Devices for compressing crop

摘要

A crop compresser wherein crop is compressed between the intermeshing teeth and grooves of gear-like members with either the bottoms of the grooves or faces of the teeth or both inclined and thus diverging where they mesh relative to each other so that the crop is not only compressed but also the compressed crop is moved outwardly in the direction of divergence provided between each tooth face and cooperating groove bottom when the component of the compressive force acting in the diverging direction overcomes friction on the compressed crop from the tooth face, groove bottom and sides which tends to retain crop therein. Sharp edges may be provided on the teeth to cut the inserted crop. The degree of divergence may be varied or may be in opposite directions from a central high point relative to the member. A plurality of gear-like members may intermesh with a single member and the members may be incorporated in a mobile farm implement which includes a tined pick-up device and a worm or rotating member or both to supply crop to the intermeshing gear-like members. Also, these members may be angularly or axially adjustable, within limits, selectively to increase or decrease the divergence or degree of compression. In a device with a plurality of crop compressors, the crop supplied thereto may be cut by rotary or stationary cutting blades between crop compressing groups.