Patent ID: 7540136

Claim:
A field chopper comprising: a chopper drum mounted for rotation about a transverse axis and including blades distributed about its periphery; a fixed transverse counter blade located for interacting with said blades of said chopper drum for cutting a compressed mat of crop into pieces as the mat is fed in a rearward direction across said counter blade; at least one rotatable lower rough-press roll mounted for rotation about a fixed axis extending parallel to said transverse axis, with said lower rough-press roll being located directly upstream of said counter blade and having a top peripheral surface located at a height approximately equal to a height of a top surface of said counter blade; at least one rotatable upper rough-press roll located approximately vertically above said lower rough-press roll and being mounted for vertical movement towards and away from said lower rough-press roll; a tensioning arrangement connected to, and resisting upward movement of, said upper rough press roll for forming said compressed mat of crop as crop is fed between said lower and upper rough-press rolls to said chopper drum; a holder mounted for movement with said at least one upper rough-press roll and extending toward said counter blade; a pressing element being mounted to said holder for rotation with the holder disposing said pressing element for contacting said compressed mat of crop ata location immediately upstream of a cylindrical path traced by said cutting blades, whereby said pressing element substantially prevents expansion of said compressed mat of crop prior to being engaged by said cutting blades.