Patent Publication Number: US-2012036818-A1

Title: Forage crop processing apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/372,540, filed Aug. 11, 2010, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a forage crop processing apparatus, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a forage crop processing apparatus which reaps a forage crop, dries the forage crop to produce a hay having a specified moisture content, and bales the hay for storage or use. 
     2. Brief Description of Related Art 
     Forage crops are plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Forage crops are frequently grown and stored long-term for use during periods of time when forage crops are unable to grow, for example, during winter months. In general, methods for processing forage crops for storage involve several steps. Typically, the first step is to reap or cut the forage crop using a scythe, sickle or a mechanical reaper. Often times forage crops are reaped by a swather or windrower which, in addition to cutting the forage crop at the stem, aligns the reaped crop with the stem ends in oriented in the same direction. 
     Next, the reaped forage crops must be dried such that they retain only a specified amount of moisture. The ideal moisture content for baled forage crops ranges from approximately 15% to 20%. If there is too much moisture in the forage crop, the forage crop may mold or rot. Additionally, when moisture rich forage crops are baled the excess moisture can lead to the spontaneous combustion of baled forage crops. Conversely, if there is too little moisture in the forage crop, there can be significant nutrient loss. To control the moisture content in the forage crop, the crops are typically left in piles on the ground to dry for a specified amount of time. The piles of reaped forage crop are turned occasionally to aid in the drying process. Unfortunately, when forage crops are left exposed to the elements they may attract pests and inclement weather may make drying the forage crops an impossible task. Finally, once the forage crops have been dried they are compacted into bales, either round or rectangular, for storage. 
     Attempts have been made at constructing forage crop processing apparatuses which reap, dry and bale forage crops, but to Applicant&#39;s knowledge, all of these attempts have required the use of conveyor-type systems which transport the reaped crops through a drying apparatus where the forage crops are heated in order to dry the forage crop. Incidental heat caused by friction and sparks caused by metallic components of the conveyor-type systems used to communicate the forage crop can pose a significant fire danger. 
     Therefore, a need exists for a forage crop processing apparatus that reaps a forage crop, dries the forage crop to produce a hay having a specified moisture content, and bales the hay for storage or use. Additionally, the need exists for a forage crop processing apparatus which minimizes the use of moving mechanical parts to prevent fire hazards. It is to such a forage crop processing apparatus that the present invention is directed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that the above recited features and advantages of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. Further, the figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a forage crop processing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side cross-sectional view of a tubular drying channel of the forage crop processing apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the tubular drying channel of  FIG. 2  taken along line  3 - 3 . 
         FIG. 4  is a partial side elevational view of the forage crop processing apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly to  FIG. 1 , shown therein is an apparatus  10  for processing forage crops. Although the apparatus  10  may be used to process any number of forage crops or grains, for purposes of clarity the apparatus  10  will be discussed for use with grasses used to produce hay. The apparatus  10  generally resembles a combine harvester and includes a cockpit  14  having a control system  18  for operating the various features of the apparatus  10 . The apparatus  10  is supported by, for example, a pair of continuous tracks  22  or alternatively a plurality of ground engaging wheels (not shown). The various components of the apparatus  10  may be powered by a power plant  26  which may include, for example, an internal combustion engine and at least one hydraulic pump, although the apparatus  10  may optionally include an electric motor, or combinations thereof. As dried hay is extremely flammable, it will be understood that the use of hydraulic pumps to operate many of the mechanical parts of the apparatus  10  may decrease the fire hazard inherent in processing dried hay. The apparatus  10  also generally comprises a cutting member  30 , a tubular drying channel  34  and a baler  38 . The apparatus  10  reaps and directs the grass into the tubular drying channel  34  where it is carried through the tubular drying channel  34  via air produced by an air mover to remove moisture from the grass. The grass is then communicated to the baler  38  where it is compacted into bales. 
     The cutting member  30  includes a housing  40  having a lower scooping portion  44  and a plurality of reciprocating cutters  46  disposed along the front end  48  of the housing  40 . Although the cutting member  30  has been disclosed as having a plurality of reciprocating cutters  46  the cutting member  30  may include any suitable device or devices which cut hay. Examples of such devices include, but are not limited to, rotating sickle bars, flail mowers, chains, rotary cutters and the like. Also, the cutting member  30  may incorporate a windrower or a swather portion which not only cuts the grass but also collects the individual pieces of grass together with the stem ends oriented in the same direction. Grass that is cut by the plurality of reciprocating cutters  46  is directed by lower scoop portion  44  of the housing  40  towards the tubular drying channel  34 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3  collectively, the tubular drying channel  34  is provided as a vertically oriented, substantially rectangular tube disposed in a serpentine configuration. Although the tubular drying channel  34  has been disclosed as being vertically oriented and substantially rectangular, the tubular drying channel  34  may be oriented differently (e.g., horizontally, diagonally or angled) and may include any number of different geometrical configurations, for example, circular, triangular or irregular, that would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art with the present disclosure before them. It will be understood that the tubular drying channel  34  may be oriented with any number of other configurations rather than serpentine, for example, zig-zag, concentric, stacked, coiled or the like. 
     The tubular drying channel  34  generally includes an inlet end  54  for receiving grass from the cutting member  14 , an outlet end  58  for communicating hay to the baler  38 , interior heating surfaces  62  extending the length of the tubular drying channel  34 , a plurality of selectively adjustable vents  66  and a plurality of air inlets  70 . The tubular drying channel  34  may be divided into a plurality of substantially straight upward segments  74  connected to a plurality of fall segments  76  by upper arcuate connector segments  82  and lower arcuate connector segments  86 . The apparatus  10  may include any number of segments  74 ,  76 ,  82  and  86 , the number of which will vary according to design requirements. 
     The interior heating surfaces  62  are spaced apart from one another to define a heating region  90 . It will be understood that the interior heating surfaces  62  may be an integral part of the tubular drying channel  34  or they may be separate from, but disposed within, the tubular drying channel  34 . It will be further understood that the entire length of the tubular drying channel  34  may be considered the interior heating surfaces  62  or that only segments, for example, the substantially straight upward segments  74  or fall segments  78  may have interior heating surfaces  62 . The interior heating surfaces  62  may include any number of different devices for raising the temperature of the air within the tubular drying channel  34 . Non-limiting examples of interior heating surfaces  62  may include microwave heating devices, electric heating elements, infrared heating devices and the like. 
     The upper arcuate connector segments  82  may each include one of the plurality of selectively adjustable vents  66 . The plurality of selectively adjustable vents  66  operate to allow moisture and excess air flowing through the tubular drying channel  34  to escape or be purged from the tubular drying channel  34 . The amount of moisture and air allowed to escape via the plurality of selectively adjustable vents  66  may be varied according to operational requirements. The lower arcuate connector segments  86  may each include one of the plurality of air inlets  70 . The air inlets  70  are positioned coaxially with and below the substantially straight upward segments  74 . Each of the air inlets  70  receive air from an air mover, for example, a fan  94  and direct air from the fan  94  upwardly through the substantially straight upward segments  74 . The fan  94  is connected to the air inlets  70  by a main duct  98  for distributing air to each of the air inlets  70 . It will be understood that although the air mover has been disclosed as including the fan  94 , any one of a number of air movers, including, but not limited to, blowers, impellers, turbines, vacuums and the like, that would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art with the present disclosure before them are likewise contemplated for use in accordance with the present invention. 
     As the fan  94  directs air through each of the plurality of air inlets  70 , grass within the tubular drying channel  34  is carried upwardly by the air through the substantially straight upward segments  74  and around the upper arcuate connector segments  82 . Gravity pulls the grass downwardly through the fall segments  76  where it collects in the lower arcuate connector segments  86 . This operation is repeated, moving the grass successively through each of the segments until the grass reaches the outlet end  56  and exits the tubular drying channel  34 . As the grass traverses through the tubular drying channel  34 , the interior heating surfaces  62  raise the temperature of the both the grass and the air communicated from the fan  94  to remove moisture from the grass. 
     Moisture sensors  102  may be placed at various locations within the tubular drying channel  34  to measure the level of moisture within the grass so that the temperature within the tubular drying channel  34  or the volume and/or speed of air produced by the fan  94  may be adjusted accordingly. Also, the moisture sensors  102  may provide data which may partially govern the operation of the plurality of selectively adjustable vents  66  to control the amount of air and/or moisture escaping the tubular drying channel  34 . 
     It will be understood that since the tubular drying channel  34  lacks mechanical parts, for example, gears, linkages, conveyors for communicating grass, the risk of fire from sparking and/or friction caused by mechanical parts is substantially reduced. Once the grass has completed its transit through the tubular drying channel  34 , it can be baled for long term storage and/or immediate use. It will be understood that harvesting and storing grass with proper moisture concentration is essential to producing a high-quality hay. Hay should have a moisture concentration range from between 15% and 18% during the baling process. Hay baled at higher moisture levels is subject to heat damage, dry-matter loss, mold spoilage, and hay fires, and hay baled at lower moisture levels is subject to protein and total digestible nutrient losses. If a bale is to be stored outside, it will be understood that the moisture level of baled hay should preferably be below 22% to avoid potential spontaneous combustion of the bale. 
     The tubular drying channel  34  may optionally include an input valve  106  for introducing nutrients into the hay before it is communicated to the baler  38  for baling. The nutrients may include a liquid, solid or combination thereof of vitamins, minerals or a medicament which enhances the nutritional and/or medicinal value of the hay. It will be understood that the input valve  106  may be positioned at any location along the tubular drying channel  34 . 
     The treated hay communicated out of the outlet end  58  of the tubular drying channel  34  is directed to the baler  38 . The baler  38  is used to compress the cut and hay into bales and bind the bales with twine. It will be understood that typical balers may produce round or rectangular bales of hay. Although not shown, in the case of round bales, hay entering the baler  38  is compacted and rolled by a hay roller. The hay roller may include, for example, rubberized belts, fixed rollers, or a combination of rollers and belts for rolling the dried hay. Once the bale as reached a specified circumference, a twine or mesh is wrapped around the outside of the bale to secure the hay. 
     Additionally, although not shown, in the case of rectangular and/or square bales, the hay is cut to a substantially uniform length by a knife disposed near the front of the baler  38 . The cut hay is moved by a fork towards the back of the baler  38  where it is compacted by a plunger. Once a bale is the correct thickness, a binding of twine or mesh is wrapped around the outside of the bale to secure the hay. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , in operation, the apparatus  10  is traversed over a grassy field. The reciprocating cutters  46  of the cutting member  14  reap the grass, cutting it off at the stem. The lower scoop portion  44  of the housing  40  of the cutting member  14  directs the cut grass to the inlet end  54  of the tubular drying channel  34 . Air communicated from the fan  94  through the first of a plurality of air inlets  70 A carries the cut grass upwardly through the first substantially straight upward segment  74 A and around the first upper arcuate connector segment  82 A. Gravity causes the cut grass to travel downwardly through the first fall segment  78 A where it collects in the first lower arcuate connector segment  86 A. Air communicated through the second of a plurality of air inlets  70 B carries the cut grass upwardly through the second substantially straight upward segment  74 B and around the second upper arcuate connector segment  82 B. Gravity causes the cut grass to travel downwardly through the second fall segment  78 B where it collects in the second lower arcuate connector segment  86 B. Air communicated through the third of a plurality of air inlets  70 C carries the cut grass upwardly through the third substantially straight upward segment  74 C and around the third upper arcuate connector segment  82 C. Gravity causes the cut grass to travel downwardly through the third fall segment  78 C where it collects in the third lower arcuate connector segment  86 C. Air communicated through the fourth of a plurality of air inlets  70 D carries the cut grass upwardly through the fourth substantially straight upward segment  74 D and around a partial fourth upper arcuate connector segment  82 D and out of the outlet end  58  of the tubular drying channel  34 . As the grass is carried through the tubular drying channel  34 , the interior heating surfaces  62  (see  FIG. 2 ) raise the temperature of the both the grass and the air communicated from the fan  94  to remove moisture from the grass. Moisture sensors  102  (see  FIG. 2 ) placed at various locations within the tubular drying channel  34  measure the level of moisture within the grass so that the temperature within the tubular drying channel  34  or the volume or speed of air produced by the fan  94 , or the amount of air and/or moisture allowed to escape via the plurality of selectively adjustable vents  66  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may be adjusted accordingly to produce hay having a predetermined level of moisture. If desired, a treatment material may be introduced to the dried hay via inlet valve  106 . Once the grass has been dried into hay, the hay is baled by, for example, a rectangular baler  38  as discussed above. 
     From the above description it is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the invention disclosed and as defined in the appended claims.