Inventors:
Gerald F. Westhoff - New Vienna IA
Loras F. Gravel - Dyersville IA
Cory P. Westhoff - Dyersville IA
International Classification:
A01F 1510
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.