Anyone built a Hay Conditioner Crimper ?? Here is my thought on a design......

[RickB]

Evening folks...... Well someone said "I was impolite" and reported my post directed at RickB to the admins..... I thought RickB was rude, as were others.... RickB, If it was you that reported me, you are a true hooplehead.... Thanks again for the completely rude and arrogant comment about my alfalfa crop and my intelligence when it comes to farming.... I was asking the question about the conditioner so I wouldn't ruin it ...... I guess you didn't read that into the question I was posing......

Sincerely, DaveOmak

RickB.... My sincere apologies... DaveOmak

Your deleted post along with your second misdirected personal attack on me speak much more to your true character than a brief apology.
One wonders if you are simply apologizing for suffering the misfortune of getting caught.

 

[Renze]

point valid, but we better stop here...

 

[R W]

Found a photo & article re another HM crimper in "The Lincoln STABILIZER" (1965) it appeared well made and was said to have worked perfectly. Not a lot of detail re dimensions etc except
for the chain drive set up for the rollers. Rollers ran @ 1350 RPM @ 540 PTO RPM. The right angle GB was from a combine. Both slip clutch & shear pin were used for overload protection.
All new steel was used, this included 4" channel iron and 2.5" pipe(frame construction).
The builder gave his location as "Parker, PA.

 

[BHD]

Dave,
Here's a link to a machine quite similar to your design.
http://farmhack.net/sites/default/files/IMGP0037.JPG
I believe it's used to kill a cover crop before no till planting.
Here's the thread. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/287736-hay-conditioner-no-till-killing.html

the type of machine in the photo is used to kill a standing cover crop and ot put it down on the ground,

 

[BHD]

this may be little more complicated, but if one made a small roller about 6" in diameter and weld on say 1 inch angle iron, and possibly set it up about an inch above the soil, and use two guide wheels that could ground drive it, as well as the top roller may be 16 to 20" in diameter, and adjust the ratio so they meshed, the top roller would need some float in it,

if one made two bottom rollers with just a little distance between them may be the top roller would not need to be "powered as the bottom would turn it, but with hay between the rollers I would think it would need some help turning as well,

I had a old john deer unit (it was powered) but had a small roller under and the larger on top, and spring loaded, If a person could figure out some way of rubber covering a drum, (old tire treads bolted on to a pipe could work for the top roller as well,

with out trying your idea I guess one would never really know, but if it was that simple I think it would be being used by big manufactures,

 

[R W]

The HM crimper/conditioner that I mentioned in post 15 is based on an early John Deere machine. It consists of 2 gear type rollers 6ft long, the lower is about half the diameter of the upper,
the larger roller was made from 6"dia by 1/4" wall tube, to which 18 flat bars 1 1/2"x 1/4 were welded, the small roller was made entirely of similar flat bars. The small roller is carried on adjustable spring loaded brackets. The drive is from the PTO through an old car diff , this drives the large roller by way of a roller chain.(the large roller drives the small roller). A cranked axle and two rubber tyres carry the machine.
This machine won 2nd prize in the Lincoln Welding Award at the 1958 Orange Field Days and going by the photo of it that I have it would have been a credit to the builder.
In 1958 there would not have been many crimpers/conditioners in Australia.