GB2169847A

GB2169847A - Apparatus for forming bales

Info

Publication number: GB2169847A
Application number: GB08500964A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Andrew Scorgie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-01-15
Filing date: 1985-01-15
Publication date: 1986-07-23
Also published as: GB8500964D0

Abstract

Apparatus for forming a generally cylindrical bale of windrow comprises a collector 1 for feeding windrow C from the ground into a primary bale-forming chamber 3 wherein a bale of windrow can be formed, fastening means 7 for wrapping or tying fastening material around a bale when formed in the primary chamber, discharge means for releasing a fastened bale from the primary chamber and means capable of forming a secondary windrow collecting chamber 4 operable to receive windrow from the ground either simultaneously with or instead of the primary chamber and transfer means operable to transfer windrow from the secondary chamber to the primary chamber. The apparatus may afford continuous operation avoiding interruption of window collection during tying and release of the bale from the primary chamber. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for forming bales This invention concerns apparatus for forming bales. More particularly it is concerned with such an apparatus for forming what is known in the art as "round bales".

Such balers are known as "round balers" and the bales of loose material formed thereby are substantially cylindrical in configuration. Such known round balers basically collect from the ground straw, hay, silage or the like and feed same into a round cylindrical chamber to form the bale of material. Such devices also wrap string or netting or PVC sheeting or similar tying. material around the external circumference of the bale to hold the bale of material together. After this fastening operation the tied or wrapped bale is ejected from the machine to leave the round bale sitting in the field.

The term windrow will be used throughout this specification to include such loose material as straw, hay, silage or the like.

Amongst the known machines for forming round bales there are two different types. One type is referred to as the solid centre type which rolls the bale right from the beginning of entry into a primary chamber by means of tensioned endless belts or chains. These belts or chains are tensioned so that as the bale centre forms and the bale becomes larger the tension therein stays the same but the belts or chains expand in conformity with the bale.

Thus the bale-forming chamber expands until the final diameter of round bale is achieved whereupon the fastening means is brought into operation to fasten suitable material around the bale. It is then ejected in a convenient location back upon the ground.

Such round balers have problems in that certain crops may be difficult to commence the baling operation, whereby the bale may not begin to roll at the outset. Additionally, after a period of storage the centre of bales formed by such solid centre balers tends to heat and rot. This is probably due to the constant compression achieved in such balers whereby the uniformity of pressure prevents evaporation of water from the centre of the bale. Such round balers are, however, capable of forming bales of different diameters.

Another type of round baler is known as the "soft centre" type in which a comparatively large and full sized round chamber is provided having revolving rollers or sections of conveyor belt(s) round the outside. When the windrow is fed into this bale-forming chamber it simply builds up until the chamber is full then the rollers or sections of belt(s) commence to revolve and form a bale which upon reaching a certain pressure is tied and released.

Bales formed by the soft centre type tend to have a hard outer layer to resist rain and wind for outside storage. Additionally, more crop (windrow) can be pressurised into this type of bale and there are generally no problems upon unrolling the bale as the centres tend to remain soft and undamaged. Both soft centre and solid centre types of baling machines do have a similar drawback. When full capacity is reached the majority of known machines require to be stationary (i.e. not picking up further windrow) for a few minutes to facilitate fastening of the bale. They also require to be reversed a short distance to discharge the bale enabling closure of the rear door before the machine can return to intake of windrow.

It has been generally found that the time factor involved in the whole process of rolling a bale, tying it and ejecting it may take of the order 7 minutes depending upon size of bale and efficiency of baler. This may be split into approximate times of 3-4 minutes for rolling a bale up to full size and 2-3 minutes for tying the bale and ejecting from the machine. During the processes of tying and ejecting the bale time is wasted because windrow is not being simultaneously collected.

The present invention therefore seeks to minimise or avoid this drawback.

The present invention aims to provide a machine which can collect windrow from the ground whilst the bale is being tied and ejected.

According to this invention there is provided apparatus for forming a generally cylindrical bale of windrow comprising a collector for feeding windrow from the ground into a primary bale-forming chamber wherein a bale of windrow can be formed, fastening means for wrapping or tying the fastening material around a bale when formed in the primary chamber, discharge means for releasing a fastened bale from the primary chamber and means capable of forming a secondary windrow collecting chamber operable to receive windrow from the ground either simultaneously with or instead of the primary chamber and transfer means operable to transfer windrow from the secondary chamber to the primary chamber.

As such, the invention is applicable to both soft centre and solid centre balers although it is preferred to embody the invention within a round baler of the soft centre type. The apparatus convenientiy forms a structure adapted for connection to and operation by a tractor.

In order that preferred and optional features of the invention may be described and illustrated, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment by way of example only, and in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a baling apparatus of soft centre type, and Figure 2 is a plan view along Z-Z of Fig. 1 showing in greater detail a form of fastening means.

As shown in the drawings, crop C is picked off the ground by means of a pick-up reel 1 having a plurality of radially extending tines la and driven appropriately by the tractor power take off. The crop or windrow C is fed by conveyor means 2 into a primary bale-forming chamber 3. During this operation the conveyor system referenced 2 remains in a generally horizontal position. When the bale reaches its full size the conveyor 2 is hydraulicly lifted upwards and the the crop C is now fed into a secondary bale collecting chamber 4 formed by a series of rollers 5a, 6b, 2a and 2b.

A fastening process for the full sized bale contained in chamber 3 is then commenced by means of tying rams 7 which are hydraulicly activated from the tractor and cause flexible hollow tying needles 7a complete with string S to be extended through needle guide tubes 7b and into the chamber 3. As soon as the tying needles 7a reach midway across the chamber 3 they are automatically reversed so as to cut the string S immediately before they retract from the chamber 3. At that time the rear door 9 is hydraulicly opened by ram 10 complete with its revolving rollers 8. This hydraulic operation may be activated by the tractor whereby the full sized bale is simply discharged from the chamber 3 onto the ground.

The rear door 9 is then caused to be closed whereby the primary bale-forming chamber is again operable.

The conveyor 2 is then returned to its horizontal position by moving roller 2a into its lowermost position by rotation about the axis of roller 2b. The curved conveyor system 5 comprising individual rollers 5a pivoted about the axis of roller 5b is hydraulicly tilted upwards.

The conveyor section 6 is simultaneously revolved about the axis of roller 6a whereby the small bale that is formed in the smaller, secondary chamber 4 is then transferred by the roller/conveyor arrangement into the primary chamber 3. The rollers 5 are then dropped back down into the secondary chamber-forming position and the whole cycle commences again.

The rollers and conveyor sections may be chain or belt driven through the gearbox of a tractor power take-off. All hydraulic rams may be powered through the tractor's external hydraulic system, and all sections may be linked by means of appropriate electronic systems. It is also possible to use other tying methods with this system such as netting or PVC sheeting or similar materials. Such fastening material may be fed into the primary chamber 3 from the top between two rollers.

Such an apparatus may be used continuously whereby the feed of windrow need not be interrupted during tying and release of the bale from the primary chamber. As such, this may represent a considerable saving in time and acceleration of the procedure of forming round bales.

Claims

1. Apparatus for forming a generally cylindrical bale of windrow comprising a collector for feeding windrow from the ground into a primary bale-forming chamber wherein a bale of windrow can be formed, fastening means for wrapping or tying fastening material around a bale when formed in the primary chamber, discharge means for releasing a fastened bale from the primary chamber and means capable of forming a secondary windrow collecting chamber operable to receive windrow from the ground either simultaneously with or instead of the primary chamber and transfer means operable to transfer windrow from the secondary chamber to the primary chamber.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in the form of a round baler adapted to form bales of the "soft-centre" type.

3. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim including windrow conveying means adapted to feed both primary and secondary windrow collecting chambers separately, sequentially or simultaneously.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the secondary windrow collecting chamber is formed by an arrangement of rollers, the rollers being displaceable to form the chamber and/or dismantle the chamber as required.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fastening means comprises tying means whereby tying material can be secured around a bale prior to ejection from the apparatus.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a windrow feeding conveyor can form at least part of the secondary collecting chamber.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein primary and secondary chambers are partly constituted by a rotatable roller arrangement which enables a bale of windrow to be transferred from secondary to primary collecting chamber.

8. Apparatus for forming bales substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.