Patent ID: 9474213
Filing Date: 2016-10-25
CPC Classification: A01F,B30B

Claim Text:
1. Bale ejecting mechanism for ejecting a bale from the open end of a bale case comprising: a shuttle shiftable axially of the bale case generally toward and away from said open end in repetitive ejection and retraction strokes, said shuttle having a series of projections yieldably biased to an extended position projecting into the bales case for engaging and moving a bale during an ejection stroke of the shuttle, said projections being shiftable into a retracted position disposed outside of the bale case to avoid engaging and moving a bale during an ejection stroke of the shuttle; a selector member movable with the shuttle during ejection and retraction strokes of the shuttle but shiftable relative to the shuttle to any one of a number of selectable retaining positions in which the selector member retains selected ones of the projections in the retracted position; a power device operably coupled with the shuttle for driving the shuttle through its ejection and retraction strokes; and an adjustable shifter member selectably disposable in any one of a plurality of operating positions corresponding to the selectable retaining positions of the selector member, said shifter member being operable when in a selected operating position to engage and shift the selector member relative to the shuttle into a corresponding retaining position as the selector member returns with the shuttle during retraction of the shuttle by the power device, thereby preparing the shuttle for completing the next ejection stroke with selected ones of the projections in the extended position; and a stationary support extending across the bale case in a direction transverse to the path of travel of the shuttle and selector member, said shifter member being shiftably mounted on said support for adjusting movement relative thereto in a direction transverse to the path of travel of the shuttle and selector member, and said shifter member having a stair-step series of fixed abutments thereon selectively disposable in the path of travel of the selector member during retraction of the shuttle for the purpose of engaging and stopping the selector member from further travel with the shuttle while the shuttle continues its retraction stroke, whereby to effectively shift the selector member relative to the shuttle into a desired retaining position; wherein said selector member has a fixed protuberance engageable with a selected abutment on the shifter member, and said support has a clearance slot for receiving said protuberance during interaction of the protuberance with the selected abutment, said shifter member being shiftable across said slot for placing a selected abutment in the slot.