GB2277708A

GB2277708A - Bale discharge device for round baler

Info

Publication number: GB2277708A
Application number: GB9408636A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ludwig Magin
Original assignee: Deere and Co
Current assignee: Deere and Co
Priority date: 1993-05-08
Filing date: 1994-04-29
Publication date: 1994-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 2014-04-29
Also published as: DE4315374C1; GB9408636D0; FR2704718A1; GB2277708B; FR2704718B1

Description

-I- BALE DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR ROUND BALER 2277708 This invention relates

to a hold-back device for a bale discharge device of a round baler and also to a bale discharge device for moving round bales after their emergence from a bale compaction chamber of a round baler, the device being pivotally fitted to the round baler and having a free end region from which the round bales are delivered.

A round baler is disclosed in EP-A2 0 104 510 with a bale discharge device having the shape of a "U" and which in essence surrounds the discharge opening of the bale compaction chamber. The bale discharge device can be pivoted vertically under the action of hydraulic cylinders about a bearing at the hinge point of the bale discharge gate on the frame of the round baler. As a result of the pivotal movement a round bale emerging from the bale compaction chamber is rolled out by the web of the U-yoke from the region beneath the bale discharge gate and is retained in a remote position, so that the bale discharge gate can be closed again. Under unfavourable conditions the round bales roll away from the round baler further than is desired.

Each of US-PS 4 206 587 and DE-GM 82 13107 discloses another form of construction of a bale discharge device, namely in the form of a socalled bale kicker. According to this system a round bale falls on to a ramp, moves this down against the force of a spring and rolls off over it. As soon as the round bale has left the ramp this bounces up under the force of the spring and gives the round bale a push which is enough to move it out of the range of swing of the bale discharge gate. Situations also occur with this system in which the round bale cannot be prevented from rolling too far away.

EP-Al 0 265_.583 discloses a bale discharge device of ramp construction, in which the ramp cannot tilt down freely, so that the round bale is brought to the ground on opening the bale discharge gate. Too great a flywheel effect of the round bale is avoided in this manner. This requires special control of the bale discharge device.

The problem on which the invention is based is seen in providing a hold 0 back device for a round bale and a bale discharge device which holds back a round bale, the device pressing on to the round bale a sufficient distance behind the bale discharge gate but preventing it rolling on as far as is possible.

This object is met according to the invention by the teaching of claims I and 8 respectively, while features are set forth in the further claims which develop this solution in advantageous manner.

The round bale is in this manner indeed rolled away by the bale discharge device from the bale compaction chamber; it is prevented from further rolling on account of the braking action of the hold-back device fitted to the bale discharge device. The hold-back device can engage either on the end surfaces or on the peripheral surface of the round bale. The effect of the pressure is indeed adequate to stop the round bale but it also allows the bale discharge device to return again to its starting position, i.e. it can slide off the round bale, in that it rolls the bale on to the bale discharge gate and holds it in position there, the frictional force permitting, until it has completely removed therefrom.

Fully adequate frictional contact between the hold-back device and the round bale is produced if presser elements formed as leaf springs are provided and grip the round bale therebetween. In simple conditions a rigid arrangement, e. g.

perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of arms of a bale discharge device in the form of a U-yoke articulated to pivot above the bale compaction chamber is sufficient.

A movable arrangement of the hold-back device can be provided in order to fit in better with the spatial conditions. If in particular the presser elements of the hold-back device are fitted movably to the arms or a ramp, namely in the direction in which the side surfaces of the round bale extend and/or transverse thereto, gentle reception after emergence from the bale compaction chamber is ensured, which is particularly important if a round bale is wrapped in a film or netting, which should not be damaged.

The possible choice of the arrangement of the hold-back device ensures that it bears on the round bale over a long swing range.

The convex formation of the hold-back device or the presser elements thereof has the effect that a round bale can enter the free space between two presser elements without danger of surface damage. A zone of higher surface pressure and a zone of smaller surface pressure thereby also result.

If the pressing force of the hold-back device is adjustable, the nature and condition of the compacted material, the slope of the field on which the compacted material lies, the unevenness of the ground and the like can be taken into account, so that even a light bale of straw on an inclined and smooth field can be prevented from rolling on, in that the pressing force of the hold-back device on the round bale is set suitably high.

Tle possibility of moving the hold-back device, in particular its presser elements, away from the round bale and applying it to this when it has entered the free space of the hold-back device provided therefor, leads to exceptionally gentle reception of the round bale.

With a suitable structure and arrangement, helical or torsion springs can be c) used in the hold-back device, instead of the leaf springs, bringing a flat element or rods or the like into engagement with the side surfaces of the round bale.

An arrangement or structure of the presser elements in the form of a funnel also leads to gentle reception of the round bale by the hold-back device.

A bale discharge device formed with a ramp or U-yoke construction effects a controlled delivery of a round bale, if it is provided with the aforesaid hold-back device. In that the hold-back device is provided on the free ends of the arms or of a ramp, the bale discharge device can movethe round bale as far as possible away from the round baler, so that the bale discharge gate can be closed again and the round bale be stopped or braked in this remote position.

The hold-back device can be used with any known form of construction of a bale discharge device, independent of whether this involves a spring loaded ramp, a 0 pusher or a U-yoke, whose arms are fitted pivotally at an upper region of the round baler and whose web is brought into abutment with the round bale, so that it can be rolled away from the round baler.

In addition a bale discharge device with two arms pivotally fitted at an upper region of the round baler, without a transverse web, is adequate to move the round bale if the hold-back device is fitted to the arms and not only prevents the round bale from rolling away but also imparts movement thereto. However, the use of a rod extending between the two arms leads to a simpler structure and a more reliable transmission of movement.

As a result of the adjustability of the hold-back device, especially its presser elements, relative to the bale discharge device, adaptation to the spatial conditions of the round baler, the bale diameter, the bale weight and the like is possible.

Instead of fixing the hold-back device in a positionally fixed relationship with the bale discharge device, e.g. the arms, it can also be pivoted to these about a bearing and thus be held longer in engagement with the side surfaces of the round bale. For example the position of the bale discharge device relative to the bale discharge device can adjusted in dependence on the pivotal angle of the bale discharge device by means of a spring, an arcuate guide or a linkage, so that the hold-back device is always aligned with the centre point of the round bale and thus bears frictionally over the whole radius on its side surfaces. A control linkage for this can be provided between the hold-back device and a positionally fixed point or a point whose position relative to the hold-back devicechanges during the pivotal movement of the bale discharge device.

If the hold-back device or its presser elements, formed as a two-armed lever for example, which are swung away from the side surfaces of a round bale under spring action about the longitudinal axis for example of the arms by engagement with obliquely extending abutment surfaces, the round bale can firstly pass from the bale compaction chamber unhindered into the free space of the hold-back device.

Only after the bale discharge device has undergone a minimum movement and the hold-back device has been released from the presser surfaces do the presser elements bear under the force of springs on the side surfaces of the round bale and restrain this from free rolling motion.

An embodiment of the invention described in detail below is shown in the drawings, in which:

Figure I shows a round baler with a bale discharge device according to the invention and a hold-back device according to the invention, in side view, the bale discharge device being in a rest position, Figure 2 shows the round baler according to Figure I is side view with the bale discharge device in discharge position, Figure 3 shows the hold-back device in side view, Figure 4 shows the hold-back device of Figure 3 in plan view and Figure 5 is a vertical section through a presser element of the hold-back device along the line 5-5 in Figure 4, viewed in the direction of the associated arrows.

A round baler 10 according to Figure 1 comprises in known manner a frame 12 which is supported drivably on the ground on wheels 14 and can be connected to an agricultural tractor, not shown, by a pole shaft 16. Beneath the frame 12 there is a receiving device 18, a so-called pick-up, and within the frame 12 a bale compaction chamber 20, which extends through a rigid, front compaction chamber section 12 and a rear compaction chamber section 24 formed as a bale discharge gate. The bale discharge gate 24 is connected to the frame 12 at a hinge 26 to pivot vertically and can be swung about this hinge 26 by means of hydraulic actuators 28.

The bale compaction chamber 20 can be delimited both by belts and also by rollers and can be of variable or constant size - the kind of construction is unimportant to the present invention.

During operation, the round baler 10 is in conventional manner drawn across the field by the agricultural tractor and receives the harvested material, preferably lying in swathes, in the receiving device 18, in order to compress it in the bale compaction chamber 20 into a circulare cylindrical round bale 30 (see Figure 2).

After the round bale 30 has been formed, the bale discharge gate 24 is swung clockwise about the hinge 26 by means of the hydraulic actuators 28 so that the round bale 30 can roll out of the bale compaction chamber 20.

The round baler as so far described is conventional and does not therefore need more detailed description.

Le This round baler 10 is provided with a bale discharge device 32 according to the invention, which is composed in this embodiment of two arms 34, a hold-back device 36 according to the invention and two actuating devices 38, only one arm 34 and one actuating device 38 being shown, the respective second ones of these being provided congruently and in mirror image disposition therewith.

Instead of the bale discharge device 32 comprising the arms 34, a device of ramp construction, ram construction or the like could equally be provided.

The arms 34 are each pivotally retained in a bearing 40 near the hinge 36, in the upper, middle region of the frame 12, and extend down below the bale compaction chamber 20; in an inactive, rest position shown in Figure 1, they run substantially along the dividing line between the front compaction chamber section 22 and the bale discharge gate 24. The arms 34 are made from tubing with a round or polygonal section and are each provided in the upper end section with a receiving opening, not shown, for the bearing 40. Approximately a quarter of the way along their length from the bearings 40 there is a connection 42 on each arm for an actuating device 38. The arrangements and dimensions of the arms 34 are so chosen that the bale discharge gate 24 can swing freely in the free space enclosed between them.

In this embodiment a rod 44 additionally extends between the lower end sections of the two arms 34, which rod thus spans the whole width of the bale compaction chamber 20 and lies low enough not to obstruct the exit of the round bale 30 from the bale compaction chamber 20.

The hold-back device 36 consists in this embodiment of a bracket 46 and a presser element 48 on each side of the round baler 10, i.e. on each arm 34, built according to Figures 3 to 5 and attached to the arms 34.

The bracket 46 is formed from U-section steel and fits round the respective arm 34 over a part of its length in the lower section thereof, so that the web 50 of the "U" points outwardly. The connection between the arm 34 and the bracket 46 is made by a screw 52; obviously the bracket could equally be welded on. The use of a screw connection has the advantage that the hold-back device 36 can also be retro-fitted to conventional bale discharge devices 32. Two bores 54, 56 are provided in the web 50 beneath the screw 52, preferably being formed as threaded bores. The bracket 46 in this embodiment is merely an extension of the ann 34 and can therefore be completely obviated with sufficient length of the arms 34. However it is advantageous to use such brackets 46 even with sufficiently long arms 34, for reasons of simple fitting, choice of an arbitrary fixing point on the arms 34 and creation of a problem-free connection between the arms 34 and the presser elements 48.

The presser element 48 is basically movably arranged, e.g. being made of resilient material, sprung-fitted or adjustable. One possible form is that as a leaf spring, which takes essentially the shape of a rectangle and extends out from the bracket 46 to the rear, i.e. to the left in Figures I and 2. The length projecting beyond the arms 34 or the rod 44 amounts approximately to the largest possible radius of a round bale 30 formed in the bale compaction chamber 20. In the region of its abutment with the web 50 the presser element 48 has a bore 58 and a slot 60, which follows a circular arc about this bore 58. Screws 62 and 64 respectively extend through the bore 58 and the slot 60, with a washer, not shown specifically, are fixed in the bores 56 and 54 in the web 50. It is thus apparent, especially viewing Figure 3, that the presser element 48 can be swung about the screw 62 to the extent that the slot 60 allows. As soon as the screw 64 is tightened, the presser element 48 takes up a rigid fixing relative to the bracket 46 and thus also relative to the arm 34. Looking at Figure 5, it is clear that the presser element 48 in this embodiment is not formed as a flat plate but its upper edge is bent out relative to its lower edge, i.e. it is downwardly convergent, so that the round bale 30 can be received more easily between two presser elements 48.

The presser element 48 could also be made convex and have more or less any arbitrary shape other than a rectangle, e.g. the shape of a circular disc.

Furthermore, the presser elements 48 do not have to be fixed rigidly to the arms 34 but could be retained pivotally about the screw 62 and the pivoting movement could either take place against the action of a spring, not shown, or be controlled by a linkage, not shown, connected to the bale discharge gate 24 or to the frame 12. In the illustrated version the longitudinal axes of the presser element 48 and the arm 34 are at right angles to one another. The arrangement of the presser elements 48 is moreover so selected that they do not project beyond the rear side of the round baler 10 when the arms 34 assume their rest position.

Each actuating device 38 consists of a linear hydraulic actuator which engages the frame 12 pivotally at one end and engages the connection 42 to the arm 34 pivotally at the other end. The activation of the actuating device 38 is either effected manually from the agricultural tractor or automatically by means of a control device, not shown, which supplies output signals in dependence on the position of the bale discharge gate 24. The actuating devices 38 in any case always swing the arms only when the the bale discharge gate 24 has been raised high enough for the round bale 30 to escape from the bale compaction chamber 20 or has escaped. Each actuating device 38 can also consist of a linkage or a chain, each of which engages at one end on the arm 34 and at the other end on the bale discharge gate 24 so that they pull the arms 34 after a certain opening movement of the bale discharge gate 24. Such an actuating device is disclosed in EP-A2 0 300 165 for example. Finally it is noted that a single actuating device will basically suffice for two arms 34 if these are connected together by the rod 44. Only when the rod 44 is missing are two actuating devices necessary.

The function when ejecting a round bale 30 from the bale compaction chamber 20 and the following clearing away from the swing range of the bale discharge gate 24, so that this can return to the position closing the bale compaction chamber 20, takes place in any event as follows.

After a round bale 30 has formed in the bale compaction chamber 20, the bale discharge gate 24 is raised manually or automatically by means of the actuating devices 38, so that the round bale 30 can escape from the bale compaction chamber 20. When the round bale 30 emerges from the bale compaction chamber 20, it falls to the ground, so that the arms 34 and the rod 44 come into abutment with the right side, below of the round bale 30, in the view of Figures 1 and 2, while the hold back device 36 presses on to the side surfaces of the round bale 30 by means of its presser elements 48. In order to clear the round bale 30 out of the range of movement of the bale discharge gate 24, the actuating devices 38 are now activated, so that the arms 34 are swung in clockwise direction and roll the round bale 30 away as seen in Figures 1 and 2, so that it is moved from its position in Figure 1 into its position in Figure 2. During the swinging movement of the arms 34 the presser elements 48 remain in abutment with the side surfaces of the round bale 30 and hold this fast against the rod 44. However, the round bale 30 can move in its rolling movement relative to the presser elements 48. Even in the situation shown in Figure 2, the presser elements 48 press on the round bale 30 and prevent it rolling away. Because of the dimensions of the bale discharge gate 24 relative to the arms 34, the arms 34 can stay in the position shown in Figure 2 and hold the round bale' 30 away from the round baler 10 when the bale discharge gate 24 is swung back in anti-clockwise direction into abutment against the front compaction chamber section 22. Finally, the arms 34 are swung back into the waiting position, as shown in Figure 1, likewise in anti-clockwise direction. Should the round bale 30 then be held by the presser elements so firmly that it rolls back, it will come into abutment with the bale discharge gate 24 and the presser elements 48 will move on.

Claims

1. A hold-back device (36) for a bale discharge device (32) of a round baler (10), the hold-back device being fitted at the region of delivery or deposit on the ground of the bale discharge device (32), being formed resiliently and being adapted for ffictional application to at least one of the outer surfaces of the round bale (30).

2. A hold-back device according to claim 1 with presser elements (48) formed as leaf springs, which are fitted rigidly or movably to the bale discharge device (32).

3. A hold-back device according to claim 1 or 2 with convexly formed and especially sprung presser elements.

4. A hold-back device according to one or more of the preceding claims with presser elements (48), especially sprung presser elements (48), whose force of application to the round bale (30) can be adjusted.

5. A hold-back device according to one-or more of the preceding claims with presser elements (48) which is/are adapted to be brought into a position pressing on the round bale (30) and a position removed therefrom.

6. A hold-back device according to one or more of the preceding claims with presser elements (48) which are formed like dishes or plates and are fitted resiliently on the bale discharge device (32) by means of helical or torsion springs.

7. A hold-back device according to one or more of the preceding claims with presser elements (48) which are formed or arranged convergently in the direction of reception of the round bale (30).

8. A bale discharge device (32) for moving round bales (30) after they emerge from a bale compaction chamber (20) of a round baler (10), the device being fitted pivotally to the round baler (10) and having a free end region from which the round bale (30) is delivered, characterized in that a hold-back device (36) according to one or more of the preceding claims is provided at the free end region.

9. A bale discharge device according to claim 8, characterized in that it has two arms (34) which are pivotally mounted at one end above the bale compaction chamber (20) and can be brought with a free end region against the round bale (30).

10. A bale discharge device according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a spring-loaded ramp, which is pivotally mounted at one end on the lower region of the bale compaction chamber (20) and can be brought into abutment with the round bale (30) with a free end region at the other end. -

11. A bale discharge device according to claim 9, characterized in that a rod (44) extending over the width of the bale compaction chamber (20) is provided between the two arms (34).

12. A bale discharge device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the position of the holdrback device (36) relative to the bale discharge device (32) can be adjusted.

13. A bale discharge device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a control rod for adjusting the hold-bAck device (36) extends between the hold-back device (36) and a frame (12) or a bale discharge gate (24) of the round baler (10).

14. A bale discharge device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hold-back device (36) is moved away from the side surfaces of the round bale (30) so long as the bale discharge device (32) is in a position in which it will only receive the round bale (30).

is. A bale discharge device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hold-back device (36) is fitted resiliently on the bale discharge device (32) by means of helical or torsion springs.

16. A hold-back device according to claim 1 comprising at least one presser element (48).