Forage wafering machine

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR WAFERING FORAGE CROPS AND THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION OF SUPPORT MEANS; DIE MEANS IN THE FORM OF AN ANNULUS CARRIED BY THE SUPPORT MEANS ON A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED DIE CELLS AND AN INNER PERIPHERAL TRACK FROM WHICH SAID CELLS RADIATE; MEANS INCLUDING A PRESS WHEEL ARRANGED ECCENTRICALLY WITHIN THE TRACK FOR ORBITAL MOVEMENT ABOUT THE ANNULUS AXIS WITH THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID WHEEL SUBSTANTIALLY IN ROLLING CONTACT WITH SAID TRACK TO FORCE CROPS INTO THE DIE CELLS; A FEED HOUSING ALINED WITH THE ANNULUS ON THE AXIS THEREOF AND HAVING A FIRST END SUBSTANTIALLY IN AXIAL REGISTER WITH SAID TRACK AND A SECOND END AXIALLY SPACED FROM SAID TRACK, SAID HOUSING HAVING A FEED INLET OPENING THEREIN AXIALLY OFFSET FORM THE ANNULUS; MEANS CARRYING SAID HOUSING ON THE SUPPORT MEANS; MEANS FOR FEEDING FORAGE CROP AXIALLY OF THE HOUSING AND INTO THE TRACK, INCLUDING A ROTARY FEED ELEMENT COAXIALLY WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING FIRST AND SECOND HOUSING ENDS RESPECTIVELY PROXIMATE TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND HOUSING ENDS, SAID ELEMENT HAVING A HOLLOW CORE OPENING AXIALLY AT ITS SECOND END; CARRIER STRUCTURE COAXIALLY FIXED TO THE FIRST END FO THE FEED ELEMENT AND STRADDLING THE PRESS WHEEL AND COAXIALLY JOURNALED ON THE SUPPORT MEANS AT THE SIDE OF THE ANNULUS OPPOSITE TO SAID ELEMENT, AT THE SIDE OF THE ANNULUS MEANS JOURNALING THE PRESS WHEEL; SPEED-REDUCTION DRIVE MEANS COAXIALLY CONTAINED AT LEAST IN PART IN SAID HOLLOW CORE AND INCLUDING A ROTATABLE DRIVEN MEMBER DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID CORE, A SUPPORT MEMBER COAXIAL WITH THE CORE AND ROTATABLY CARRYING THE DRIVEN MEMBER AND AXIALLY EXPOSED AT SAID OPEN END OF THE CORE, AND A DRIVING MEMBER ENGAGING THE DRIVEN MEMBER AND PROJECTING AXIALLY AT THE SECOND END OF SAID CORE AND FEED HOUSING; MEANS MOUNTING THE SUPPORT MEMBER ON THE SUPPORT MEANS; AND MEANS FOR DRIVING THE DRIVING MEMBER.