AU684160B2 - Device for loosening and shredding cattle feed materials - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a loosening and shredding device for products designed for cattle feeding or the construction of their litter, and, more specifically, for products of the provender type conditioned in bales or in bulk.

This device is part of the distribution machines of the type described in the document EP-A-0 384 791.

These machines are made of a skip whose bottom exhibits a mobile belt of the crossbar conveyor type on which the bale is placed. This conveyor transports the bale to a loosening and shredding device, which comprises one or several rotors forming a driving front. These rotors are fitted with means for cracking the bale by cutting and/or shredding the product and means for propelling this product to a fan located behind the rotor(s), i.e. at the front section of the skip. This fan enables the products to be distributed in the case of provender or to be thrown at a long distance, in the case of products designed for straw covering.

In order to guarantee an even distribution, the fan must also be uniformly fed. The feeding rate of the fan can be controlled via a harrow or comb type device arranged above the loosening device and especially above the upper rotor, as described in the above-mentioned document.

The teeth of the harrow form a kind of barrier which allows the fragments cut by the rotor to pass through it and recycles the packets which are too big by returning them to the skip.

The device according to the invention enables to better control the feeding of the fan in order to avoid, or even suppress, the arrival of product packets which cause jerky movements and are detrimental to the regularity of the distribution.

i T I II The device according to the invention comprises a rotor fitted with at least one disc arranged radially, whose periphery is smooth and co-operates, within* tight clearance, with one tooth of the harrow, located on the same plane as the disc, in order to form a retaining front and to avoid clogging phenomena.

According to another feature of the invention, in order to improve the efficiency of the smooth discs, the teeth which co-operate with these discs are slightly thicker than the discs and they exhibit, laterally, knives or sections surrounding the smooth discs.

According to the invention, the rotor comprises cutting discs and the diameter of the smooth disc(s) is comprised between the diameter of the drum constituting said rotor and the diameter of the cutting discs, in order to establish a kind of passing depth for the cutting discs.

According to another feature of the invention, the device contains at least two rows of teeth a first row co-operating with the smooth disc(s), ar- nged upstream of the vertical plane passing through the axis the rotor carrying the discs a second row of teeth, co-operating with the periphery of the cutting discs, which second row is arranged downstream of said vertical plane.

Still according to the invention, the teeth of each row are offset with respect to one another, being arranged in staggered rows.

According to another feature of the invention, the rotor comprises several smooth discs whose spacing is in the order of 400 to 650 mm, said discs being arranged symmetrically with respect to the middle radial plane of said rotor. This spacing is in the same order of magnitude as the diameter of the rotor.

V Tr Still according to the invention, the tip of the teeth of the first row is located upstream of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the rotor, within a range comprised between this plane up to approximate three quarters of the radius of the smooth discs. This position of the tip of the teeth depends on the shape of those teeth.

According to another feature of the invention, the teeth of the first row form a front stretching vertically over a distance corresponding more or less to the diameter of the rotor and they may include, starting from the tip, a first part, tilted upwards and upstream, i.e.

towards the inlet to the skip, followed by a section covering half the height, tilted upwards and downstream with an approx. 100 angle.

According to another feature of the invention, the tips of the teeth of the second row are located at a distance from the vertical plane passing through the axis of the rotor, which is in the order of from the half to the 3/4 of the radius of the envelope of said rotor, said teeth having a front face which is substantially parallel to said vertical plane.

Still according to.the invention, both rows of teeth are mounted on the same supporting beam which is located downstream of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the rotor, on the one hand and passing in front of the ejection fan, on the other hand, the space between this beam and the periphery of said rotor corresponding more or less to the space between said periphery of the rotor and said fan.

Still according to the invention, the rotor comprises, in addition to the smooth discs, cutting discs whose periphery includes smooth sections between two teeth, said teeth being formed on the periphery and/or added in the form of sections.

According to a possibility of the invention, the number of the teeth is from 15 to 25, formed on the periphery of the disc, with 15 to 25 mm in height, whereby said teeth only cover approximately one half of said periphery, whereas the remnant is smooth and circular. These toothed discs may also contain a few sections, from 3 to 5 for instance.

According to another of the invention, the periphery of the disc is smooth and contains 3 to 20 sections whose lead angle is negative, in the order of 45 to 800.

Still according to the invention, the rotor includes between five and twelve cutting discs, arranged on planes perpendicular to the axis of said rotor and equally spaced and, between those discs, knives, blades or propelling teeth arranged radially, whose number ranges between 3 and 20, distributed evenly on the periphery of the drum between the discs.

Still according to the invention, the blades may have teeth whose height is contained between the outer envelope of the teeth or sections of the cutting discs, and the diameter of the.smooth discs.

Still according to the invention, the blades are tilted lengthwise with respect to the plane passing through the axis of the rotor, by an angle comprised between 0 and 300, said blades being preferably arranged as helixes on either sides of the middle radial plane of said rotor and the teeth of two consecutive blades located between two discs, being offset with respect to each other in order to sweep the maximum front surface of the bale.

According to a variation, the rotor comprises, in addition to the smooth discs, cutting discs parallel to each other, but tilted with respect to the axis of said rotor, said discs exhibiting an elliptical peripheral contour and being contained in a cylindrical envelope centered on said axis, whereas some of them exhibit a certain discontinuity at the level of the smooth discs, in order to allow the passage of the teeth of the first row which co-operates with these smooth discs and, possibly, of the sections arranged laterally on said teeth.

Still according to the invention, the tilted cutting discs overlap each other over approximately 15 to 25 mm and their tilting angle with respect to the axis of the rotor is in the order of 70 to 800.

According to another provision of the invention, the device includes, above the upper section of the teeth of the first row which co-operates with the smooth discs, a baffle which channels the products retained by said teeth for recycling, which baffle is rigid or in the shape of a canopy made of a cloth stretched over arches, said arches being articulated and possibly mobile under the effect of a actuating jack for instance.

The invention will be detailed using the following description as well as the appended drawings, given by way of exemple only, and in which figure 1 represents, diagrammatically, a longitudinal section of a part of a distribution machine of products such as provender or straw, for use as fodder or litter material figure 2 represents a variation of figure 1 figure 3 is a diagrammatical view from the rear of the skip with two half-rotors figure 4 is a side view of the rotor showing, partially, the smooth discs, the cutting discs and the propelling blades

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figure 5 is a side view of the rotor, fitted as a rotor with tilted cutting discs, showing the smooth discs and the cutting discs figure 6 represents the mounting detail of sections on the teeth which co-operate with the smooth discs of the rotor figure 7 is a front view of figure 4, showing, moreover, product ejection blades, which are arranged between the cutting discs and the smooth disc.

According to the partial representation of figure 1, the machine is made of a skip 1 whose bottom is fitted with a conveyor system 2 of the crossbar belt type. This conveyor enables to transport a bale 3, whether cylindrical or parallelepipedic in shape, to a rotor 4 whose purpose it is to crack, loosen and/or to shred the said bale. The fragments are propelled by the rotor to a fan 5 arranged at the front section of the skip. The rotor 4 rotates around an axis 6, horizontal and perpendicular with respect to the transporting direction of the bales 3. The fan 5 rotates around an axis 7 horizontal and perpendicular to the axis 6 of the rotor 4.

The fan 5 is arranged in a volute 8, located at the front of the skip i, and it enables the ejection of fragmented products either for feeding cattle in the case of provender, or straw covering, for litters.

This type of machine, according to its capacity, may contain as described in the document mentioned above, one or several rotors 4 arranged one on top of the other, in front of the fan 5, all rotating in the same direction, i.e. counter-clockwise as represented on figure 1. In this embodiment, the machine contains a single rotor 4 whose axis 6 is located slightly above the axis 7 of the fan u; Vi <VT &i7' The rotor 4 comprises a cylindrical drum 9 whose diameter has been selected in order to exhibit a circumference whose length is greater than the maximum length of the fibres of the product arranged in bales.

This peculiarity enables avoiding the risks of the fibres winding around the drum. Its diameter ranges for instance from 400 to 450 mm.

This drum 9 is fitted with appropriate means for cracking the bales 3, i.e. to loosen, shred, while carrying out a kind of machining cycle of the bales 3.

Those means, illustrated on figure 1, can be made of sharp teeth 10, of knives 11. These teeth 10 or these knives 11 are distributed evenly on the drum 9, and welded on its periphery.

One can also use cutting discs 12, such as represented partially on figure 1. These discs 12 may include, cut on their periphery, teeth 13 they may also include, assembled by any appropriate means, knives or sections 14.

The discs 12 will be detailed further in connection with figures 3, 4 and In order to perform an actual machining of the bales, the rotor includes means enabling to establish a passing depth, independent from that provided by the movement of the conveyor 2. The rotor 4 exhibits, in order to improve the machining accuracy, smooth discs arranged on a plane perpendicular to its axis 6. It contains at least one smooth disc 15 and preferably two of them. These discs are spaced by a distance of approx.

400 to 650 mm, i.e. a distance corresponding more or less to the diameter of the rotor.

The diameter of these smooth discs is smaller than the diameter of the envelope of the various cutting systems detailed previously, i.e. teeth 10 or knives 11

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or still teeth 13 or sections 14 of the cutting discs 12, and it is greater than the diameter of the drum 9.

These smooth discs 15 have in fact the shape of a thin crown, welded on the drum 9, just like the cutting discs 12. They are made of sheet metal, with a 3 to 10 mm thickness, for instance.

The smooth discs 15 work together with a barrier 16 arranged crosswise above the rotor 4. This barrier or harrow comprises, located on the same plane as each smooth disc 15, teeth 17 whose tip 18 barely touches the periphery 19 of the corresponding smooth disc The purpose of this barrier 16 is to retain the product packets from the bale 3 which are too large, and to recycle them in the skip.

The tip 18 of the tooth 17 and the front section of this tooth are placed forward of the vertical plane passing through the axis 6 of the rotor 4 this tip can be located in a range or a zone extending from the vertical plane to approximately 3/4 of the radius of these smooth discs This distance may be varied by simply changing the teeth 17.

These teeth 17 arefixed by any appropriate means on a beam 21 arranged crosswise above the rotor 4, behind the vertical plane passing through the axis 6 of the rotor and in front of the inlet to the fan The space between the beam 21 and the rotor 4 corresponds more or less to the space between the fan and said rotor.

Figure 1 also shows a baffle 22 arranged at the upper section of the skip 1, in order to channel and to guide the recycled products.

This baffle 22 has the shape of a canopy it is made of a cloth 23 stretched using arches 24 articulated

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on the flanks of the skip 1, and it is fixed on the beam 21 for instance.

This canopy 22 can be folded using a jack on the last arch 24 for instance.

Figure 2.represents partially a machine fitted with a double barrier system. The first barrier 16 made of teeth 17 is still present. To this first barrier is added a second barrier 26 made of teeth 27 arranged downstream of the teeth 17 of said first barrier 16.

The tip 28 of the teeth 27 works together, with a minimal clearance, with the peripheral envelope 29 of the cutting discs 12 and especially of the teeth 13 and sections 14 of these discs.

The front surface 30 of the teeth 27 is arranged behind the vertical plane passing through the axis 6 of the rotor 4 at a distance in the order of the half to the 3/4 of the radius of the envelope 29. The front surface of the teeth 27 is substantially parallel to the vertical plane passing through the axis 6 of the rotor.

The teeth 17 and 27 constituting the barriers 16 and 26 are connected rigidly to the same transverse beam 21.

These teeth are fixed by any appropriate means, welding or bolting. They are arranged in staggered rows and, for exemplifying purposes, as represented on figure 3, there are two teeth 17 at the front and three teeth 27 at the rear.

It can be seen on Figure 2 that the front surface of the teeth 17 stretches over a height which corresponds more or less to the diameter of the rotor this front includes, starting from the tip 18, a first section tilted upwards and upstream, i.e. towards the inlet of the skip, followed by a section stretching over the half of the height, tilted upwards and downstream at an angle of approx. 100. These teeth 17 stretch up to the baffle

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22. This baffle 22 is, according to the embodiment of figure 2, made of a metal sheet formed into an arc of circle.

Figure 3 corresponds to a view from the rear of the skip, showing.the loosening and shredding device.

The skip 1 can be seen, fitted with the conveyor 2, at its lower section. The volute 8, in which the fan 5 is rotating, can also be observed. This fan 5 ejects the products using a chute 31 arranged at the upper section of the machine.

The loosening and shredding device comprises the rotor 4 represented on figure 3, by halves according to two embodiments.

This rotor 4 co-operates with both barrier or harrow systems 16 and 26 which were mentioned previously in relation to figure 2.

The teeth 16, which constitute the first barrier, co-operate with the smooth discs 15 arranged on the drum 9 of the rotor 4. In the example represented on figure 3, both smooth discs are arranged on either sides of the middle vertical plane of the rotor 4, at an approximate distance of about 400 to 650 mm from one another. Both these discs 15 divide the rotor 4 into three zones. These three zones are each divided in two sections by the teeth 27 constituting the second barrier 26. These teeth 27 work together with the periphery of the cutting discs.

The teeth 17 and 27 are assembled on the transverse beam 21 located at the upper part of the skip 1, beneath the baffle 22.

The first barrier 16 imposes recycling the product packets which are too large.

The second barrier 26 retains the packets which may have passed through the stage of the first barrier 16, f

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just for the time they will be shredded by the cutting discs and sent into the fan The rotor 4 may contain, as represented on figure 3, cutting discs 12 arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis 6 or in planes parallel to each other, but tilted with respect to said axis 6.

These cutting discs 12 may contain, as illustrated on figure 1, teeth 13 or sections 14, or both.

When the cutting discs are arranged in planes perpendicular to the axis 6 of the rotor, the space between two discs may contain knives, teeth or blades 32 as represented on figure 3 in order to drive the cut products. These blades stretch radially. They can be slightly tilted with respect to the axis 6 at an angle ranging between 0 and 250 for instance.

These blades 32 are shaped as metal sheet plates, cut, then welded on the drum 9.

Their width is preferably smaller that the space between two discs so that two successive blades are offset with respect to one another, in order to sweep a maximum surface with their tip.

The number of these blades 32 is for instance four between two cutting discs. However, this number can be increased according to the nature of the products, from 3 to 12 for example.

The tilted cutting discs ensure simultaneously the cutting and the propulsion of the products to the fan.

The tilting angle between the plane of the cutting discs and the plane of the smooth discs is in the order of 10 to 200. The spacing between two cutting discs is such that the discs overlap each other by 15 to 25 mm, for instance.

All these cutting discs 12 are made of sheet metal.

They are preferably 4 mm thick approximately.

Ti r The tilted cutting discs have in fact the shape of crowns which contain an inner and outer elliptical contour so that, after assembly on the drum 9 6f the rotor 4, the outer envelope of these discs forms a cylinder centered around the axis 6 of said rotor, which enables the rotor to revolve in a round fashion with respect to the bale to be shredded.

Figure 4 represents the rotor seen from a side. One also notices the drum 9 and a cutting disc 12 in the form of a crown fitted at its periphery with a large number of teeth 13 to cut the fibres of the bale and to seize them in order to eject them to the fan.

The number of the teeth 13 is preferably chosen between 15 and 25. The height of these teeth ranges from 15 to 25 mm, approximately, and they have a negative lead angle in the order of 10 to 150 with, moreover, the possibility to be placed obliquely.

The space between two teeth comprises on one half of the pitch, a smooth and circular section which enablL', to limit the passing depth and to maintain the bale at a distance from the drum 9.

The cutting discs 12 may also contain, as represented on figure 5, sharp sections 14 fixed ing bolts, for instance, for easier replacement.

The number of these sections may vary between 3 and and the lead angle is negative, ranging from 45 to 800 approximately.

The periphery of these cutting discs 12 fitted with sections 14 is smooth and constitutes there as well a retaining means for the bales to prevent them from contacting the drum 9 of the rotor.

The number of the cutting discs may vary according to the materials. It is of the order of from 3 to 12. The ENT OC o'aspace between two discs ranges between 100 and 500 mm, for instance.

The sections 14 can also be mounted on the' discs fitted with teeth 13, additionally.

Figure 6.represents a configuration of the teeth 17, at their tip 18. This configuration consists in a positioning in a pair of sections 33, on either sides of the tooth 17. The sections 33 overlap, on a portion of its height, the smooth disc !5 and surround it, in order to improve the efficiency of the barrier, i.e. to avoid any passage of long fibres upstream of the rotor 4.

These sections 33 are, for instance, bolted to the lower end of the teeth 17.

Figure 7 represents, seen from the front, a tooth 17 arranged above a smooth disc 15. This tooth 17 comprises laterally sections 33 which barely touch the sides of the smooth disc 15. The thickness of the disc 15 is smaller than that of the tooth 17 in order to provide a slight clearance between the sections 33 and the flanks of the disc One also notices, figure 5, the cutting discs 12 and between these cutting discs and the smooth disc blades 32 whose purpose,it is to propel the products to the fan.

These blades are designed to enable the passage of the sections 33 and one notices that successive blades contain teeth slightly offset with respect to one another in order to sweep a maximum surface on the bale to be shredded.

In the case of the tilted cutting discs, the crossing of the tilted disc with a smooth disc comprises a kind of baffle plate 34 which may stretch over, for instance, a quarter of the circumference in order to avoid build-up of materials in the wedged-shaped space i Nr between both discs. This baffle plate appears on figure 3 and figure Ni m

Claims (19)

1. A loosening and shredding device for provender conditioned in a bale, said device including: at least one rotor fitted with a means for cutting said bale and propelling fragments of said provender to an ejection and distribution means a barrier fitted with teeth for retaining said provender or recycling portions of said provender; characterized in that said at least one rotor includes at least one disc arranged radially with respect thereto, said disc including a substantially smooth periphery (19) which cooperates under a tight clearance with a tooth of said barrier, said tooth being located on the same plane as the disc so as to form a retaining front for said provender.

2. A loosening and shredding device according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one rotor includes cutting discs (12) as well as smooth discs wherein the diameter of the smooth discs ranges between the diameter of the drum constituting said rotor and the diameter of the cutting discs.

3. A loosening and shredding device according to any one of the claims 1 or S° 2, characterized in that it contains at least two rows of teeth: a first row (16) co-operating with the smooth disc(s) arranged upstream of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the rotor carrying the discs a second row co-operating with the periphery of the cutting discs which said second row is arranged downstream of said vertical plane.

4. A loosening and shredding device according to claim 3, characterized in that the teeth (17) of the first row co-operating with the smooth discs are wU Ii (V '-0 II b significantly thicker that the discs and contain, laterally, knives or sections (33) surrounding the smooth discs.

A loosening and shredding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the teeth (17 and 27) of each row (16 and 26) respectively are offset with respect to one another, being arranged in staggered rows.

6. A loosening and shredding device according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rotor comprises several smooth discs (15) whose spacing ranges from about 400 to 650 mm, which discs are arranged symmetrically with respect to the middle radial plane of said rotor.

7. A loosening and shredding device according to claim 5, characterized in that the tip of the teeth (17) of the first row (16) is located upstream of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the rotor on a range starting from this plane up to approximately J of the radius of the smooth disc

8. A loosening and shredding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the teeth (17) of the first row (16) form a front stretching in height over a distance corresponding substantially to the diameter of the rotor which teeth contain starting from their tips a first section tilted upwards and upstream, i.e. towards the "inlet of the skip, followed by a section stretching over the half of their height, tilted upwards and downstream, at an angle in the order of

9 A loosening and shredding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the tips (28) of the teeth (27) of the second row located downstream of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the rotqr are placed at a distance from this plane which is in the order of from the half to the 4 of the radius of N y the envelope (29) of said rotor, which teeth exhibit a front surface (30) substantially parallel to said vertical plane.

A loosening and shredding device according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterised in that both rows (16 and 26) of teeth are mounted on the same supporting beam (21) which is located transversally downstream of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the rotor, in front of the ejection fan the space between this beam (21) and the periphery of said rotor corresponding more or less to the space between said periphery of the rotor and said fan.

11. A loosening and shredding device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the rotor comprises, in addition to said smooth discs cutting discs (12) whose periphery contains smooth parts between two teeth, which teeth are formed on the periphery and/or added in the form of sections.

12. A loosening and shredding device according to claim 11, characterised in that the cutting discs (12) comprise teeth (13) whose number ranges from 15 to with 15 to 25 mm in height beyond the periphery of the disc, which teeth (13) only cover about half the said periphery, whereas the remnant is smooth and circular.

13. A loosening and shredding device according to claim 11, characterised in that the periphery of the cutting discs is smooth and contains 3 to 20 sections whose lead angle is negative, in the order of 45 to 800.

14. A loosening and shredding device according to claim 11, characterised in that the rotor contains 3 to 12 cutting discs (12) arranged on planes perpendicular to the axis of said rotor, evenly spaced, and contains knives, teeth or propulsion blades arranged radially, j 1 li 119 'A O I whose number ranges from 3 to 20, evenly distributed over the periphery of the drum between the discs.

A loosening and shredding device according to claim 14, characterised in that the blades include teeth whose height is contained between the outer envelope of the cutting discs and the diameter of the smooth discs

16. A loosening and shredding device according to any one of claims 14 or 15, characterised in that the blades are tilted longitudinally with respect to the axis of the rotor by an angle ranging from 0 to which blades are preferably arranged in helix on either sides of the middle radial plane of said rotor and the teeth of two successive blades, located between two discs, are offset with resnect to each other, in order to sweep the maximum front surface of the bale.

17. A loosening and shredding device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the rotor comprises, in addition to the smooth discs, cutting discs (12) parallel to each other, but tilted with respect to the axis of said rotor, which discs have an elliptical peripheral contour and are contained in a cylindrical envelope centered around said axis

18. A loosening and shredding device according to claim 17, characterised in that the tilted cutting discs overlap each other by a value in the order of 15 to mm.

19. A loosening and shredding device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterised in that it includes, above the upper section of the teeth of the first row a baffle (22) which channels the products retained by said teeth in order to recycle them, which baffle has the shape of a metal sheet or of a canopy made of a cloth (23) stretched over arches (24). DATFD this 26th day of Auqust, 1997. At LUAS G. S.A. WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURPWOOD ROAD S HAWTHORN VIC 3122 AUSTRALIA ,T oy I I I I I ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE LOOSENING AND SHREDDING DEVICE FOR FODDER PRODUCTS LUCAS G.S.A. Inventors G6rard LUCAS Jean-Claude RETAILLEAU The device comprises at least one rotor fitted with at least one disc (15) arranged radially whose periphery is smooth and co-operates, within tight clearance, with one of the teeth (17) of a barrier (16) in order to form a retaining front and to avoid clogging phenomena. The device contains preferably at least two rows of teeth or barriers a first row (16) co-operating with the smooth disc(s), arranged upstream of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the rotor and a second row (26) co-operating with the periphery of the cutting discs which second row is arranged downstream of said vertical plane. A baffle arranged above the upper section of the teeth of the first row (16) channels the products retained by said teeth in order them to be recycled in the skip. 'T iA dJl