Patent Abstract:
Disclosed is an apparatus for disintegrating bales of agricultural material such as hay. The apparatus has a chassis with a bale receptacle mounted thereon. A disintegrator is mounted in the bale receptacle and is adapted to disintegrate baled crop material in the bale receptacle and discharge the processed baled material out of the bale receptacle. A manipulator is mounted in the processing tub above the disintegrator adapted to manipulate the baled crop material in the bale receptacle to expose different parts thereof to the disintegrator and a passive support means is provided in the bale receptacle above the disintegrator. The manipulator and passive support means are positioned on opposing sides of the disintegrator to facilitate maintenance of the baled crop material above the disintegrator such that the disintegrator engages the baled crop material between the manipulator and the passive support means. In an embodiment of the invention, the bale receptacle comprises a tub with a discharge opening provided in one of the side walls thereof which is detachably mounted to the chassis such that the discharge opening can be positioned on either the left or right hand side of the chassis. In another embodiment, the invention also provides a flail roller design that reduces the adverse consequences of back slap of the flails and a manner of mounting the flail roller that reduces the stresses on the bearings.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE AND RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial Nos. 60/299,554 filed Jun. 20, 2001; 60/299,463 filed Jun. 20, 2001; 60/299,560 filed Jun. 20, 2001; and 60/333,210 filed Nov. 6, 2001 each of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/090,213 filed Mar. 4, 2002 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial Nos. 60/299,554 filed Jun. 20, 2001; 60/299,463 filed Jun. 20, 2001; 60/299,560 filed Jun. 20, 2001; and 60/333,210 filed Nov. 6, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates to an improved apparatus for disintegrating bales of agricultural material such as hay.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0003]    Bale processors, including processors of the type having a tub with a longitudinally disposed disintegration flail roller and two bale support rollers (as disclosed in Canadian Patent No. 2,086,569 owned by the applicant herein) are known. Additionally, processors that include a driven feeder chain or conveyor belt to rotate the bale such that different portions of the baled material are exposed to the disintegration flail roller are also known.  
           [0004]    The majority of the bale processors known to the inventors are only adapted to process one type of bale configuration commonly used in the industry (i.e. “round” or “square”). Furthermore, primarily due to the large size and weight of modern “square” bales (which have a rectangular configuration), problems may be encountered with operational flexibility and durability of some processors. Moreover, the majority of the processors known to the inventors are only adapted to discharge out of one side of the processor.  
           [0005]    Moreover, the majority of flail rollers known to the inventors are designed with a series of flails pivotally mounted in straight rows along the length of the flail roller. When the flails engage the baled material with significant force, the flails are forced backwards and come into contact with the flail drum. This action is commonly referred to as “back slap”. When back slap occurs, the center of gravity of the flail drum is altered which results in the flail drum becoming out of balance and vibrations in the system. Furthermore, the tip speed of the flail is also reduced which results in reduced processing speed and throw distance.  
           [0006]    In addition, the majority of bale processors known to the inventors are mounted to the end walls of the bale processors by a set of bearings. However, during operation, the flail roller and the end walls of the bale processor vibrate. These vibrations induce stresses on the housings of the bearings which mount the flail drum.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a bale processor having operational flexibility and enhanced durability. According to a broad aspect of the invention, the invention provides an apparatus for processing baled crop material comprising: a chassis having a front and rear end and a left and right side; a bale receptacle mounted on the chassis; a disintegrator mounted in the bale receptacle adapted to disintegrate baled crop material in the bale receptacle and discharge the processed baled material out of the bale receptacle; a manipulator mounted in the bale receptacle above the disintegrator adapted to manipulate the baled crop material in the bale receptacle to expose different parts thereof to the disintegrator; and passive support means in the bale receptacle above the disintegrator; wherein the manipulator and passive support means are positioned on opposing sides of the disintegrator to facilitate maintenance of the baled crop material above the disintegrator such that the disintegrator engages the baled crop material between the manipulator and the passive support means.  
           [0008]    According to another aspect of the invention, the invention provides an apparatus for processing baled crop material comprising: a chassis having a front and rear end and a left and right side; a processing tub mounted on the chassis having two opposing end walls, two opposing side walls and a discharge opening in one of the side walls; a flail roller mounted in the processing tub having a plurality of flails mounted thereon and adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis to disintegrate baled crop material in the processing tub and discharge the processed baled material out the discharge opening; a plurality of axially spaced rods mounted within the processing tub at a height above the flail roller wherein the flails extend through the spaces between the rods to engage the baled crop material above the rods; a driven feed roller mounted in the processing tub above the flail roller, extending longitudinally therein and adapted to rotate about its longitudinal axis by a power source wherein the driven feed roller has manipulating members extending radially therefrom to engage and rotate the baled crop material to expose different parts thereof to the flail roller; and a passive support means positioned above the flail roller comprising at least one roller adapted to rotate about its longitudinal axis and mounted adjacent to a wall portion of a side wall of the processing tub extending inwardly and downwardly towards the flail roller; wherein the driven feed roller and passive support means are positioned on opposing sides of the flail roller to facilitate maintenance of the baled crop material above the flail roller such that the flails engage the baled crop material between the manipulator and the passive support means.  
           [0009]    According to yet another aspect of the invention, the invention provides an apparatus for processing baled crop material comprising: a chassis having a front and rear end and a left and right side; a bale receptacle mounted on the chassis having two opposing end walls; a flail roller positioned in the bale receptacle adapted to disintegrate baled crop material in the bale receptacle and discharge the processed baled material out of the bale receptacle, the flail roller having axial rods extending from opposing ends thereof; and a set of flail roller mounts connected to the chassis adjacent to the end walls of the bale receptacle adapted to receive the axial rods of the flail roller.  
           [0010]    According to yet another aspect of the invention, the invention provides a flail roller for an apparatus for processing baled crop material comprising a roller with a plurality of flails having a length pivotally mounted thereto such that the ratio of the length of the flails to the distance between pivotal mounts on opposing sides of the roller is less than 0.5 and the distance between the pivotal mounts on opposing sides of the flail roller is greater than 15 3/8 inches.  
           [0011]    The invention provides an improved bale processor capable of processing bales of different configurations and sizes including round and square bales. The processor is also convertible to provide for either left side discharge or right side discharge. The bale processor can process one or more round bales or alternatively a large square bale and includes an adjustable bale loading mechanism to facilitate loading bales of different size and configurations. The processor according to one embodiment of the invention also includes an adjustable axle to improve stability during operation and to facilitate transport of the apparatus.  
           [0012]    The processor according to an embodiment of the invention also provides a flail roller design that reduces the adverse consequences of back slap of the flails and a manner of mounting the flail roller that reduces the stresses on the bearings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the attached drawings in which:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a cut away front view of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a left side perspective view of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention with a large square bale positioned lengthwise therein;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a cut away front view of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention with a large square bale positioned lengthwise therein;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a cut away front view of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention with a large square bale positioned widthwise for loading therein;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a cut away front view of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention with a large square bale positioned widthwise therein;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a left side perspective view of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention with two round bales positioned therein;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is a partially exploded perspective view of a chassis of a bale processor with a fork lift mounted on the rear thereof according to an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention in the left side discharge arrangement;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention in the right side discharge arrangement;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an end of the disintegrator adapted for connection to a rotation conversion device according to an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a rotation conversion device for a right side discharge arrangement of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fork lift of a bale processor according to an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a flail roller according to an embodiment of the invention without the flails mounted thereon;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 15 is an end view of a flail roller according to an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a front flail roller mount according to an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 17 is a perspective of a rear flail roller mount according to an embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 18 is a partially exploded perspective view of a chassis of a bale processor with a fork lift mounted on the rear thereof according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0032]    As shown in FIG. 1, the bale processor has a receptacle comprising a processing tub  1  mounted on a chassis  3 . The tub  1  has symmetrical end walls  5  and  7  and side walls  9  and  11  of differing configurations. A discharge opening  13  is provided at the bottom of side wall  11 . A discharge door  12  is pivotally attached to side wall  11  above the discharge opening  13 . The discharge door  12  is raised and lowered to direct the processed baled material as it is ejected from the discharge opening  13 . The discharge door  12  can be adjusted manually or actuated through a hydraulic or electric system of any suitable type known in the art.  
         [0033]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, side wall  11  is located on the left side of the bale processor. As discussed below, the processing tub  1  and the chassis  3  are designed such that the processing tub can be rotated 180 degrees to position side wall  11  on the right side of the processor (see FIG. 10).  
         [0034]    As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the processing tub  1  is sized such that a large square bale, or, alternatively, two round bales, may be positioned lengthwise therein for processing. Typically, an inside width of approximately 7.5 feet (side wall  9  to side wall  11 ) and in inside length of at least 10 feet (from end wall  5  to end wall  7 ) is sufficient to accommodate most large bales in this manner.  
         [0035]    As shown in FIG. 2, a disintegrator is mounted within the processing tub  1 . In the embodiment illustrated, the disintegrator comprises a flail roller  17  extending the length of the processing tub  1  and mounted in the bottom thereof. The flail roller  17  is rotatable about its longitudinal axis such that a series of flails  19  pivotally mounted thereon extend to engage and separate the baled material contained within the processing tub  1 . In the embodiment shown, the flail roller  17  is slightly offset from the center of the processing tub  1 . The offset of the flail roller  17  provides balance to the apparatus due to the differing configurations of side walls  9  and  11  as well as the location of a driven feed roller  22  which is discussed in greater detail below.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate a design of flail roller  17  according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 14, the flail roller is provided with a plurality of flail mounts  42 . The flail mounts  42  are spaced longitudinally along the periphery of the flail roller  17  in two opposing spiral configurations. The flails  19  are pivotally mounted to the flail mounts  42 . As shown in FIG. 15, the flail roller has a pivot diameter  44 , being the distance between opposing flail mounts  42 , and each flail has a flail length  46 . During operation, the flail roller has a sweep distance  48  measured between the tips of the two opposing flails  19 . For improved performance in processing speed, throw distance and durability of the flail roller  17 , the flail roller is provided with a pivot diameter equal to or greater than 15 {fraction (3/8 )}inches and a flail length to pivot diameter ratio of less than 0.5. However, the length of the flails must be of sufficient length to extend to engage the baled material positioned in the processing tub  1 . The reduction of the flail length to pivot diameter reduces the change in the center of gravity of the flail roller  17  which results from the back slap of the flails  19 . The spiral configuration of the flails  19  on the flail roller  17  also reduces the number of flails in contact with the baled material at one time. Thus, the change in the center of gravity resulting from back slap of the flails  19  is further reduced. In addition, the reduction in the flail length to pivot diameter ratio results in the change in sweep diameter resulting from back slap of the flails  19  being reduced thereby reducing the effect of back slap on the tip speed of flails  19 .  
         [0037]    The flail roller  17  is rotated by a power source (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, the flail roller  17  may be adapted to be detachably connected to a PTO drive of a tractor. To that end, an axial rod  18  is provided on the end of the flail roller  17  and extends through a set of bearings  21  mounted on end wall  5 . As will be discussed in greater detail below, the opposing end of the flail roller is mounted to end wall  7  in a similar manner.  
         [0038]    In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, during operation, the flail roller  17  is rotated in a clockwise direction (viewed from the rear of the machine). Accordingly, the flail roller  17  can be connected directly to the PTO of most tractors. The axial rod  18  is splined at the end thereof for insertion into a female splined connection of a standard PTO of a tractor. Alternative power sources, such as a reversible hydraulic motor, may be used to drive the flail roller  17  without departing from the invention in its broadest aspect.  
         [0039]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing tub  1  is provided with a manipulator comprising a single driven feed roller  22 . In the embodiment shown, the driven feed roller  22  is located above and to the left of the flail roller  17  (when viewed from the front of the processor) and extends the length of the processing tub  1 . The driven feed roller  22  is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and has manipulating members comprising teeth  23  and flanges  25  extending radially therefrom. The side wall  9  extends inwardly and downwardly under the driven feed roller  22  towards the flail roller  17  to direct baled material passing between the driven feed roller  22  and the side wall  9  into the flail roller  17  for disintegration.  
         [0040]    As shown in FIG. 1, the driven feed roller  22  is rotated about its longitudinal axis by a reversible hydraulic motor  33 . The driven feed roller  22  is mounted to end wall  5  by a roller mount  29  secured on the end wall by an adjustable hanger  36 . A set of bearings  31  is positioned within the roller mount  29  to support the driven feed roller  22  while permitting rotation thereof. The specifications for the bearings  31  are selected depending upon the typical load conditions of the driven feed roller  22  during operation. The adjustable hanger  36  is manually adjusted to move the roller mount within a rectangular shaped hole  34  in end wall  5  to move the driven feed roller  22  towards or away from the flail roller  17  while maintaining the driven feed roller parallel to the side wall  9 . It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the adjustable hanger could be replaced by a hydraulic or electric system to move the driven feed roller  22 . As shown in FIG. 1, the opposing end of the driven feed roller is mounted to end wall  7  in an identical manner as described above.  
         [0041]    The hydraulic motor  33  is mounted to a motor mount  35  secured at the upper end thereof to the adjustable hanger  36  and the roller mount  29 . The hydraulic motor  33  is detachably connected to the end of driven feed roller  22 . Specifically, the driven feed roller  22  has an axial rod  37  extending from each end thereof. Each axial rod  37  has a splined female connection adapted to releasably receive a splined rotatable shaft  38  of the hydraulic motor  33 . The motor mount  35  prevents rotation of the body of hydraulic motor  33  during operation and maintains the rotatable shaft  38  engaged with axial rod  37 . Alternative connection assemblies for detachably connecting the hydraulic motor to the driven feed roller would be known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0042]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, side wall  11  has a wall portion slanted inwardly and downwardly towards the flail roller  17  and is spaced from the driven flail roller  22  such that it provides a passive support means for the baled material deposited within the processing tub  1 . In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the passive support means includes a set of three rollers  27  to facilitate rotation of the baled material contained within the processing tub  1 . It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that the set of three rollers  27  could be replaced with a combination of one or more rollers without departing from the invention in its broadest aspect. Alternatively, the set of rollers  27  can be removed and the portion of the inner surface of the portion of side wall  11  sloping inwardly and downwardly towards the flail roller would itself provide the passive support means for the baled crop material. In a further alternative, a combination of one or more rollers and/or a portion of the inner surface of side wall  11  could provide the passive support means. In a further alternative, a baffle or one or more non-driven rollers can be provided within the processing tub  1  to provide a passive support means.  
         [0043]    During operation, as the flail roller  17  is rotated, flails  19  extends radially to engage the baled crop material positioned between the driven feed roller  22  and the set of rollers  27 , separating it from the baled material and discharging the disintegrated material through the discharge opening  13 . As the driven feed roller  22  is rotated, the teeth  23  and flanges  25  engage the baled material contained within the processing tub  1  to rotate the baled material thereby exposing different sections thereof to the flails  19  for disintegration. The set of rollers  27  supports the baled crop material and facilitate rotation thereof. The hydraulic motor  33  is reversible such that the driven feed roller  22  can rotate the baled material in both directions.  
         [0044]    As shown in FIG. 2, a set of feed control rods  30  are provided within the processing tub  1  above the flail roller  17 . The feed control rods  30  are mounted to the side walls  9  and  11  of the processing tub  1  and are axially spaced along the length of the processing tub  1  such that, in operation the flails  19  extend therebetween to engaged the baled material within the processing tub. The height of the feed control rods  30  above the flail roller  17  can be adjusted to alter the rate at which the baled material is disintegrated and discharged from the processing tub  1 . The height is adjusted by movement of the location of mounts  32  connecting the feed control rods  30  to the side walls  9  and  11 . In one embodiment, a series of mounting locations is provided on each of the side walls  9  and  11  which can be used to mount the feed control rods  30  by use of a locking pin or other arrangement. Alternatively, the height of the feed control rods  30  can be actuated by movement of mounts  32  through a hydraulic or electric system of any suitable type known in the art.  
         [0045]    The feed control rods  30  minimize clogging and damage of the flail roller  17  for undisintegrated baled material passing between the driven feed roller  22  and the passive support means. The feed control rods support any such material as it is disintegrated by the flails  19 . In addition, as is shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the feed control rods also provide support when bales of different configurations, such as square bales, are deposited within the tub processing tub  1  for disintegration.  
         [0046]    As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an upper portion  34  of side wall  11  is pivotally attached thereto to facilitate loading of large square bales widthwise within the processing tub. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper portion  34  of side wall  11  can be lowered to a generally horizontal position. The large square bale is then positioned within the processing tub and along the upper portion  34  of side wall  11 . Once the large square bale is in position, the upper portion  34  of the side wall  11  is raised to its generally vertical position thereby positioning the bale within the processing tub  1  for disintegration as shown in FIG. 6. The upper portion  34  of side wall  11  can be raised or lowered either manually or actuated through a hydraulic or electric system of the type known in the art. Alternatively, the upper portion of side wall  9  could be pivotally mounted thereto to facilitate loading of large square bales in a similar manner.  
         [0047]    As shown in FIG. 8, the chassis  3  includes a hitch  41  mounted at the front thereof and an axle  43  positioned near the rear. Axle  43  has a hollow center portion  45  extending transversely across and secured to chassis  3  and end portions  47  adapted to be inserted therein on each side of the chassis  3 . A ground-engaging wheel  40  is attached to each end portion  47 . Each end portion  47  is adapted to slide axially within the center portion  45  to adjust the width of axle  43 . End portions  47  are lockable at the desired location by insertion of a locking pin  49  through holes provided in the center portion  45  and in the end portions  47 . Accordingly, the axle  43  can be widened to provide the apparatus with more stability over uneven terrain or narrowed to facilitate transport along a road or highway. Furthermore, the axle  43  can be widened to improve stability of the bale while large or more than one bale is loaded into the processing tub  1 .  
         [0048]    As shown in FIG. 9, axle  43  is also provided with jack mounts  51  to facilitate connection to a jack assembly (not shown). Each jack mount comprises a square bracket  53  with a hole  55  in the top bottom thereof. The square bracket  53  is sized to accept the male connection of the jack assembly. A locking pin (not shown) is inserted through the holes  55  to maintain the jack assembly connected during operation. The jack assembly is used to raise a side of the bale processor such that the width of the axle  43  can be adjusted as set out above.  
         [0049]    In a further embodiment shown in FIG. 18, the chassis  3  includes a second axle  70  positioned between the front of the chassis and axle  43 . The second axle is provided with a ground engaging wheel  72  on each end thereof and includes a hollow center portion  74  and end portions  76  of the type shown for axle  43  such that the width of the axle is adjustable for stability and for ease of transport as described for axle  43 . The second axle  70  is included to disperse the weight of the processing tub  1  and the baled material container therein from the axle  43  and hitch  41 .  
         [0050]    The processing tub  1  is detachably connected to the chassis  3  such that apparatus can be converted from a left side discharge arrangement as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 to a right side discharge arrangement as shown in FIG. 10 or vice-a-versa. The processing tub  1  has front to back symmetry to facilitate the conversion.  
         [0051]    As shown in FIG. 9, in the left side discharge arrangement, three support legs  57  are bolted to the right side of the chassis  3  by a U-shaped bolts  59 . The processing tub  1  is connected to the upper part of support legs  57  by bolts. Each of end walls  5  and  7  of the processing tub  1  are provided with brackets  65  and  67  at the bottom thereof for connecting the processing tub  1  to the chassis  3  by U-shaped bolts  69 . In the arrangement shown in FIG. 9, as a result of the configuration of the chassis  3 , bracket  67  on end wall  7  and bracket  65  on end wall  5  are use to connect the processing tub  1  to the left side of chassis  3 .  
         [0052]    As shown in FIG. 10, the bale processor is converted to the right side discharge arrangement by disconnecting the processing tub  1  from the chassis  3  and the support legs  57 . The support legs  57  are subsequently disconnected from the chassis  3  and moved to the left side of the chassis  3  and secured thereto by U-shaped bolts  59 . The processing tub  1  is rotated by 180 degrees thereby positioning side wall  11  on the right side of the chassis. Side wall  9  is positioned on top of support legs  57  and secured thereto by bolts. The processing tub  1  is attached to the right side of chassis  3  by securing bracket  67  on end wall  5  and bracket  65  on end wall  7  to the right side of the chassis with U-shaped bolts  69 .  
         [0053]    Prior to conversion of the apparatus from the left side discharge arrangement shown in FIGS.  9  to the right side discharge arrangement shown in FIG. 10, the hydraulic motor  33  and hydraulic motor mount  35  must be disconnected and the flail drum  17  disconnected from the power source. Any other hydraulics or other systems would also be disconnected. Once the processing tub  1  is arranged in the right side discharge arrangement, as shown in FIG. 10, the hydraulic motor  33  and motor mount  35  are connected to end wall  7  of the processing tub  1  now located at the front of the chassis  3  in the same manner as discussed above. As bearings  31  are provided in each roller mount  29 , the driven feed roller does not have to be removed to move the bearings from one end of the driven feed rollers to the other.  
         [0054]    Any other hydraulics or other systems are then re-connected to the bale processor once the processing tub  1  is secured to the chassis. In particular, the power source is connected to an axial rod  20  of the flail roller  17  extending through a set of bearings  23  provided in end wall  7  as shown in FIG. 11. However, in the embodiment shown, in the right side discharge arrangement, the flail roller  17  must be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction (when viewed from the rear) during operation. Accordingly, if the power source rotates in a clockwise direction (i.e. a PTO of a standard tractor) a rotation conversion device must be positioned between the power source and the flail roller  17 .  
         [0055]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the rotation conversion device comprises a gearbox  71  of the type commonly used in the industry. The gearbox  71  is positioned on a dampener  73  to reduce the load on bearings  23  and the power source due to the weight of the rotation conversion device. In addition, the dampener  73  also serves to absorb the vibrations and rotation of the gearbox  71  during acceleration or deceleration, especially during the start-up and shut down.  
         [0056]    The dampener  73  is mounted to the chassis  3  by brackets  75  secured to the chassis by U-shaped bolts  77 . An upper support  79  having a lip  81  is secured to each of the brackets  75 . A cross support  83  is secured to bottom of gearbox  71  and extends between brackets  75 . The cross support  83  is mounted at opposing ends thereof to each of the upper supports  79  by bolts  85  which extend through the cross support and through lips  81 . Upper compression springs  87  are axially mounted on each of bolts  85  between the cross supports  83  and the lips  81  of upper supports  79 . Lower compression springs  89  are axially positioned on each of bolts  85  below lips  81  and maintained in position by a nut  91 .  
         [0057]    The upper compression springs  87  are compressed to exert a slight upper pressure on the gearbox  71  to remove the stress from the weight of the gearbox from bearings  23  and the power source. Furthermore, during operation, as the gearbox  71  rotates, opposing upper and lower compressions springs  87  and  89  co-operate to return the cross support  83 , and thus the gearbox  71 , to a level position.  
         [0058]    Gearboxes known in the art are typically provided with a male splined connectors for connecting to input and output shafts. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11, axial rod  20  is provided with a female splined connector adapted to receive the male splined connector of gearbox  71 . As shown in FIG. 12, a connection arm  93  is attached to the top of the gearbox  71  at one end thereof and secured to a bracket  95  mounted on the processing tub  1  at the other end. The connection arm prevents the gearbox  71  from pulling away from the processing tub  1  and disconnecting from the axial rod  20 .  
         [0059]    It will be understood by those skilled in the art that alternative rotation conversion devices, such as a belt or chain arrangement, may be used without departing from the invention in its broadest aspect.  
         [0060]    As shown in FIGS. 8 and 13, an adjustable fork lift  97  is mounted on the rear of chassis  3  for raising baled material into the processing tub  1 . The adjustability of the fork lift  97  permits bales of different configurations to be lifted into the processing tub  1 . The fork lift  97  is mounted to each side of the chassis  3  by a mounting bracket  99  secured to the chassis by U-shaped bolts  101 . A fork lift frame  103  is pivotally attached to each of the mounting brackets  99 . Hydraulic cylinders  105  are pivotally mounted between the fork lift frame  103  and mounting brackets  99  to raise and lower the fork lift frame.  
         [0061]    Two forks  107  are mounted to a bottom cross bar  109  of the fork lift frame  103  by curved brackets  111 . The curved brackets  111  are adapted to slide axially along the cross bar  109  to adjust the separation between the two forks  107 . Each side of the cross bar  109  is provided with a series of adjustment holes  113  to receive a locking pin  115  which is inserted through a hole  117  provided in the front of curved brackets  111  to lock the forks  107  at the desired location.  
         [0062]    As best shown in FIG. 13, the length of each fork  107  is also adjustable. Each fork  107  includes a rear section  119  and a front section  121  mounted on the rear section by square brackets  123 . The square brackets  123  slide axially along the rear section  119  to adjust the length of the fork  107 . Each square brackets  123  is provided with holes  125  on opposing sides thereof and the rear section  119  is provided with a series of adjustment holes  127 . The fork  107  can be locked at a desired length by insertion of a locking pin or bolt through the holes  125  in the square brackets  123  and one of the adjustment holes  127  in the rear section  119 .  
         [0063]    The front section  121  of each fork  107  has a bale carrier  129  extending inwardly towards the opposing fork. The bale carriers  129  are the main contact surface for the baled material and prevent the baled material from passing between the forks  107  as it is loaded into the processing tub  1 . A bale spear  131  is also mounted on the cross bar  109  between the two forks  107 . As the baled material is positioned on forks  107  and slides toward cross bar  109 , the bale spear  131  punctures the baled material to maintain the baled material in position as it is raised into the processing tub  1 .  
         [0064]    [0064]FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate an alternative embodiment for mounting flail roller  17  within the processing tub  1 . The illustrated embodiment is shown with the processing tub  1  mounted on chassis  3  in the left side discharge arrangement. As shown in FIG. 16, a front mounting bracket  50  is secured to the front end of chassis  3  by U-shaped bolts  54  adjacent to end wall  5 . The front mounting bracket  50  has a cross-member  58  with a set of bearings  56  mounted thereon. The front mounting bracket  50  is designed such that the cross-member  58  is position in front of a hole provided in end wall  5  of the processing tub. The axial rod  18  extends through the hole in end wall  5  and through bearings  56 , thereby supporting the front end of flail roller  17 . The axial rod  18  is sized such that a portion thereof extends from the bearings  56  for connection to the power source.  
         [0065]    As shown in FIG. 17, a rear mounting bracket  52  is secured to the rear end of chassis  3  adjacent to end wall  7  by U-shaped bolts  101  which also secures the fork lift mounting brackets  99  to chassis  3 . The rear mounting bracket  52  has a cross-member  62  with a set of bearings  60  mounted thereon. The rear mounting bracket  50  is designed such that the cross-member  62  is positioned behind a hole provided in end wall  7  of the processing tub. The axial rod  20  extends through the hole in end wall  7  and through bearings  60 , thereby supporting the rear end of flail roller  17 .  
         [0066]    For conversion from the left side discharge arrangement to the right side discharge arrangement, the front and rear mounting brackets  50  and  52  are disconnected from the chassis  3 . The processing tub  1  is then disconnected from the chassis  3  and rotated 180 degrees as discussed above. Once the processing tub  1  is reconnected to chassis  3  the front and rear mounting brackets  50  and  52  are reconnected to the chassis such that axial rod  20  is positioned in bearings  56  and axial rod  18  is positioned in bearings  60 .  
         [0067]    Mounting the flail roller  17  in the manner shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 alleviates the stress caused on the bearings  21  and  23  due to vibrations in end walls  5  and  7 .  
         [0068]    It will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous alterations, modifications and variations to the above embodiments can be made without departing from the invention as claimed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8