GB2153294A

GB2153294A - Big bale baler for agricultural crop material

Info

Publication number: GB2153294A
Application number: GB08501270A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerhard Clostermeyer
Original assignee: Claas KGaA mbH
Current assignee: Claas KGaA mbH
Priority date: 1984-01-28
Filing date: 1985-01-18
Publication date: 1985-08-21
Also published as: GB8501270D0; GB2153294B; FR2558681A1; ZA85368B; DE8402448U1; FR2558681B1

Abstract

A big bale baler for agricultural crop material having a baling chamber which is formed by driven winding elements 15 which are disposed stationarily at a spacing from each other, a means for wrapping a finished bale of crop material with a web of material 14 which is introduced into the baling chamber in the region of the upper apex of the baling chamber through an insertion gap between two adjacent winding elements 15, wherein the wrapping means, in addition to a supply container for a roll of web material, has a pair of feed rolls 17, 18 and a bladed cutting means for the web of material, wherein one of the two feed rolls is mounted stationarily and the other is mounted at a variable spacing from the stationary feed roll, and wherein the gap between the two feed rolls can be convered over by a hood 27 which can be locked with respect to the machine frame structure and which can be pivoted away to provide operator access. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Big bale baler for agricultural crop material The invention relates to a big bale baler for agricultural crop material.

German laid-open Patent Application (DE- OS) No. 32 27 1 60 discloses a big bale baler wherein, after the baling operation is concluded, the pressed bale is wrapped around with a net fabric which covers the entire width of the bale. For that purpose, disposed above the baling chamber is a feed and severing means for the wrapping material, said means extending transversely across the machine.

Disposed above the feed and severing means on displaceable bearers in roll form is the supply of wrapping material so that the unrolling web of wrapping material passes steeply into the machine. A further development in that construction resulted in a modified ar rangement of those components relative to each other, more specifically in such a configuration that the web of wrapping material, which is fed to the feed means, passes into the feed rolls, coming from a substantially horizontal plane, so that the feed-in gap formed by the feed rolls represents a particularly dangerous location from the point of view of the operator, because of the possibility of articles of clothing being pulled in, etcetera.The danger of an accident occurring in that way is especially serious by virtue of the fact that, before use of the machine is initiated, the leading end of the wrapping material must be put into a position between the peripheral surface of the two feed rolls by the operator. For that purpose, one of the rolls is arranged in such a fashion that it can be pivoted away.

The problem from which the present invention arose was to associated with the wrapping material feed means an accident-preventing means which complies with the requirements of the trade association or liability insurance, and which is simple and reliable to operate.

According to the invention, there is provided a big bale baler for agricultural crop material having a baling chamber which is formed by driven winding elements which are disposed stationarily at a spacing from each other, a means for wrapping a finished bale of crop material with a web of material which is introduced into the baling chamber in the region of the upper apex of the baling chamber through an insertion gap between two adjacent winding elements, wherein the wrapping means, in addition to a supply container for a roll of web material, has a pair of feed rolls and a bladed cutting means for the web of material, wherein one of the two feed rolls is mounted stationarily and the other is mounted at a variable spacing from the stationary feed roll, and wherein the gap between the two feed rolls can be covered over by a hood which can be locked with respect to the machine frame structure and which can be pivoted away to provide operator access.

Preferably the variable-spacing feed roll is mounted at both ends in pivot brackets which are rotably mounted with respect to the machine frame structure and which carry the hood at their free upper ends. Desirably locking of the hood with respect to the machine frame structure is effected by means of lock elements which are subjected to the action of resilient means.

An embodiment of the invention is described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the drawing in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a round bale pick-up baler for agricultural crop material, and Figure 2 is a side view of the feed means for the wrapping material.

The baling chamber, which is constructed on the running axle 1, of the big bale baler, is formed from two housing halves 2 and 3.

Radially, the baling chamber is defined by driven winding elements, for example winding rollers 4, which are supported with their shafts in spaced-apart side walls 5 and 6 of the respective housing half. The housing half 3 is pivotably connected to the housing portion 2 which is fixed with respect to the frame structure, by way of brackets 7 (shown at one side in Fig. 1), and can be pivoted upwardly by a piston cylinder unit 8 for the purposes of discharging a bale in the finished pressed condition. In the region of the upper boundary of the machine, a means 9 for storing the wrapping material extends between the side walls 5 and 6 of the machine, together with means for feeding and severing the wrapping material.Essentially, the means 9 comprises two wall portions 10 and 11 which are supported on the side walls 5 and 6 of the machine and between which extend guide means in the form of bars or rollers 1 2 and a severing means 1 3 for the wrapping material 14. Disposed above a gap 1 6 formed by two adjacent winding rollers 15, as a part of the means 9, are feed rolls 1 7 and 18 for the wrapping material 14, which also extends between the walls 10 and 11. The roll 1 7 which is the front roll as considered in the direction of travel of the baler is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow by way of a motor means (not shown in the drawing), and is mounted stationarily by means of the ends 1 9 of its shaft.The roll 1 8 is arranged in such a way that it can be pivoted away from the roll 1 7 co-operating therewith, for the purposes of threading in the wrapping material 14. For that reason, the shaft ends 20 of the roll 1 8 are mounted rotatably in pivot brackets 21, which, by means of their lower ends 22, are mounted pivotally about pins or bolts 23 to the insides of the wall portions 10 and 11. The mounting of the feed rolls 1 7 and 1 8 and the arrangement of the end elements of the pivotal unit are only shown at one end, for the sake of simplicity of the drawing.

The free ends 24 of the pivot brackets 21 project in respect of their height above the upper edges 25 of the wall portions 10 and 11 and are bent over at a right angle. The bent-over limb portions 26 of the pivot brackets 21 serve to secure a cover hood 27 whereby the two feed rolls 1 7 and 1 8 are screened from above over their entire length.

In order for the bale wrapping operation to take place in a reliable fashion, it is important for the wrapping material 1 4 to be guided under a pressing force between the peripheral surfaces of the feed rolls 1 7 and 18. In the operative position, the pivotable elements are held under a spring pressure by a locking means 28 which on the one hand is carried at the upper edges 25 of the wall portions 10 and 11 and on the other hand on the cover hood 27. More specifically, the locking means 28 comprises a rotary bar 29 which extends in parallel relationship to the cover hood 27 and which is surrounded with clearance at at least two points adjacent its ends by the annular portions 30 of respective eye screw members 31.The screw bolt portions 32 of the screw members 31 are passed through a wall portion 33 of the cover hood 27, which is bent over downwardly, and are provided at their ends with abutment plates 34 which are fixed in position by nuts 35. Compression springs 36 on the screw bolt portions 32 are carried between the abutment plates 34 and the downwardly bent wall portion 33 of the cover hood 27. Adjacent the upper edges 25 of the wall portions 10 and 11, the rotary bar 29, in the region of its ends, is provided with radially projecting projections 37 which, when the feed rolls 1 7 and 1 8 are in the closed condition, bear against corresponding co-operated bearing members 38 which and fixedly connected to the upper edges 25 of the wall portions 10 and 11. Fixedly connected to the bar 29 at a readily accessible location is an actuating handle 39, the displacement of which permits the pivotable unit to be locked or unlocked in a simple fashion.

Claims

1. A big bale baler for agricultural crop material having a baling chamber which is formed by driven winding elements which are disposed stationarily at a spacing from each other, a means for wrapping a finished bale of crop material with a web of material which is introduced into the baling chamber in the region of the upper apex of the baling chamber through an insertion gap between two adjacent winding elements, wherein the wrapping means, in addition to a supply container for a roll of web material, has a pair of feed rolls and a bladed cutting means for the web of material, wherein one of the two feed rolls is mounted stationarily and the other is mounted at a variable spacing from the stationary feed roll, and wherein the gap between the two feed rolls can be covered over by a hood which can be locked with respect to the machine frame structure and which can be pivoted away to provide operator access.

2. A big bale baler according to claim 1 wherein the variable-spacing feed roll is mounted at both ends in pivot brackets which are rotatably mounted with respect to the machine frame structure and which carry the hood at their free upper ends.

3. A big bale baler according to claim 1 or 2, wherein locking of the hood with respect to the machine frame structure is effected by means of lock elements which are subjected to the action of resilient means.

4. A big bale baler for agricultural crop material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.