GB846075A - Improvements in or relating to crop crushing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

846,075. Roller mills. INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER CO. Feb. 27, 1959, No. 6908/59. Class 59 [Also in Group VIII] A roller mill for crushing crops e.g. hay, comprises a pair of co-operating crushing rollers mounted on a framework, at least one of the rollers including a plurality of rubber impregnated fabric, or fibre, discs which form an outer surface deformable under pressure, each disc having a central aperture to receive a retaining shaft. The mill shown comprises upper and lower crushing rollers 22, 23 mounted in side walls 20, 21 connected to members 8, 9 which are connected to the ends of a rear beam 7 of a framework 3 and are connected via brackets 10 to a rotatable rock shaft 6a. Mounted on the shaft 6a are arms 11, 12 provided with spindles 13, 14 to carry supporting wheels 15, 16. The framework 3 is adapted to be hitched at 6<SP>1</SP> to a tractor. Each roller 22, 23 which is tapered from its centre to its ends, comprises a plurality of rubber impregnated fabric, or fibre, discs 24 or 30 mounted between end caps on a shaft 26 or 32. The lower roller 23 is driven by a chain and sprocket wheels from a countershaft 50 connected to a transmission shaft 53 adapted for connection to the power take-off shaft of the tractor. The upper roller 22 is carried at each end in a bearing 55 mounted intermediate the ends of an arm 56 the forward end of which is pivotally mounted on the rock shaft 6a and the rear end of which is pivotally connected to a cross shaft 63 each end of which is connected by means of a toggle 65 to the end of a push rod 72 which is urged in the direction of the toggle by means of a compression spring 73 to urge the rollers together. The roller 22 is released from the roller 23 by means of a hydraulic ram comprising a cylinder 75 carrying a piston and stem assembly 78 operatively connected to the rock shaft 6a. The shaft 6a is provided with a depending arm 81 which is pivotally connected to a cam member 83 provided with cam profiles 86, 93, the arrangement being such that when the cam member is pulled forwardly by counter clockwise rotation of the shaft 6a, the cam profile 86 engages the periphery of the bearing 55 and the cam profile 93 engages a roller 91. In a modification, the upper crushing roller is. cylindrical and the lower crushing roller tapered from its centre to its ends, both rollers comprising a plurality of rubber impregnated discs. In another modification, the upper and lower crushing rollers are both cylindrical, the upper roller comprising a plurality of rubber impregnated discs and the lower roller being metallic and having a helical groove. In a further modification, the rollers are again cylindrical, the upper roller comprising rubber impregnated discs formed with helical grooves and the lower roller being metallic and formed with helical ribs. In a still further modification, the upper and lower rollers both comprise rubber impregnated fibre discs and are tapered from the centre to the ends, the lower roller also comprising with short axial grooves.