Patent ID: 7322175
Filing Date: 2008-01-29
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. A conditioner for conditioning cut crop material from a harvester comprising: a bottom roller and top roller, each of tho bottom and top rollers having a generally cylindrical roller surface and a plurality of side by side flutes at angularly spaced positions therearound, the flutes projecting radially outwardly to a flute edge spaced outwardly of the roller surface and extending longitudinally along the roller substantially along the full length thereof; a mounting assembly for mounting the bottom and top rollers in generally parallel relationschip for rotation of each roller about its axis such that the flute of the bottom roller intermesh with the flutes of the top roller; a drive assembly for driving the bottom and top rollers at a common rotation speed in opposite directions to cause conditioning of crop material fed between the bottom and top rollers; each flute of the bottom and top rollers comprising a body defining a first surface and a second surface converging to a common apex; each of the first and second surfaces having an end edge thereof at the surface of the roller parallel to the apex and spaced from the apex; the first surface having an extent from the apex to the end edge thereof which is shorter than that of the second surface; the first and second surfaces being arranged such that a line joining the apex to the end edge of the first surface lies at an angle to a tangent to the roller surface which angle is greater than a corresponding angle of a line joining the apex to the end edge of the second surface relative to a tangent to the roller surface; wherein the flutes of one of the rollers are arranged relative to a direction of rotation of said one of the rollers such that the first surface is leading and the second surface is trailing and the flutes of the other of the rollers are arranged relative to a direction of rotation of said other of the rollers such that the first surface is trailing and the second surface is leading.