Patent ID: 6131837
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: A01D,A01F

Abstract:
In a forage harvester comprisinga main frame supported on ground engaging wheels,a header mounted on and extending forwardly from said main frame,a cutting assembly comprising a cylindrical cutterhead including a plurality of knives having cutting edges rotating in a cylindrical path, and a shearbar operatively associated with said knives for chopping crop material,feed means for receiving crop material from said header and conveying it to said cutting assembly,a blower located on said main frame, said blower including an inlet for receiving crop material and an outlet for discharging chopped crop material via a spout to a collecting receptacle, anda crop processor assembly comprising a pair of crushing rolls for crushing chopped crop material received from said cutting assembly and expelling it along a path to said blower inlet, the improvement comprisingat least one of said pair of crushing rolls comprise a continuous shaft, anda plurality of identical cylindrically shaped segments mounted on said shaft, all of said plurality of identical cylindrically shaped segments are interchangeable,said segments each having a fluted outer surface, the fluted outer surface of each of said plurality of said identical cylindrically shaped segments being contiguous with the fluted outer surface of the adjacent segment.