GB2098170A - Silage supply truck - Google Patents

Abstract

Silage supply truck having a rotatable loosening roller 7 arranged along one side of the truck adjacent a discharge opening 20 and a tiltable loading platform 21,22 arranged along the opposite side for loading silage blocks 15 into the truck. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Silage supply truck The invention relates to a silage supply truck comprising rotatable loosening devices above one of the bottom edge areas, e.g. one or more loosening rollers or chains having cross-bars and pins, means for tiltingly supplying blocks of silage into the truck and with a transporter for supplying a silage block overthe bottom of the truck to said loosening means.

Such a silage supply truck is known e.g. from Dutch patent application 7901217.

It is the object of the invention to substantially simplify this known apparatus.

To this effect the silage supply truck according to the invention has the feature that, as viewed in the pulling direction of the truck, the loosening means are provided above the one longitudinal edge of the bottom and the means for tiltingly loading the blocks into the truck adjacent the opposite longitudinal edge. The means for tiltingly loading the silage blocks into the truck consist of a pallet or platform fixedly secured to an auxiliary frame the opposite end of which is displaced downwardly relative to the respective longitudinal edge of the bottom underneath the truck floor and being rotatably secured to the truck frame.As a result there is produced a substantial simplification as compared with the prior art construction: for not only have the means for tiltingly loading the silage blocks onto the truck floor been substantially simplified, but likewise the loosened material can be immediately deposited in the silage trough due to the chosen arrangement of the loosening means, so that a feeding discharge conveyor belt as employed in the prior art apparatus, can be abandoned. Also the loading of the silage blocks per se has been simplified. Furthermore it is possible with this arrangement to apply a simple chain transmission instead of the right-angled gearbox necessary in the prior art apparatus.

The means for tiltingly depositing a silage part onto the truck floor are formed by a tiltable pallet which is fixedly secured to an auxiliary frame the opposite end of which displaced downwardly relative to the respective longitudinal edge is secured underneath the !oading floor rotatably to the truck farm.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the movable pallet can be operated by piston-cylinder assemblies acting on the pallet or on the associated auxiliary frame.

Some embodiments of the silage truck will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a silage supply truck; Figure 2 is a top view of the apparatus according to Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of two embodiments of a pallet applicable in the apparatus according to Figures 1 and 2.

According to the drawing, wherein the same parts are indicated with the same reference numerals, a silage supply truck is provided with a chassis 1 having wheels 2 and a body or load space 3. The load space bottom or floor is fitted with a conveyor belt 4 comprising two endless chains having crossbars 5. The conveyor belt is driven through a transmission box 6, a hydromotor 6' arranged upstream thereof by a tractor, not shown, arranged in front of the supply truck.

In the load space there is arranged above the one reversing end of the conveyor belt 4, in situ of the discharge opening 20, a known per se loosening roller 7. For driving the roller from the tractor, not shown, there is provided on the truck a shaft 9 driving the loosening roller 7 through a chain transmission 10. As further shown in the drawing, the sidewall in situ of the loosening roller is shortened so that the material loosened by means of said rollers can be easily discharged through the opening 20 in outward direction.

In the embodiments shown in Figures 1-3, the longitudinal sidewall 21 opposite the discharge opening 20 is rotatably designed. the respective sidewall 21 to this effect is fixedly secured to an auxiliary frame 22 which, through shafts 23 underneath the load safe 3, is rotatably suspended at the underside of the chassis 1. The operation of the sidewall 21 and the auxiliary frame 22 is effected by means of piston-cylinder assemblies 24 arranged on either side of the sidewall.

As appears more in particular from the embodiment shown at the left-hand side in Figure 3, the end of the sidewall 21 facing away from the forward direction of movement of the truck is fitted with an upright stop wall 25 serving for properly positioning the silage blocks on the sidewall during the loading thereof on the truck. As appears from the embodimenu shown at the right-hand side in Figure 3, the sidewell may also be tooth-shaped, so that the sidewall is adapted for coaction with a corresponding pallet 26.

In the top view represented in Figure 2, a number of silage blocks 15 is to be processed are arranged beside the silage supply truck. As appears from this Figure, the silage supply truck described and shown has the advantage that during the loading there is provided an excellent view of the silage blocks. The blocks are brought on the sidewall by forward movement of the tractor, enabling it to develop thereby its tractive force. A discharge belt necessarily employed in prior art supply trucks with one or more loosening rollers is superfluous in the above described supply truck. Furthermore, as a result of the chosen arrangement, wherein no right-angled gearbox is necessary, but only a chain transmission, the truck can be kept very simple.

It is observed that a great many variation are possible within the scope of the invention. Not only use can be made instead of loosening rollers, also of a loosening chain or the like. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, use is made of a supply truck which discharges laterally, but it will be clear that use can also be made of a larger supply truck on which more blocks can be loaded and which discharges e.g. at the front or the back side, whether or not via a cross-conveyor. Also the drive of the various elements to be driven can take place in a manner differing from the one shown. In order to ensure that no large unprocessed parts of a substantially processed block are slung over the top roller and thus are discharged without having been loosened, a screen 17, e.g. in the form of plates and/or combs, may be provided in the upper front edge zone of the front block, which screen holds back such unprocessed parts.

It is finally observed that the basic elements of the two embodiments can also be applied simultaneously.

Claims (5)

1. Silage supply truck having rotatable loosening means arranged above a bottom edge area thereof, and tiltable loading means for supplying a silage block into the truck, said loosening means, when viewed in the pulling direction of the truck, being provided adjacent one longitudinal edge thereof, whilst the loading means is provided at or adjacent the opposite longitudinal edge.

2. Silage supplytruck according to claim 1, wherein the loading means is formed by a tiltable platform or similar loading member and wherein the loading member includes an auxiliary frame rotatably attached to the truck frame, the opposite end of which auxiliary frame, relative to the adjacent longitudinal edge, is downwardly displaced below the truck body.

3. Silage supply truck according to claim 2, wherein the edge of the loading member facing away from the pulling direction is provided with a stop wall.

4. Silage supply truck according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the loading member is operated by one or more piston-cylinder assemblies acting on the member or the associated auxiliary frame.

5. Silage supply truck constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.