Patent ID: 6729118
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: A01F

Abstract:
A non-stop, large round baler, comprising:a mobile chassis; a bale chamber having opposite sides defined by transversely spaced side walls and by a fore-and-aft extending, yieldably tensioned, active flexible bale forming arrangement having a width spanning said side walls; first, second, and third sets of right-and left-hand roll support arms being mounted for permitting each set to be moved fore-and-aft exclusive of any movement of the remaining two sets; at least one roll extending transversely between, and being supported by, the right-and-left arms of each of said first, second, and third sets of support arms; a crop gathering arrangement mounted to said chassis below, and operable for feeding crop towards, said active flexible bale forming arrangement; three drive arrangements being respectively coupled to said first, second, and third sets of support arms for respectively moving them among: (a) a first starting condition, wherein said at least one roll supported by said first set of support arms is located adjacent a lower front region of said side walls, and said at least one roll supported by said second set of support arms is located adjacent a lower middle region of said side walls; and a first section of said active flexible bale forming arrangement extends between said at least one roll carried by said first set of arms and said at least one roll carried by said second set of arms so as to define a first expandable bale chamber wall located for being engaged and expanded by crop delivered by said crop gathering arrangement for starting a bale core of a first bale to be formed, (b) an intermediate condition, wherein said first and second sets of arms are moved, as crop gathered by said crop gathering arrangement continues to be wrapped about said bale core, such that the at least one roll carried by said first set of arms is moved rearward so as to be located adjacent said lower middle region of said side walls, and such that the at least one roll carried by said second set of arms is moved rearward so as to be located adjacent a lower rear region of said side walls when said first bale is completed; (c) a second starting condition, wherein said third set of arms is positioned such that said at least one roll carried by it is located adjacent said lower front region of said side walls so as to be in front of said at least one roll carried by said first set of arms and located adjacent said lower middle region of said baling chamber, and wherein a second section of said active flexible bale forming arrangement extends between the at least one roll carried by each of the third and first set of arms to define a second expandable bale chamber wall for being a sole section of said flexible bale forming arrangement located in a position for receiving crop from said gathering arrangement so as to form a second core of a second bale to be formed while said second set of arms is being moved so as to move said at least one roll carried by it out of the way to permit said first bale to be discharged.