Patent ID: 6185919
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
Apparatus for removing plant stalks from a field and shredding the plant stalks, said apparatus comprising, in combination:a frame for transport along a field in a direction of transport;plant cutter means connected to said frame for positioning underground to cut plants and sever the plant stalks during transport of said frame;at least one pair of feed rollers rotatably mounted on said frame having teeth thereon and defining a nip for receiving plant stalks of plants cut by said plant cutter means, for compressing said plant stalks and for pulling said plant stalks out of the ground, said feed rollers each having a cone-like configuration, a roller end of reduced size, and a feed roller axis of rotation generally oriented in the direction of transport with the roller end thereof facing in the direction of transport, said feed rollers of said at least one pair of feed rollers defining a plant stalk entry opening leading to said nip, said nip being oriented in the direction of transport and being increasingly constricted in a direction opposed to the direction of transport;means for rotating said feed rollers; andplant stalk shredder means disposed adjacent to said feed rollers for engagement with plant stalks while said plant stalks are passing through said feed rollers and being fed to said plant stalk shredder means by said feed rollers during rotation of said feed rollers, said plant stalk shredder means including at least one rotatable shredder member rotating about an axis, said at least one rotatable shredder member being disposed directly above said feed rollers and engageable with plant stalks while said plant stalks slide through said nip while still in the ground and also while said plant stalks are being fed endwise and upwardly directly to said at least one rotatable shredder member by said feed rollers to shred the plant stalks above the nip.