Angled Cutter Blades for Livestock Feed Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing feed separation apparatuses for livestock, particularly for bales and blocks of silage, face issues with incomplete separation, jamming, and quality degradation due to uneven cutting faces and structural integrity loss, leading to inaccurate discharge and spoilage.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs angled cutter blades arranged in a T or X-shape configuration with one blade crossing the plane of the other, along with an inclined cutting face and adjustable guide, to ensure smooth separation and accurate discharge, reducing jamming and spoilage while maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single rotary cutter blade is used to separate feed from bales or blocks, then the cutting operation is simple, but the separation is incomplete at the lower side causing jamming and feed wrapping around shafts
Solution Approach 1:
The single cutter blade is divided into two separate cutter blades (first and second cutter blades) that work in sequence. The first cutter blade performs the initial cut while the second cutter blade completes the separation, ensuring complete separation without jamming and maintaining structural integrity of the remaining feed.
2Productivity
If the cutter blade moves along the cutting face, then feed separation is achieved, but the compacted structure is broken causing quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting process is divided into two stages with two different cutter blades. The first cutter blade performs a rough cut to separate the feed, while the second cutter blade performs a finishing cut to create a smooth cutting face. This local differentiation of cutting quality at different positions along the cutting face maintains the compacted structure and prevents quality degradation.
3Device complexity
If the cutter blades are arranged horizontally close to each other, then the device complexity is reduced, but feed with long stems causes jamming and accumulation on the blades
Solution Approach 1:
The two cutter blades are arranged in a vertical configuration rather than horizontal, with the second cutter blade positioned below the first. This vertical arrangement in another dimension allows feed with long stems to pass through without wrapping around shafts or accumulating on the blades, preventing jamming while maintaining device simplicity.
4Productivity
If the cutting face is not smooth, then the cutting operation is faster, but oxygen penetration causes decay processes
Solution Approach 1:
The first cutter blade performs the preliminary rough cut to separate the feed quickly, maintaining high productivity. The second cutter blade then performs the finishing cut to create a smooth cutting face that prevents oxygen penetration and decay. This two-stage cutting process achieves both fast cutting speed and smooth surface quality.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for separating feed, for livestock being provided with at least two cutter blades (32,33) which are angled with respect to each other, as seen in side view. At least one of the cutter blades has an end which crosses the plane of the other cutter blade, as seen in side view, such that the ends of both cutter blades form a T ot X shape, as seen in side view.