AU606668B2

AU606668B2 - Improvements relating to hay balers

Info

Publication number: AU606668B2
Application number: AU14130/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Walter Howard De Zylva
Original assignee: Ford New Holland Australia Ltd
Current assignee: Ford New Holland Australia Ltd
Priority date: 1987-04-03
Filing date: 1988-03-31
Publication date: 1991-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-31
Also published as: AU1413088A

Description

All' PATENT OFFICE PATENT OFFI 6 AUSTRALAP PATS0 952-69 T1, COMPLETE SPECIION HUNDRED DOLLARS -TWENTY OL

(ORIGINAL)

Application Number: PI 1235 Lodged: 3rd April 1987 C~asjI Int. Class MAII Orj\LjrAcE f 000 O Complete Specification Lodged: 4 Accepted: LODGED AT SUB-.OFFICE I. 44 3IMAR 1988 ~ilMelbourne Published: 0009 0 0000 Priority: O000~0 O 0 Related Art: O 09 O 0 0 00 0 09 O 0 0 Name of Applicant: 00~0Address of Applicant: New L AokkELYL MTT1W%'

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Cranbourne and Berwick Road, Cranbourne, Victoria, Australia Actual Inventor: Address for Service: WALTER HOWJARD DE ZYLVA EDWD. WATERS SONS, 50 QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 3000.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: impROvETEw 0- RELATING TO HAY BALERS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us 1- I 1 t y -2- Improvements relating to Hay Balers The present invention relates to hay balers, particularly of the rectangular bale type, utilizing synthetic twine, particular black synthetic twine, to bind the bale.

Such balers utilizing automatic knotting devices, have been available in Australia for many years. In use such knotters, whilst being effective in tying the bale, do result in wastage of a small amount of twine after each knotting operation. The amount of waste is not great ttt (approximately 3 8 cm long). However the presence of such rt tV small pieces has been detected in wool clips during processing and later manufacture. The twine is usually black or of a dark colour, and if undetected, can be *it incorporated into the manufacturing and processing stages, at which point it is almost impossible to remove the contamination.

The offcuts of twine from a knotting operation, aro r sometimes picked up by the sheep in its fleece in the field during feeding, as by feeding of the hay bale into the field, and the contamination may go undetected through the initial wool processing stages.

Australian wool is widely used in both the woollen and worsted systems of manufacture. However, even the S 25 smallest scrap in a bale of wool whether it be lcks, or the best fleece wool, can render the finished fabric virtually worthless. In this regard it should be noted that the twine is synthetic and therefore not readily broken down, as is the case with twine manufactured from natural fibres.

The present invention has as its main object, to provide an improvement in a hay baler in which knotter offcuts are collected.

C--w -3- There is provided according to the present invention in a hPI baler of the type including a hay press and a twine knotting mechanism the improvement comprising, a suction unit connected by a hose to the knotting mechanism and to a container, said hose including a mouth at least partially enveloping the knotter mechanism to collect twine offcuts when in use, the suction unit acting to convey said offcuts to the container.

Conveniently the suction unit includes a motor 0 driven axial fan blade unit, the blades of which are shaped eeo so as to be unaffected by the offcuts and debris drawn into S the mouth.

Conveniently the container includes a lid of open mesh construction allowing egress of dust and other small tr harmless particles but preventing egress of twine strands so that in use large particles and twine offcuts are collected in said container.

The invention will be described in greater detail with a reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Lt 20 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the suction unit and container assembly.

Figure 1(A) is an enlarged view of the mouth partially enveloping the knotter assembly.

Figure 1(B) is an enlarged view of the mouth.

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4 V 25 Figures 2 and 3 are sectional elevation views of the suction fan.

With reference to Figures i, 1(A) and the suction fan 10 is mounted on a suitable part of the framework of a hay baler 11. The fan 3 is connected by hoses to a mouth device 12 partially enveloping the knotter mechanism 13 of the baler as shown so that the twine offcuts coming from the knotter are collected in the mouth of the suction hoses.

The output side 14 of the suction fan 10 is connected by a hose to a container 15 as shown.

-4- The container 15 includes a pivotal lid 16 having an enclosing surface 17 of open construction as shown. The surface 17 allows egress of small dust and grass particles but prevents the egress of larger particles and the twine offcuts. Therefore the container is not quickly filled with extraneous harmless material but is effective in collecting the harmful twine offcuts.

Figure 1(B) shows a desired configuration of the mouth 12 constructed to at least partially envelop the 1, 0 knotting mechanism in the vicinity of the point of ejection 7> of the twine offcut as is best shown in Figure 1(A).

Figures 2 and 3 -how sectional elevation views of the fan construction. The fan blades 20 are specially constructed to form an open space adjacent to the fan blade axis in the fan housing to facilitate flow of large amounts of debris to thereby minimise the chance of significant damage and blockage of the fan blades.

r r The suction unit includes axial inlet pipes 21 connected by hoses to the mouth pieces 12 and a tangential 20 outlet pipe 22 connected by hoses to the receiving container Separate inlet pipes 21 are arranged at the inlet to S the fan housing to minimise the chance of blockages occurring in the pipes. The suction unit includes an axially mounted motor 23 for driving the fan blades °25 Other alternatives are possible in the construction of the fan housing and the container, for example the container may be positioned between the knotter and the suction unit, that is, the container may be positioned at or near the inlet of the suction unit comprised of the fan housing.

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Claims

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the suction unit includes a motor driven axial fan blade unit, the blades of which are shaped so as to be unaffected by the AAA* flow of offcuts and debris drawn into said mouth portion.
3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the container includes a lid of open mesh construction allowing exhaust of dust and other small particles, but preventing egress of twine strands so that in use large particles and twine offcuts are collected in said container. ooooo 4
4. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said fan blades are shaped to form an open space adjacent of the __rotary axis of the fan to facilitate flow of debris through the fan unit in operation, and thereby minimise blockage and damage to the fan blades. 0 6 In an agricultural hay baler of the type including a hay press and a twine knotting mechanism for binding bales with twine said knotting mechanism being prone to produce twine offcuts when in use, the improvement comprising, a suction unit connected by a hose to the knotting mechanism and to a container, said hose including a mouth portion at least partially enveloping the knotter mechanism to collect said twine offcuts when in use, the suction unit acting to convey said offcuts to the container thereby restricting S1 twine offcut littering in the vicinity of the baler, said suction unit including a fan blade unit for creating a vacuum at said mouth portion, said blades being shaped to facilitate flow of debris through the fan unit.
6. In a hay baler of the type including a hay press and a twine knotting mechanism, the improvement as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. DATED this 5th day of October, 1990. NEW HOLLAND AUSTRALIA LIMITED 4 PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS, 290 BURWOOD ROAD, HAWTHORN, VIC. 3122. AUSTRALIA. SLJD:DD (1.41)(JZ) i: I-/