GB2303818A

GB2303818A - Baler

Info

Publication number: GB2303818A
Application number: GB9515918A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian Paul Heard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-08-03
Filing date: 1995-08-03
Publication date: 1997-03-05
Also published as: GB9515918D0

Abstract

A pick-up rotor 10 passes material up a transfer chute 11 to an upright holding stack 12 which opens into the top of a bale chamber 4. A reciprocating ram 15 moves the material into the bale chamber 4, severing the material from the stack by means of knives. Twine travels from reels 21 through pivoted needles 25 and under the bale to knotters 26. When pressure builds up in the bale chamber the knotters are operated to form knots with the twine passing through the needles 25, and a latch 14 is operated to release a gate 13 for ejection of the bale. The gate re-latches under gravity.

Description

BALERS TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to balers for harvesting straw, hay silage and such like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a baler comprising a bale chamber extending in a front-rear direction, a pick-up rotor for collecting material to be baled, a transfer chamber for transferring the material from the rotor to the bale chamber, and a ram which is reciprocally driven to pack the material in the bale chamber into bales and urge them rearwardly, in which the transfer chamber is arranged to introduce the material into a top part of the bale chamber via a holding stack.

The invention further provides a baler comprising a bale chamber extending in a front-rear direction, a pick-up rotor for collecting material to be baled, a transfer chamber for transferring the material from the rotor to the bale chamber, and a ram which is reciprocally driven to pack the material in the bale chamber into bales and urge them rearwardly, in which the bales are arranged to be tied by twine or the like which is fed through needles which are carried by the ram.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a baler of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawing shows a baler for producing big square bales. The baler is intended to be towed by an agricultural tractor and driven from the tractors pto (power take-off) shaft.

Referring to the drawing, the baler includes a chassis 1 which is mounted on a single pair of wheels 2 and is provided with a towing bar 3 at its front end.

A tunnel-like bale chamber 4 is formed on the chassis 1 extending in a frontrear direction, within which bales B of straw or the like are formed.

Drive from the tractors pto is transmitted through a telescopic drive shaft 6, a 90" gearbox 7 and belts 9 to drive a flail-type pick-up rotor 10, mounted transversely of the chassis. Hay, straw silage or similar material is picked up by the rotating flails to be flung upwardly along a transfer chute 11, which curves rearwardly above the bale chamber 4, leading smoothly to an upright holding stack 12. The bottom of stack 12 opens into the top of the bale chamber 4, towards the forward end of the said chamber.

The rear of the bale chamber is provided with a tail gate 13 held closed by a latch 14. A ram 15 is mounted in the front end of the bale chamber 4, being driven from the gearbox 7 via chains 16 and a crankshaft 17 to move reciprocally in the chamber, in a front-rear direction. Transfer of material into the bale chamber may be achieved solely by a combination of centrifugal force (from the pick-up rotor 10) and gravity, although a subsidiary mechanical feed system could be used to assist transfer of material through the chute 11 and stack 12. On the return (forward) stroke of the ram the material in the holding stack falls under gravity into the main bale chamber 4.The ram carries knives (not shown) on its top front face, and there are also stationary knives mounted at the bottom of the holding stack 12 so that during the compression (rearward) stroke of the ram, the material is severed from that remaining in the stack 12 and is compressed rearwardly into the bale chamber.

A supply of twine, carried on reels 20, is located on a tray 21 beneath the transfer chute 11. The twine 23 passes through pivoted needles 25 which are carried on the upper end of the leading (rearward) face of the ram, and is allowed to pass below the bale as it is being formed. The free ends of the twine are retained in knotters 26 of conventional form, mounted above the bale chamber 4. On each stroke of the ram the needles 25 enter the knotters 26, guided by rollers and tracks or the like (not shown). When the pressure of material in the bale chamber is relatively low the needles simply carry the twine in and out of the knotters, but as the ram packs material into the bale chamber the pressure therein eventually exceeds a preset value. Upon reaching this pressure the knotters are tripped so that the next time the needles enter them a knot is automatically tied to form a completely encircled bale inside the chamber. Upon completion of the knots the latch 14 releases the rear gate 13 allowing it to pivot upwardly as the tied bale is urged rearwardly on the next compression stroke of the ram. The bale is thus ejected from the rear of the bale chamber, allowing the gate 13 to fall and relatch.

It will be appreciated that the ram could be driven by any suitable means.

In addition, although the tail gate 13 allows the length of the bale chamber to be reduced the gate could be omitted, using, for example, a tapered chamber to allow packing of the material.

The baler is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, and is reliable in operation having a minimum number of moving/wearing parts.

Claims

1. A baler comprising a bale chamber extending in a front-rear direction, a pick-up rotor for collecting material to be baled, a transfer chamber for transferring the material from the rotor to the bale chamber, and a ram which is reciprocally driven to pack the material in the bale chamber into bales and urge them rearwardly, in which the transfer chamber is arranged to introduce the material into a top part of the bale chamber via a holding stack.

2. A baler according to Claim 1, in which the transfer chamber comprises a chute which travels upwardly and rearwardly from the pick-up rotor to join the top of the holding stack.

3. A baler according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the ram carries knives for severing the material in the holding stack from the material in the bale chamber.

4. A baler according to any preceding claim, in which the bales are arranged to be bound by twine or the like which is fed through needles carried by the ram.

5. A baler according to Claim 4, in which the needles are mounted on the upper rear part of the ram.

6. A baler according to Claim 4 or 5, in which the needles are pivoted to the ram.

7. A baler according to any of Claims 4, 5 or 6, in which the twine passes around the underside of a bale in the bale chamber to knotters mounted to co-operate with the needles on the rearward stroke of the ram.

8. A baler according to Claim 7, in which the knotters are operated by pressure of a bale in the bale chamber to tie a knot with the twine passing through the needles.

9. A baler according to any preceding claim, in which a latched gate is mounted at the rear of the bale chamber.

10. A baler according to Claim 9 as appended to Claim 7 or 8, in which the gate is released upon operation of the knotters.

11. A baler according to Claim 9 or 10, in which the gate re-latches under gravity when the bale is ejected from the bale chamber.

1 2. A baler substantially as described with reference to the drawing.