Abstract: The present invention relates to a comminuting device and method for comminuting material such as green waste, waste wood and/or demolition wood. The comminuting device comprises: —a comminutor (12) for comminuting supplied material; an infeed conveyor (10) operatively connected during use to the comminutor for supplying material to the comminutor; —an outfeed conveyor (14) operatively connected during use to the comminutor; a gripper (40) operatively connected during use to the comminutor for filling the infeed conveyor; and operating means operatively connectable to the comminutor.

Abstract: A device for gathering and removing chicken litter from chicken houses and for compacting the litter onto a compost pile. The scraper, hauler and compacter cleans and levels the floor of a chicken house as the scraper is being pulled by a tow vehicle such as a small tractor. A tiltable container is filled with the litter as scraping is done. When the container is full, the apparatus is towed to a compost pile where the scraper is either backed onto the pile or can be pulled up onto the pile. The container is tilted and the tailgate is opened. The apparatus is configured such that the wheels are in the rear and when the container is tilted into an unloading position with the tailgate hanging down in front of the wheels, the tailgate levels the litter out as the apparatus is moved forward. The wheels compress the litter onto the compost pile.

Abstract: The illustrative embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for managing drip tape. A vehicle is configured to move across a field. A drip tape collection system is associated with the vehicle configured to raise a portion of the drip tape from the ground in a field. A chopper is configured to separate the portion of the drip tape received from the drip tape collection system into a plurality of pieces and enable the plurality of pieces to decompose.

Abstract: A device for gathering and removing chicken litter from chicken houses and for compacting the litter onto a compost pile. The scraper, hauler and compacter cleans and levels the floor of a chicken house as the scraper is being pulled by a tow vehicle such as a small tractor. A tiltable container is filled with the litter as scraping is done. When the container is full, the apparatus is towed to a compost pile where the scraper is either backed onto the pile or can be pulled up onto the pile. The container is tilted and the tailgate is opened. The apparatus is configured such that the wheels are in the rear and when the container is tilted into an unloading position with the tailgate hanging down in front of the wheels, the tailgate levels the litter out as the apparatus is moved forward. The wheels compress the litter onto the compost pile.

Abstract: A platform for securing a portable vacuum and shredder apparatus has brackets for attaching a shredder onto the platform. A vacuum tube for the ingress of matter to be shredded. An ingress opening for the shredded matter. A closed area, or bag for collecting the shredded material. An air exhaust fitted with a filter system or device allowing for air exhaust while the shredded material is retained in the closed collecting area, or bag.

Abstract: A crushing machine including a crushing means, a feed conveyor for feeding material to the crushing means, a detector for detecting metal in the material on the feed conveyor, and a bypass chute for the crushing means, the feed conveyor being movable between a normal operating position in which the material is fed to the crushing means and a bypass position in which the material is fed to the bypass chute, the arrangement being such that on detection of metal in the material, the feed conveyor is stopped and moved from the normal operating position to the bypass position so that the material with the metal is discharged into the bypass chute.

Abstract: An apparatus for disintegrating bales of agricultural materials such as hay. The apparatus includes a processing tub and is provided with a novel adjustable fork-lift adapted to raise bales of different size and configuration into the processing tub.

Abstract: An apparatus for comminuting rocks, comprising a frame having a restrictive passageway with an inlet and an outlet end for relative displacement of rocks from the inlet to the outlet end. A rotary impacting device is secured to the frame in the passageway so as to be journaled with respect to the frame. The rotary impacting device has hammer elements on an outer periphery of the device. The hammer elements are adapted to scoop and impact rocks in the passageway to project the rocks toward the outlet of the apparatus. An actuator is mounted to the frame and operationally connected to the rotary impacting device for imparting a rotation of the rotary impacting device. A screen is adapted to comminute upon impact the rocks propelled thereon by the rotary impacting device. The screen is positioned at the outlet end such that comminuted rocks exiting from the apparatus are below a predetermined size.

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: A mobile field shredder adapted to move continuously through an orchard, pick up pruned branches from the ground, and shred the branches into sawdust and small shredded pieces. The front end of the shredder includes a pair of counter-rotating feeder rollers for picking up the branches. A shredding chamber receives the branches from the feeder rollers. First and second shredder rollers within the shredding chamber, include plural knife blocks on their respective outer peripheries. The shredder rollers are driven in tandem, in the same direction. A chamber screen is provided at the after end of the shredding chamber, in close proximity to the second shredder roller. The shredder rollers reduce the size of material so it is can pass through perforations in the screen. The consistency and size of the shredded material is such that it rapidly decomposes in the field and enriches the soil in the orchard.

Abstract: A mobile rock crusher for crushing raw rock material which has been windrowed on a roadway in the translation path of the crusher includes a rigid supporting structure, which includes a frame, and translation means for allowing translation of the frame over the roadway. A selectively actuable scoop is pivotally mounted to the frame for selectively actuable lowering over the roadway into sliding engagement with, so as to collect, the windrowed raw rock material onto the scoop. A first conveyor is mounted to the frame. An upstream loading end of the first conveyor cooperates with the scoop for conveying the raw rock material from the scoop onto a first screen at a downstream depositing end of the first conveyor. The first screen is for screening larger diameter material from smaller diameter material in the raw rock material so that the smaller diameter material falls through the first screen.

Abstract: A core processing device with a housing having forward and rearward ends, opposite sidewalls, a top, and an open bottom. Wheels operatively connected to the housing. A rotatable brush member connected to the sidewalls for picking up and transporting cores. A shredding member for receiving, shattering, and depositing cores. And a power means for driving the brush member and shredding member.

Abstract: A comminuting mechanism is disclosed that includes a rotatable drive shaft which supports a plurality of blades, each blade having both straight arms and arms having angled tip portions. The shaft and blades are supported on a frame within a hood, and the frame is pulled along a ground surface by a tractor or other vehicle. Debris is pulled into the housing by the combined action of the forward motion of the vehicle and an inward airflow generated by fan members on the rotating blades, pulverized by the action of the blades, and discharged through an outlet.

Abstract: A silage cutter having a frame consisting of first and second frame members which are adapted to be moved relative to one another about a hinge axle by means of a drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism includes two hydraulic cylinders. The first frame member has a knife attached thereto. The second frame member has provided thereon gripping devices for gripping the silage. A hydraulic device causes the two cylinders to always have the same length.

Abstract: A forage harvester and a method of operating the same which comprises a crop processor unit located in a crop flow between a cutterhead and a blower rotor, the crop processor unit being for handling crop material including kernels, the crop processor comprising a pair of counter-rotating processor rolls arranged to crack kernels between the rolls when the rolls are in a first position, both processor rolls being movable away from each other to move each roll substantially out of the crop flow into a second position. A cover plate is preferably arranged to move and cover the lower roll when the rolls are in a second position and to isolate the lower roll from the crop flow. The processor rolls are preferably driven by independent drives. One of the drives can be a hydraulic motor supplied with pressure from a hydraulic pump which can also work as a motor. When used as a motor the cutterhead may be driven in the reverse direction for maintenance purposes.

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 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: The subject matter of the invention is a straw-cutting machine which is disposed behind the grain separating devices of a combine harvester and whose separating devices cut up the stalks falling down from the straw walkers into short pieces. In this process, due to an innovative, special disposition of the generally conventional deflector which, under the straw walkers, deflects the stalks from falling down from these to the cutter tray at the inlet into the cutter, receiving the stalks by the cutting drum is made more secure and, on the other hand, due to an innovative, special design of the distribution hood following the cutter, ejection and distribution of the chopped up stalks over the field soil is essentially improved over existing designs.

Abstract: The invention is designed to fit in the rear of a utility vehicle. An Aerifier takes aerification cores out of the turf and leaves them on the ground. A core harvester and this invention is attached to a utility vehicle. The core harvester harvests the aeration cores from turf and discharges them into the invention. The invention then takes these aerification cores and grinds them into top dressing and finely chopped thatch for the turf. The cores are dumped by the core harvester down a chute in the invention, the core processor. The cores fall from the chute on to a set of rotation blades that chops the cores into top dressing and finely chopped thatch. The top dressing and finely chopped thatch then fall upon a rotating conveyor belt which takes the top dressing and finely chopped thatch to the discharge area of the invention.

Abstract: A system for removing plant stalks from a field and shredding the plant stalks. The plant stalks are cut and passed through feed rollers which directly feed the plant stalk to a shredder. Compression of the plant stalks by the feed rollers increases as the plant stalks slide between the feed rollers in a variable nip formed by the feed rollers.