Abstract: A fertilization system using the contents of the manure pits on farms to supply the fertilizer. The system comprising a pump for forcing the contents of the manure pits either directly through the irrigation piping system to the fields or for spraying the contents of the pits onto the fields. A unique pulverizer is used between an intake pipe set in the pits and the pump to assure that the contents of the pits do not clog the pump.

Abstract: A device for granulating objects into particles has a false bottom for improving collection of particles. The device includes a housing with a cutter assembly located in the housing for granulating the objects into particles. A blower is connected to the housing for removing the particles from the housing. The false bottom consists of a downwardly facing channel carried between the cutter assembly and the bottom of the housing. Spaces exist between the bottom of the housing and the edges of the channel for the admission of particles to the space below the channel. The blower is connected to one end to create air movement through the channel for removing the particles.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having a rotatable cutterhead and adjacently-positioned shearbar, an upper feed roll assembly is mounted above and forwardly of the shearbar. A lower feed assembly cooperates with the upper feed roll assembly to convey crop material to the cutterhead across the shearbar. A tensioning mechanism is coupled to mounting arms for the upper feed roll assembly. First and second positions of the tensioning mechanism provide for a first condition in which the upper feed roll assembly is biased toward a lower operative position adjacent the cutterhead and shearbar and a second condition in which the bias on the upper feed roll assembly is relaxed, permitting movement to an upper inoperative position generally remote from the cutterhead and shearbar to thereby expose and render the shearbar readily accessible for servicing. In the second condition the tensioning mechanism spring is fully compressed and used to directly transfer force used to lift the upper feed roll assembly.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having a rotatable cutterhead and adjacently-positioned shearbar, an upper feed roll assembly comprising at least one upper feed roll mounted above and forwardly of the shearbar for movement by a pair of arms. A lower feed assembly cooperates with the upper feed roll assembly to convey crop material to the cutterhead across the shearbar. A tensioning assembly is coupled to the mounting arms for upper feed roll. First and second positions of the tensioning assembly provide a first condition in which the upper feed roll assembly is biased toward a lower operative position adjacent the cutterhead and shearbar and a second condition in which the bias on the upper feed roll assembly is relaxed, permitting movement to an upper inoperative position generally remote from the cutterhead and shearbar to thereby expose and render the shearbar readily accessible for servicing.

Abstract: Macerator housing has a flange at each end and a flow channel therebetween so that the macerator can be connected into a sewage line for flow therethrough. A pair of power-driven shafts are mounted transversely to the flow direction and each carries a plurality of inter-engaging spaced macerator cutters thereon. The macerator cutters do not reach the outer housing walls, but there is a bypass flow space therearound. Screens are positioned on the inlet side of the housing to direct flow into the macerator cutters, but the screens permit fluid flow through the bypass space around the macerator cutters.

Abstract: A forage harvester having a rotary reel cutterhead disposed within a housing to operate against a shear bar, peripheral shielding being disposed on the inlet side of the cutterhead except for a material entry gap in the region above the shear bar is provided with a crop reinjection chamber disposed in the peripheral shielding immediately above the material entry gap, the chamber comprising a transversely extending cavity wherein the cavity wall in the direction of rotation includes an arcuate portion for redirecting the flow of crops escaping the cutterhead periphery back into the cutterhead at a substantial angle to the cutterhead periphery.

Abstract: Granulation of materials, particularly materials in stranded form, employing a rotatable cutter with multiple feed channels at different elevational positions along the periphery of the cutter. The granules of the feed material formed by the cutter are collected without further, unwanted cutting by using a separate, pressurizable discharge channel for each feed channel or by providing voids in the cutter through which the granules can fall, desirably with the assistance of feed channel applied pressure.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for smoothly, continuously, and more effectively shredding laterally-extended film material of indefinite length without jerking the film material into the device with excessive force. Cooperating cutting edges are used--one serrated, another smooth.

Abstract: A rotary air-lock feeder for a pneumatic conveying line includes the cylindrical housing with a straight bladed rotor mounted therein to propel materials from an upper inlet to a bottom discharge. The edges of the blades are positioned in close association with housing wall to prevent escape of air from the conveying line through feeder. A shear knife is mounted in housing with inner surface conforming to curvature of housing and a flat top surface intersecting inner surface to form a sharp cutting edge so as to shear material projecting beyond outer edge of rotor blades to prevent binding thereof between such outer edge and the housing wall.

Abstract: A self-propelled forage harvester having a longitudinally extending mobile frame supported by forward and rearward pairs of transversely spaced wheels. A cutterhead unit is mounted on the forward portion of the frame and includes a housing having a rear crop outlet. Within the housing a shear bar is mounted adjacent the path of the knives of a transverse cylindrical cutterhead rotatably mounted in cooperative relationship with the shear bar for cutting crop material fed thereto. Mounted on the frame rearwardly of the cutterhead unit is a blower unit with a housing having a crop inlet aligned with the crop outlet of the cutterhead unit. The blower includes blades rotating within the housing in a generally circular path about an axis inclined forwardly and upwardly to permit the lower limit of the circular path of the blades to be disposed forward of the upper limits of the path.

Abstract: Forage conveying apparatus for a forage harvester having a longitudinally extending frame supported by at least one pair of transversely spaced wheels. A cutterhead unit mounted on the frame includes a housing having a rear crop outlet. Within the housing a shear bar is mounted adjacent the path of the knives of a transverse cylindrical cutterhead rotatably mounted in cooperative relationship with the shear bar for cutting crop material fed thereto. Mounted on the frame rearwardly of the cutterhead unit is a blower unit with a housing having a crop inlet in communication with the crop outlet of the cutterhead unit. The blower includes a rotatably mounted conical base plate and blades mounted thereon for rotation within the housing in a generally circular path about an inclined axis.

Abstract: A straw chopping and spreading device consisting of a rotary chopper, mounted in a housing assembly and a spreader assembly 16 through which chopped straw passes out of the housing assembly. The spreader assembly consists of a pair of converging plates which form a converging nozzle, a series of adjustable spreader plates for controlling the width of spread and an adjustable deflector for adjusting the angle at which chopped straw is deflected toward the ground.

Abstract: A tire is placed upon an infeed support which initiates movement of a spindle to extend longitudinally through the tire, then expand radially to engage the tire beads and then retract longitudinally to clamp the beads together. One of a pair of power driven rolls having roughened, wear resistant surfaces, then is moved toward the fixed roll of a pair to grip the tire between them and rotate the tire and spindle assembly. The spindle and drive roll assembly, together with the rotating tire, then is moved by a common support carriage toward a rotary flywheel type cutter assembly which operates on the tire in the radial direction inward from the tread area to an area closely adjacent the metal beads, reducing the tire to small pieces. An air fan is integrated with the flywheel of the cutter assembly to minimize heating of the flywheel and cutter mechanism. A metal sensor on the infeed support prevents operation of the apparatus if the tire contains steel belts.

Abstract: Magnetic-electronic apparatus for sensing the clearance between two ferrous metals, for application in measuring the clearance between a shear bar and the cutting knives of a harvesting farm machine, is disclosed having a magnetic sensor disposed within the shear bar for producing a magnetic field, the interception of which by the passage of a knife produces an electronic signal which is processed by appropriate circuitry for indicating the clearance between the knives and the shear bar.

Abstract: A machine that quadrates documents comprising a stationary plate having along one edge a plurality of transversely-spaced cutting edges defining a cutting area, a rotor having axially thereof and radially-spaced from its axis a plurality of complementary cutting edges supported for rotation with the rotor about an axis parallel to the edge of the stationary plate for movement of the cutting edges in shearing relation to the cutting edges on the stationary plate and sheet-feeding rolls for advancing the documents to be quadrated along the surface of the stationary plate onto the cutting area to present a portion thereof to the cutting edges in timed relation to movement of the cutting edges into cutting relation with each other.

Abstract: Magnetic-electronic apparatus for sensing the clearance between two ferrous metals, for application in measuring the clearance between a shear bar and the cutting knives of a harvesting farm machine, is disclosed having a magnetic sensor disposed within the shear bar for producing a magnetic field, the interception of which by the passage of a knife produces an electronic signal which is processed by appropriate circuitry for indicating the clearance between the knives and the shear bar.

Abstract: In a forage harvester, a pan-like shield wraps the underside of the lower forward feed roll of a feed roll assembly having opposed upper and lower pairs of feed rolls. The pan is disposed so that particles of material, such as corn or sorghum kernels, which may become separated from a mat of material being fed through the rolls and pass downwards in front of the forward lower feed roll or between the front and rear lower rolls are intercepted by the pan and recirculated by the forward roll between the roll and the pan and re-presented to the inlet side of the feed roll assembly so that those particles have another opportunity to be fed through with the mat of crop material to the cutterhead.

Abstract: Harvested crop material is fed to the cylindrical cutter-head of a forage harvester by a feeding assembly consisting of opposed pairs of upper and lower feed rolls. The articulated upper roll assembly floats to accommodate variations in the flow of crop material. The downstream upper feed roll is carried on a pair of opposite radius arms which are rigidly coupled by a transverse leveler shaft, providing a stable frame and minimizing cocking or twisting of the roll. A second pair of feed roll arms is pivotally connected to the radius arms and extends forward to support the upstream feed roll which is journaled on a shaft rigidly connected between the feed roll arms. A stop and biasing arrangement provides that each upper roll may float independently, the articulation of the feed roll assembly being such that upward movement of either roll or the rolls together is subject to the restoring force of a tension spring.

Abstract: A document shredder which comprises a strip cutter to cut waste document into strips, a chip cutter to cut the strips into chips, and a minuting device disposed downstream of the chip cutters to cut the chips into pulp-like mass. The minuting device includes a housing having a conical surface formed with cutting teeth, and a conical rotary body formed with cutting teeth in engagement the cutting teeth of the housing.

Abstract: A forage harvester has a rotary cylinder type cutterhead mounted in a housing with opposite side walls, crop material being fed into the cutterhead in a generally radial direction over a shear bar adjacent the cutterhead periphery. The shear bar is mounted for fore and aft adjustment toward and away from the cutterhead periphery to maintain the optimum clearance between the cutterhead and the shear bar by means of a mechanism that includes a pair of bell cranks respectively pivotally mounted to support members on the opposite walls, with one end of each bell crank being connected to the shear bar through a fore and aft link while the other end of the bell crank threadably receives the threaded portions of a vertically elongated rod that is rotatably supported adjacent the housing side wall and has an easily accessible head adjacent the top of the housing, whereby rotation of the rod causes the bell crank to rock on its pivot to cause linear fore and aft adjustment of the shear bar.

Abstract: A forage harvester has a cutterhead housing with a rotary reel type cutterhead mounted therein, the cutterhead having a plurality of knives parallel to the cutterhead axis at the cutterhead periphery, the knife edges generating a cylinder as the cutterhead rotates. The cutterhead reduces crop material that is fed into the housing and discharges the reduced material through a discharge opening to a conveying system that conveys the crop material to a crop-receiving vehicle. Removably mounted over the discharge opening is a recutter screen that has an arcuate shape generally concentric with and adjacent to the cutterhead periphery and a plurality of elongated apertures, each aperture having parallel longitudinal edges that extend diagonally relative to the knife cutting edges.

Abstract: This invention relates to size reduction apparatus and particularly to a novel feed device thereof and method of feeding sheet material thereto. A first baffle is adapted to extend into the cutting chamber simultaneously towards the cutting rotor and a downstroke wall portion from which a bed knife is adapted to extend into cutting contact with knife means mounted on the rotor. Such construction, in effect, enables the simultaneous formation of a variable width sheet feed opening to the granulator as well as means for restraining a portion of already granulated material on the upstroke side of the rotor from contacting the sheet material as it is fed between the rotor and bed knife. A secondary baffle may in turn be disposed in contact with the first baffle so as to close a secondary or housing opening disposed between the first baffle and a pair of upwardly spaced feed rolls.

Abstract: A platform is inclined relative to the ground to support and close the open housing of a rotary lawn mower. A feed inlet is provided in the platform with a guide chute for directing twigs and lawn clippings upwardly into the housing. A shear bar is provided for coacting with the rotary mower blade to chop the materials inserted. Adjustable wheel mounts and housing closure aprons are provided to adjust the platform for various sized lawn mowers.

Abstract: An apparatus for granulating articles into particles for reuse, having a force feed mechanism that urges the articles into the grinder chamber. The apparatus has a chute for inserting articles, and the grinder chamber encloses rotor knives that are rotated past stationary knives. The force feed assembly is mounted above the grinder chamber and includes a rotating shaft driven by a motor separate from the grinder assembly motors. A series of plates are mounted to the shaft at intervals. The plates have teeth on the edge for grabbing and tearing articles. Webs are mounted between the plates for pushing the articles into the grinder chamber.

Abstract: A system for the manufacture of animal feed from food waste wherein the food waste is ground, sterilized, and then dried in a drum dryer wherein an even and continuous drying process is effected by feed control and by zone regulating the temperature of the surface of the drums of the dryer.

Abstract: A frame member having a vegetation-receiving chute with an outlet immediately adjacent the location at which the movable blade of a power lawnmower may be positioned in order to cup up and shred vegetation fed into the chute. In one embodiment, the chute may be located adjacent to the cutting blade of a reel-type lawnmower. In the second embodiment, the chute may be curved so as to bring the vegetation beneath a rotary-type mower. One edge of this latter chute may cooperate with a rotary blade for shredding the vegetation in a scissors-like action.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing fiber material to chip form including an anvil assembly defining an anvil bearing surface of generally U-shaped configuration having leg portions joined by a connecting portion, at least one knife blade and carrier means for moving the knife blade in surface-to-surface bearing engagement with the anvil bearing surface in a direction extending from adjacent the ends of the leg portions towards the connecting portion to effect cutting or severing of the material into chip form.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a knife construction adapted for positioning within cut out seat portions of a rotor. The base of the knife is provided with a downwardly extending relatively narrow leg at the front face thereof which is adapted to engage base portions of the rotor seat so as to form an area of high sealing contact between the engaging surfaces and thus prevent liquified, i.e. fluid acting under high pressures, plastic material from flowing underneath the knife and thus undesirably altering its position vis-a-vis the rotor. A further embodiment includes an elevated or stepped pad forming the seat for receipt of the knife, the stepped or elevated front face of the pad forming a continuation of the blade face of the knife so as to distribute the forces imparted by such liquified plastic material over a larger combined area and thus reduce the force thereof upon the knife/seat interface.

Abstract: A drive system for a field chopper in which a belt and friction wheel transmission operates the blade drum or cutter reel and is driven from a speed-reducing and distribution drive having a number of output shafts which operate the pickup and intake elements of the harvester.

Abstract: The shiftably supported, rotatable feed rolls on a forage harvester or other material processing machine are operably coupled to a control lever on the hydraulic pump regulating the feed roll drive motor such that the angular velocity of the rolls is increased in response to shifting movement of the rolls away from one another, thereby enabling the rolls to readily rid themselves of a larger-than-normal slug of material should the same be encountered during harvesting. An additional control lever of a second hydraulic pump regulating another drive motor for the standing crop cutter and gathering elements of the harvester is operably coupled to the first control lever by a lost motion connection that permits the control levers to be shifted simultaneously for in unison manual operation of the motors, yet the first lever may be actuated independently by the feed rolls to control the first drive motor in response to relative shifting movement between the rolls.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a size reduction apparatus such as a granulator and particularly to a novel manner of feeding such whereby thin plastic sheet material may be successfully granulated at high throughput speeds. The construction includes the use of a closed chamber mounted above the granulator chamber and having a longitudinally oriented feed slot therein, directly above which a pair of nip rolls are mounted so as to enable sheet material to be fed directly into the chamber of the granulating machine towards the rotor and in a generally radial direction thereto. The device is operated while the chamber thereof is at least partly full of partially granulated material.

Abstract: A unit for disintegrating a sliver into spinnable fibers fed to a spinning machine comprises a fiber-disintegrating drum with serrations generating a cylinder on rotation of the drum. A first smooth feed roller guides the sliver to the cylinder and defines therewith a first and second wedge-shaped space on the sides of which the serrations approach and depart from the first feed roller during a rotation, and this feed roller may be adjustably spaced from the cylinder. A second clamping and smoothing feed roller is disposed in the first wedge-shaped space and defines a nip with the first feed roller, the feed rollers being operable to feed the sliver through the nip to the serrations. A cover extends into the second wedge-shaped space and is closely spaced from the first feed roller and as closely as possible from the cylinder.

Abstract: A granulator construction including a cover having a first portion connected to the granulator frame along a vertical hinge line and a second portion in turn connected to the first portion along a horizontal hinge line whereby progressive opening of such cover portions along their respective hinges permits partially and fully open granulator positions whereby the feed means and the granulation chamber of the granulator are sequentially exposed. Furthermore, opposed muffler segments in part defining a feed slot are separable so that access to feed rolls etc. may be quickly gained. The lower of such muffler segments is further slidably removable entirely from the granulator construction so as to permit cleaning as when changeovers occur in the material being granulated.

Abstract: A comminuting and shredding arrangement having a cutting and/or tearing mechanism for comminuting paper cardboard and synthetic materials. A housing is rotatably mounted and has inwardly projecting paddles which feed the material to be comminuted towards a cutting and tearing mechanism operatively mounted in said housing, thereby recycling the material to be comminuted therethrough.

Abstract: A forage harvester has a cylinder type cutterhead that includes a hollow cylindrical drum having a solid cylindrical peripheral wall and a pair of radial end plates to which a pair of axial, stub shafts are attached. Welded to the outside of the drum are a relatively large number of knife support members that are formed of relatively short sections of angle iron and extend parallel to the cutterhead axis. The support members are arranged in circumferential rows and are disposed at equal angular intervals, the support members in one row being angularly offset and relatively closely spaced from the support members in the adjacent row. Both edges of the support members are welded to the drum, so that the leading side of the support member is inclinded outwardly and rearwardly relative to the direction of rotation and functions as a deflector for crop material.

Abstract: A field chopper, having a chopper drum or reel rotatable on the chassis and a plurality of feed rollers for advancing the crop material to the chopper drum, is provided with a pair of arms flanking the drum and swingable about the axis thereof. The arms each carry a pivotal compensating bar, a pair of pressing rollers being journaled on these arms and being driven by gears meshing with a central pinion whose shaft forms the axis of one of the bars and is, in turn, driven by a transmission. The pressing roller proximal to the blade drum is received in notches in the compensating bars and is connected thereto so as to be easily releasable.

Abstract: Maintenance apparatuses for and improvements in a radioactive matter containing waste gas treating installation, which is capable of completely carrying out waste gas cleaning by means of ceramic filter element is disclosed. The installation is provided with at least one of the following three apparatuses or devices, i.e.

Abstract: A forage harvester of the type having a rotary reel cutterhead and a feed roll mechanism for feeding crops to the cutterhead is provided with improved drive means for the feed roll mechanism including a forward chain drive arrangement incorporating intermediate shafts and an electromagnetic clutch and a reverse chain drive arrangement incorporating a second electromagnetic clutch, both drive arrangements being driven from the cutterhead drive and driving a common output shaft operatively connected with the feed roll mechanism. An electrical remote control switch operates the electromagnetic clutches for mutually exclusive engagement, or with neither clutch engaged, to produce remotely controlled shifting of the mechanism between forward, idle and reverse drives.

Abstract: A forage harvester connectable to a vehicle such as a tractor for being towed by the tractor. The forage harvester includes a transmission having a horizontal rotatable input shaft and a horizontal output shaft separated by an angle of 100.degree. such that the input shaft can be positioned at an angle of approximately 10.degree. relative to the direction of motion of the forage harvester and generally co-axial or positioned at a small horizontal angle relative to the rotatable drive shaft extending from the tractor power take-off shaft to the input shaft. The forage harvester also includes a rotatable cutting cylinder and a blower for blowing out forage into a forage wagon towed by the forage harvester, the rotatable cutting cylinder and the blower being laterally spaced apart.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a size reduction apparatus such as a granulator and particularly to a novel feed assembly for such a granulator whereby thin plastic sheet material may be successfully granulated at high through-put speeds. The construction includes the use of a closed chamber mounted above the granulator chamber and having a longitudinally orientated feed slot therein, directly above which a pair of nip rolls are mounted so as to enable sheet material to be fed directly into the chamber of the granulating machine towards the rotor and in a generally radial direction thereto. The device is operated while the chamber thereof is at least partly full of partially granulated material.

Abstract: A machine for chopping polymers, and in particularly elastomeric materials such as tires, into uniform small size particles through the use of a rotating cutting head having teeth that have side cutting edges generally perpendicular to their outer end edges, which are parallel to the axis of rotation, and interfit with stationary teeth formed in complimentary shape. The cutting head is used in combination with a material infeed mechanism that maintains a steady, positive feed of material to reduce the elastomeric material into uniform small chunks that can be used for fuel, or otherwise more readily disposed than the present large size tires or similar articles.

Abstract: The cutting cylinder has knife segments extending across its periphery in a staggered pattern so that each row winds essentially helically from end to end of the cylinder, thereby providing an effective shearing action as the knife segments cooperate with a stationary shear bar to sever incoming crops into countless short lengths. Air and crop cups located directly below the knife segments capture the short lengths before they can enter the interior of the cylinder and sweep the same through the cutting chamber, blasting them out the discharge spout without the assistance of an auxiliary fan. By keeping the elongated cups substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder and perpendicular to the path of travel of the entering crops, regardless of whether the cutting edges of the knife segments are arranged parallel to or slightly oblique to the axis of the cylinder, the full thrust of the spinning cylinder is utilized to propel the crop pieces up the spout for maximum efficiency.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a size reduction apparatus such as a granulating machine of the type for cutting plastics and the like. The granulating machine includes a chamber provided with a driven rotor having a plurality of cutting elements mounted on the periphery thereof, each cutting element having in turn a plurality of spaced cutting knives. The cutting knives cooperate with stationary bed knives to comminute materials fed into the cutting chamber. The downstroke side of the cutting chamber is further provided with an access opening normally closed during cutting operations by a cover, which may be of particularly heavy slotted construction and which provides a backup surface for the material being comminuted. The disclosed granulating machine is particularly useful in comminuting large chunks of plastic material such as heavy purging, thick sheet and cast blocks. Machines of this type are designated as hog type granulators in the industry.

Abstract: A forage harvester has a cylinder type cutterhead and a plurality of feed rolls that feed crop material radially into the cutterhead over a shear bar normally positioned adjacent to the cutterhead in registry therewith. The shear bar is mounted for resilient yieldable deflection when the cutterhead strikes a foreign object to a deflected position wherein it permits the tangential expulsion of the foreign object at the shear bar.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having a rotatable cutterhead and adjacently-positioned shearbar, an upper rear feed roll is mounted above and forwardly of the shearbar for pivotal movement relative to an upper front feed roll by a pair of arms which interconnect the rolls. A tensioning assembly is coupled to each of the arms. An actuatable latching mechanism is connecting to the tensioning assembly and movable to a first position for placing the tensioning assembly in a first condition in which the rear feed roll is biased toward a lower operative position adjacent the cutterhead and shearbar.

Abstract: The present material transport device for a granulating apparatus includes a plurality of transport pressure rollers arranged in a curved row for cooperation with a transport cylinder of the granulating apparatus. An infeed table extends substantially tangentially relative to the transport cylinder which forms with the first pressure rollr of said row an infeed point. A run-off table extends also substantially tangentially relative to said transport cylinder and forms with its downstream end a counter ledge for a rotary knife. The row of pressure rollers extends around the transport cylinder from said infeed point substantially to said counter ledge.

Abstract: A cut-and-throw type forage harvester has a rotatable cutterhead including a plurality of knives having cutting edges that generate a cylinder as the cutterhead rotates. The cutterhead is mounted in a housing having an upwardly directed tangential discharge chute, which has parallel front and rear walls and converging side walls to narrow the stream of crop material discharged from the cutterhead for movement through an upwardly and rearwardly extending discharge spout or upper chute portion. The knives are mounted on the cutterhead so that their cutting edges diverge from the central portion of the knife in a forward direction relative to the direction of rotation of the cutterhead, so that the crop material impelled in a direction normal to the cutting edges is converged in the discharge chute to reduce the amount of impingement of the crop material on the converging side walls of the discharge chute.

Abstract: For use in an agricultural forage cutter, a recutter characterized by open passageways for ready passage of the forage material and by a grindable cutting edge on the recutter adjacent the path of the rotating cutter knives whereby a shearing action is achieved.

Abstract: This noise reducing device is arranged in the discharge chute of a material granulating apparatus in which a rapidly rotating knife cuts strips or strands of material into granules. In one embodiment of the device a wing wheel or impeller type of wheel is supported off-center for rotation in a portion of substantially cylindrical cross section of the chute. In another embodiment, angularly arranged plates are positioned substantially oppositely each other in the discharge chute to deflect the granular material so as to follow a zig-zag path.

Abstract: A forage cutter includes a housing having a pair of end walls, a forward inlet for receiving forage material and a rearward outlet for discharging forage material. A rotary cylinder shaft is journaled for rotation in the end walls, and a rotary cylindrical cutter having a plurality of cutting knives is mounted on the shaft for rotation about its longitudinal axis. The cutting knives are movable in a 360.degree. cylindrical cutting path having a 0.degree. reference on a horizontal plane extending radially from the axis of the cutter through the forward inlet. A recutter having a single recutter blade disposed at the outlet of the housing is positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives. The recutter blade is horizontally positioned between about 120.degree. to 150.degree. from the horizontal plane in the direction of the cylindrical cutting path.