NL2001458C2 - Silage cutting method, involves locating cutting path, placing silage cutter frame in cutting position, and cutting silage along cutting path by moving knife in silage cutter frame - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves obtaining data about the shape of a front part (41) of silage (40), and calculating a cutting position based on the data. A cutting path is located and a silage cutter frame is placed in the cutting position. The silage is cut along the cutting path by moving a knife in the cutter frame, and a predetermined amount of silage is cut and removed. An independent claim is also included for a device for cutting a predetermined quantity of silage from a portion of silage.

Description

P83030NL00

Short description: Device and method for cutting silage

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method and a device for cutting silage from a silage pile.

Such a method and device are known from European patent specification 0 092 880 and German patent application 34 32 278.

Silage is ensiled cattle feed, which is stored in a somewhat compressed form, for example in a so-called silage pile in which the feed has been hit by a tractor or a shovel or in which previously compressed feed is stored. The silage pile is substantially airtightly covered. In the silage pile, the ensiled product undergoes a biochemical process, so that the product remains well preserved. The compression and airtight closure of the silage pile is important to prevent rotting and mold formation.

Silage piles are in practice of such a size that the silage stored therein cannot be transferred in one go to a feed silo, from where it can be dispensed in a dosed manner for feeding the cattle. If the storage silo is too large, the feed loosened in the silo when transferred to the storage silo. In addition, it is known to mix the feed in a feed wagon from which the animals can be fed. The feed is removed from the silage pile in portions when using a feed wagon and when feeding from a silo.

Particularly if each time silage is transferred from the silage pile to the shed or an intermediate storage silo is mixed and / or transferred relatively little silage, it is important that the amount of silage that is cut loose as a volume is accurately dosed. When decrypting silage with a milling cutter as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,971, it is relatively easy to keep track of the amount of 2 decalculated cattle feed, because the amount of feed that cuts the milling cutter is in accordance with the feed of a milling cutter through the silage heap. The amount is then determined by the length, the width and the depth of the milled web and the milling can be stopped at any time as soon as the required amount of feed has been milled.

It is, however, important to minimize the fiber structure of the cut feed when decrypting the feed, partly because this is detrimental to the digestion of the animals. In this respect silage cutters, which cut blocks of feed loose or at least partially cut and grasp them (such as silage grippers of which a gripping segment or teeth have knife-shaped edges), and wherein a cutting path along which the silage is cut by the knife or knives, enjoy the outer surface of determines the amount of silage cut loose, preferably over devices in which the silage is decalcified with a milling cutter and thereby chopped, as is known from said U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,971.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a solution whereby the silage can be automatically and accurately decalculated without affecting the fiber structure, as is the case with decoiling by milling the silage out of the silage pile.

This object is achieved according to the invention by providing a method according to claim 1. The invention can also be embodied in a device according to claim 8.

Because a cutting position of the silage cutter frame is calculated which is situated such that a calculated amount of silage between the cutting path and the front part of the silage pile is equal to the amount of silage represented by the dosing data (ie 3 of them at least does not deviate to such an extent that substantial deviations from the intended dosage to be fed to the animals) can occur automatically with a silage cutter whose blade, when cutting silage, along a previously known cutting path determining the outer surface of the cut volume of silage relative to the silage cutting. the frame moves, a relatively accurately dosed amount of silage can be cut loose. This amount can be substantially smaller than the maximum amount of silage that the silage cutter can cut loose with the silage cutter derfraine in one position.

Particular embodiments of the invention are laid down in the dependent claims.

In the following the invention is further illustrated and elucidated on the basis of a few exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion II of the device of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cut-away, schematic representation in side view of an example of a device according to the invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and a silage pile;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device according to FIGS. 1-3 and the silage pile according to FIG. 3; and FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an example of a structure for controlling and operating a device according to the invention.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figures 1 and 2 show a device according to the invention in the form of a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 has a chassis 2 and a telescopic and pivotable arm 3 carried by the chassis, movable relative to the chassis, with operating elements in the form of hydraulic cylinders 4, 5 for pivoting up and down. telescopic extension and shortening of the arm 3. The chassis 2 and the arm 3 form a support structure which carries a silage cutter in the form of a silage cutter 6 movable by movement of the arm 3 and by tilting relative to the arm 3. The silage cutter 6 is pivotally suspended relative to the arm 3 by means of hinges, the angle of the silage cutter 6 relative to the arm 3 being controlled by a hydraulic cylinder 8. For lateral movement of the silage cutter 6 relative to the chassis is provided in transverse guide rails 9, 10 in which rollers 11 resp. 12 of the silage cutter 6 can roll back and forth. Lateral movements of the silage cutter are operable by a hydraulic cylinder 13 mounted between the chassis and the silage cutter 6.

A motor, hydraulic pump, hydraulic lines, pressure vessels, and valves, which according to this example also form part of the drive structure for driving movements of the arm as well as of rotation and control of wheels carrying the chassis, are per se known components and for the sake of clarity not shown.

The vehicle 1 is further provided with a storage container 14 with a container 15, a mixing member in the form of a screw 16 and means for discharging feed from the storage container 14, which discharge means according to this example are designed as a conveyor belt 17.

The silage cutter 6 has a silage cutter frame 19 which also forms a support for supporting cut-out silage packs in the rearward direction. The silage cutter frame 19 moreover carries a row of pins 18 located adjacent to each other in use condition (not all pins are indicated with a reference numeral) which protrude forward from the silage cutter frame 19 and wherein the silage cutter frame 19 extends upwards from the pins 18 for supporting rearwardly of a cut-out block of silage that rests on the pins 18.

The silage cutter according to the example shown is provided with drives 23 in the form of hydraulic cylinders 23 for driving axial movements of the pins 18 relative to the silage cutter frame 19. The hydraulic cylinders 23 are oriented in the longitudinal direction of the pins 18, a part fixed relative to the silage cutter frame 19 and each have a part coupled to a pin 18, movable in the longitudinal direction of said pin 18.

The silage cutter frame 19 is further provided with guides 20 in which runners 21 are movable to and fro carrying a knife 22 for cutting silage. The knife 22 is vertically movable in an area for the silage cutter frame 19 and along a cutting path 25.

According to this example, the vehicle is designed to be self-driving and self-steering and equipped for navigation with a navigation unit 26 (see Fig. 5) with a transmitter and a receiver for receiving signals from transponders modulating a signal transmitted by the transmitter. The position of the vehicle can be determined on the basis of the modulation received by the receiver. Such systems are known per se and commercially available and therefore not further described and illustrated. For controlling the drive structure, the device is equipped with a controller 28 and an input interface in the form of a laser scanner 27. Such laser scanners are commercially available, for example from SICK AG, in Waldkirch, Germany. In operation, by transferring data obtained during scanning from the laser 30 scanner 27 to the control 28, shape data representing the shape of the front portion of a silage pile can be entered into the control. To enter dosage data representing a predetermined amount of silage, a user interface 29 with a keyboard and a display is coupled to the controller 28. In addition, dosage data as well as other data, such as system settings, log data as well as control software updates, can be exchanged with the control and via a wireless data transmission unit 30. In this example, this is designed as a transmitter-receiver according to the IEEE 802.11 standard (WiFi ), via which the control 28 can be incorporated in a computer network.

The controller 28 is further coupled to valve controls of subsystems 31-36 for positioning the silage cutter 6 as well as subsystems 37-39 for operating other functions of the device.

The operation of the device 1 according to the example shown is explained below with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. Prior to cutting silage from a silage pile 40, dosage data are first entered which indicate, among other things, how much silage from the silage pile 40 is required. This amount can for instance correspond to 0.6 times the maximum volume of silage that can be cut out in one go. According to this example, the maximum silage volume to be cut out at one time is determined by the volume with a size equal to the cross section of the space between the cutting path 25 and the silage cutter frame 19 times the length of the stroke of the cutting knife 22 along the cutting path. 25 to the top of the pins 18. The dosing data may, for example, come from a livestock management program that runs on a central computer of a livestock farm and is supplied to the control 28 via the WiFi module 30.

Furthermore, prior to cutting silage from the silage pile 40 shape data are entered which represent the shape of the front side 41 of the silage pile facing the device 7. According to this example, the form data is entered by scanning the front part 41 of the silage pile by the laser scanner 27, while the device 1 is situated at a sufficient distance from the silage pile 40 to at least the part of the front side 41 to be scanned. drop of the silage pile 40 within a working area 42 of the laser scanner 27. A scanning result in accordance with measurement signals obtained by scanning is thereby transferred from the scanner 27 to the control 28 which, starting from the scan result, calculates the shape data.

The scanner 27 also serves as a safeguard to prevent the device from colliding with obstacles when driving between the silage pile and the destination where the cut loose silage is to be unloaded. As soon as an obstacle is detected in a warning part of the scanning area while driving, the speed of the device 1 is initially reduced and the device 1 stops when the obstacle comes within a certain distance.

Starting from the shape data and the dosing data, cutting position data are calculated which represent a cutting position of the silage cutter of the frame 19 in which the cutting path 25 is situated such that a calculated amount of silage between the cutting path 25 associated with the calculated cutting position data and an outer surface portion represented by the shape data of the front portion 41 of the silage pile 40 is equal to the amount of silage represented by the dosing data, according to this example 0.6 times the maximum amount of silage to be cut loose in one go.

This calculation can for example result in the calculation of a cutting position where the space between the cutting path 25 and the silage cutter frame 19 is completely filled by 0.6 times the height thereof. For this purpose, the cutting position must be selected such that cutting is performed from a part of the silage pile with a vertical front wall and a horizontal upper surface, silage cutter frame 19 in the cutting position must rest against the vertical front wall portion of the silage pile 40 and the horizontal upper surface at a distance equal to 0.6 times the length of the cutting path 25 above the pins 18.

Another option is to cut silage the entire height of the cutting path, but to choose the cutting position such that the knife 22 only reaches 0.6 times the depth into the silage pile 40.

The silage can also be cut out of a stepped or sloping portion of the silage pile 40. The oblique course 10 of the outer surface of the silage to be cut out is included in the calculation of a cutting position such that 0.6 times the volume of the space between the cutting path 25 and the silage cutter frame 19 is passed through the silage to be cut loose taken.

If the outer surface of the front side of the silage pile 40 facing the device is inclined, this is usually caused by either that no silage has yet been cut off from the silage pile or because silage has fallen down from higher parts of the silage pile 40. Such silage which has fallen down usually has a lower density than the other silage in the silage pile. A better approximation of the quantity of silage to be cut out can therefore be achieved in many cases if a correction is made by choosing a cutting position in which cutting is performed from an oblique part of the silage pile with an oblique direction towards the device. more silage is cut loose than the predetermined volume. This can be done, for example, by applying a multiplication factor or storage in response to shape data representing an oblique outer surface of the silage to be cut, or by considering obliquely extending outer surfaces of the silage pile to be located more rearward and / or downward than the actual location thereof.

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Subsequently, the control 28 controls bringing the silage cutter frame 19 to the cutting position represented by the calculated cutting position data, and subsequently moving the knife 22 along the cutting path 25 while the silage cutter frame 19 is in the cutting position achieved. Thereby, taking into account tolerances acceptable for the metering of animal feed, the predetermined amount of silage is cut off from the silage pile 40.

The cut silage is then discharged from the silage pile 40 by pulling in and / or pivoting the arm 3 and the cut silage is poured into the holder 40 by tilting the silage cutter 6 and / or pulling in the silage pin 18. The controller 28 controls the mixer 16 at suitable times to mix the silage poured into the container, which may come from different silage piles containing different types of silage. Putting the mixer 16 into operation before all the silage to be mixed has been collected can contribute to the distribution of the silage over the container 14, whereby the content thereof can be utilized to a large extent without the silage locally reaching such a large touched on height that it falls over the edge.

It is also possible that the dosing data represent several predetermined quantities of silage to be cut loose. With a relatively small silage cutter 6, considerable amounts of silage can thus still be metered loose.

When distributing a total quantity of silage to be cut loose over several units, after cutting a first part quantity of the total quantity of silage, a subsequent quantity of silage to be cut by the dosing data, partly based on a calculated amount silage to be cut loose or a measured amount of silage cut loose is calculated. If the total amount of silage to be cut is, for example, 1.5 times 10 the maximum amount to be cut loose at one time, if from the shape data (for example, by an oblique and / or stepped shape of the front side of the silage pile) it follows that the first time at most 0.8 times the maximum amount of silage to be cut in one go can be cut, if the second amount to be cut at 0.7 times the maximum amount of silage to be cut at one time as before specified quantity.

Moreover, if the device is provided with measuring instruments 42 (see Fig. 8) connected to the control 28 for weighing the weight of the cut silage or measuring the volume of the cut silage, in response to differences between the predetermined amount of silage and the actually cut-off amount of silage upon cutting away the first amount of a dosage, the second amount of that dosage are compensated for compensating for the observed difference.

A difference between a calculated amount of silage and a measured, loose-cut amount of silage can also be used as input data for adjusting the next cutting position data for a next cutting position for cutting off a next quantity of silage. This makes it possible to compensate for structurally occurring differences, which can be different for each silage pile depending on, among other things, the type of silage, the environmental conditions and the compactness of the silage pile. Moreover, if the dosage of the silage amount is prescribed as a mass, a conversion factor of the mass to the volume of the silage to be cut out can be calibrated based on differences between the intended mass and the actual mass of cut silage.

When using a silage cutter 6 according to the example shown, the knife 22 can only cut the silage 40 approximately from above. The cutting position data should therefore be calculated in such a way that the 11 cutting path 25 intersects an upward-facing outer surface portion of the front portion 41 of the silage pile, represented by the shape data. The front side of the silage pile 40 is then excavated from above. On the other hand, when a silage cutter is used with a knife that does not have to be introduced into the silage pile from above, it can be advantageous if the cutting path enters the silage pile from the front. This makes it possible, for example, to cut silage from a silage pile that is higher than the height range made possible by the displaceability of the silage cutter. Higher silage then falls automatically and can be removed from the silage pile during a subsequent cutting operation.

Obtaining a next set of the shape data, on the basis of which the following cutting position data is calculated, can be performed by calculating the next set of shape data, starting from an existing set of the shape data and the cutting path data representing the cutting path. The further shape data can thus be obtained without scanning the shape of the front side of the silage pile. If also the first determination of the shape of the front side of the silage pile is carried out without scanning, for instance by measuring it or mechanically scanning it, a device for cutting loose silage without scanning means will suffice.

For example, the navigation unit can be arranged for following lines, such as optically detectable lines or conductors arranged in the ground which cause an electromagnetic field, as is known per se in the field of self-driving vehicles in factories and logistics centers.

For controlling and driving the subsystems, instead of hydraulic controls and transmissions, also mechanically controllable couplings and transmissions and / or individually controllable motors, such as electric motors, can be used.

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The silage cutter can also be designed as a silage grab, for example as a silage grab with a gripping element that is movable along a circle segment path, a bottom of which forms a knife, or whose teeth have sharp, and thus knife-shaped, ends. With such silage grippers, the knife cuts a portion of the silage picked up during picking up and a portion of the silage is held between the knife and supports.

The support structure that carries the silage cutter can alternatively also be of stationary design and have a fixed part which is placed at a fixed location relative to a silage storage location. The device may optionally be arranged to be relatively easily transferable to another silage storage location, but for removing the cut silage from the silage pile a separate transport means will have to be used, which can be controlled or displaced independently or with human intervention. In such a frame, for example, roll containers can be used as transport means that are moved with a tractor.

Claims (13)

Method for cutting a predetermined amount of silage from a front part (41) of a silage pile (40), using a silage cutter (6) with a silage cutter of the frame (19) and at least one according to a cutting path ( 25) blade (22) movable relative to the frame, comprising: obtaining shape data representing the shape of the front portion (41) of the silage pile (40); inputting dosage data representing a predetermined amount of silage; calculating cutting position data starting from the shape data and the dosing data representing a cutting position of the silage cutter frame (19) in which the cutting path (25) is situated such that a calculated amount of silage between the cutting path (25) associated with the calculated cutting position data and a outer surface portion of the silage pile front portion (41) represented by the shape data is equal to the amount of silage represented by the dosage data; bringing the silage cutter frame (19) to the cutting position represented by the calculated cutting position data; moving the knife (22) along the cutting path (25) while the silage cutter frame (19) is in the achieved cutting position, the predetermined amount of silage being cut from the silage pile (40); and discharging the cut amount of silage from the silage pile (40). A method according to claim 1, wherein the cutting position data is calculated such that the cutting path (25) cuts an upward-facing outer surface portion of the front portion (41) of the silage pile 5 (40) represented by the shape data. 3. Method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising scanning at least a part of the front part (41) of the silage pile (40), generating a scan result in accordance with measurement signals obtained by scanning, and starting from calculate the scan result of the shape data. 4. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein obtaining a next set of the shape data is performed by calculating the next set of shape data starting from an existing set of the shape data and the cutting path data representing the cutting path (25). 5. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the dosing data represent several predetermined quantities of silage to be cut loose. 6. Method as claimed in claim 5, wherein after discharging the cut quantity of silage from the silage pile (40), a next quantity of silage to be cut loose represented by the dosing data, also starting from a calculated amount of silage to be cut loose or a silage to be cut. measured quantity of loose-cut silage is calculated. 7. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, further comprising of calculating a difference between a calculated amount of silage and a measured, loose-cut amount of silage, wherein following cutting position data for a next cutting position for cutting away a next amount of silage are also taken from said difference calculated. An apparatus for cutting a predetermined amount of silage from a front portion (41) of a silage pile (40), comprising: a silage cutter (6) with a silage cutter frame (19) and a cutting path (25) relative to the silage cutter frame (19) movable blade (22); 10 a support structure (2, 3) with a part (3) movable in the operating condition relative to the silage pile (40) that carries the silage cutter (6) and a drive structure (4, 5) for driving movement of the movable part ( 3) relative to the silage pile (40); a controller (28) adapted to obtain shape data representing the shape of the front portion (41) of the silage pile (40) and to control said drive structure (4, 5); and at least one input interface (29, 30) for inputting dosage data representing a predetermined amount of silage; wherein the control (28) is adapted to: calculate cutting position data starting from the shape data and the dosing data representing a cutting position of the silage cutter frame (19) in which the cutting path (25) is situated such that a calculated amount of silage between the cutting path (25) associated with the calculated cutting position data and an outer surface portion of the silage pile front portion (41) represented by the shape data is equal to the amount of silage represented by the dosage data; and controlling the drive structure (4, 5) for: - bringing the silage cutter frame (19) to the cutting position represented by the calculated cutting position data; - moving the knife (22) along the cutting path (25) while the silage cutter frame (19) is in the achieved cutting position, the predetermined amount of silage being cut from the silage pile (40); and - discharging the cut amount of silage from the silage pile (40). 10 Device according to claim 8, wherein the support structure (2, 3) comprises a chassis (2) which is displaceable over a surface relative to the silage pile (40) and wherein the movable part (3) of the support structure (2, 3) is movable relative to said chassis (2). 15 Device according to claim 9, wherein the chassis (2) is provided with sensors (26) operatively coupled to the control (28) for receiving position-related signals. Device according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising a feed container (14) with a mixing member (16) for mixing feed in the feed container (14) and a feed (17) for discharging feed from the feed container (14) , wherein the support structure (2, 3) is adapted to move the silage cutter (6) such that loose-cut silage is introduced into the feed container (14). 12. Device as claimed in any of the claims 8-11, further comprising a scanner (27) for scanning a surface portion of a silage pile (40) facing the device (1) and for generating a scan result in accordance with measurement signals obtained during scanning, wherein the scanner (27) is connected to the control (28) and wherein at least the scanner (27) or the control (28) is adapted to calculate the shape data from the scan result. Device according to any of claims 8-12, further comprising a measuring instrument (42) for measuring a cut-off quantity of silage, the control (28) being adapted to calculate the following cutting position data for a next cutting position for cutting off a the next quantity of silage partly from a difference between the dosage data representing the predetermined amount of silage and a measurement result that represents the measured amount of loose-cut silage.