NL2018291B1 - Agricultural combination with a harvester and a continuous round baler - Google Patents

Abstract

An agricultural harvesting combination comprises a harvester and a round baler. The harvester comprises a pick-up unit, a crop processing unit, and an output device. The round baler comprises a bale forming device providing a drum-shaped bale forming chamber and a further chamber. The harvester picks up crop material, processes it, and ejects it towards the round baler. The round baler receives ejected crop material and forms round bales from it. Thanks to the further chamber the round baler can operate in a continuous manner.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention refers to an agricultural harvesting combination comprising a harvester and a round baler and to a harvesting method for harvesting loose agricultural crop material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Several kinds of propelled harvesters, e.g. field choppers and combined harvesters, pick up crop material and process it, e.g. thresh it for separating grain from chaff. The harvester preferably keeps crop material, e.g. grain, on board of the harvester and ejects other crop material, e.g. chaff.

It is desired to transport the ejected crop material to a location where it can further be used, e.g. in a barn for use as fodder for animals. In one embodiment a transportation wagon receives the ejected crop material directly from the harvester. In a further embodiment the ejected crop material drops on the ground and a loader wagon picks it up and stores it in a loading chamber.

It may be desired, however, to compress the ejected crop material before transporting it away. Therefore a baler is connected with the harvester and receives the ejected crop material. The baler forms a bale from the received crop material under pressure. One type of baler forms cuboid bales and a further baler type forms roundcylindrical bales. A round-cylindrical bale has some advantages over a cuboid bale, in particular when handling the bale and using the crop material in it. The invention refers to such a round baler.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A problem solved by the invention is to provide an agricultural harvesting combination with the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a harvesting method with the features of the preamble of claim 12 wherein the throughput through the harvesting combination is increased.

This problem is solved by an agricultural harvesting combination with the features of claim 1 and by a harvesting method with the features of claim 12. Preferred embodiments are specified in the depending claims.

The agricultural harvesting combination according to the invention comprises a harvester and a round baler which is mechanically connected with the harvester. The harvester comprises

- a harvester pick-up unit,

- a crop processing unit, and

- an output device,

The round baler comprises

- a bale forming device providing a drum-shaped bale forming chamber and

- a further chamber for containing crop material.

The harvesting combination is operated as follows and the harvesting method according to the invention comprises the following steps:

- The harvesting combination is moved over ground.

- The harvester pick-up unit picks up crop material from the ground.

- The crop processing unit of the harvester processes picked-up crop material.

- The output device of the harvester ejects crop material towards the round baler.

- The round baler receives crop material ejected from the harvester.

- The bale forming device forms at least one round-cylindrical bale from the received crop material.

- The further chamber temporarily contains received crop material. This received crop material has been used for or will be used for forming the bale.

- The formed bale is deposited on the ground.

ADVANTAGES

The combination produces at least one round-cylindrical bale from the crop material ejected by the harvester. The ejected crop material takes less space when being compressed to a bale compared with a transport of the crop material in a loose form. As the round baler forms at least one round-cylindrical bale, the advantages of a round-cylindrical bale can be achieved.

At least the circumferential surface of the bale must be wrapped into wrapping material, e.g. into a net, a plastic film, or several strands of twine, while the bale is still on board of the baler. Otherwise the ejected bale would fall apart. While wrapping the bale's circumferential surface, no further crop material should be injected into the chamber which contains the bale to be wrapped.

A conventional round baler needs to be stopped such that no further crop material is injected into the bale forming chamber. Or a further measure has to be taken to inhibit receiving or injecting crop material while wrapping the bale surface. The round baler according to the invention, however, comprises a further chamber which can receive and contain crop material. Thanks to this further chamber the baler can wrap the bale surface and can simultaneously receive further crop material. It is not necessary to stop the round baler while the bale surface is wrapped. Therefore the combination can operate in a continuous manner. The throughput is increased compared with a conventional round baler.

The invention increases the throughput through the combination as the round baler can operate in a continuous operation. It is possible but not necessary to stop the combination while the baler finishes the formation of the bale and cannot receive further crop material in the bale forming chamber. In particular it is possible that the combination continues to move over ground while the round baler wraps the circumferential surface of the bale into a web of wrapping material. The harvester can continue to pick up crop material from the ground. The round baler can receive further crop material also while the bale forming chamber cannot take this further crop material. The crop material is temporarily taken in the further chamber. Or the bale to be wrapped is transferred from the bale forming chamber into a further chamber and the bale forming chamber can immediately receive further crop material from the harvester.

PREFERED EMBODIMENTS

Different basic embodiments for the further chamber are possible.

In one basic embodiment the further chamber buffers crops material while the bale forming chamber cannot receive this crop material. Later the buffered crop material is transported from the further chamber serving as a buffering chamber into the bale forming chamber. It is possible but not necessary that the buffered crop material is compressed. If the round baler comprises a pick-up unit, the buffering chamber is preferably positioned between the pick-up unit and the bale forming chamber.

In a further basic embodiment the further chamber can take a bale which has been formed in the bale forming chamber. The round-cylindrical bale reaches the required diameter in the bale forming chamber and is transferred to the further chamber. In the case of a pick-up unit the bale forming chamber is preferably positioned between the pick-up unit and the further chamber. In one application the circumferential surface of the bale is wrapped in the further chamber.

In one embodiment the harvester drops the ejected crop material onto the ground. The round baler comprises a baler pick-up unit and picks up the ejected crop material from the ground. In a further embodiment the baler comprises a receiving platform. The harvester and the baler are connected and positioned such that the ejected crop material drops onto the receiving platform. This further embodiment saves a pick-up unit mounted at the round baler.

In a preferred embodiment the round baler is - seen in the travelling direction of the combination - positioned behind the harvester. The harvester ejects crop material in a direction opposite to the travelling direction.

In one embodiment the harvester is a self-propelled vehicle and pulls or pushes the baler. In a further embodiment a propelled vehicle pushes or pulls the harvester as well as the baler.

These and other aspects of the invention and of the preferred embodiment will be even more apparent from the detailed embodiment as described below and will be elucidated in detail there.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

In the embodiment the invention is used for a combination comprising a self-propelled harvester in the form of a combine harvester or a field chopper and a continuous or non-stop round baler positioned behind the self-propelled harvester. The term “behind” refers to the travelling direction. The propelled harvester pulls the baler. Therefore a towing unit of the baler is releasably connected with a hitch of the harvester. In addition a PTO shaft of the harvester rotates the main input shaft of the round baler.

The round baler of the embodiment comprises

- a baler pick-up unit with a driven pick-up drum,

- a downholder unit positioned angularly above the pick-up unit,

- a feeding channel,

- a conveying rotor,

- a cutting assembly

- a bale forming device with several pressing elements,

- a further chamber, and

- a casing with a pivotal discharge gate wherein the casing surrounds the bale forming device and the further chamber.

The bale forming device provides a drum-shaped bale forming chamber which is surrounded by the pressing elements. In one implementation the pressing elements are driven pressing rollers. In a further implementation at least one pressing belt surrounds a part of the bale forming chamber. It is possible that several side-byside belts surround the bale forming chamber.

The conveying rotor and the cutting assembly engage from different sides into the feeding channel and cooperate. The conveying rotor can convey crop material through the feeding channel. The cutting assembly can cut conveyed crop material.

The harvester operates as follows:

- The harvester picks up crop material with grain from the ground.

- The harvester cuts and/or threshes the picked-up crop material and separates grain from chaff.

- The harvester stores the grain in a chamber on board of the harvester or ejects the grain and directs the ejected grain into a transport wagon.

- The harvester ejects the chaff. The ejected chaff drops onto the ground.

The round baler is positioned behind the harvester and moves with the same velocity over ground as the harvester. The baler operates as follows:

- The baler picks up crop material from the ground. For doing so, the baler pick-up drum with several pick-up tines is rotated.

- The baler conveys the picked-up crop material towards a drum-shaped bale forming chamber of variable or fixed size.

- The baler injects the conveyed crop material into the bale forming chamber.

- The baler forms from the ejected crop material under pressure a round-cylindrical bale in the bale forming chamber.

- After the bale in the bale forming chamber has reached the required size (diameter), the circumferential surface of the bale is wrapped into a web of wrapping material (a net or a plastic film or at least one strand of twine, e.g.) without stopping the combination.

- The wrapped bale is ejected out of the bale forming chamber or out of a further chamber (to be described below).

- In one embodiment the bale is transferred onto a wrapping table of a wrapper behind the round baler. The entire surface of the bale on the wrapping table is wrapped into at least one plastic film. The entirely wrapped bale is removed from the wrapping table, e.g. by tilting the wrapping table.

- The wrapped bale drops onto the ground.

- In one embodiment a tilting unit (quarter turn) tilts the round-cylindrical bale onto a front face such that the deposited bale cannot roll downhill.

The bale is formed in the bale forming chamber until it reaches the required diameter. In a first basic embodiment the circumferential surface of the bale is wrapped in the bale forming chamber. While the circumferential surface is wrapped, the inlet into the bale forming chamber is closed such that no further crop material can enter the bale forming chamber. While the inlet is closed, the picked-up crop material is buffered in a buffering chamber which is positioned between the pick-up unit and the bale forming chamber. This buffering chamber serves as the further chamber. Preferably the crop material in the buffering chamber rests on a bottom conveyor. After the inlet is opened again, the bottom conveyor conveys the crop material from the buffering chamber into the bale forming chamber. Such a baler with a buffering chamber is known from EP 2556741 A1 and EP 2556744 A1, e.g. It is possible that the buffering chamber tapers seen in the conveying direction. It is possible that the cross section of the buffering chamber is amended or adjusted while buffering crop material in the buffering chamber. It is further possible that crop material is compressed in the buffering chamber.

In a second basic embodiment the circumferential surface is not wrapped in the bale forming chamber but in a wrapping chamber which is - seen in the travelling direction - positioned behind the bale forming chamber and which serves as a further chamber. As soon as the bale reaches the required diameter, the bale is moved from the bale forming chamber into the wrapping chamber. The bale forming chamber is ready for taking further crop material while the bale in the wrapping chamber is wrapped. In one implementation at least one pressing belt surrounds the bale forming chamber as well as the further chamber. One belt segment surrounds the bale forming chamber and one further belt segment the further chamber. Such a baler is known from US 9198360 B2 and US 9258947 B2, e.g.

In a further embodiment of a round baler with a wrapping chamber serving as the further chamber a first segment of pressing rollers surrounds the bale forming chamber and a further segment the wrapping chamber. Such a baler is described in EP 3005854 A1 and EP 3005855 A1, e.g.

The term “comprises” does not exclude other elements or steps. The articles “a”, “an”, and “one” do not exclude a plurality of elements. Features specified in several depending claims may be combined in an advantageous manner.

Claims (14)

CONCLUSIONS An agricultural harvest combination comprising a harvester and a round baler, the harvester comprising - a harvest pickup, - a crop processing unit, and - an export unit, wherein the round baler comprises a bale forming unit which provides a drum-shaped bale forming chamber, wherein the round baler is at least temporarily mechanically connected to the harvester, the harvest combination being adapted to be moved over the ground, the harvest pickup being adapted pick up crop material from the ground, wherein the crop processing unit is adapted to process the picked up crop material, wherein the discharge unit is arranged to eject the crop material to the round baler, the round baler being adapted to receive ejected crop material, the bale forming unit is adapted to form a round-cylindrical bale in the provided bale forming chamber from the received crop material, and wherein the bale forming device is arranged to deposit the formed bale on the ground, characterized in that the round baler comprises a further chamber which - is separated from the bale forming chamber and - is arranged to contain received crop material, thereby enabling a continuous operation of the combination while the combination is moved over the ground. A harvesting combination as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the further chamber is arranged as a buffer chamber which is adapted to temporarily buffer received crop material, the round baler being arranged to bring received crop material from the buffer chamber into the bale forming chamber. Harvest combination according to claim 2, characterized in that the buffer chamber is positioned between - the bale forming chamber and - the harvester. A harvesting combination as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, characterized in that the round baler comprises a unwinding station for storing wrapping material on a unwinding holder, the round baler being adapted to - inject a web of wrapping material taken from a unwinding container stored by the unwinding station into the bale forming chamber and to - wrapping the outer circumference of a bale in the bale forming chamber in the injected web. A harvesting combination as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the further chamber is adapted to hold a bale, the baler being adapted to move a shaped bale from the bale forming chamber into the further chamber. Harvest combination according to claim 5, characterized in that the bale forming chamber is positioned between - the further room and - the harvester. A harvesting combination as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, characterized in that the round baler comprises a unwinding station with a unwinding holder for storing wrapping material, wherein the round baler is arranged - to inject a web of wrapping material taken from a dispensing container stored by the dispensing station in the further chamber, and - to wrap the outer circumference of a bale in the further chamber in the injected web. Agricultural combination as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the round baler comprises at least one driven pressure belt, wherein one segment of the pressure belt surrounds the bale forming chamber and a further segment surrounds the further chamber. A harvesting combination as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the round baler comprises a baler pickup unit which is adapted to pick up crop material from the ground, the baler being adapted to inject picked up crop material into the baling chamber and / or or in the further room. A harvesting combination according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the baler comprises a receiving platform which is adapted to receive crop material, the combination being adapted to transport crop material ejected by the harvester to the receiving platform and wherein the baling press is adapted to transfer crop material from the receiving platform to the bale forming chamber or to the further chamber. A harvest combination according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the harvester comprises at least two wheels in engagement with the ground and a drive for driving both wheels. 12. Method for harvesting crop material by using an agricultural harvest combination comprising a harvester and a round baler, the harvester comprising - a harvest pickup, - a crop processing unit, and - an output unit, wherein the round baler comprises a bale forming unit which provides a drum-shaped bale forming chamber, the harvesting method comprising the steps of - the round baler is mechanically connected to the harvester, - the combination is moved over ground, - pick up the crop pickup crop material from the soil, - the crop processing unit processes the collected crop material, - the export unit ejects the crop material to the round baler, - the round baler receives the ejected crop material, the bale forming unit forms the or each bale in the bale forming chamber provided, and - the round baler deposits the formed bale on the ground, characterized in that the round baler comprises a further chamber separated from the baling chamber and the method comprises the further step that the round baler stores temporarily received crop material in the further chamber before ejecting a bale formed from the stored crop material such that a continuous operation of the harvesting combination is performed while the harvesting combination is moved over the ground. Harvesting method according to claim 12, characterized in that the harvesting method comprises the further steps of the outer circumference of the bale is wound while the bale is in the bale forming chamber and the baler receives crop material in the buffer chamber at least while the outer circumference is wound in the baling chamber. Harvesting method according to claim 12, characterized in that the harvesting method comprises the further steps of the outer circumference of the bale is wound while the bale is in the further chamber and the bale receives crop material in the bale forming chamber at least while the outer circumference is wound in the further chamber.