Harvesters – Motorized harvester – Including plural operating units and drive
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-21
2001-02-13
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Motorized harvester
Including plural operating units and drive
C241S101763
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185919
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a system for removing plant stalks from a field and shredding the plant stalks. The invention is applicable, for example, to the stalks of cotton plants.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cotton plants have fibrous, tough stalks which present problems after the cotton plants have been picked. More particularly, if left in the field the stalks can interfere with operation of equipment employed subsequently. Decomposition can in fact take up to a couple of years. The term “stalk” as employed herein includes a stalk per se and also a stalk and associated root structure.
A number of systems have been devised for removing plant stalks from a field and for shredding the plant stalks. Prior art approaches typically provide an arrangement for pulling the stalk out of the ground and then shredding the removed stalk after the stalk has completely left the ground. The following United States patents are believed to be representative of the current state of the art in this field: U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,812, issued Jun. 21, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,214, issued Dec. 8, 1964, U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,207, issued Sep. 21, 1982, U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,828, issued Nov. 21, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,854, issued Feb. 15, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,566, issued Mar. 25, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,003, issued Oct. 11, 1994, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,667, issued Apr. 5, 1997. Interstate Equipment and Manufacturing Corporation of Bakersfield, Calif. makes available a cotton stalk shredder incorporating structure disclosed in the above-identified U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,160,214 and 4,015,667. Pixall Corporation of Clearlake, Wis. makes available a Pixall sweet corn harvester incorporating a pair of Pixall knife rolls having sharpened chrome-plated blades that intermesh to firmly and positively crimp corn stalks and weeds and pull them down and out of structure at the stripper plates of the harvester.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for removing plant stalks, such as cotton stalks, from a field and shredding the plant stalks along with any other portions of the plants attached thereto. The apparatus and method of the present invention provide for the ready extraction of the plant stalks from the ground and also for the efficient shredding thereof. Shredding of the stalks commences before they have been fully extracted from the ground. The apparatus works efficiently even in muddy conditions. The apparatus can readily be set up to pull and shred stalks along a plurality of rows simultaneously. The apparatus additionally incorporates structure lessening the chance that stalks will break during the extraction process.
The apparatus of the present invention is for removing plant stalks from a field and shredding the plant stalks. The apparatus includes a frame for transport along a field. Plant cutter means is connected to the frame for positioning underground to cut plants and sever the plant stalks during transport of the frame.
At least one pair of feed rollers is rotatably mounted on the frame, the feed rollers having teeth thereon. The feed rollers define a nip for receiving plant stalks of plants cut by the plant cutter means. The feed rollers compress the plant stalks and pull the plant stalks out of the ground.
Means is also provided for rotating the feed rollers. Plant stalk shredder means is disposed adjacent to the feed rollers for engagement with plant stalks while the plant stalks are passing through the feed rollers and being fed to the plant stalk shredder means by the feed rollers during rotation of the feed rollers.
According to the method of the present invention, a plant is cut underground to sever the plant stalk. The severed plant stalk is directed into a nip defined by two feed rollers. The feed rollers are rotated to apply compressive forces to the severed plant stalk while simultaneously transporting the severed plant stalk to the nip defined by the rotating feed rollers to pull the severed plant stalk from the ground.
While the severed plant stalk is being transported through the nip defined by the rotating feed rollers, the plant stalk is shredded as it exits the nip.
Other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3160214 (1964-12-01), Ruozi
patent: 4015667 (1977-04-01), Ruozi
patent: 4350207 (1982-09-01), Ben-Dor
patent: 4751812 (1988-06-01), Lubetzky et al.
patent: 5205496 (1993-04-01), O'Donnell et al.
patent: 5285854 (1994-02-01), Thacker et al.
patent: 5330114 (1994-07-01), Trenkamp et al.
patent: 5354003 (1994-10-01), Stokes
patent: 5467828 (1995-11-01), Ruozi
patent: 5613566 (1997-03-01), Cox et al.
patent: 5795222 (1998-08-01), McLeod
patent: 5816036 (1998-10-01), Caillouet
patent: 6062009 (2000-05-01), Caillouet
Insterstate Equipment & Manufacturing Corporation of Bakersfield.—No date.
Pixall Corporation of Clearlake, Wisconsin—1992.
Johnson Farm Machinery Co. Inc.
Lampe Thomas R.
Pezzuto Robert E.
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