow (7) between the teeth of which move the cutting discs (5) and the shredding teeth (4) equipping the rotors (3), the profile of the teeth of this harrow (7) being such that it determines the necessary and sufficient projection of the discs (5) and of the teeth (4) upstream of said harrow (7) to ensure that these take effect properly in the mass of the product.

4. Skip according to Claim 1, characterised in that the rotors (3) forming the shredding device can be of the disentangling and scattering type with retractable fingers.

5. Skip according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it possesses, in the top part, a ceiling plate (8) which prevents the bale from retreating under the action of the rotors (3) and the shredded product from being projected outwards, and this plate (8) mounted pivotally at one of its ends about a horizontal axle (9) is shaped according to a profile providing, in the part opposite the pivot axis, an inclined part directed upwards so as to permit the passage of the bale towards the shredding device under the action of the conveyor device, this passage causing the ceiling plate (8) to be raised as a result of pivoting, the downward pivoting thereof being limited in an adjustable way by a chain (10).

6. A skip for dispensing cattle feed or the like substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.