GB2106830A

GB2106830A - Bale accumulators

Info

Publication number: GB2106830A
Application number: GB08129721A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Howard Russell
Original assignee: Russell's
Current assignee: Russell's
Priority date: 1981-10-01
Filing date: 1981-10-01
Publication date: 1983-04-20

Abstract

A bale accumulator 1 has a bale receiving compartment 2 into which bales are propelled at high speed, driven between wheels 8, 10. Each bale is partially supported in the compartment 2 by a narrow support 15, but as soon as it is arrested by an end wall 14 of the compartment, the bale drops downwardly, whereupon it is entrained by driven pusher bars 17. The pusher bars 17 push successive bales laterally onto a bale receiving area 3, to form a group of bales side by side. Further pusher bars 21 are operated intermittently to eject a complete group of bales rearwardly onto the ground or into a bale collecting device. The bale accumulator 1 is especially useful for accumulating bales on hard and flinty ground, and/or on hilly terrain. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bale accumulators This invention relates to bale accumulators.

Bale accumulators are devices which are arranged usually to be towed behind baling machines, to receive bales discharged therefrom, and to group the bales into, usually, an orderly array. The purpose of this is to facilitate subsequent collection and transportation of the bales.

At least in this country, most bale accumulators to date operate by a ground engagement principle, by which it is meant that the accumulators are open bottomed, to provide the necessary degree of relative movement between the bales and the accumulator. Although such accumulators can be used with advantage in many situations, they are often not practicable in certain conditions. For example, where ground is hard and flinty, strings on the bales may tend to be cut and the bales themselves may be damaged. Also, the use of open bottomed accumulators necessitates regular movement of the accumulator over the ground. If the accumulator has to stop for any reason, then jamming may occur if the baling machine continues to feed one or more bales to the accumulator.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention aim to provide bale accumulators which may be improved in the foregoing respects.

More generally, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bale accumulator comprising a compartment for receiving a bale from a baling machine, first means for ejecting bales laterally from said compartment into a bale receiving area of the accumulator and second means for ejecting a group of bales from said area onto the ground or into a bale collecting device.

Preferably, the bale accumulator further comprises drive means for propelling bales into said compartment. The drive means is preferably arranged so to propel bales at a higher speed of travel than that with which bales leave a baling machine. Advantageously, said drive means comprises a driven wheel and an abutment member resiliently biassed to engage a bale therebetween. The abutment member may advantageously comprise a resiliently biassed free wheel.

The said compartment preferably comprises an end wall against which a bale abuts when entering the compartment, to halt longitudinal travel thereof.

Preferably, the compartment also comprises a support member which is so arranged that a bale entering the compartment is temporarily supported at one side by the support member, but then drops at its opposite side to engage with said first means.

Said support member is preferably narrower than the width of a bale and is disposed at or towards one side of the compartment.

Said first means preferably comprises at least one pusher member arranged to move transversely of said compartment. Said second means preferably comprises at least one pusher member arranged to move over said bale receiving area. The or each pusher member may be advantageously arranged to be driven by chain means, such as, for example, a pair of driven chains one at each end of the pusher member. In such an arrangement, the chain means may drive a pair of pusher members diametrically opposite one another.

The said bale receiving area is preferably adapted to receive a group of bales side by side. Preferably, means is provided for actuating said second means when a group of bales has been received in said bale receiving area.

The bale receiving area may be adapted to receive a group of bales which comprises a single rank of bales side by side. This rank of bales, when complete, may be ejected from the bale receiving area either onto the ground or into a bale collecting device. In an alternative arrangement, the bale receiving area may be adapted to receive a group of bales which comprises a plurality of ranks of bales.

Then, the said second means may be arranged to be actuated in a first mode after each rank of bales has been formed, to provide a limited displacement of that rank, and to be actuated in a second mode to provide greater diaplacement of the group of bales when all of the ranks of the group have been formed.

Both said compartment and said bale receiving area are preferably so arranged that bales therein are out of contact with the ground. The bale accumulator is preferably provided with ground engagement means, which preferably comprises wheels.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a bale accumulator in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, together with a bale collecting device arranged to collect groups of bales ejected from said bale receiving area. Preferably, the bale accumulator is arranged automatically to form groups of bales and eject them into the bale collecting device, and the bale collecting device is provided with manually operable means whereby bales may be discharged therefrom when desired, under the control of an operator. Alternatively, the bale collecting device is arranged to discharge bales automatically when a desired number of groups of bales has been collected. The bale collecting device may be an open-bottomed bale sled. Alternatively, it may be provided with a floor and with means for ejecting bales therefrom.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, the single figure of which is a perspective sketch of a bale accumulator in accordance with the invention.

The illustrated bale accumulator 1 has a bale receiving compartment 2 and a bale receiving area 3.

It has a steel chassis and is provided with a towing hitch 4 by means of which it may be towed behind a baling machine, and a pair of rear wheels 5. A deflector arm 6, which is adjustable in position, is adapted to extend in front of the bale accumulator upto a baling machine behind which the accumulator is being towed, and serves to deflect obstacles from the path of the bale accumulator 1.

A pair of outwardly flared side walls 7 define a mouth for receiving bales from a baling machine. A pair of driven wheels 8 is mounted within the mouth of the accumulator 1. Each wheel 8 carries a rubber tyre which projects upwardly from a floor portion 9 in the bale receiving mouth. An idler wheel 10 is carried on a mounting 11 which is pivotally secured to upper frame members 12 of the bale receiving compartment 8, and is resiliently biassed by means of springs 13 towards the driven wheels 8.

The bale receiving compartment 2 has a rear end wall 14, and a support member 15 extending along side one side wall 16 of the compartment 2. Disposed at the bottom of the compartment 2 is a first ejection means comprising a pair of pusher bars 17 (only one visible in the figure) which are mounted at diametrically opposite positions on a pair of driven chains 18. Both the drive wheels 8 and the drive chains 18 are arranged to be driven continuously, the power preferably being obtained primarily from the towing vehicle which tows the baling machine.

The bale receiving area 13 is arranged at one side of the compartment 2, and comprises a base surface 19 surrounded by guide rails 20. Mounted in the vicinity of the base surface 19 is a second ejection means which is somewhat similar to the first ejection means in the compartment 2. Thus, the second ejection means comprises a pair of pusher bars 21, which bars are mounted at diametrically opposite positions on three drive chains 22. Unlike the drive chains 18, however, the drive chains 22 are not arranged to be driven continuously. They have a rest position, as illustrated in the figure, in which the pusher bars 21 are clear of the base surface 19.

The bale accumulator 1 operates as follows.

Bales are produced by the preceding baling machine successively at a fairly modest rate. As a bale emerges from the baling machine, its leading end engages between the driven wheels 8 and the idler wheel 10. As soon as the wheels 8 and 10 have a firm grip on the leading end of the bale, they propel it at considerably increased speed into the bale receiving compartment 2. Because of the acceleration to which the bale is subjected, there then remains a significant period of time before the next bale engages between the wheels 8 and 10.

Due to its velocity, the bale propelled by the drive wheels 8 enters the compartment 2 in a substantially straight line, until it hits the rear end wall 14, whereupon its travel is arrested. During its preceding travel, the bale has been partly supported along one edge by the support member 15. However, as soon as the bale is halted, it drops down at its side opposite to the support member 15, and is then entrained by the pusher rods 17, which act to eject the bale laterally from the compartment 2 onto the bale receiving area 3. It is to be appreciated that both the driven wheels 8 and the chains 18 are driven at fairly high speeds, so that the whole operation of propelling the bale into the compartment 2 and ejecting it laterally therefrom occupies only a very short space of time.The arrangement of the compartment 2, particularly having regard to the arresting function of the end wall 14 and the tilting function of the support member 15, is such as to ensure that each bale enters the compartment 2 and is ejected therefrom in the correct orientation, with no risk of jamming.

As subsequent bales enterthe compartment 2 and are ejected laterally therefrom, each bale pushes the previous bale successively further across the bale receiving area 3, until that area is full. By way of example, the illustrated accumulator may be adapted to receive a single rank of four bales side by side in the bale receiving area 3. As soon as the bale receiving area 3 is full, a detector means (not shown - many are well known in the art) responds to actuate the drive chains 22 and pusher rods 21, which then operate to eject the group of bales rearwardlyfrom the bale accumulator. As soon as one of the pusher rods has traversed the base surface 19, the drive to the drive chains 22 ceases, and the detector means is reset.

Preferably, each group of bales discharged from the bale accumulator 1 enters a trailing bale sledge which is provided with a manually operable release means. Then, as soon as the bale sledge contains two successive ranks of four bales, the release means may be operated to discharge the bales at a desired location on the ground. Such a group of bales is well known at the present day as a "flat-8" group, and much present day bale handling equipment is adapted to handle such groups. It will be readily apparent, however, that the bale accumulator 1 may be adapted to form ranks of bales having any desired number of bales in each rank, and that the bale sledge (if provided) may have any suitable configuration for grouping such ranks of bales.

In a modification of the illustrated bale accumulator 1, the base surface 19 is extended rearwardly, sufficiently to accommodate two successive ranks of bales. Then, the arrangement for driving the drive chains 22 may be such that, when a first rank of bales is formed, the pusher rods 21 operate in a first mode to push the first rank of bales towards the rear part of the base surface 19. Then, when a second rank of bales has been formed in the bale receiving area 3, the pusher rods 21 are operated in a second mode to eject the whole group comprising both ranks of bales onto the ground, or into a following bale collecting device.

It may be appreciated that the illustrated bale accumulator 1 may operate in a simple and reliable manner to receive bales from a baling machine and group them into a desired array, and may operate satisfactorily over widely differing terrains and conditions. The accumulator 1 may operate satisfactori ly where successive bales are of differing lengths, and thereby provide significant advantages over previously proposed bale accumulators where bale length can be critical. Because bales in the accumulator 1 do not touch the ground, they may be kept in much better condition, and the accumulator 1 may be used over hard and flinty ground. It may also be used on difficult hilly terrain, where it is difficult to tow open-bottomed sledges, and the accumulator 1 will continue to operate even if the preceding baling machine comes to a halt or moves at a very reduced speed, as when turning a corner.

Claims

1. A bale accumulator comprising a compartment for receiving a bale from a baling machine, first means for ejecting bales laterally from said compartment into a bale receiving area of the accumulator, and second means for ejecting a group of bales from said area onto the ground or into a bale collecting device.

2. A bale accumulator according to Claim 1, further comprising drive means for propelling bales into said compartment.

3. A bale accumulator according to Claim 2, wherein the drive means is arranged so to propel bales at a higher speed of travel than that with which bales leave a baling machine.

4. A bale accumulator according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein said drive means comprises a driven wheel and an abutment member resiliently biassed to engage a bale therebetween.

5. A bale accumulator according to Claim 4, wherein the abutment member comprises a resiliently biassed free wheel.

6. A bale accumulator according to any preceding claim, wherein said compartment comprises an end wall against which a bale abuts when entering the compartment, to halt longitudinal travel thereof.

7. A bale accumulator according to any preceding claim, wherein said compartment comprises a support member which is so arranged that a bale entering the compartment is temporarily supported at one side by the support member, but then drops at its opposite side to engage with said first means.

8. A bale accumulator according to Claim 7, wherein said support member is narrower than the width of a bale and is disposed at or towards one side of the compartment.

9. A bale accumulator according to any preceding claim, wherein said first means comprises at least one pusher member arranged to move transversely of said compartment.

10. A bale accumulator according to any preceding claim, wherein said second means comprises at least one pusher member arranged to move over said bale receiving area.

11. A bale accumulator according to Claim 9 or 10, wherein the or each pusher member is driven by chain means.

12. A bale accumulator according to Claim 11, wherein the or each chain means comprises a pair of driven chains one at each end of the or each respective pusher member.

13. A bale accumulator according to Claim 11 or 12, wherein the or each chain means drives a pair of pusher members diametrically opposite one another.

14. A bale accumulator according to any preceding claim, wherein means is provided for actuating said second means when a group of bales has been received in said bale receiving area.

15. A bale accumulator according to any preceding claim, wherein said bale receiving area is adapted to receive a group of bales side by side.

16. A bale accumulator according to Claim 15, wherein the bale receiving area is adapted to receive a group of bales which comprises a single rank of bales side by side.

17. A bale accumulator according to Claim 15, wherein the bale receiving area is adapted to receive a group of bales which comprises a plurality of ranks of bales side by side.

18. A bale accumulator according to Claim 17, wherein said second means is arranged to be actuated in a first mode after each rank of bales has been formed, to provide a limited displacement of that rank, and to be actuated in a second mode to provide greater displacement of the group of bales when all of the ranks of the group have been formed.

19. A bale accumulator according to any preced ing claim, wherein both said compartment and said bale receiving area are so arranged that bales therein are out of contact with ground.

20. A bale accumulator according to any preced ing claim, provided with ground engagement means.

21. A bale accumulator according to Claim 20, mounted on wheels.

22. A bale accumulator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

23. A bale accumulator according to any preceding claim, in combination with a bale collecting device arranged to collect groups of bales ejected from said bale receiving area.

24. A combination according to Claim 23, wherein the bale accumulator is arranged automatically to form groups of bales and eject them into the bale collecting device.

25. A combination according to Claim 23 or 24, wherein the bale collecting device is provided with manually operable means whereby bales may be discharged therefrom when desired, under the control of an operator.

26. A combination according to Claim 23 or 24, wherein the bale collecting device is arranged to discharge bales automatically when a desired number of groups of bales has been collected.

27. A combination according to Claim 23, 24, 25 or 26, wherein the bale collecting device is an open-bottomed bale sled.

28. A combination according to Claim 23, 24, 25 or 26, wherein the bale collecting device is provided with a floor and with means for ejecting bales therefrom.