Patents by Inventor Loras F. Gravel

Loras F. Gravel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5661961
    Abstract: A crop processor for attachment to a round hay baler for cutting, chopping and shredding various crops, especially hay and all types of crops with stems or stalks extending above ground with the cut, chopped or shredded crop being discharged into a round hay baler to form the processed crop into a round hay bale with the cut lengths of the crop material being useful for bedding, dry feeds, silage and other wet feeds and is especially useful in a total mixed ration mixing machine. The crop processor includes a high speed rotor with multiple cutting elements mounted thereon associated with a shear bar. The rotor and shear bar are oriented in a housing having an open bottom to enable a crop to be engaged and cut by the rotor and shear bar. The shear bar is horizontally adjustable toward and away from the rotor and cutting elements to vary the cutting, chopping and shredding characteristics of the crop processor in order to vary the cut length of crop material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Inventors: Gerald F. Westhoff, Loras F. Gravel, Cory P. Westhoff
  • Patent number: 5330114
    Abstract: An attachment for a combine and more specifically to a shredder attachment for a combine corn head to shred or chop corn stalks as they pass downwardly through the feed rolls on a combine corn head with the shredded materials being discharged onto the ground surface. The shredder attachment includes a plurality of cutter assemblies each including a pair of rotary cutter bars each in the form of a circular disk or plate having flat cutter blades attached thereto at the periphery with the rotary cutter plates in each cutter assembly being driven in opposite directions with the cutter bar blades overlapping the row of stalks by several inches to assure complete shredding action. The cutter assemblies are each driven by a hydraulic motor and a spur gear drive train oriented in a gear box with the spur gears running in oil. Hydraulic pressure is provided to the hydraulic motor from a pump assembly that is belt driven from a cross shaft on the combine head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Inventors: Michael J. Trenkamp, Loras F. Gravel
  • Patent number: 5052170
    Abstract: A shredder attachment for a round bale hay baler which will effectively shred corn stalks or stubble, milo stubble and the like and discharge the shredded stubble into a round bale hay baler which will form a bale of stubble which has been shredded which can be used for feed, bedding and the like. The shredding attachment can be easily and quickly attached to a round bale hay baler at the front lower area thereof and is drivingly connected to the power system of the hay baler and includes a rotatable shaft having a plurality of pivotal flail elements or knives mounted thereon for shredding stubble or stalks and discharging the shredded material rearwardly and upwardly into the hay baler in the same manner that hay enters the hay baler with the shredded stubble being rolled into a hay bale in the same manner that hay is baled by the round bale hay baler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Inventors: Michael J. Trenkamp, Loras F. Gravel