Device for taking out ensilage material

Abstract: Device for taking out ensilage material comprising a separating member provided with at least two cutting blades (4,5,6), each being movable in its longitudinal direction, both longitudinal directions including an angle. The cutting blades (4,5,6) are mutually coupled by means of a flexible member (13) enclosed in guiding means (17,19), so that the flexible means can transfer a pulling force as well as a pushing force between the cutting blades (4,5,6).

Description: The invention relates to a device for taking out ensilage material comprising a separating member provided with at least two saw or cutting blades, each blade being movable in its longitudinal direction, whereby the cutting blades are mutually connected at an angle by means of a flexible member adapted to be moveable against a curved guiding means located at the inner side of a portion of the flexible member. Such device is disclosed in DE-A-3,644,896 whereby the flexible member is a drive belt to which all cutting blades are attached. The two ends of the drive belt are connected to hydraulic cylinders to exert alternating pulling forces on the drive belt so that all blades reciprocate in their longitudinal directions. With such a device portions of ensilage material intended for animal feed are cut away one at a time from the silage heap, whereafter the portions is carried into a box-like container in order to take it to the place where the animals must be fed. During or after transport the ensilage material is mixed in order to make it suitable for dispensing to the animals. The invention is related to the drive of the cutting blades. According to the invention further curved guiding means are present at the outer side of said portion of the flexible member, so that the flexible member can transfer a pulling force as well as a pushing force between the cutting blades. The invention especially relates to the U-shaped cutting side of the separating member which is preferably provided with cutting blades guided along each part of the U-shaped cutting side. The saw blades are preferably driven by a single cylinder which engages on the middle cutting blade and wherein the outer cutting blades are joined to the middel saw blade by a pressure-absorbing flexible member in order to effect the driving. The invention is further elucidated in the figure description hereinbelow of an embodiment of the invention. The drawing shows a perspective view of a part of the U-shaped cutting edge provided with saw blades. Three saw or cutting blades 1,2,3 are placed on the U-shaped bottom edge of a plate-like carrier 20 which forms the separating member. Arranged along these saw blades attached fixedly to the plate 20 are the saw blades 4,5,6 respectively which are movable in the direction of arrow P. These blades are held in place by a cover plate 7 which is fixedly attached to the plate 20 by bolts 8 such that with the bent bottom edge part 9 of these cover plates 7 a determined pressure is exerted on the movable saw blades 4,5,6. It is noted that the movable saw blade 4 is situated on the inside of the U over the long side of the U-shaped cutting edge, while the blades 5,6 are situated on the outside thereof. This applies also for the associated cover plates 7. The movable saw blade 4 is fixed with suitable fastening means 10 to a push-pull strip 11 which is connected on one side to a double-action cylinder 12 and on the other to a chain 13. This chain 13 is fixed at 14 to a push-pull strip 15 which is coupled to the movable saw blades 5 and 6. The push-pull strips 11 and 15 are supported on the side remote from the movable saw blades by a fixed bearing strip 16 of for example copper or other friction-decreasing means which is received in the U-shaped profile 17, the bottom of which is embodied with a ridge 18. The U-shaped profile continues through the corner points with the same radius of curvature as the bent plate 20 such that with an opposing U-shaped profile 19 the chain is received precisely form-fitting in the space therebetween. The ridge 18 which is also arranged in the profile 19 herein provides an accurate guiding of the rollers 21 in the roller chain 13. Due to this construction it is possible to drive all three movable saw blades 4,5 and 6 with only a single cylinder 12 since the roller chain 13 can transmit both pulling and pushing load. The placing of the movable saw blade 4 on the inside and the blades 5,6 on the outside ensures that, due to the pressure forces prevailing thereon during movement of the saw blades through the ensilage material, a good co-action with the fixed saw blades 1,2,3 is brought about. As a result of the suitable material choice of the respective strips 16 and 7 a minimal friction and therefore wear of the saw blades is further ensured.

Claims: Device for taking out ensilage material comprising a separating member (20) provided with at least two cutting blades (4,5,6), each being movable in its longitudinal direction, whereby the cutting blades (4,5,6) are mutually connected at an angle by means of a flexible member (13) adapted to be moveable against a curved guiding means (19) located at the inner side of a portion of the flexible member (13), characterized by further curved guilding means (17) located at the outer side of said portion of the flexible member (13), so that the flexible member can transfer a pulling force as well as a pushing force between said cutting blades. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the separating member has downward facing cutting sides in a U-shaped form, each cutting side being provided with a cutting or saw blade (4,5,6) guided slidable along the underside of the separating member, which blades (4,5,6) are mutually coupled by the means of a flexible member (13) received in the guilding means (17,19). Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one drive cylinder (12) is coupled to the middle cutting blade. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible member (13) is a chain having interconnected links. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the chain (13) is a roller chain and that the guiding means (17,19) are provided with a ridge (18) to contact and guide the rollers (21) of the chain (13). Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a double acting hydraulic cylinder (12) is connected to a push-pull strip (11) to which a cutting blade (4,5,6) is attached and to which the flexible member (13) is attached for driving the other cutting blade. Method for cutting ensilage material with at least two cutting blades (4,5,6), whereby a cutting blade drives the other cutting blade through a flexible member (13), whereby the flexible member (13) is moved along a curved guiding means (19) at the inner side of its curved portion, characterized in that the flexible member (13) is also guided by further curved guilding means (17,18) at the outer side of its curved portion, so that the flexible means (13) can transfer a pulling force as well as a pushing force between said cutting blades (4,5,6,).

Inventors: VAN DER PLAS NICOLAAS, VAN DER PLAS, NICOLAAS
Applicants: TRIOLIET MULLOS, TRIOLIET MULLOS B.V.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: A01F25
IPC codes: A01F25, F15B11