GB2187417A - Agricultural pick-up baler - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a tractor power take-off driven reciprocating ram pick-up baler in which the ram is driven by a per se known worm transmission 12, 13. The worm itself 13 is connected to the cardan shaft 18 connected to the tractor power take-off and the worm wheel 12 is connected to the operating crank 9 of the ram. Such a construction makes it possible to achieve high levels of gearing down without substantial transmission design expenditure. Those high levels of gearing down are necessary because recent balers operate with a power take-off shaft speed of 1000 revolutions per minute. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Agricultural pick-up baler The invention relates to agricultural reciprocating ram pick-up balerswhich are designed to be drawn by a tractor and to be driven by the powertake-off shaft ofthe tractor. The cardan shaft which isto be connected to the tractor power take-off shaft is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the baler and goes to a transmission in which the main drive shaft is arranged transversely with respect to the direction oftravel.

It has become desirableto increasethethroughput capacity of such balers and this means that power take-off shafts which rotate at a speed of 1000 rpm are being used more and more. This leads to the problem of reducing such high input speeds, more particularly in the required ratio of 1:22 to 1:30.

However such high degrees of gearing down can only be achieved with thetransmissionswhich are in use at the present time, at a level of expenditure which economically is already almost no longera viable proposition.

The present invention is therefore based on the problem of so designing a powertake-off reciprocating ram pick-up baler such that it is possible to achieve high levels of speed reduction with a low level oftransmission expenditure and wherein the transmissions to be used can be of a small and compact construction.

According to the invention, there is provided an agricultural reciprocating ram pick-up baler which is designed to be drawn by a tractor and to be driven by the powertake-offshaftofthetractor, said baler comprising a transmission housing containing a worm which is arranged to be driven by the power take-off shaft and a worm wheel which is non-rotatably carried by a shaft of which at least one end projects out of the housing and carries a crank arm, the end of the crank arm which is remote from the shaft carrying a crank pin which pivotally connects it to a connecting rod forthe ram.

A preferred feature of the invention is that the shaft carried by the worm wheel is arranged to drive the other working parts of the baler. An overload coupling means or clutch is advantageously provided between the worm oftheworm transmission and a cardan shaft. Also, a flywheel is desirably carried by the end portion oftheworm, which projects out of the transmission housing, to give a structurally simple arrangement. Desirable feature of the invention further provides that the shaft carrying the worm wheel projects out of the transmission housing at both ends and fitted onto both projecting ends are respective cranks and crank pins which are connected to respective connecting rods ofthe ram.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a side view ofthefront part of a pick-up baler, and Figure2 is a view in section taken along line ll-ll in Figure 1.

The pick-up assembly 2 ofthe baler 1 conveys the crop material into a conveyor passage 3 and from there it passes underthe action of an additional conveyor device 4 into the bale chamber 5. Individual bales are then formed in per se known manner by means ofthe reciprocable ram 6. Pivotally connected to the ram 6 are two connecting rods 7 which are pivoted to crank pins 8 at their ends which are remote from the ram 6. The crank pins 8 are fixedly connected to two crank arms 9 which are each keyed onto a respective end of a transverse drive shaft 10.

The shaft 10 is mounted in a transmission housing 11 with its two ends projecting out of the housing 11 on respective sides. Aworm wheel 12 is non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 10 in the interiorofthe housing 11 and aworm 13which is mounted in the housing 11 by way of bearings 1 4 meshes with the worm wheel 12. An end portion 16 of the worm 13, which is free of the worm thread, projects out ofthe transmission housing 11 in the direction oftravel. A flywheel 15 is fitted onto the above-mentioned projecting end portion 16. The end portion 16 is further connected to an overload coupling means or clutch 17 which is also operatively connected to the cardan shaft 18which is connected to the power take-off shaft of the tractor.Figure 1 shows thatthe drive for the additional conveyor device 4 is derived fromtheworm gear 12 byway of a chain wheel 19 which is fitted onto the shaft 10. All other units which are to be driven can be driven in a similar manner by the shaft 10.

1. An agricultural reciprocating ram pick-up baler which is designed to be drawn by a tractor and to be driven bythe power take-off shaft of the tractor, said baler comprising a transmission housing containing a worm which is arranged to be driven by the power take-off shaft and a worm wheel which is non-rotatablycarried buy a shaft of which at least one end projects out of the housing and carries a crank arm, the end of the crank arm which is remote from the shaft carrying a crank pin which pivotally connects it to a connecting rod for the ram.

2. A baler according to claim 1, wherein the shaft carried by the worm wheel is arranged to drive other working parts of the baler.

3. Abaleraccordingto claim 1 or2which includes an overload coupling means between the worm and a cardan shaft.

4. A baler according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a flywheel is carried by an end portion of the worm which projects from the housing.

5. Abaleraccordingto any one of claims 1 to4, wherein both ends of the shaft carrying the worm wheel project out of the housing and are provided with respective cranks, crank pins and connecting rods.

6. An agricultural reciprocating ram pick-up baler which is designed to be drawn by a tractor and to be

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Agricultural pick-up baler The invention relates to agricultural reciprocating ram pick-up balerswhich are designed to be drawn by a tractor and to be driven by the powertake-off shaft ofthe tractor. The cardan shaft which isto be connected to the tractor power take-off shaft is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the baler and goes to a transmission in which the main drive shaft is arranged transversely with respect to the direction oftravel. It has become desirableto increasethethroughput capacity of such balers and this means that power take-off shafts which rotate at a speed of 1000 rpm are being used more and more. This leads to the problem of reducing such high input speeds, more particularly in the required ratio of 1:22 to 1:30. However such high degrees of gearing down can only be achieved with thetransmissionswhich are in use at the present time, at a level of expenditure which economically is already almost no longera viable proposition. The present invention is therefore based on the problem of so designing a powertake-off reciprocating ram pick-up baler such that it is possible to achieve high levels of speed reduction with a low level oftransmission expenditure and wherein the transmissions to be used can be of a small and compact construction. According to the invention, there is provided an agricultural reciprocating ram pick-up baler which is designed to be drawn by a tractor and to be driven by the powertake-offshaftofthetractor, said baler comprising a transmission housing containing a worm which is arranged to be driven by the power take-off shaft and a worm wheel which is non-rotatably carried by a shaft of which at least one end projects out of the housing and carries a crank arm, the end of the crank arm which is remote from the shaft carrying a crank pin which pivotally connects it to a connecting rod forthe ram. A preferred feature of the invention is that the shaft carried by the worm wheel is arranged to drive the other working parts of the baler. An overload coupling means or clutch is advantageously provided between the worm oftheworm transmission and a cardan shaft. Also, a flywheel is desirably carried by the end portion oftheworm, which projects out of the transmission housing, to give a structurally simple arrangement. Desirable feature of the invention further provides that the shaft carrying the worm wheel projects out of the transmission housing at both ends and fitted onto both projecting ends are respective cranks and crank pins which are connected to respective connecting rods ofthe ram. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a side view ofthefront part of a pick-up baler, and Figure2 is a view in section taken along line ll-ll in Figure 1. The pick-up assembly 2 ofthe baler 1 conveys the crop material into a conveyor passage 3 and from there it passes underthe action of an additional conveyor device 4 into the bale chamber 5. Individual bales are then formed in per se known manner by means ofthe reciprocable ram 6. Pivotally connected to the ram 6 are two connecting rods 7 which are pivoted to crank pins 8 at their ends which are remote from the ram 6. The crank pins 8 are fixedly connected to two crank arms 9 which are each keyed onto a respective end of a transverse drive shaft 10. The shaft 10 is mounted in a transmission housing 11 with its two ends projecting out of the housing 11 on respective sides. Aworm wheel 12 is non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 10 in the interiorofthe housing 11 and aworm 13which is mounted in the housing 11 by way of bearings 1 4 meshes with the worm wheel 12. An end portion 16 of the worm 13, which is free of the worm thread, projects out ofthe transmission housing 11 in the direction oftravel. A flywheel 15 is fitted onto the above-mentioned projecting end portion 16. The end portion 16 is further connected to an overload coupling means or clutch 17 which is also operatively connected to the cardan shaft 18which is connected to the power take-off shaft of the tractor.Figure 1 shows thatthe drive for the additional conveyor device 4 is derived fromtheworm gear 12 byway of a chain wheel 19 which is fitted onto the shaft 10. All other units which are to be driven can be driven in a similar manner by the shaft 10. CLAIMS

1. An agricultural reciprocating ram pick-up baler which is designed to be drawn by a tractor and to be driven bythe power take-off shaft of the tractor, said baler comprising a transmission housing containing a worm which is arranged to be driven by the power take-off shaft and a worm wheel which is non-rotatablycarried buy a shaft of which at least one end projects out of the housing and carries a crank arm, the end of the crank arm which is remote from the shaft carrying a crank pin which pivotally connects it to a connecting rod for the ram.

2. A baler according to claim 1, wherein the shaft carried by the worm wheel is arranged to drive other working parts of the baler.

3. Abaleraccordingto claim 1 or2which includes an overload coupling means between the worm and a cardan shaft.

4. A baler according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a flywheel is carried by an end portion of the worm which projects from the housing.

5. Abaleraccordingto any one of claims 1 to4, wherein both ends of the shaft carrying the worm wheel project out of the housing and are provided with respective cranks, crank pins and connecting rods.

6. An agricultural reciprocating ram pick-up baler which is designed to be drawn by a tractor and to be driven by the power take-off shaft of the tractor, substantially as described with reference to the drawing.