Patent ID: 6886763
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: A01D,A01F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for processing baled crop material comprising: a chassis; a bale receptacle mounted on the chassis, said receptacle having a front wall and a rear wall a first side wall on a first side and a second side wall on a second side connected together to form an open top into which a bale can be fed; the first side wall and the second side wall each being generally inclined inwardly and downwardly from the open top toward a bottom of the receptacle; the first and second side walls being mounted so as to remain in fixed position during loading and feeding of a bale such that the bale is loaded from above through the open top; a bottom discharge section of the receptacle being provided at the bottom of the side walls and including a discharge opening on the first side of the receptacle underneath the first side wall and opposite to said second side wall; a flail roller mounted in the bottom discharge section of the bale receptacle for rotation about an axis of the roller which axis extends along the receptacle from the front wall to the rear wall; the flail roller having a plurality of flails arranged to rotate with the roller around the axis to carry the baled material of the bale and to discharge the processed baled material out of the bale receptacle through the discharge opening; the flail roller being arranged to rotate in a direction so as to carry the baled material from the second side wall underneath the roller to the discharge opening underneath the first side wall; a plurality of parallel grate bars at spaced positions along the flail roller between which the flails extend, the grate bars each extending from a position on the first side wall above the discharge opening to the second side wall; a driven roller mounted in the bale receptacle for driven rotation about its axis with its axis parallel to the axis of the flail roller, the driven roller being spaced inwardly of the inclined second side wall, said driven roller being adapted to engage and provide support for a bale in the bale receptacle inwardly of the second wall and above said flail roller; the driven roller having outwardly extending bale engaging members thereon to engage the bale and to provide rotational force to the bale in the bale receptacle to rotate the bale and to expose different parts thereof to the flail roller when the bale is being processed; the second side wall and the driven roller being arranged such that the bale is supported against downward movement on the second side of the grate bars substantially wholly by the driven roller; the first side wall being arranged such that the bale is supported against downward movement on the first side of the grate bars substantially wholly by the first side wall.