CA1285862C - Wrapping machine - Google Patents

Abstract

BALE WRAPPING MACHINE
Abstract A bale wrapping machine comprises a wheeled base frame (1, 2) having a bale receiving cradle (3) followed by a bale-wrapping device and a roller bed (8) sloping down to ground level. The cradle (3) comprises a support of rollers (4) along which a bale can be translated into the bale wrapping device and a hydraulic ram device (5, 6) for translating the bale over the rollers (4). The bale-wrapping device is located at a gap between the beds of rollers (4 and 8) and comprises a hoop arrangement through which bales can be translated by the device (5, 6). The hoop arrangement includes an inner fixed hoop, an outer rotary hoop (10) rotatable coaxially with the fixed hoop, a reel (12) for plastics strip carried by the hoop (10) and drive means for the hoop (10).

Description

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This invenl~ion relates ko a bale wrappin~ machine.
-rhe corlventional manner of producing 5;la~e ~rotn s grass is elther to lay a bed oF ~rass in a barn and flatten it ~y, ~ay runnirlg a tractor thereover, in order to expel air therefro~ and then cover;ng the ~lattened grass or to pack the gr~ss ;nto a pit and th~n cover the pit.
Early ~-ttempts at producing silage~From the lar~e round baLes of grass by wrapp;ng involved si~ply placing each bale in ~ separate plastics bag. A dis~dvantage of this was that because the plastics sheeti'ng of the bag ~as loose in some areas abou't the bale,it was left to flap in the wind and thus deveLoped pin-holes whi~h let ' in air to harm the silage process.
; A more recent advance in wrapping, the large round bales of grass invo~ved plac;ng the bale between two rollers on a t~rntable. The ro~rs rotated so that the baLe rota~e~ abou~ its own ax;s which was hor;zontal and the turntab'le rot~t~d about a vertical ~xis so that the bale rot~ted about two mutually perpend;cular axes~ At the same t;me ~ pl~stics strip ~as fed from a reel ro~ting ~bout a fixed vertic~l ~xis sp~ced from the axis Z :j u ~ U I l l ~ a l ~ ~ . I l ~ 1. 1 l 1 ~ w a ~ ~ a ~ u ~ ~: W C~ 3 ~ ,J W ~
swathed in a plasttcs str;p. A disa~vantage of th;~
me~h~ the larae ~ .lnt o~ pl~t;~ ';tl`;p noqdl~d t~
wrap each bale.
An object ot ~,he invention i~ to obviate or mit;gate the abo~e disadvantag~s.
Accor~ing to the ;nvention`there is provid~d a b~le wrapp7n~ machir;e,'compri~ing a wheeled base fram~
hav;ng a baLe-receiving c'r~d;l~e followed by a bale-wrapping device and ~ rol~e'r'bed slop'ing down ~o ground leve~, .

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the b~le-recq;v;ng cradla compr1s1ng a ~upport aL~n~ whi~h a bal~ can be transl~t~d 1nto ~h~ b;~ wrap~n~ ~vtc~
and a hy~raul-tc ram dev~ tr~rl~l~t~n~ the h~le aLong the suppo~-~, the ~ale~w~ppin~ ~ev;c~ be;ng ~oc~ted ~ a ~ap between the suppor-t and the rolLer b~ and ~vmpr~s;n~
a hoop arrangement through which ~les ~n be transLat~d by the hydraulic ram device, the hoop ~rran~e~ent including a fixed hoop, a rotary hoop rotatabLe co~x;ally with the f;x~d hoop~ a reel for plastics strip ~arr;ed by the rotary hoop and dr;ve means for the rotary hoop~
An embodiment of the invent;on will now be descr;bed, by way o~ example~ with referenGe to the accompany~ng drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 ;s a side view of a bale wrappiny m~ch;ne;
F~g. ~ ;s a front end view of the ma~hine in ~ig. 1;
Fi~. 3 is a side view of the front port;on o~the m~h;ne show;ny a means of e~pty;n~ the machine; and Fig. 4 ;s aLso a ~ide v;ew o~ the front portion of the machine showin~ a means of braking the machine when ;t is being loaded wi~h bales to be wrapped.
In the draw;ngs~ ~ b~e wrapping machine Gompr;ses a base 1 h~v;ng wheels 2. A bate-receivin~ cradle 3 ;s provided at the f~ont en~ of ~he machinR and th;s ;ncludes a support having a short bed of ~ollers 4 wh~ch ~o~ld be replaced by sL;de ~a;~s. The cr~dle also ;ncludes a hydraul;c ram dev;ce hav~ng two side~mounted cylinders S, pistons having rods 6 and a cross bar 7 ~hich n10ves over the bed of rollers 4.
The machine ~lso ;n~ludes a ~ale-wrapping ~ev;ee 30 located at a gap between th~ be~ of rollers 4 and a longer l~ed of roll~rs 8 which slopes downwards and rearwards td ~roun~level. The bale-wrapp;ng dev;ce cc~mpr jSes an inner fd;xed hoop 9 and an outer rotata~le ` hoop 10 wh~ch c~rries w~heels .11 wh;ch roll about the 3S hoop 9. The hoop 10 a~so e~rries a reei 1~ of p~ast;cs ' ' ~.
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~ _ 3 _ ., , s-tr;p and ;9 dr~ven by a fr;ction wheel 13 ~hich ~s ~tself driven by a hydraul1c moto~
; In oper~t;on, lar~e raur~d bal~ ~r~ t~d~d ono~hy-un~
onto the cradle 3 with th~ hy~r~ul,ic ram dev1c~ ~x~r)d~d, Th~ ram is then retracted so that the hale is p~sh~d -into the h~op arrangemen~ and ~r;dges lhe gap between th~
beds of rollers 4 and ~. At the same t~me~ the hoop 10 ` ~ ;s rotating so that the bale is be;ng wrapped w;th plastics strip from the reel 12~ Once a su~ce~s;on o~ wrapped bales ;s esta~l;shed and extends rearw~rdLy to the ~round they serve as an anchor against wh;ch acts the hydraulic r~m dqv;ce so that the ~chine is advanced ~long and ahead o~ a row or cotumn of wrapped baLes lying on the ground.
- 15~he ~irst and last baLes are cover~d in pLast;cs bags wh;ch are open towards the rema;nd~r of the bales - in the colu~n and are thereafter wrapped ln the p~astics strip.
iS impor~ant to note tha~ the bales are prevented -~ 2P from falling down ~he gap between the beds of rollers `~ 4 and g by being comprosged end-to-end by ~he h~draulic ra~ device. The provision o~ ~ ~ap ena~les the pl~stics strips to pa~ under the hale ~or wr~ppin~.
The spee~ a~ which thg hydraulic ~am device is retracted has a bearin~ on the speed at which the plastics ~trip is applied. Stopp;ng and starting the wr~pp;na ~ t;me~ n~ h ~hP mov~nt h~
~he hydrauLic r~m deviceO These ~atters may either be left to th~ judgemen~ o~ the operator or c~n be dealt with automatically. Ideallyr the machine is steerable so ~; that ~ny tendency for the machine to wander o~ a strai~ht l;ne can be çorrected.
- The machine may be use~ ~ith a trac~or alongside ~nd employlng its ~ng;~e and..hy~r~ua;cs~ Alternat;vely, a ~onkey engine dr;ving a hydrauLi~ pump may be mounted ' .~

FfiCIll F I TZPfll on the ~achine~
The mach;ne m~y be tr~nsp~rt~d ~o ;.~n~ ~roln ~t~
pl~ce of oper~;on by F~ldir)0 up ~ tr~llir~ d o~ 5m~1l rollers 14 at t~e re~r o~ the maç~!ine and fix;ny remova~le d~wba~ ~ th~ f~ont.
When load;n~ the m~ch;ne with b~les ~t the co~mencement o~ a columnr two extension ~ars ~ay be disposed one on each side of ~he cradle an~ used to support the first three or ~our baLes across the gap.
~- 10 Th2se bars ~re then removed to allow wrapp;n~ ~o take place.
The machine is normalLy empt;ed of bales by moving through ~t unwrapped straw bales after the column o~
- wrapped bales. Once the mach;ne is ~ree of the column . 15 o~ wrapped bales the unwrapped bale~ left on the machine n hP r~m~ fr~ ~h~ .q;~P hv .~tAhhi~ Altern~tivel~, the doubLe-act~y property of the hydrauLlc ram dev;ce ~ may be used w; th a len3th of web~1ng extend;ng from one `- end of the cross bar 7 back to a pul ley ait the re~r of 2~ the mach;ne on one s;d~, forward to and across the front end of the last bale, ba~k to a pulley at the rear of ~-~ the ~a~h;ne on the Gtker side~ and ~hen forward again to ~ the othe~ end of the cro~s bar 7. Each extension of ; the hydr~ulic ram dev;ce pulls the mach;ne ~orward by 2~ ~ne bale's length whereupon the hydrauli~ ram deviçe is re~racted and the slack ;n ~h~ webbing is taken up ~efore the hydrauliç ram dev;Ge is extended again.
Another means of empty;ng ~he mach;n~ is shown ., ~h~rf ;r~ pol p ;~q~Smh I v 1 ~ hA.c A fl~t ~I;3tf~ 16 :: 30 removabiy a~t~ch~d at one en~ thereo~ and pin-r~c~i~ing holes 17 egually spaced apart ~lon~ its len~h. In use the pole assembly 15 is inserted throu~h a hole in the çross bar 7 w;th ~he plate 1G en~agin~ ~he -front end ~: of the last bale.. ~ W;th the hydraulic ram dev;ce fully 35 ex-tended a rembvable pin is inserted in the hot~ 17 .~ . ' ' . '.
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whîch is ;mmed;ately beh;nd th~ ~ro~s ~r 7 The r~m device ;s the~ retra~te~ ~o p~s~1 on th~ l0 ~r~
move ~he mach~ne forwar~. Th~ ~am dev~c~ n extended and ~he pin removed ~nd put in th~ n0xt hole 17 ~nd so on unt~l the mach;ne ;s emptied~ For ea~e of handLing, the pole assembly 15 ;5 made up of at lçast - two poles removabLy attached to each other end-to~end.
The bales are usually loacled one-by-one ~nto the ~ ~ cradle 3 by stabbing and lifting onto the machine fr~m '~ 10 the front thereof. It has bçen found that careless `~ withdrawal of ~e lo~ng spikes from ~he bale can result in the mach1ne being pulled forward and thus rUpturing the plas~i~s s~rip bet~een the bales on the yro~nd and thos~ on the machine~ An arranyement to avo;d -~
this is shown in Fi~. 4 wh~rein a brake 18 on the ~heel Z
is a~tuated via a Bowden cabl~ 1~. The sle~ve of the ca~le 1~ at i~ end remote from the brake 1~ is atta~hed ~o a fixe~ par~ of the ~ch;ne under tKe ~orwar~ end of ~ the cr~dLe ~ where a guide rod 20 ;g prov;de~. The -~i 20 corre~ponding end o~ the core of the cable 19 ~ attachçd to a slide 21 ~lida~e on the rod Z0~ Th~ sl;do 21 al~o has an abutment ~ engageable b~ ~he ram device when fully extended ;n or~er to apply the brake 18~ A
compression spr;ng 23 ;s prov;de~ ~o b;as the brake 1 ~ 2S agair,st application. Thus the brak~ only applied ; when the ra~ devi~e is fully ex~ended. Other~;s~ the mach;ne ;s free to be moved forward.
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Claims (2)

1. A bale wrapping machine comprising a wheeled base frame having a bale-receiving cradle followed by a bale wrapping device and a roller bed sloping down to ground level, the bale-receiving cradle comprising a support along which a bale can be translated into the bale-wrapping device and a hydraulic ram device for translating the bale along the support, the bale-wrapping device being located at a gap between the support and the roller bed and comprising a hoop arrangement through which bales can be translated by the hydraulic ram device, the hoop arrangement including a fixed hoop, a rotary hoop rotatable coaxially with the fixed hoop, a reel for plastics strip carried by the rotary hoop and drive means for the rotary hoop.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the fixed hoop is radially inward of the rotary hoop.