Front-mounted silage tiller for a front-end loader

Claim 1

In combination with a front-end loader on a tractor vehicle having a vehicle frame, loader arms, journal means pivotally connecting one end of the loader arms to the frame for vertical movement, a loader bucket supported between the other ends of the loader arms in front of the frame, and motive means on the frame for raising and lowering the loader arms, a silage tiller comprising: a. a tiller arm having front and rear ends, b. first journal means pivotally connecting the rear end of said tiller arm to one of said loader arms for vertical swinging movement of said tiller arm above the loader bucket, c. a rotary tiller head having teeth for separating silage from a silage stack, d. means mounting said tiller head on the front end of said tiller arm for rotary movement in front of said bucket and about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to said vehicle frame, e. said tiller head being located substantially between the sides of said vehicle frame, f. means for rotatably driving said tiller head, g. linear motor means having a front end and a rear end, h. second journal means pivotally mounting the rear end of the linear motor means on one of said loader arms for vertical swinging movement, i. third journal means pivotally connecting the front end of the linear motor means to said tiller arm, and j. means for actuating said linear motor means to lower said tiller arm relative to said loader arms to move said tiller head into operative position for tilling silage in front of said bucket, and to raise said tiller arm to an inoperative position above said bucket permitting said bucket to receive a load without obstruction from said tiller head or said tiller arm.