US3886719A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Continuous loading stacker
Assignee: Hay and Forage Industries
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Filing: 1973-12-05
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Granted: 1975-06-03
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Expires: 1993-12-05
Abstract
Abstract In the formation of a dense, compacted crop stack carried out by lifting a windrow off a field and blowing it into a moving, hollow body for periodic vertical compression by the upper section of the body, crop pickup and loading may be carried out continuously, even during the compression cycle of the machine, by virtue of accumulating structure carried on the roof of the upper section that collects and confines crops blown onto the roof during compression. The accumulated crop is dumped into the body therebelow from time to time at the rear of the body instead of the front thereof to prevent blockage of the incoming crop being loaded into the body and to encourage proper distribution of the crop. The accumulating structure on top of the roof is collapsible, expanding and contracting the accumulating chamber defined therewithin during lowering and raising of the roof, so that when the upper section is fully raised, no significant increase in height is imparted to the machine by the accumulating structure.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold Keith Garrison
- 👤 Martin Eugene Pruitt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 17:16
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01D; A01D85/00; A01D85/001; A01D85/004
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine, a hollow, crop-receiving body having a lower, open top section provided with a bed and an upper, open bottom section provided with a roof; apparatus operable continuously as the machine is advanced for picking up a crop off a field and feeding the same into the body while the upper section is raised, said lower section being provided with means supporting the upper section for vertical reciprocation whereby, upon lowering of the upper section from time to time during continuous machine advancement, said roof thereof will move toward the bed against the crop collected in the body to compress said collected crop, said roof being disposed for deposit of the crop thereupon during reciprocation of the upper section; and structure carried by the roof thereabove for confining the crop on the roof during said reciprocation, said roof having an opening communicating with the body and a gate closing the opening during feeding of the crop onto the roof, there being means for opening the gate from time-to-time to discharge the accumulated crop from the roof into the body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine, a hollow, crop-receiving body having a lower, open top section provided with a bed and an upper, open bottom section provided with a roof; apparatus operable continuously as the machine is advanced for picking up a crop off a field and feeding the same into the body while the upper section is raised, said lower section being provided with means supporting the upper section for vertical reciprocation whereby, upon lowering of the upper section from time to time during continuous machine advancement, said roof thereof will move toward the bed against the crop collected in the body to compress said collected crop, said roof being disposed for deposit of the crop thereupon during reciprocation of the upper section; and structure carried by the roof thereabove for confining the crop on the roof during said reciprocation, said roof having an opening communicating with the body and a gate closing the opening during feeding of the crop onto the roof, there being means for opening the gate from time-to-time to discharge the accumulated crop from the roof into the body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
183 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine, a hollow, crop-receiving body having a lower, open top section provided with a bed and an upper, open bottom section provided with a roof; apparatus operable continuously as the machine is advanced for picking up a crop off a field and feeding the same into the body while the upper section is raised, said lower section being provided with means supporting the upper section for vertical reciprocation whereby, upon lowering of the upper section from time to time during continuous machine advancement, said roof thereof will move toward the bed against the crop collected in the body to compress said collected crop, said roof being disposed for deposit of the crop thereupon during reciprocation of the upper section; and structure carried by the roof thereabove for confining the crop on the roof during said reciprocation, said roof having an opening communicating with the body and a gate closing the opening during feeding of the crop onto the roof, there being means for opening the gate from time-to-time to discharge the accumulated crop from the roof into the body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
183 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine, a hollow, crop-receiving body having a lower, open top section provided with a bed and an upper, open bottom section provided with a roof; apparatus operable continuously as the machine is advanced for picking up a crop off a field and feeding the same into the body while the upper section is raised, said lower section being provided with means supporting the upper section for vertical reciprocation whereby, upon lowering of the upper section from time to time during continuous machine advancement, said roof thereof will move toward the bed against the crop collected in the body to compress said collected crop, said roof being disposed for deposit of the crop thereupon during reciprocation of the upper section; and structure carried by the roof thereabove for confining the crop on the roof during said reciprocation, said roof having an opening communicating with the body and a gate closing the opening during feeding of the crop onto the roof, there being means for opening the gate from time-to-time to discharge the accumulated crop from the roof into the body.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said structure is collapsible for presenting an accumulating chamber that expands during the downstroke of the press and contracts during the upstroke thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said structure includes a hood overlying the roof and collapsible sides between the hood and the roof, said hood having a connection with said lower section operable to hold the hood raised while said sides are collapsed and uncollapsed during reciprocation of said upper section.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said connection is at one end of said hood, there being a second connection between the roof and the hood at the opposite end of the latter for reciprocating said opposite end with the roof while said one end remains raised.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
IN a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said apparatus has a outlet adjacent said one end of the hood.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said hood overlies said roof for the full, normally fore-and-aft length of the body, said outlet being at the front of the body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said opening is disposed at the rear of the roof for discharging the accumulated drop into the body at a point remote from said outlet.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein said gate is provided with means for moving crop accumulating ahead of said opening rearwardly toward the latter as the gate is opened.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apparatus has a crop outlet adjacent one end of the body and said opening is disposed adjacent the opposite end of the body for discharging accumulated crop into the body at a point remote from said outlet.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein said structure extends the full end-to-end extent of said body.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein said gate is provided with means for moving crop accumulating between said outlet and the opening toward the latter as the gate is opened.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein said structure includes a hood having a connection with said lower section operable to hold the hood raised during reciprocation of the upper section, said structure further including collapsible sides interconnecting the hood and the roof for cOllapsing and uncollapsing during said reciprocation of the upper section to contract and expand an accumulating chamber defined by said hood, sides and roof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
59 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein said connection is adjacent said one end of the body, there being a second connection between the hood and the roof adjacent said opposite end of the body for canting the hood about the connection at said one end of the body during reciprocation of the upper section.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein said connection between the hood and the lower section includes lost-motion means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said structure includes a hood covering the body from end to end and adapted to lie against the roof when the upper section is raised.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein said apparatus includes means for blowing the crop into the body, said roof and said hood having foraminuous escape means for the air associated with the crop entering the body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
47 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein said hood is provided with means for spacing the same from the roof vertically during lowering of the upper section yet maintaining the hood in position to prevent upward escape of crop fed onto the roof.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 17, wherein said hood is downwardly concave for guiding the crop fed between the hood and the roof downwardly onto the latter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
In a continuous loading-stacking machine as claimed in claim 17, wherein said hood is provided with collapsible sides between the same and said roof preventing lateral escape of the accumulating crop during reciprocation of the upper section.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-02 | 1978-12-02 | 1979-06-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-02 | 1982-12-02 | 1983-06-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-02 | 1986-12-02 | 1987-06-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |