Square baler for simultaneously forming multiple bales

A square baler includes a crop feed duct defining a pre-compression chamber which is curved upwardly and rearwardly from an open forward end and an inlet located across the bottom of a baling chamber. A pair of vertical partitions extend between top and bottom walls of the pre-compression chamber and divide it into three equal sized channels. Respectively located in fore-and-aft alignment with front edges of the pair of partitions is a pair of stationary knives forming part of a crop cutter arrangement including a pre-cutter rotor carrying two pairs of blades, with one of each pair cooperating with one of the stationary knives to cut incoming crop into three segments which are respectively moved into the three channels by a packer arrangement. Once the crop in the pre-compression chamber attains a preselected density, a stuffer arrangement is actuated to lift separate charges of crop from the three channels and force them into the baling chamber where they are compressed into three separate, side-by-side flakes by the baler plunger. When sufficient charges have been compressed to form three bales having a desired thickness in one embodiment, or a desired length in another embodiment, two lengths of twine are tied about each of the three bales.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to so-called square balers, and more specifically relates to a baler designed for simultaneously forming a plurality of small square bales.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical bale dimension formed by known small square balers is 14″×18″×48″, with the bale weighing from 70-80 lbs. and being bound by two strands of twine, white a typical bale dimension produced by a large square baler is 4′×4′×8′, with the bale weighing in the neighborhood of 2000 lbs. and being bound by six strands of twine. It follows then that one drawback of producing small square bales is that the capacity is relatively low as compared to the capacity of a large square baler.

Thus, the problem to be solved is that of constructing a baler for making small square balers at a rate which is significantly increased compared to the capacity of conventional small square balers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a baler for forming small square bales, the baler having a capacity significantly greater than that of a conventional small square baler.

An object of the invention is to provide a baler for forming small square bales which has a throughput capacity comparable to that of a large square baler. This object is accomplished by modifying a large square baler having a pre-cutter and crop-delivery duct, which may or may not also serve as a pre-compression chamber, so that the baler plunger simultaneously creates multiple small square bales in the main baling chamber.

More specifically, according to a first embodiment, a large square baler for producing 4′×4′×8′ bales is modified by separating the crop-delivery duct into three equal sized, transversely arranged, side-by-side channels by placing two vertical partitions spaced transversely from each other and opposite side walls of the duct. The pre-cutter includes a pair of knives located in an operative position forwardly of, and in longitudinal alignment with, the two partitions. A pre-cutter rotor includes two pairs of transversely spaced plates is provided forwardly of the pair of knives, with each pair of plates being located for sweeping paths which bring them close to opposite sides of an associated one of the pair of knives. A packer arrangement is provided for sweeping crop that has been sliced by the pair of knives into the crop-delivery duct, which here serves as a pre-compression chamber, with the crop thus being received in the three transversely arranged, side-by-side channels. A steer arrangement, is provided for sweeping pre-compressed crop from the channels into the baling chamber when the density of the crop reaches a predetermined value as determined by a density sensor arrangement. Thus, when the stuffer arrangement lifts the pre-compressed crop into the baling chamber, three charges of crop, each being 16″ wide and 48′ high (this dimension being the length of a formed small square bale) are placed in front of the baler plunger. When the plunger has acted to compress the charges into a plurality of flakes so as to produce a desired thickness of compressed crop, 12″ for example, a bale length sensor operates to cause a tying apparatus to place two twines about each of the three 12″×16″×48′ bales, which travel rearwardly through the baling chamber, noting that in an eight foot length normally occupied by one large square bale, 24 small square bales will be formed. It is possible of course to increase the bale height by using a different bale height sensor setting as the desired bale height, noting that this sensor in conventional balers and other versions of balers embodying the present invention, senses length.

It is of course possible by making the main baling chamber of different desired cross sectional dimensions to create small bales having the same size as the small bales noted above or of various other desired sizes. For example, small square bales of the same size noted above can be formed by starting with having a baling chamber which is dimensioned 48″ wide and 12″ high. In this embodiment, operation is the same as the first, except that the tying apparatus is not activated until the three groups of crop flakes have been compressed into a 48″ length.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now toFIG. 1, there is shown a large rectangular baler10including a frame supported on a set of tandem wheels14for being towed over the ground by a tractor hitched to a tongue16fixed to, and projecting forwardly from a forward end of the frame12.

A baling chamber18is supported by the frame12and extends fore-and-aft at a zone located above the wheels14. The chamber18is here shown as having a square cross section, which could be 4′×4′, for example. A plunger20is mounted in a forward section of the chamber18for being reciprocated through the action of a toggle linkage defined by first and second links24and26, respectively, coupled to each other at a pivotal connection28, with the first link24being pivotally coupled to the plunger at a pin30, and with the second link26being coupled to the frame12at a pin32. When the plunger20is fully extended to the rear, as shown inFIG. 1, the pins30and32are located such that they lie along a longitudinal center axis of the baling chamber18. A hydraulic plunger cylinder33, for toggling the links24and26, is then oriented nearly vertically in a retracted condition and has its rod end pivotally coupled to the second link26at34, and has its cylinder end coupled to the frame12at35. Extension of the cylinder33will cause the link26to be pivoted upwardly about the pin32resulting in the plunger20being retracted to the extent that it uncovers a crop material inlet36extending entirely across a region forwardly of a stationary knife (not shown) provided across a forward end38of a bottom wall or floor40of the baling chamber18so that it cooperates with a horizontal knife arrangement (also not shown) provided at the lower rear region of the plunger for cutting off crop located within the inlet36when the plunger moves to the rear across the inlet during a compaction cycle.

Shown within the baling chamber18are a plurality of small square bales42, formed, in a manner described below, with their length dimension extending vertically between the bottom wall40and a fop wall44of the baling chamber18, and with their height dimension extending lengthwise of the baling chamber.

Referring now also toFIG. 2, it can be seen that a crop-delivery duct or chute46is curved upwardly and rearwardly from an open forward end48to the baling chamber inlet36. The duct46includes top and bottom walls50and52, respectively, joined to right- and left-hand side walls54and56, respectively. The duct46, in this embodiment, defines a pre-compression chamber having a width equal to that of the baling chamber18and is divided into right-hand, middle, and left-hand channels60,62and64, respectively, of equal width, by right- and left-hand vertical partitions66and68, respectively, which extend parallel to each other and to the side walls54and56. The open forward end48of the duct46is located just to the rear of a crop cutter arrangement70including right- and left-hand vertical knives72and74, respectively, located just in front of, and in fore-and-aft alignment with, front edges of the right- and left-hand partitions66and68. The crop cutter arrangement70further includes a pre-cutter rotor76comprising right- and left-hand pairs of blades80and82mounted for rotating together with a horizontal transverse rotor shaft84, with the right-hand pair of blades80being mounted for passing closely adjacent opposite sides of the right-hand stationary knife72, and with the left-hand pair of blades82being mounted for passing closely adjacent opposite sides of the left-hand stationary knife74. Located just forwardly of the cutter arrangement70for delivering crop to it is a pick-up arrangement86including a tined pick-up reel88and a centering screw conveyor90.

A packer fork arrangement91is provided for receiving crop from the crop cutter arrangement70and feeding the crop into the pre-compression chamber defined by the duct46. A retention arrangement92is pivotally mounted so that tines93at its upper end can be selectively moved into an upper region of the duct46so as to block crop from passing through the baling chamber inlet36while crop is being packed to a pre-selected density within the duct46. Upon the material being compressed to the pre-selected density, a density sensor94located in a front region of the duct bottom wall52sends a signal to actuate an actuator (not shown) for withdrawing the tines93of the retention arrangement92from the duct46and for actuating the stuffer arrangement96, to cause forks of the stuffer arrangement84to enter into longitudinal slots98provided in the top wall50of the duct46and sweep through the duct46so as to engage a pre-compressed charge of the crop material and force the charge through the baling chamber inlet36so that it is placed just to the rear of a rear face of the plunger20, which is at this time retracted to the forward side of the baling chamber inlet36. Because the duct46is partitioned so as to form three equal-sized channels60,62and64, three separate, transversely arranged, side-by-side crop charges are simultaneously swept up into the baling chamber18.

Assuming that the baling chamber has a cross section that is 4′×4′, each of the channels60,62and64will have a width of 18″. In a typical baling operation, the plunger20will compress each charge of crop into a flake 2″ thick. After six strokes, three transversely arranged bales66dimensioned 16″×12″×48″ will be formed. A bale thickness measuring device, such as a toothed wheel (not shown) conventionally used to measure length, can be provided on the baling chamber18and rotated by the rearwardly advancing bale for measuring the height of the bale being formed. When a desired dimension has been measured, the height sensor causes a tying mechanism100, partially shown inFIG. 1, to be actuated so as to cause a yoke102carrying six twine-delivery needles104to be pivoted so that the needles104travel upwardly through slots provided in a forward region of the bottom of the baling chamber18and then through slots105, defined between seven upright, transversely spaced plunger sections108(seeFIG. 3), and deliver twine to respective knotters (not shown) of the tying mechanism100so as to secure two lengths of twine106about each of the three bales42, as shown inFIG. 6. Thus, groups of three transversely arranged, side-by-side formed bales42move rearwardly in the baling chamber18until they exit the baling chamber, where they can be accumulated on a bale accumulator (not shown) towed by the baler10, or they can be deposited directly on the ground for being picked up later.

In order to prevent the interfaces of the three side-by-side charge portions of crop from becoming comingled during formation of the side-by-side bales, a charge separator110is fixed to a compaction face112of each of the two plunger sections108respectively located in alignment with the interface between the opposite sides of the respective crop charges conveyed to the chamber18from the middle channel60and from the right and left side channels62and64. Each charge separator110is in the form of a vertical rectangular bar having a tapered rear portion which separates and deflects comingled crop at the adjacent charge interface to the opposite sides of the separator110as it moves rearwardly during a compaction stroke of the plunger20. The fore-and-aft dimension of each separator110is approximately equal to the thickness of a flake of crop that is produced from each charge portion so that a complete separation of the side-by-side formed flakes occurs.

In some installations, it may be desirable to retract the separators within the confines of the associated plunger section108so that the separators do not project beyond the compaction faces112of the plunger sections when the plunger20is refracted, for example. Referring toFIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a separator110′ secured to a rear end of a piston rod114of an extensible and retractable actuator116, which is shown extended inFIG. 4so as to dispose the separator110′ in a rearwardly extended working position, and which is shown retracted inFIG. 5so as to dispose the separator110′ in a non-working position wherein it is retracted within the plunger section108. Actuation of the actuator116is preferably automatically carried out in concert with the operation of the plunger actuator33so that when the actuator33contracts to move the plunger20rearwardly in the chamber18the actuator116will extend to extend the separator110. Conversely, when the plunger actuator33extends so as to move the plunger33forwardly of the baling chamber inlet36, the actuator116is retracted so as to retract the separator110within the associated plunger section108.

Baler embodiments having baling chambers of other cross sections could be used. For example, a baling chamber which is only 12″ high could be provided for making small square bales having the same size as the bales42. In this embodiment the bale length would extend lengthwise within the baling chamber with the bale length measuring wheel being operated to effect tying of the bale after registering a length of 4′. In any event, no matter what size of small bale is desired the number of side-by-side channels Cn, and, hence, the number of bales that are simultaneously formed would be equal to the number of partitions Pn+1.

Further, it should be noted that with some baler embodiments it may be possible to effectively feed crop into the crop-conveying duct without using a packer arrangement, with the compaction of the charges of crop into flakes by the plunger creating bales of adequate density. For example, the feeding of crop into the crop conveying duct of some arrangements could effectively be accomplished by the cutter blades, especially if they are shaped for more aggressively moving the crop.