Abstract: An earth shaping apparatus allows a ditch to be excavated and the surrounding area leveled in a single pass. The earth shaping apparatus has a leveling blade with an elongated lower contacting edge that is adapted to be moved in a ditching direction. The lower contacting edge is arranged at an angle to the ditching direction. The earth shaping apparatus further has a ditching blade coupled to the earth shaping apparatus in front of the leveling blade with respect to the ditching direction. The ditching blade has a contacting edge extending below the lower contacting edge of the leveling blade when in use.

Abstract: An earth shaping apparatus is described that allows a ditch to be excavated and the surrounding area leveled in a single pass. The earth shaping apparatus has a leveling blade with an elongated lower contacting edge that is adapted to be moved in a ditching direction. The lower contacting edge is arranged at an angle to the ditching direction. The earth shaping apparatus further has a ditching blade coupled to the earth shaping apparatus in front of the leveling blade with respect to the ditching direction. The ditching blade has a contacting edge extending below the lower contacting edge of the leveling blade when in use.

Abstract: The V-rake has an elongated tow beam with a front end adapted to be connected to a towing vehicle and a back end fixed to a back section, the back section is supported by a wheel assembly, which may be a set of tandem wheels. The V-rake further includes first and second rake booms each having a front end and a back end pivotally connected to the back section such that the front ends of the booms can be swung between a transport position and an operating position. The front end of each boom has at least one castor wheel for support. The back section is further adapted to controllably change the distance between the back ends of the booms to adjust the width of a resulting windrow. A number of rake wheels are mounted on each of the rake booms on the side of the boom nearest to the tow beam, wherein the rake wheels are adapted to move vertically with respect to the rake boom using a compression spring mechanism.

Abstract: The V-rake has an elongated tow beam with a front end adapted to be connected to a towing vehicle and a back end fixed to a back section, the back section is supported by a wheel assembly, which may be a set of tandem wheels. The V-rake further includes first and second rake booms each having a front end and a back end pivotally connected to the back section such that the front ends of the booms can be swung between a transport position and an operating position. The front end of each boom has at least one castor wheel for support. The back section is further adapted to controllably change the distance between the back ends of the booms to adjust the width of a resulting windrow. A number of rake wheels are mounted on each of the rake booms on the side of the boom nearest to the tow beam, wherein the rake wheels are adapted to move vertically with respect to the rake boom using a compression spring mechanism.

Abstract: The V-rake has an elongated tow beam with a front end adapted to be connected to a towing vehicle and a back end fixed to a back section, the back section is supported by a wheel assembly, which may be a set of tandem wheels. The V-rake further includes first and second rake booms each having a front end and a back end pivotally connected to the back section such that the front ends of the booms can be swung between a transport position and an operating position. The front end of each boom has at least one castor wheel for support. The back section is further adapted to controllably change the distance between the back ends of the booms to adjust the width of a resulting windrow. A number of rake wheels are mounted on each of the rake booms on the side of the boom nearest to the tow beam, wherein the rake wheels are adapted to move vertically with respect to the rake boom using a compression spring mechanism.

Abstract: The V-rake has an elongated tow beam with a front end adapted to be connected to a towing vehicle and a back end fixed to a back section, the back section is supported by a wheel assembly, which may be a set of tandem wheels. The V-rake further includes first and second rake booms each having a front end and a back end pivotally connected to the back section such that the front ends of the booms can be swung between a transport position and an operating position. The front end of each boom has at least one castor wheel for support. The back section is further adapted to controllably change the distance between the back ends of the booms to adjust the width of a resulting windrow. A number of rake wheels are mounted on each of the rake booms on the side of the boom nearest to the tow beam, wherein the rake wheels are adapted to move vertically with respect to the rake boom using a compression spring mechanism.

Abstract: The V-rake has an elongated tow beam with a front end adapted to be connected to a towing vehicle and a back end fixed to a back section, the back section is supported by a wheel assembly, which may be a set of tandem wheels. The V-rake further includes first and second rake booms each having a front end and a back end pivotally connected to the back section such that the front ends of the booms can be swung between a transport position and an operating position. The front end of each boom has at least one castor wheel for support. The back section is further adapted to controllably change the distance between the back ends of the booms to adjust the width of a resulting windrow. A number of rake wheels are mounted on each of the rake booms on the side of the boom nearest to the tow beam, wherein the rake wheels are adapted to move vertically with respect to the rake boom using a compression spring mechanism.

Abstract: The twine cutter for a bale processor comprises a blade holder has a front end and a back end, the holder further has a top edge that is bevelled to a wedge shape at the front end, a back edge and a base edge. A drive mechanism such as an elongated handle is fixed to the holder for driving the holder back or forth. A cutter blade is fixed to the holder such that a cutting edge is bevelled towards the front of the holder and a further cutting edge is bevelled towards the back of the holder thereby being able to cut twine when the holder is driven forward or backward. The cutter blade may further include a sharpened hook shaped section used to snag and cut twine. The hook shaped section can be positioned at the apex of the triangular upper portion of the single blade. A disintegrator roller for a bale processor comprises an elongated roller arranged to rotate in one direction about its axis with a number of flails intermittently spaced along the length and around the circumference of the roller.

Abstract: The crop material processor for disintegrating baled crop material comprises a housing for receiving and containing the baled crop material. The housing has a front wall, a back wall, a left side wall, a right side wall and a bottom, wherein each of the left and right side walls includes a fixed lower section and a pivotably mounted upper section forming a movable wing. The processor further includes a disintegrator having a roller positioned along the length of the housing, manipulator rollers mounted inside the housing, and a discharge opening at the bottom of one of the side walls to discharge crop material from the processor. Each of the fixed side walls sections may have a protrusion projecting into the housing substantially level with and parallel to the manipulator roller. Each wing, which rotates about an axis positioned generally at the same level as the manipulator roller, comprises a back panel having one edge fixed to an axle for rotating the wing.

Abstract: An open throat crop material processor for disintegrating baled crop material comprises a container having front and back walls and two side walls, a disintegrator and at least two rollers for manipulating the bale mounted within the container in parallel between the front and the back walls and a discharge opening that is at the bottom of the first of the side walls of the container. The sides of the discharge opening are defined by the front and back walls, the bottom of the opening is defined by the second side wall that extends under the disintegrator and the top of the opening is defined by the first side wall that extends down to below one of the manipulator rollers. The crop material processor further includes an elongated baffle located adjacent the disintegrator on the discharge opening side of the processor. The baffles may have a planar or curvilinear surface facing the disintegrator and the ends of the baffle may be fixed to or moveably mounted to the front and the back walls.

Abstract: A square bale processor having an elongated conveyor mounted on the frame and a mechanism for mounting the frame to a set of wheels in such a way that the back end of the conveyor may be positioned a predetermined distance above the ground or adjacent to the ground. A bale shredding roller which may be substantially cylindrical or may be in the shape of a truncated cone with flails symmetrically spaced about its circumference and along its length is rotatably mounted adjacent the front end of the conveyor. The axis of rotation of the shredding roller is positioned in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the conveyor in the direction of the length of the processor. The roller axis at the back end of the roller is positioned below the front end of the conveyor. The bale shredding roller axis may be substantially horizontal or it may slope upward from the back end of the shredding roller to the front end of the roller.

Abstract: The crop material processor for disintegrating baled crop material comprises a housing for receiving and containing the baled crop material. The housing has a front wall, a back wall, a left side wall, a right side wall and a bottom, wherein each of the left and right side walls includes a fixed lower section and a pivotably mounted upper section forming a movable wing. The processor further includes a disintegrator having a roller positioned along the length of the housing, manipulator rollers mounted inside the housing, and a discharge opening at the bottom of one of the side walls to discharge crop material from the processor. Each of the fixed side walls sections may have a protrusion projecting into the housing substantially level with and parallel to the manipulator roller. Each wing, which rotates about an axis positioned generally at the same level as the manipulator roller, comprises a back panel having one edge fixed to an axle for rotating the wing.

Abstract: The twine cutter for a bale processor comprises a blade holder has a front end and a back end, the holder further has a top edge that is bevelled to a wedge shape at the front end, a back edge and a base edge. A drive mechanism such as an elongated handle is fixed to the holder for driving the holder back or forth. A cutter blade is fixed to the holder such that a cutting edge is bevelled towards the front of the holder and a further cutting edge is bevelled towards the back of the holder thereby being able to cut twine when the holder is driven forward or backward. The cutter blade may further include a sharpened hook shaped section used to snag and cut twine. The hook shaped section can be positioned at the apex of the triangular upper portion of the single blade. A disintegrator roller for a bale processor comprises an elongated roller arranged to rotate in one direction about its axis with a number of flails intermittently spaced along the length and around the circumference of the roller.

Abstract: A baled crop material processor for disintegrating baled crop material comprising a container, a disintegrator, a discharge opening and means for manipulating the crop material for disintegration by the disintegrator. The container, receives and contains the crop material. The disintegrator comprises a flail roller that is mounted within the container and has a number of flails pivotally mounted about it. The flail roller rotates about its own longitudinal axis in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The discharge opening is at the bottom of one of the side walls to discharge the disintegrated crop material either to the left or to the right of the processor and in a bidirectional processor, the operator may alternate between sides. The manipulation means comprises manipulator rollers having paddles positioned at an angle to the length of the roller to rotate the crop material without substantially breaking the crop material apart.

Abstract: An open throat crop material processor for disintegrating baled crop material comprises a container having front and back walls and two side walls, a disintegrator and at least two rollers for manipulating the bale mounted within the container in parallel between the front and the back walls and a discharge opening that is at the bottom of the first of the side walls of the container. The sides of the discharge opening are defined by the front and back walls, the bottom of the opening is defined by the second side wall that extends under the disintegrator and the top of the opening is defined by the first side wall that extends down to below one of the manipulator rollers. The crop material processor further includes an elongated baffle located adjacent the disintegrator on the discharge opening side of the processor. The baffles may have a planar or curvilinear surface facing the disintegrator and the ends of the baffle may be fixed to or moveably mounted to the front and the back walls.

Abstract: A crop material processor for disintegrating baled crop material comprises a container, a disintegrator, means for manipulating the crop material for disintegration by the disintegrator and a discharge opening that is at the bottom of one of the side walls of the container. The crop material processor further includes a discharge door near the discharge opening. The discharge door can be pivotally positioned anywhere between extreme upper and lower positions to control the discharge of crop material. A controller for determining the position of the discharge door includes an actuator for moving the door, a mechanism such as a handle or motor for driving the actuator and a biasing spring for assisting in the movement of the actuator. The crop material processor may further include an adjustable deflector located at the bottom of the discharge opening.

Abstract: An animal feed processor for producing a mixture of baled crop material and a supplemental feed. The animal feed processor comprises a container for receiving baled crop material mounted on a chassis and a hopper for receiving the supplemental feed also mounted on the chassis. A disintegrator for shredding the baled crop material is mounted within the container that also has a slot on one side to discharge the disintegrated baled crop material. The hopper includes an auger mechanism for discharging the supplemental feed from the hopper to the same side of the animal feed processor as the disintegrated baled crop material. The animal feed processor further includes a fork lift mounted on the back end of the chassis for lifting bales into the baled crop material container and a hitch at the front end of the chassis for coupling the animal feed processor to a tractor.

Abstract: A baled crop material processor for disintegrating baled crop material comprising a container, a disintegrator, a discharge opening and means for manipulating the crop material for disintegration by the disintegrator. The container, receives and contains the crop material. The disintegrator comprises a flail roller that is mounted within the container and has a number of flails pivotally mounted about it. The flail roller rotates about its own longitudinal axis in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The discharge opening is at the bottom of one of the side walls to discharge the disintegrated crop material either to the left or to the right of the processor and in a bidirectional processor, the operator may alternate between sides. The manipulation means comprises manipulator rollers having paddles positioned at an angle to the length of the roller to rotate the crop material without substantially breaking the crop material apart.