Roller-crimpers

I should be able to figure this out by thinking about it, but I want to be sure I understand ...

Why are the blades/splines of roller-crimpers always angled or formed into a chevron rather than simply straight and parallel to the axle of the crimper? I assume this has something to do with how it creates the matt of bio mass of the crimped down cover crop, but, what specifically does one gain with the angled crimp splines?

Chevron rolls smoothly as there is always a portion in contact with the ground. Straight blades bounce. The chevron also puts more and more even pressure on the crimp for the total weight of the machine. They are chevron instead of a continuous spiral is because of efficient use of material and strength.

If you are thinking of building one for a garden, straight would work. If you want one for broad acre, you want it to roll smooth. I have seen a design that used a lot of short straight sections put on in an offset pattern. It was a pasture spike roller with blades welded across the spikes. It seemed to be a good compromise but used a lot more steel than the chevron rollers to get the job done. Fine at scrap or used equipment price, not if you have to buy the steel new.

Thanks much, R Scott. I didn't think about the smooth rolling ... guess I'm not an engineer! I'm thinking of rolling my property later this year, but I'm not sure I want to buy one for a one-time use. I wonder if there are any around to borrow for a one-time use.

Hope to see you on July 11, R Scott. You connecting with Marie to come up to my soils event?

Dan