IE20070717U1 - A bale-wrapping machine - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT The invention concerns a bale—warpping machine for wrapping a bale of material. It comprises a support frame (3) brackets (5,6) for mounting the machine on the three- point llinkage of a tractor. It includes a lower base frame (3), and two rotatable rollers (7,8) which extend rearwardly of the base frame (3) and are disposed in spaced parallel relationship to each other to engage a bale (9) for wrapping and for rotating the bale about a horizontal axis. A film dispensing device (10) supplies a strip of wrapping material to the bale as the bale is turned about the horizontal axis. The rollers (7,8) are mounted for rotation on roller support—arms (14,15) Each roller support—arm (l4,15) is cranked such that on pivoting of the roller support—arms (l4,l5) the rollers (7,8) are caused to move upwardly and inwardly from an open to a closed, wrapping position. Pivoting of the roller support—arms (14, 15) in an opposite direction causes the rollers (7,8) to move downwardly and outwardly‘

Description

Title Field of the Invention The invention relates to a wrapping machine, in particular to a bale- wrapping machine for use in wrapping bales with a plastics wrapping film of the kind that are suitable for mounting directly onto the front or rear of a tractor. . The invention is particularly concerned with wrapping machines for wrapping bales of agricultural silage, grain, hay, straw, maize, beet pulp, beet tops, and the like (hereinafter referred to as “fodder”) with a plastics film, which preferably is air tight and watertight. The device of the invention may also be used in conjunction with machines for compacting and wrapping general farm and agricultural waste products, such as waste plastics and the like, and for wrapping other loose materials and objects such as comminuted peat moss, saw dust, wood shavings, wood chippings, brewery waste, bricks, blocks, cartons and the like.

Background to the Invention It has become conventional practice in agriculture to form harvested fodder into cylindrical-shaped bales, and square or rectangular bales, which are then wrapped in a plastics film. This is particularly suitable method of manufacturing silage because the silage is kept air-tight within the wrapped bale which, typically, is wrapped with up to six plies of plastics film. The are commonly called “big round bales”. Machines for wrapping cylindrically shaped bales with a plastics film are described, for example, in GB 2191984 A, GB 2228246A and EP O208034A (GB 2159489B).

Bale wrapping machines of the kind described in the aforesaid patents comprise a wheeled chassis that may be towed by a tractor. The chassis carries a tipping platform that, in turn, supports a turntable. The turntable is rotatable about a vertical axis. The turntable carries a pair of spaced apart each of which rotates about a horizontal axis. An IE 0 7 0 7 1 7 2 endless belt is stretched between the rollers and rotates with the rollers. In order to wrap a large round bale of fodder material with plastics film, the round bale is lifted onto the turntable by means oflifting arms. The bale rests on the endless belt. The free end of a roll of plastics film is attached to the bale and the turntable is then rotated about a generally vertical axis to cause the sheet of film to be wrapped around the bale. If no movement of the bale about its longitudinal axis were to occur the bale would merely be wrapped with a single band having the thickness of the width of the plastics film.

However, on each rotation of the turntable the endless belt is caused to move for a predetermined distance, which, in turn, causes the bale to roll about its surface, i.e. about a horizontal axis. This rolling of the bale on the belt allows a new area of bale to be wrapped by the film on each rotation of the turntable, thus eventually achieving a complete covering of the bale with a substantial degree of overlap of the plastics film.

In the bale-wrapping machines described above the bale to be wrapped is mounted on a turntable that rotates about a vertical axis, and the dispenser for the roll of plastics film is fixed. It is the rotation of the bale about the vertical axis that causes the film to be unrolled from the dispenser. However, it is also known from the prior art, for example in EP-B-0110110, DE 36425l3A, and GB 2193683/X, for the bale to be mounted on rollers that rotate the bale only about the horizontal axis. In this arrangement there is provided a rotary support arm for the film dispenser that rotates the film dispenser, about a vertical axis, around the bale, while the bale is being turned about a horizontal axis.

It is known to provide bale-wrapping machines that may be mounted on the front, rear or forklift or teleporter mounting on a tractor. The advantage of these machines is that they are compact and efficient in use, and less expensive to manufacture than the trailer type described above. An example of such a machine is that described in EP 0 234 763 Al (Oiestad), which relates to a device for wrapping cylindrical bales comprising at least two rotatable rollers spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the bale and, in use, being substantially horizontal and intended to support the bale, at least one of the rollers being rotationally driven to rotate the bale about its axis, and carrier means for supporting a roll of stretchable self-adhesive film lEo7o717 with the axis of the roll at right angles to a plane containing the main axis of the of the bale and for moving the roll orbitally around the bale with the roll intersecting the plane characterized in that the rollers are arranged as prongs freely projecting from means adapted to be connected to a lifting device mounted on a tractor or other vehicle.

Another bale-wrapping machine which is suitable for use in wrapping both square and round bales is that which is commonly referred to a “rocking roller” bale wrapper and is described, for example in EP 0 543 792 (Tellefsdal A/S). This discloses a bale-wrapping machine for wrapping parallelepipedic shape bales, such as square bales with a plastics wrapping material. The wrapping machine comprises means for rotating the bale around a substantially horizontal axis, characterised in that the means for rotating the bale comprises two rollcr units, each of which comprises at least two rollers, which are disposed in a pre-determined spaced parallel relationship to each other and which are able to engage the bale, and drive means for rotating the rollers, each roller unit being pivotably biased about and mounted on the axis of the drive means, two such spaced apart roller units which in operation being able to turn a parallelepipedic bale through 360° around the horizontal axis. This machine is capable of wrapping square and round bales of grass silage.

In conventional tractor-mounted bale—wrapping machines the projecting rollers are moveable from a first position in which they can support and rotate the bale to be wrapped to a second position in which the rollers are moved apart to release the wrapped bale, which then falls to the ground. In one known arrangement the rollers are mounted on respective roller-support arms that pivot the rollers from a closed to open position in a substantially horizontal plane. Because the roller arms are straight the rollers must be positioned below the level of the chassis or base frame of the machine.

This has disadvantage that consequently part of the bale carried by the rollers is below the level of the chassis and so the bale is not wrapped about its centre. In some prior art machines this problem is overcome by mounting the rollers on roller-support arms that are pivotable about a pivot point high on the frame of the machine and which open and close with a pincer-like movement. Because these arms must extend arcuately from the top to the bottom of the frame, and require separate rotors for each roller, they are lE07o717 expensive to manufacture and are prone to wear. They also add to the weight of the machine.

Object of the Invention It is an object of the invention to overcome the problems referred to and to provide an improved bale-wrapping machine ofthe type suitable for mounting on a tractor or other vehicle, and having rotatable rollers projecting from a frame of the machine, but which is robust and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and in which the rollers are positioned at or above the lower level of the base frame when in the closed wrapping position such that the bale may be wrapped about its centre.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, the invention relates to a bale- wrapping machine for wrapping a bale of material with a strip of wrapping material comprising a support frame having means for mounting the machine on a tractor or other vehicle and which includes a lower base frame, and two rotatable rollers which extend rearwardly of the base frame and are disposed in predetermined spaced parallel relationship to each other and which are adapted to engage a bale for wrapping and for rotating the bale about a substantially horizontal axis, and means for supplying a strip of wrapping material to the bale as the bale is turned about the horizontal axis, characterized in that each roller is mounted for rotation on a respective roller-support arm, and each roller-support arm has an outer section on which the roller is mounted for rotation and an inner section connected by pivot means to the base frame, and the two sections of the roller-support arm are off-set relative to each other by a crank section such that on rotation of the inner section of each roller-support arm about the pivot means the rollers are caused to move apart to release the bale.

The rollers are caused to move in an are from a relatively high wrapping position in which they are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the bale so as to support the bale during wrapping to a lower position in which they are moved apart to release the bale. lEo7o717 Thus, when the inner section of each roller-support arm is rotated about the pivot means the rollers are caused to move apart through an are which extends below the plane of the lower base frame, that is the path of travel of the rollers extends lower than the lowennost part of the lower base frame. This has the advantage that the rollers can be mounted higher, relative to the lower base frame, than previously has been the case with machines of this type and facilitates the wrapping of the bale about its centre.

Preferably, each roller-support arm is in the form of a crank arm having an inner section pivotally connected to the base frame and an outer section on which the roller is mounted for rotation and the longitudinal axes of each section are substantially parallel to, but spaced from each other and the inner and outer section are connected by a transverse intermediate section.

Brief Description of the Drawings One embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure l is a perspective view of a bale- wrapping machine in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an underside View of the bale- wrapping machine of Figurel; Figure 3 is an end view of the bale- wrapping machine of Figure 1 showing a bale supported on rollers of the machine which are in an upper position; Figure 4 is an end view of the bale- wrapping machine of Figure 1 showing the rollers in an open lower position; Figures 5 and 7 are perspective views of a roller support-arm of the invention; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a roller assembly of the invention E070717 6 Detailed Description of the Drawings Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 4 these show a bale-wrapping machine 1 in accordance with the invention. The machine comprises a support frame 2 having a transverse lower base frame 3 and a tubular mast 4 extending upwardly from the base frame 3. A bracket 5 is welded to the mast 4 and spigots 6 extend from the base frame 3 by means of which the bale-wrapping machine may be coupled to the three-point linkage at the rear of a tractor, or to a loader mechanism at the front of the tractor, in well-known manner.

Two rotatable rollers 7,8 are mounted on and extend rearwardly of the base frame 3 and are disposed in predetermined spaced-apart parallel relationship to each other. The rollers 7,8 move from an open position, as shown in Fig. 1, in which they may engage the sides of a cylindrical bale 9 of fodder, lying on the ground, to a ‘closed’ higher position where they engage the underside of the bale, which is lifted off the ground. By ‘closed’ is meant that the spacing between the rollers is less than the diameter of the bale 9 to be wrapped. When the bale 9 is in the position shown in Figure 3, the rollers 7,8 are rotatably driven to rotate the bale about its substantially horizontal axis.

A rotary arm 11 is suspended from a drive unit 12 supported on the end of the mast 4. The rotary arm 11 is driven by a hydraulic motor and chain drive, and support a film- dispensing device 10, which is rotated, in a circular path, about the bale 9 to wrap it in a plastics film that is pre-stretched by the dispenser, in well- known manner, as the bale 5 is turned about a substantially horizontal axis by the rollers 8, 9. A known cut and tie mechanism 13 is mounted on the frame 3.

The rollers 7,8 are each mounted for rotation on the outer ends of respective roller-support arms 14,15. The roller-support arms 14,15 are shown in more detail in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 6 shows a roller-support arm 14 before connection to a roller 7.

It is in the form of a crank arm and comprises an outer tubular section 20 and an inner E07o717 tubular section 21. The longitudinal axes of the sections 20,21 are spaced from, and are substantially parallel, to each other. They are connected by a transverse intermediate crank section 22. Inwardly-directed brackets 23,24,25, which are substantially parallel, to the crank section 22 are welded to the inner tubular section 21.

Figure 7 shows a roller-support arm 14 connected to a roller 7. It will be noted that each of the rollers 7,8 are hollow and the outer tubular section 20 fits within the hollow interior of the roller 7, and the roller 7 is joumalled in bearings for rotation about the outer tubular section 20. A drive shaft 28 extends down through the centre of the inner tubular section 21 and engages with a female spline 26 connected by a plate 31 to the inside of the roller 7.A sprocket 32 is mounted on the opposite inner end of shaft 28.

A similar drive arrangement is provided in the other roller 8. A hydraulic motor 27 is mounted on the base frame 3. A drive sprocket on the motor engages with a chain drive which transmit drive to each of the sprockets 32 to drive the rollers 7,8. The speed of rotation of the rollers 7,8 is synchronized by the chain drive 30, which extends across the base frame and has a loop to each roller 7,8. Alternatively, drive could be transmitted by means of a belt drive, direct cogwheel transmission or friction transmission.

A doublc—action hydraulic ram 35 is pivotally connected between the brackets on each of the inner tubular sections 21 of the roller-support arms l4,l5.That is the cylinder of the ram is connected a bracket 25 of one support arm and the cylinder rod is connected to the bracket 25 of the opposite support arm. The brackets 23, 24 of each of the inner tubular sections 21 are pivotally mounted on the base frame 3 so that each roller assembly can rotate in an are relative to the base frame 3. The arcuate rotation of each roller assembly is effected by the action of the double—action hydraulic ram 35.

Thus, when the ram 35 is extended it causes the rollers 7,8 to swing outwardly and downwardly from the position shown in Figure 3 through the arcs shown by arrows in Figure 4, to the position shown in Figure 4. As the rollers 7,8 move downwardly they also move apart to the ‘open’ position to release a wrapped bale 9 carried by the rollers 7,8. The released bale falls to the ground. The rollers 7,8 are then free to engage the sides of an unwrapped bale 9, lying on the ground. The double—action hydraulic ram lE07071L may now be closed which causes the brackets 23,24 to pivot and to rotate the roller— support arms 14,15, which in turn cause the rollers 7,8 to move inwardly , to a ‘closed’ position, to engage the underside of the bale 9, and simultaneously to move upwardly to lift the bale to the wrapping position shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, It will be appreciated that the position of the ram 35 may be reversed so that when the ram is extended the rollers 7,8 are caused to swing to the closed position, and visa verse.

The rollers 7,8 are caused to move in an are from a relatively high wrapping position, as shown in Figure 3, in which they are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the bale so as to support and rotate the bale during wrapping, to a lower ‘open’ position, shown in Figure 4, in which they are moved apart to release the bale.

Thus, when the inner section 2lof each roller-support arm 14,15 is rotated by the pivoted brackets 23,24 the rollers 7,8 are caused to move apart through an arc 33,34 (Figure 4) so that the path of travel of the rollers 7,8 extends to or lower than the lowermost part of the lower base frame 3. This has the advantage that the rollers are mounted higher, relative to the lower base frame, than previously has been the case with machines of this type and facilitates the wrapping of the bale 9 about its centre. The machine of the invention is robust and because of the simplicity of the design of the support arms is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

An end support roller 36 is mounted on the rearward face of the support frame 3. It is rotatable about a vertical axis and aids in centring and supporting the bale 9 during wrapping.

The words “comprises/comprising” and the words “having/including” when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that numerous modifications and variations can be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concept of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the present disclosure is intended to set forth the exemplifications of the invention that are not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, these reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination.

Claims (5)

1.A bale- wrapping machine for wrapping a bale of material with a strip of wrapping material comprising a support frame (3) having means (5,6) for mounting the machine on a tractor or other vehicle and which includes a lower base frame (3), and two rotatable rollers (7,8) which extend rearwardly of the base frame (3) and are disposed in predetermined spaced parallel relationship to each other and which are adapted to engage a bale (9) for wrapping and for rotating the bale about a substantially horizontal axis, and means (10) for supplying a strip of wrapping material to the bale as the bale is turned about the horizontal axis, characterized in that each roller (7,8) is mounted for rotation on a respective roller support-arm (14,15) and each roller support-arrn (14,15) is cranked such that on pivoting of the roller support-arms (14,15) the rollers (7,8) are caused to move upwardly and inwardly from an open to a closed, wrapping, position and pivoting of the roller support-ann (14,15) in an opposite direction causes the rollers (7,8) to move downwardly and outwardly.

A bale- wrapping machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each roller-support arm (14,15) has an outer section (20) on which the roller (7,8) is mounted for rotation and an inner section (21) connected by pivot means to the base frame, and the two sections (20,21) of the roller- support arm are off-set relative to each other by a crank section (22).

A bale- wrapping machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein that on pivoting of the inner section of each roller-support arm (14,15) about the pivot means the rollers (7,8) are caused to move apart through an are which extends outwardly and downwardly adjacent to or below the plane of the lower base frame (3).

A bale- wrapping machine as claimed in any ofclaims 2,3 wherein a double—action hydraulic ram (35) is pivotally connected between brackets( 25) on each of the inner tubular sections (21) of the roller-support arms 14,15 to pivot those sections .

5. A bale- wrapping machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.