Abstract:
Components of a crop re-hydration system are advantageously carried on free space of a large square baler. Specifically, a direct-fired steam generator is mounted at a rear location on the baler so as not to transfer heat to a hydraulic fluid supply tank located at a forward location on the baler. Further, the combustion chamber of the steam generator is coupled to a forwardly extending main steam conduit having a length sufficient for ensuring that the water injected into the combustion chamber is thoroughly mixed with hot combustion gases and changed to steam prior to reaching a steam distribution manifold located at a forward end of the baler. A combustion air intake filter is positioned in a relatively clean zone at an elevated location at the rear of the baler. Water tanks are mounted closely adjacent ground wheel axles of the baler so that the weight of the water does not unduly load the baler frame.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to crop re-hydration systems used in conjunction with balers so as to treat crop to be baled with steam immediately prior to the baling operation, and more specifically relates to a re-hydration system that is carried by a baler for making large parallelepiped bales, such balers being commonly called large square or large rectangular balers.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The practice of using steam to re-hydrate hay, or other cut crop, prior to baling, is discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,604,857, 4,873,722 and 5,758,479. The acceptance to date of such a harvesting practice has been low, and it is thought that this low acceptance is due to the lack of a fully-integrated machine for producing the steam, treating the crop with steam and processing the treated crop.  
         [0003]     The problem to be solved is that of providing a suitable, fully-integrated machine for treating cut crop with steam prior to being further processed by other components during the harvesting operation.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention relates to a harvesting machine having an integrated crop re-hydration system including a steam generating and steam delivery arrangement.  
         [0005]     An object of the invention is to provide a crop harvesting machine having a pick-up for elevating the crop into the machine for further processing and to provide a crop re-hydration system including a steam generating and steam delivering system which is integrated into the harvesting machine without adversely affecting the harvesting functions of the machine and/or without adding to the working width or length of the machine, and/or without adding appreciable loading to the vehicle frame.  
         [0006]     The foregoing object is achieved by providing a large square baler having an integrated crop re-hydration system including a direct-fired steam generator having a combustion chamber and fuel supply mounted across a top rear location of the baler, by providing a driven air pump arrangement at one side just forward of the fuel supply, by mounting a steam delivery system at the pick-up and by providing a water supply source centered above the axle structure carrying tandem wheels at the opposite sides of the baler. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a schematic, right front perspective view of a large square baler incorporating a direct-fired steam generator and steam distribution system in accordance with the principles of the present invention, with parts being omitted for clarity and simplicity.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a top view, with parts omitted for simplicity and others slightly rearranged for convenience, of the direct-fired steam generator of the crop re-hydration system. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0009]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a large square baler  10  including a main frame  12  supported on a set of tandem wheels  14  for being towed across the ground by a tractor (not shown) coupled to a hitch  16  at a forward end of a draft frame  18  joined to, and extending forwardly from a cross beam structure  20  forming a forward end of the main frame  12 . The towing tractor supplies power to the baler  10  by way of a power take-off shaft coupled to a drive line  22 , which, in turn, is coupled to a transmission arrangement for driving a hydraulic pump arrangement, partially shown at  24 , which is hydraulically coupled to various hydraulic cylinders and motors for driving all of the driven components of the baler  10 . A hydraulic fluid reservoir and oil cooler arrangement (not shown) for supplying hydraulic fluid to the pump arrangement  24  is mounted to a forward location of the baler  10  just rearward of the cross beam structure  20 .  
         [0010]     Suspended from a forward location of the main frame is a crop gathering pick-up  26  including a frame  28  supporting a tined reel  30  operable for elevating a windrow of crop and delivering it to a pair of stub augers  32  (only one visible) operable for narrowing the stream of crop for being fed, by a packer fork assembly  34 , into an inlet of a pre-compression chamber  36  which is curved upwardly and to the rear. The pre-compression chamber  36  defines an outlet at its upper end which registers with an inlet provided at a bottom wall of a fore-and-aft extending baling chamber  38 . A stuffer fork  40  is selectively operable for moving a charge of pre-compressed crop from the pre-compression chamber  36  into the baling chamber  40 . In a manner known in the art, charges of crop are intermittently compressed rearwardly in the baling chamber  40  by a plunger  42  mounted for reciprocating in a forward section of the baling chamber  40  so as to form a bale of compressed crop.  
         [0011]     Once a bale of a pre-selected length is formed, it is bound together by a plurality of strands of twine through the action of a tying system including a twine-delivery needle assembly (not shown) including a plurality of needles mounted for being swung upwardly through the baling chamber  38  from a stand-by position, so as to respectively deliver twine to a plurality of tying devices including respective knotter gears  44  mounted to a knotter shaft  46  extending across the top of the baling chamber  38 . A supply of twine for delivery by the needles is provided in the form of balls of twine contained within twine storage boxes  48  provided along opposite sides of the baler  10 .  
         [0012]     Integrated into the structure of the baler  10  is a crop re-hydration system  50  including a steam generator assembly  52  comprising a steam generator body  54  supported at an upper rear region of the baling chamber  38 . The steam generator body  54  has an interior which defines a combustion chamber and comprises a major cylindrical section to which a cylindrical burner-head  56  is coupled, and a conical outlet section to which one end of a compound elbow  58  is coupled, the other end of the elbow being coupled to a primary steam distribution tube  60  extending fore-and-aft above the right-hand twine storage boxes  48 , with a static mixer (not shown) being provided in a section  62  of the tube  60  which is adjacent the elbow  58 . A forward end of the steam distribution tube  60  is coupled to a primary steam distribution manifold  64  defined by a down-turned section of the tube  60  located in a region forward of the front twine box  38 . A first steam distribution conduit  66  is coupled between the bottom of the distribution manifold  64  and a manifold  68  of an upper front steam injection manifold assembly  70  disposed beneath, and secured to the draft frame  18  of the baler  10  at a location above a forward portion of the tined reel  30  of the pick-up  26 . A lower front steam injection manifold assembly  72  includes a manifold  74  mounted across a lower rear region of the pick-up  26  and a second steam distribution conduit  76  is coupled between the distribution manifold  64  and the injection manifold  74  of the manifold assembly  72 . A third steam distribution conduit  78  is coupled at one end to the distribution manifold  64 , at a location above the second conduit  76 , and has another end coupled to a manifold (not shown) of a third steam injection manifold assembly  80 , incorporated in a stripper band arrangement for the packer fork assembly  40 . Associated with the conduit  78  is a remotely controlled steam control valve  81  which is selectively shut off when the baler  10  is being operated in the headland of a field where no hay is being picked up but with steam still being supplied to the various steam injection manifolds. The need for shutting off the flow of steam to the manifold assembly  80  is to prevent over-steaming hay that is collected within the pre-compression chamber  36 .  
         [0013]     Referring now also to  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that the burner-head  56  has a pilot burner arrangement including a tube  82  coupled to it so as to project through, and terminate at, an interior surface of a lower region of the burner-head  56 . An igniter  83 , which may be a spark plug or other type of sparking device, is mounted to the tube  82  so as to be positioned to selectively create a spark at an interior location of the tube  82  for igniting a fuel/air mixture resulting when vaporized fuel enters by way of a pilot fuel line  84  coupled to an inlet provided in a cover at an end of the tube  82 , and when air enters by way of a pilot burner air line  86  coupled to a location of the tube  62  adjacent the cover.  
         [0014]     A carburetor  90  has an outlet coupled to an inlet end of the burner-head  56  by a short tube  92 . Coupled between a main combustion air inlet of the carburetor  90  and an outlet of a variable output, air pump arrangement  94 , which includes a hydraulic motor (not visible), is a combustion air supply conduit  96 , with the inlet of the air pump arrangement  94  being coupled to an air cleaner  98  by a short clean air supply conduit (not visible). The carburetor  90  also has a main combustion fuel inlet  100  coupled to an outlet end of a throttle body  102  of the carburetor  90 .  
         [0015]     A fuel converter assembly  104  includes a pair of interconnected fuel converter bodies  106  (only one shown). Each converter body  106  has a liquid fuel inlet coupled by a fuel line  108  to a propane tank  110 , which is carried on an upper rear region of the baling chamber  38 . Each converter body  106  includes a gaseous fuel outlet, which is coupled, by way of a manifold  112  to the combustion fuel inlet  100  of the carburetor  90 . A water conduit section (not shown) is located in the converter assembly  104  in heat transfer relationship to the liquid fuel located in the converter assembly and carries hot water for imparting heat to liquid propane that enters the converter assembly  104 , by way of the fuel line  108 , so as to convert the liquid propane to gaseous propane which exits the converter assembly  104  and flows into the carburetor  90  by way of the manifold  112 .  
         [0016]     Process water, used for forming the steam generated in the steam generator body  44 , is first routed into serially connected water jackets respectively of, and for cooling, the elbow  58 , generator body  54  and burner-head  56 , and then to the converter assembly  104 , for heating and changing to gas, the liquid propane that enters the fuel converter assembly  104 . This process water is supplied by a water pump  114  coupled for drawing water from a pair of interconnected water tanks  116  respectively located beneath the twine boxes  48  at the opposite sides of the baler  10  and at respective locations centered above the tandem wheels  14 , with only the right-hand water tank  116  being visible. The water pump  114  has an outlet coupled to the water jacket of the elbow  58  by a supply conduit  118 . A first bridging conduit  120  is coupled between the water jacket of the elbow  58  and the water jacket of the steam generator body  54 , while a second bridging conduit  122  is coupled between the water jackets respectively of the generator body  54  and the burner-head  56 . The burner-head water jacket is provided with an outlet coupled to an inlet of the fuel converter assembly  104  by a hot water feed conduit  124 . This process water flows out of the converter bodies  106  of the fuel converter assembly  104  into a manifold  126 , and from there into a connecting conduit  128  that leads to a water injection device (not visible) contained in a flange joint  130  between the elbow  58  and the generator body  54 , which injects water into hot combustion gases so that the water is turned into steam. It is noted that initially only some of the water is turned into steam but as the remaining water becomes more thoroughly mixed with the hot gases by the static mixer contained within the conduit section  62 , and also during traveling along the primary steam delivery conduit  60 , it too becomes steam so that only steam is present in the manifold  64 .  
         [0017]     Thus, it will be appreciated that the crop re-hydration system  50  is integrated into the baler  10  in a manner that does not increase the overall dimensions of the baler  10 . Further by placing the direct-fired steam generator assembly  52  at the rear of the baling chamber  38 , it is removed from the source of hydraulic fluid that supplies the pump assembly  24  at the front of the baler so that heat is not rejected into the hydraulic fluid. The placement of the combustion air cleaner  98  and air pump arrangement  94  at an upper rear location of the baler  10  has the advantages of being in a relatively clean location which is close to the carburetor  96  so that only a minimum of “plumbing” is required for connecting the inlet of the pump arrangement  94  to the air cleaner  98 , and for connecting the outlet of the pump arrangement  94  to the carburetor  90 . It is possible to mount the air pump arrangement  94 , which is driven with a hydraulic motor, at the front of the baler  10  so as to be in close proximity to the source of hydraulic fluid supplied by the pump assembly  24 , in which case, it might also be desirable to mount the air cleaner. With the pump arrangement  94  located at the front of the baler  10 , it may also be desirable to mount the air cleaner  98  at an elevated location at the front of the baler so as to be in a relatively clean location. While such an arrangement, as compared to the illustrated arrangement, has the drawback of requiring relatively long conduits to conduct clean air to the pump arrangement  94  and to conduct compressed air to the carburetor  90 , it has the advantage of requiring only a short conduit for coupling hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic pump drive motor.  
         [0018]     Another possible variation of the present invention from the illustrated embodiment could be that, instead of the water tanks  116  extending beneath relatively short twine boxes  48 , and over and about upper surfaces of the tandem wheels  14 , each water tank  116  could be replaced by a generally T-shaped water tank wherein the stem is relatively wide in the fore-and-aft direction so as to span a distance between center top locations of the wheels  14 . The twine boxes  38  would be reconfigured to include front and rear boxes respectively located against front side and rear sides of the stem of the adjacent water tank. The head of the water tank would extend over at least a portion of the top of the front and rear twine boxes. Further, because of the additional height of the twine boxes and of the height of the water tank, the steam distribution conduit  60  would be located in the same plane with the steam generator body  52  and extend over the top of the water tank at the right-hand side of the baler.  
         [0019]     It is to be noted that the vertical disposition of the steam distribution manifold  64  has the advantage of directing any solid particles, which may have been left when the water flashed to steam, and/or water droplets, which may have formed in the main distribution conduit  60  due to condensation after turning the crop re-hydration system  50  off, through the steam distribution conduit  66  coupled at the bottom of the manifold  64 . While these solid particles are of concern if they find their way into steam control valves, no such valve is associated with the conduit  66  and the particles are merely deposited on the ground or on the crop being baled. Because the steam injection manifold  68  is located forwardly of the pick-up  26 , water droplets are blown out of the injection manifold  68  and onto the ground during start up of the re-hydration system  50 . Once all of the water has been purged from the system, baling may commence, it being noted that starting to bale before purging the system of water could have a deleterious effect on the quality of the baled hay since spoilage may occur at the site where the droplets are deposited.  
         [0020]     If it is desired to equip the steam distribution conduit  66  with a steam control valve, instead of having the conduit  66  coupled to the bottom of the steam distribution manifold  64 , it may be desirable to place the conduit at a location above the bottom of the manifold  64  and to cap off the bottom of the manifold  64  with a removable cap for collecting solids which may be removed to clean out the solids and to permit condensed moisture to be purged during start up.  
         [0021]     Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.