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Title: Method and apparatus for processing crop stacks
Claims: Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters patent is: 1. A farm implement for use in transporting a mass of animal foodstuffs including: a mobile frame; and a cradle mounted on said frame for transporting the mass during advancement of the frame, said cradle including a pair of opposed, upwardly diverging legs, one of said legs being fixed against movement relative to the frame and the other of said legs being swingable about a horizontal axis toward and away from a position adjacent said one leg for clamping a mass within the cradle for transport. 2. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one leg includes structure for disintegrating the mass as said other leg swings the mass against said one leg. 3. A farm implement as claimed in claim 2, wherein said frame is provided with means for discharging the disintegrated foodstuffs in a continuous stream as the frame is advanced. 4. A farm implement as claimed in claim 3 wherein said discharging means includes a lateral conveyor. 5. A farm implement as claimed in claim 2, wherein said structure includes a bank of shredding rolls rotatable about axes transverse to the path of swinging movement of said other leg. 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said other leg includes a series of lifting tangs. 7. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one leg and said other leg comprise the only legs of the cradle, said legs intersecting to form an upwardly opening corner of the cradle. 8. A farm implement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said cradle is provided with a floor spanning said corner above the latter in position to slidingly engage the mass as it is raised toward said one leg by said other leg. 9. A farm implement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said axis of swinging movement of said other leg is located at said corner. 10. Apparatus for handling a mass of animal foodstuffs including: a mobile frame having ground-engaging means supporting the frame for advancement over the ground; a vertically swingable lift on said frame for raising a mass from the ground into a position for transport; and structure on said frame cooperable with said lift for holding the mass substantially centered over said ground-engaging means in said transport position, said structure including means for disintegrating the mass as it is swung toward the structure by said lift, said frame being provided with means for discharging the disintegrated foodstuffs in a continuous stream as the frame is advanced. 11. Apparatus for handling a mass of animal foodstuffs including: a disintegrator supported above the ground for shredding the mass as it is presented thereto; and a swingable lift mounted for continuously pressing the mass against the disintegrator as the mass is progressively raised into the latter by the lift and progressively shredded thereby. 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the disintegrator and the lift are provided with a mobile frame supporting the same for movement over the ground. 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said frame is provided with means for discharging the disintegrated foodstuffs in a continuous stream as the frame is advanced. 14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said lift is provided with means for holding the same in any one of a number of selected positions between the ground and the disintegrator for transporting the mass. 15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said disintegrator includes a bank of shredders, said lift being swingable toward and away from an upright position adjacent the bank. 16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said bank includes a pair of superimposed shredders rotatable about axes transverse to the path of swinging movement of the lift. 17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said shredders are disposed to rotate upwardly against the mass during disintegration, and wherein is provided means above the shredders for metering passage of the foodstuffs up and over the shredders. 18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said metering means includes a stationary, tined baffle, said tines projecting downwardly toward said shredders. 19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said metering means includes a paddled rotor rotatable about an axis parallel to those of said shredders and rotatable in a direction opposite to the shredders. 20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said rotor is provided with means for selectively driving the same during continuous rotation of the shredders. 21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said bank of shredders is inclined and the bank and said lift converge toward the axis of swinging movement of the lift. 22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein said disintegrator and the lift are provided with a common support frame, said frame having a pair of ground wheels on opposite sides thereof rotatable about an axis in coaxial relationship with the axis of swinging movement of said lift. 23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21, there being an upwardly arched floor concentric with and spaced above said axis for slidably supporting the mass as it is swung toward the shredders. 24. A method of processing a mass of animal foodstuffs which includes the steps of pressing the mass against disintegrating structure while on the move and while the structure progressively disintegrates the mass, and discharging the disintegrated foodstuffs in a continuous stream as said movement continues. 25. A processing method as claimed in claim 24; and swingably clamping the mass against the structure during transport to a processing site prior to activating the structure. 26. A processing method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the mass is cradled during said clamping and transport. 27. A processing method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said pressing action includes swinging the mass toward the structure. 28. A processing method as claimed in claim 27; and lifting the mass from the ground in the same swinging motion used for clamping and disintegration but prior to such latter steps. 29. A processing method as claimed in claim 28; and slidably supporting the mass from beneath as it is swung toward the disintegrating structure. Other info: Inventors: White, Allen Andrew (Peabody, KS, US) Adee, Ray Addison (Newton, KS, US) Knopp, Ronald Henry (Newton, KS, US) Application Number: 514110 Filing Date: 1974-10-11 Publication_date: 1976-09-07 Assignee: Hesston Corporation (Hesston, KS) Primary Class(es): 241/30 241/101.5, 241/101.76, 241/185.5, 241/222, 241/605, 414/546 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Custer, Jr., Granville Y. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Schmidt, Johnson, Hovey & Williams |
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