Single blade recutter for forage harvester

Claim 2

A forage cutter for cutting forage material comprising: a. a housing including a front wall terminating in a forward inlet for receiving forage material and a back wall having an outlet for discharging forage material; b. a rotary cylindrical cutter mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the housing and having a plurality of cutting knives movable in a cylindrical cutting path; c. a stationary shear bar adjacent said inlet and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives; and d. a recutter having a single recutter blade, said blade being disposed at the outlet of the housing and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives, said recutter including a frame for supporting the recutter blade and positioning it at the outlet, said frame comprised of two spaced apart end members each having a top and bottom, an upper plate joining the end members at their tops, a lower plate joining the end members at their bottoms, and blade support means positioned between the upper and lower plates for supporting said recutter blade.

Claim 3

The forage cutter of claim 1 wherein said blade support means is a support plate and wherein the recutter blade is secured to the blade support plate.

Claim 4

The forage cutter of claim 2 wherein the recutter blade is positioned below the blade support plate and is adjustably secured to it, and the frame is adjustably secured to the housing.

Claim 5

The forage cutter of claim 1 wherein the end members and the lower plate are arcuately shaped.

Claim 6

A forage cutter for cutting forage material comprising: a. a housing having a front wall terminating in a forward inlet for receiving forage material and a back wall having a rearward outlet for discharging forage material; b. a rotary cylindrical cutter mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the housing and having a plurality of cutting knives movable in a cylindrical cutting path having a 0* reference on a horizontal plane extending radially from the axis of the cutter toward the front wall of the cutter housing; c. a stationary shear bar adjacent the inlet and positioned in coacting relation with the cutting knives; and d. a recutter having a single recutter blade disposed at the outlet of the housing and positioned between about 120* to 150* from the horizontal plane in the direction of the cutting path in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives, said recutter including a frame removably mounted on said housing for suPporting said recutter blade and comprised of two spaced apart end members each having a top and bottom, an upper plate joining the end members at their tops, a lower plate joining the end members at their bottoms, and a blade support plate positioned between the upper and lower plates, said recutter blade being secured to the blade support plate.

Claim 7

A forage cutter for cutting forage material comprising: a. a housing having a front wall terminating in a forward inlet for receiving forage material and a back wall having a rearward outlet for discharging forage material; b. a rotary cylindrical cutter mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the housing and having a plurality of cutting knives movable in a cylindrical cutting path having a 0* reference on a horizontal plane extending radially from the axis of the cutter toward the front wall of the cutter housing; c. a stationary shear bar adjacent the inlet and positioned in coacting relation with the cutting knives; and d. a recutter having a single recutter blade disposed at the outlet of the housing and positioned between about 120* to 150* from the horizontal plane in the direction of the cutting path in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives, said recutter including a frame removably mounted on said housing for suPporting said recutter blade and comprised of two spaced apart end members each having a top and bottom, an upper plate joining the end members at their tops, a lower plate joining the end members at their bottoms, and a blade support plate positioned between the upper and lower plates, said recutter blade being secured to the blade support plate.

Claim 8

The forage cutter of claim 1 wherein the recutter blade is positioned at a point where forage material is released from the cylindrical cutter as it moves through the housing.

Claim 9

The forage cutter of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical cutting path of the cutting knives has a 0* reference on a horizontal plane extending radially from the axis of the cutter toward the front wall of the cutter housing and the recutter blade is positioned between about 120* to 150* from the horizontal plane in the direction of the cutting path.

Claim 10

The forage cutter of claim 7 including feeding means for horizontally directing forage material into the inlet of the housing.

Claim 11

The forage cutter of claim 7 wherein the inlet has an upper end above the horizontal plane and a lower end below the horizontal plane.

Claim 12

The forage cutter of claim 8 wherein the upper end of the inlet is between 15* to 60* above the horizontal plane and the lower end of the inlet is between about 15* to 30* below the horizontal plane.

Claim 13

The forage cutter of claim 7 wherein the outlet has a lower end at least 60* from the horizontal plane in the direction of the cutting path and an upper end between about 150* to 240* from the horizontal plane in the direction of the cutting path.

Claim 14

A forage cutter for cutting forage material comprising: a. a housing including a front wall terminating in a forward inlet for receiving forage material and a back wall having an outlet for discharging forage material; b. a rotary cylindrical cutter mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the housing and having a plurality of cutting knives movable in a cylindrical cutting path; c. a stationary shear bar adjacent said inlet and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives; and d. a recutter having a frame comprised of two spaced apart end members each having a lower end and an upper end, a plurality of vertically extending struts between and substantially parallel to said end members, a lower member joining said end members and struts, securing means at the top of the frame for attaching said frame to the housing, and a single substantially horizontal recutter blade mounted between said securing means and lower member, said blade being disposed at the outlet of the housing and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives.

Claim 15

A forage cutter for cutting forage material comprising: a. a housing including a front wall terminating in a forward inlet for receiving forage material and a back wall having an outlet for discharging forage material; b. a rotary cylindrical cutter mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the housing and having a plurality of cutting knives movable in a cylindrical cutting path; c. a stationary shear bar adjacent said inlet and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives; and d. a recutter having a frame comprised of two spaced apart end members each having a lower end and an upper end, a plurality of vertically extending struts between and substantially parallel to said end members, a lower member joining said end members and struts, securing means at the top of the frame for attaching said frame to the housing, and a single substantially horizontal recutter blade mounted between said securing means and lower member, said blade being disposed at the outlet of the housing and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives.

Claim 16

For use with a forage cutter having a housing which includes a front wall terminating in a forward inlet for receiving forage and a back wall having an outlet for discharging forage material, a rotary cylindrical cutter mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the housing and having a plurality of cutting knives movable in a cylindrical cutting path and a stationary shear bar adjacent said inlet and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives: the improvement comprising a recutter including a single recutter blade for disposition at the outlet of the housing and positioning in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives of the forage cutter, a frame for supporting the recutter blade and positioning it at the outlet, said frame comprised of two spaced apart end members each having a top and bottom, securing means joining the end members at their top, a lower member joining the end members at their bottoms, and blade support means positioned between said securing means and said lower member for supporting said recutter blade.

Claim 17

For use with a forage cutter having a housing which includes a front wall terminating in a forward inlet for receiving forage and a back wall having an outlet for discharging forage material, a rotary cylindrical cutter mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the housing and having a plurality of cutting knives movable in a cylindrical cutting path and a stationary shear bar adjacent said inlet and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives: the improvement comprising a recutter including a single recutter blade for disposition at the outlet of the housing and positioning in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives of the forage cutter, a frame for supporting the recutter blade and positioning it at the outlet, said frame comprised of two spaced apart end members each having a top and bottom, securing means joining the end members at their top, a lower member joining the end members at their bottoms, and blade support means positioned between said securing means and said lower member for supporting said recutter blade.

Claim 18

For use with a forage cutter having a housing which includes a front wall terminating in a forward inlet for receiVing forage and a back wall having an outlet for discharging forage material, a rotary cylindrical cutter mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the housing and having a plurality of cutting knives movable in a cylindrical cutting path and a stationary shear bar adjacent said inlet and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives: the improvement comprising a recutter having a frame comprised of two spaced apart end members each having a lower end and an upper end, a plurality of vertically extending struts between and substantially parallel to said end members, a lower member joining said end members and struts, securing means at the top of the frame for attaching said frame to the housing, and a single substantially horizontal recutter blade mounted between said securing means and lower member for disposition at the outlet of the housing and positioning in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives.

Claim 19

For use with a forage cutter having a housing which includes a front wall terminating in a forward inlet for receiVing forage and a back wall having an outlet for discharging forage material, a rotary cylindrical cutter mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the housing and having a plurality of cutting knives movable in a cylindrical cutting path and a stationary shear bar adjacent said inlet and positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives: the improvement comprising a recutter having a frame comprised of two spaced apart end members each having a lower end and an upper end, a plurality of vertically extending struts between and substantially parallel to said end members, a lower member joining said end members and struts, securing means at the top of the frame for attaching said frame to the housing, and a single substantially horizontal recutter blade mounted between said securing means and lower member for disposition at the outlet of the housing and positioning in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives.