IE86847B1

IE86847B1 - Baler

Info

Publication number: IE86847B1
Application number: IE20150125A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Kleesadl Johann; Lackner Christian
Original assignee: Alois Pöttinger Maschf Gesellschaft M B H
Priority date: 2014-04-28
Filing date: 2015-04-28
Publication date: 2017-12-13
Also published as: NL2014539A; FR3020237A1; NL2014539B1; IE20150125A1; DE202014003633U1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a baler having a bale-forming chamber which is delimited at least in sections by belts which can move in a circulating manner, are arranged next to each other and run successively, as seen in a circumferential direction, over a plurality of deflecting rollers, characterised in that at least one of the deflecting rollers is divided into a plurality of separate individual rollers arranged next to each other, on which the belts are individually supported.. <Figure 1>

Description

Baler The present invention relates to a baler having a bale-forming chamber which is delimited at least in sections by belts which can move in a circulating manner, are arranged next to each other and run successively, as seen in the circumferential direction, over a plurality of deflecting rollers.

Balers are known in the agricultural industry in different designs, in particular in the form of round balers having a variable or fixed bale chamber, in which a plurality of deflecting rollers are allocated to the bale chamber. In the case of variable bale chambers, continuous belts or belts having belt connectors are often used which represent an increasingly larger bale chamber diameter or circumference as the amount of harvested material fed into the bale chamber increases.

Such balers are known for example from documents DE 10 2011 010 251 A1, DE 101 31 239 A1 or DE 10 2006 056 048 A1.

The circulating belts may often have a relatively large width and therefore, for example, only three belts can enclose or delimit the bale chamber substantially over their entire width.

In order to prevent the harvested material or other compressed material, which is typically stalk- or leaf-shaped, from falling through the separating gaps between the belts, the belts should run as close as possible next to each other so that said gap between the belts becomes as small as possible. However, occasionally, it is not quite so simple to prevent the belts from running on or against each other. Depending upon the quality and manufacturing tolerances of the belts, these tend to a greater or lesser extent - to run transversely on the deflecting rollers or to pull in a transverse direction and therefore the belts running next to each other may collide with each other or at least the gap width between the belts may not be kept constantly narrow.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved baler of the stated type which obviates the disadvantages of the prior art and develops same in an advantageous manner. In particular, said problem of the belts running transversely is to be reduced and a uniform, precise circulation of the belts is to be achieved which permits a small spacing of the belts or a small gap width between the belts.

Said object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a baler as per claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

It is thus proposed that the belts arranged next to each other no longer have to run over a common deflecting roller of sufficient width, which roller supports all the belts evenly and extends beyond the sum of the belt widths, but rather that the belts be supported individually and at at least one belt deflecting location an individual suspension or support arrangement be provided for the belts. In accordance with the invention, at least one of the deflecting rollers is divided into a plurality of separate individual rollers arranged next to each other, on which the belts are individually supported, the belts can be guided or supported more efficiently through such an individual belt deflection arrangement on separate individual rollers and individual belt properties can be accounted for and corrected more efficiently. A dedicated individual roller can be allocated to each belt and therefore uneven running of an individual belt has less influence on the running of the other belts than if the belts located next to each other circulate around a common, wide, circulating roller.

In particular, in one development of the invention, said individual rollers can be mounted so as to be adjustable independently of each other and therefore the position and/or orientation of one roller can be individually adjusted and adapted to the belt circulating around it. In this manner, running errors and properties of a respective belt can be individually corrected by correspondingly adjusting the allocated individual roller.

In an advantageous manner, said adjustability of the individual rollers includes the ability to individually tip the individual rollers about a tipping axis which extends preferably transversely with respect to the rotational axis of the rollers. Said tipping axis may extend in particular in a direction which is approximately in parallel with a tangent to the roller section which is contacted by the circulating belt. In particular, the tipping axis can extend at least approximately perpendicular to a plane which contains the rotational axis of the roller and contains the direction of the supporting force of the roller and/or divides the circumferential sector of the roller, contacted by the belt, approximately centrally.

By virtue of the fact that the individual rollers can be tipped independently of each other in such a manner, each belt can be individually corrected in terms of its transverse stretch by the individual roller supporting this belt being tipped with respect to the circumferential plane of the belt, in particular such that the rotational axis of the roller is tipped with respect to the circumferential plane out of the typical 90° position.

As an alternative to or in addition to such an ability to tip the individual rollers, the rollers can advantageously also be adjusted in a translational manner transverse to the rotational axis of the rollers, in particular approximately in a direction in parallel with the resulting supporting force of the deflecting roller, i.e., approximately in a radial direction which divides the circumferential sector of the roller, contacted by the belt, approximately centrally.

By virtue of the fact that the individual rollers can be displaced in such a manner, the belt tension can particularly be adjusted individually. If, for example, only one of the belts is replaced by a new belt which has more tensile rigidity and/or is shorter than the other belts, then the individual roller supporting the new belt can be set back in order to avoid applying excessive tension to the new belt. In previous balers in which all the belts lying next to each other run around a common deflecting roller, such a belt change typically results in the new belt being over-tensioned and/or in the other belts, which have already been stretched slightly, having too low a tension.

By virtue of said individual advancing of the individual rollers, the individual rollers lying next to each other can be brought into positions in which the rotational axes of the individual rollers are no longer aligned with each other. One or more individual rollers can be moved slightly further outwards whilst one or more other rollers can be moved slightly further inwards so that the peripheral surfaces of the individual rollers define individual height levels or individual circumferential points or diameters.

However, in one development of the invention, in addition to the individual adjustability of the individual rollers, common adjustability can also be provided, wherein the common adjustability of the individual rollers lying next to each other can include the aforementioned ability to tip about a tipping axis transversely with respect to the direction of the rotational axes of the rollers, but in particular also a common translational displaceability transversely with respect to the rotational axis of the roller. In this manner, for example, a basic tension for all the belts can be adjusted, whilst then the individual adjustment can take place by individually advancing the individual rollers.

Said common adjustability of the individual rollers lying next to each other can be achieved, for example, by a corresponding adjustability of a roller carrier on which all the individual rollers can be mounted. This can be a transverse frame which extends through beneath the individual rollers, wherein said roller carrier can be mounted so as to be displaceable in a translational manner and/or can be mounted so as to be tippable. In order to permit the individual adjustment of the individual rollers, the individual rollers can be mounted so as to be tippable and/or displaceable in a translational manner with respect to this roller carrier in the described manner.

In one development of the invention, the individual rollers can be fixed in their individually adjusted tipped and/or displaced positions and therefore a respective individual roller remains in e.g., the tipped position into which it has been brought. This can be achieved by suitable fixing means, e.g., by clamping the tipping axis and/or clamping the displacement guide.

However, in one development of the invention, as an alternative to or in addition to such an ability to fix the individual rollers, provision can also be made to adjust the individual rollers in a variable manner or in a manner actuatable during operation of the baler. In one development of the invention, tipping moment controlling means can be allocated to the individual rollers in order to provide the individual rollers in each case with a tipping movement with respect to the aforementioned tipping axis. Such a tipping moment controlling means can be, for example, a pressure medium cylinder which via a lever arm engages with the roller bearing with respect to the tipping axis. Such a tipping moment controlling means can be used to advantageously individually adjust or vary the individual rollers with respect to their tipped position.

Said controlling means can be used to bring a respective individual roller into a desired tipped position, which roller is then fixed by the aforementioned fixing means. However, as an alternative thereto or in addition thereto, in one development of the invention, said controlling means can be actuated even during operation of the baler, in particular in dependence upon at least one operating parameter in order to permit automatic, self-controlling adaptation of the orientation or position of the deflecting rollers. For example, said tipping moment controlling means can be actuated in dependence upon the detected transverse displacements of the circulating belts, which can be detected by suitable monitoring sensors, e.g., optical or even tactile sensors. If, for example, it is detected that a belt is running to the left, the tipping moment controlling means can provide the individual roller allocated to the belt with a tipping moment which counteracts the transverse running.

As an alternative to or in addition to such tipping moment controlling means, belt tension controlling means can also be allocated to the individual rollers, which can displace the individual rollers in a translational manner individually transversely to the rotational axis of the rollers in order to be able to individually adjust the belt tension. Also in this case, the controlling means can be used to adjust a desired belt tension e.g., during the machine setup or a maintenance period, which tension can then be frozen by fixing the roller position. Alternatively or in addition, the belt tension controlling means can also be actuated during operation in order to automatically correct or adjust the belt tension during operation, namely in dependence upon at least one operating parameter, wherein in this case as an operating parameter, for example a belt deflection under the effect of the compressed material can be detected and can be used for control. Alternatively or in addition, the belt tension itself or a variable associated therewith such as, for example, the bearing reaction force of a deflecting roller can be detected and used in order to provide regulation of the belt tension. in one development of the invention, transverse guiding elements can be provided between the individual rollers, e.g., in the form of protruding guide fingers for transversely guiding the belts and/or for limiting or preventing excessive transverse movements of the belts. Such transverse guiding elements can be provided not only between two adjacent individual rollers but also on the outer edge of individual rollers arranged on the outside.

Said transverse guiding elements are advantageously formed separately from the individual rollers and can be attached to a frame carrier, e.g., to the frame carrier on which the individual rollers are suspended.

The deflecting roller divided into a plurality of individual rollers in said manner can in principle be arranged at different locations along the circulating track of the belts.

For example, the individual rollers can be arranged at a location delimiting the bale chamber, or alternatively at a position set back from the bale chamber wall at which the belt section circulating around the rollers is not loaded with compressed material. In one development of the invention, the individual rollers can be provided in the region of an opening flap, by means of which the bale chamber can be opened. Alternatively or in addition, the individual rollers can also be arranged on a permanently closed section of the bale chamber, e.g., at the front.

In one development of the invention, a plurality of deflecting rollers can be divided into individual rollers in said manner along the circulating track of the belts.

However, in one development of the invention, it may also be sufficient if only one of the deflecting rollers is divided into individual rollers in said manner along the circulating track of the belts.

The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with the aid of a preferred exemplified embodiment and the associated drawings, in which: Figure 1: shows a greatly simplified schematic illustration of a baler and the bale chamber thereof which is delimited in sections by deflecting belts guided around a plurality of deflecting rollers, Figure 2: shows a sectional view through a section of the circulating track of a belt in the region of the deflecting roller divided into individual rollers, which view shows the track course of the circulating track and the arrangement of the deflecting roller, Figure 3: shows a plan view of the deflecting roller divided into a plurality of individual rollers and of the roller carrier bearing the individual rollers, wherein the partial views (a) and (b) show a plan view and a front view from different viewing directions, wherein the individual rollers are shown in a zero or starting position in which the rotational axes of the individual rollers are aligned, Figure 4: shows a plan view of the individual rollers similar to the partial view (b) of figure 3, wherein the individual rollers are brought into individually tipped or adjusted positions, and Figure 5: shows a perspective view of the deflecting roller divided into individual rollers.

As shown in figure 1, the baler 1 can be designed as an agricultural round baler for forming and/or compressing harvested material into bales and can have a bale chamber 2 of variable diameter which is substantially cyiindrically contoured. At the inlet 11 of the bale chamber 2, which can be arranged at a lower circumferential section of the bale chamber 2, inlet, starter or deflecting rollers 5 can be provided which between them delimit the gap-like inlet 11, wherein in accordance with figure 1, a plurality of such deflecting rollers can also be arranged along the circumference of the bale chamber 2 on each side of said inlet 11. Harvested material can be conveyed into the bale chamber 2 through said inlet 11, which material can be conveyed by a collecting and/or conveying device, not illustrated, such as, e.g., a pick-up and a conveyor rotor, which is arranged upstream of the inlet 11, this conveying process being indicated by the arrow 12.

Further deflecting rollers 4 are arranged on the circumference of the bale chamber 2 adjoining the inlet region, which deflecting rollers can be used on the one hand directly for the deflection of the harvested material compressed in the bale chamber 2 and on the other hand can be used for the deflection of a plurality of belts arranged next to each other and circulating around the bale chamber 2. Said belts 13 can be arranged to run substantially in parallel and are distributed over the depth perpendicularly with respect to the plane of the drawing in figure 1.

Further deflecting rollers 4 can also be arranged outside the bale chamber 2 in order to deflect said belts 13.

At least one of said deflecting rollers 4 is divided into a plurality of individual rollers 4a, 4b, 4c ... 4n, wherein this can be, for example, as shown in figure 2, one of the deflecting rollers 4 in the region of the rear flap or opening flap, by means of which the bale chamber 2 can be opened and through which a completely formed bale can be let out.

The individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c can be mounted on a common roller carrier 3 which e.g., in the form of a transverse frame, can extend through approximately perpendicularly with respect to the circumferential plane (which corresponds to the plane of the drawing in figure 1) beneath the individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c or can extend laterally past it, cf. figure 3.

The individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c are suspended or mounted on said roller carrier 3 in an advantageously individually adjustable or movable manner, wherein the individual mounting of the individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c advantageously means not only that said individual rollers are rotatable about the respective rotational axis of the roller but advantageously can also include the ability to be tipped and/or displaced in a translational manner.

As shown in figure 3, said individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c can tip or be tipped about a tipping axis 6 in particular in each case individually and separately independently of the other individual rollers, as shown in figure 4. The tipping axes 6 of the individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c can extend in parallel with each other and advantageously in a plane in parallel with the circumferential plane of the respective belt 13 and/or approximately perpendicularly with respect to the rotational axes of the rollers. Said tipping axes 6 can be oriented so as to be inclined at an acute or obtuse angle with respect to a plane which contains the rotational axis of the rollers and extends approximately centrally through the roller segment which is contacted by the belt 13. Said plane is illustrated in figure 2 by the dot-dash line 7.

As shown in figures 2 and 3, controlling means 8 can be allocated to the tipping axes 6, which controlling means can have a lever arm with respect to said tipping axes 6 and can bring the individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c into a respective tipped position and can fix them there. For example, said controlling means 8 can include control screws which engage on opposite sides of a tipping axis 6 and can support the tippable axial carrier 9 of the individual rollers 4a, 4b, 4c with respect to the roller carrier 3, cf. figure 2 and figure 3. However, as described in the introduction, said controlling means 8 can optionally also be control actuators, e.g., in the form of hydraulic cylinders, which can be actuated by external energy in order to permit automatic adjustment even during operation.

Transverse guiding elements 10 can be provided between the individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c and on the outer edges of the outer individual rollers 4a and 4c, which transverse guiding elements can be designed e.g., as guide fingers and can protrude transversely with respect to the rotational axes of the rollers so that they keep apart belts lying next to each other or prevent, or at least limit, transverse movements of the belts. As illustrated in figure 2, said transverse guiding elements 10 extend through the circulating track of a belt 13 or on both sides of the circulating track and therefore a belt cannot run past the transverse guiding elements 10 in the transverse direction.

Said transverse guiding elements 10 are, advantageously, not integrally formed on the individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c but rather can be attached to the aforementioned roller carrier 3. In this case, the transverse guiding elements 10 are not involved in possible tipping movements of the individual rollers 4a, 4b and 4c, cf. figure 4.

However, it would also be feasible to attach said transverse guiding elements 10 to the tippable axial carriers 9, wherein, however, a rigid arrangement on the roller carrier 3, which cannot be tipped, may be preferred.

Claims

1. Baler having a bale-forming chamber (2) which is delimited at least in sections by belts (13) which can move in a circulating manner, are arranged next to 5 each other and run successively, as seen in the circumferential direction (14), over a plurality of deflecting rollers (4), characterised in that at least one of the deflecting rollers (4) is divided into a plurality of separate individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c ... 4n) arranged next to each other, on which the belts (13) are individually supported and wherein the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) are io mounted so as to be individually tippable.

2. Baler as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) are mounted so as to be adjustable independently of each other. 15

3. Baler as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4. C) can be fixed in different tipping angle positions.

4. Baler as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein tipping moment controlling means (8) are allocated to the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) in order 20 to provide the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) in each case with a tipping moment with respect to the tipping axes (6).

5. Baler as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the tipping moment controlling means (8) can be actuated by a control device in dependence 25 upon at least one operating parameter, in particular a transverse displacement of the belts (13) on the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c), which displacement can be detected by means of sensors.

6. Baler as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the individual 30 rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) are mounted so as to be adjustable individually transversely with respect to the rotational axis (15a, 15b, 15c) of the rollers and in particular are displaceable in a translational manner.

7. Baler as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) can be fixed in different translational displacement positions.

8. Baler as claimed in any one of the two preceding claims, wherein belt tension controlling means are allocated to the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) for 5 imparting a belt tensioning force to each of the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c).

9. Baler as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the belt tension controlling means can be actuated by a control device in dependence upon at least one operating parameter, e.g., a radial deflection of the belts (13) under the effect io of the compressed material in the bale chamber (2).

10. Baler as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein transverse guiding elements (10) are provided between the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) and/or on outer edge sections of individual rollers (4a, 4c) lying on the outside 15 for transversely guiding the belts (13) and/or for preventing excessive transverse movements of the belts (13).

11. Baler as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the transverse guiding elements (10) are formed separately from the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) 20 and are attached to a frame carrier (3), relative to which the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c) are movable.

12. Baler as claimed in any one of the two preceding claims, wherein the transverse guiding elements (10) are mounted such that the transverse 25 guiding elements are not involved in possible tipping movements of the individual rollers (4a, 4b, 4c).