Leaf baler

Apparatus for picking up leaves and other loose material from a lawn or other surface and compacting such material in a bag for disposal. As in prior art apparatus of this type, the material is propelled by a rotating paddle wheel into the forward section of a housing, and from a rear housing section to an auger compactor which feeds the material into a bag positioned upon and against side and end support walls. In the present apparatus, better compaction is achieved by inhibiting rotation of the material within the bag due to rotation imparted by the auger. This action is provided by protrusions on the end and side walls of the support walls which indent the flexible bag as it is filled. As a further safety feature, a skirt carrying pivoted obstruction members prevents objects from being propelled forwardly of the apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to implements of the lawn sweeper type, and 
more specifically to improvements in power-driven lawn implements of the 
type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,320 of the present inventor. 
The apparatus of the aforementioned patent is adapted to pick up loose 
leaves, grass, and the like, lying upon a lawn, park, roadside, etc. and 
deposit them by an auger-type feed mechanism in a bag releasably mounted 
on the implement. Although the implement is generally effective for the 
intended purpose, it has been found that, although the bag is stationarily 
mounted upon the apparatus, the leaves or other loose material may be 
rotated by the auger, whereby the material is not well compacted within 
the bag. Also, due to the position and manner of movement of the sweeper 
or pick-up portion of the apparatus, small stones, etc. may be thrown 
forwardly of the apparatus, creating a safety hazard. 
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and 
improved lawn implement for picking up and bagging leaves, grass, and the 
like, wherein the loose material is more densely compacted within the bag 
than in similar, prior apparatus of this type. 
A further object is to provide a power-driven implement in the nature of a 
lawn sweeper and leaf baler having simple yet effective means for reducing 
or eliminating the safety hazard arising from stones, or the like, which 
may be propelled outwardly by the moving pick-up mechanism. 
Still another object is to provide a power-driven lawn implement having 
both of the aforementioned improved features. 
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The basic structure of the lawn implement of the present invention may be 
the same in many respects as that of aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 
3,229,320, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. As 
seen in the prior patent, the apparatus includes, in addition to the usual 
frame and ground-engaging wheels, power-driven sweeper and auger means for 
respectively picking up loose leaves, etc. and feeding such material into 
the open end of a flexible bag supported in a horizontal orientation upon 
the apparatus. The closed end of the bag abuts against a smooth, flat, 
circular plate mounted for movement against a controlled resistance as the 
bag is filled. The bag is further supported over approximately the lower 
180.degree. of its sidewall by a semi-cylindrical, smooth, flat plate. 
Although the bag and its supporting plates do not rotate, the leaves 
entering the bag tend to rotate due to rotary movement of the auger with 
resulting loss of compaction. 
In the apparatus of the present invention, rotation of the loose materials 
within the bag is inhibited and compaction improved by providing 
projections on one or both of the flat end plate and semi-cylindrical side 
support plate. These projections are preferably in the nature of radially 
extending vanes or ribs on the end plate, and longitudinally extending 
rods on the side support plate. These stationary projections indent the 
bottom (closed end) and/or lower sides of the filled portion of the bag to 
inhibit rotation of the material deposited in the bag. Also, the 
rotation-inhibiting effect is enhanced by the fact that the material 
leaving the discharge end of the auger is normally intertwined with the 
material already in the bag which is inhibited from rotation by the 
projections on the support plates. 
In a second aspect of improvement of the apparatus, a skirt extends 
forwardly of the lower, front section of the pick-up housing, providing a 
solid wall a few inches above the ground. A plurality of L-shaped plates 
are pivotally attached to the skirt and include portions normally 
extending downwardly therefrom to edges in close proximity to the surface 
over which the apparatus travels. The plates are cooperatively arranged to 
provide, in combination, an essentially continuous vertical wall extending 
downwardly from the skirt. The pivotal mounting of the plates permits 
movement in a rearward direction, whereby they do not interfere with 
forward movement of the apparatus over rocks, sticks, etc., but prevents 
such objects from being propelled in the forward direction so that such 
objects are not forcibly ejected from the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to the drawings, the leaf baler apparatus of the invention, 
denoted generally by reference numeral 10, includes suitable rigid frame 
means 12 supported for movement over the ground upon wheels 14. Handle 16 
for guiding the apparatus, and motor 18 for driving certain moveable 
elements described later are mounted upon respective portions of frame 
means 12. Baler 10 includes integral, forward and rear housing sections 20 
and 22, respectively. Forward section 20 extends substantially the full 
width of the baler and converges from one side toward the other from front 
to rear to meet rear section 22, as best seen in FIG. 2. Also, as seen in 
FIGS. 1 and 3, forward section 20 slopes upwardly from left to right, as 
seen from the front, and from front to rear. 
Paddle wheel 24 is mounted upon shaft 26 (FIG. 4) for rotation by motor 18 
in the direction of arrow 28 through a suitable belt and pulley connection 
(not shown). Thus, as baler 10 is moved over the ground, leaves, loose 
grass, etc. will be picked up by paddle wheel 24 and propelled from front 
section 20 to the upper area of rear housing section 22. Auger 32 is 
mounted for rotation upon shaft 34 which extends laterally across rear 
housing section 22 and is driven by motor 18 via conventional shafts, 
gears, pulleys and belts. Leaves enter auger 32 from rear housing section 
22 and are moved from right to left, as seen in FIG. 4. 
Leaves delivered by auger 32 are compacted in a flexible bag 36 having an 
open end which is drawn over cylinder 39, surrounding the discharge end of 
auger 32. Except for the relative arrangement and configuration of certain 
parts, the features of baler 10 thus far described are essentially the 
same as those of aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,320, to which 
reference may be had for any additional constructional details. 
One of the distinguishing features of the present invention, providing 
improved operation over the prior art baler, is shown individually in FIG. 
5, and in association with other elements in FIG. 4. Semi-cylindrical bag 
support 40 is affixed to circular end plate 42. Radial protrusions 44 
extend from end plate 42 in the direction of the discharge end of auger 
32. A plurality of rods 46 extend axially of support 40, being fixedly 
attached to the inner surface thereof. As leaves are compacted by auger 32 
in bag 36, support 40 and its associated end plate 42 are moved toward the 
left, as seen in FIG. 4, with controlled resistance to such movement 
provided by spring-loaded detent rod 48 riding over successive teeth of 
ratchet member 50, as in the prior art baler. 
A difficulty sometimes encountered with the prior art baler was the 
tendency of the leaves to rotate within the bag under the rotational 
impulse of the auger. This detracts from good compaction of the leaves 
within the bag. Radial protrusions 44 indent the bag bottom and rods 46 
indent the lower portion of the bag sidewall as the leaves are pushed into 
the bag, thereby inhibiting leaf rotation and providing good compaction. 
When bag 36 is full, of course, it is removed and replaced by another bag 
with end plate 42 returned to its position adjacent the discharge end of 
auger 32. 
An additional safety feature, baler 10 is provided with means for 
preventing rocks, sticks, etc. from being propelled forwardly by paddle 
wheel 24. Such means comprise an essentially planar skirt 52 extending 
forwardly from the lower, front edge of forward housing section 20, and a 
plurality of L-shaped plates or baffles 54, pivotally mounted upon 
individual pins 56 for movement within respective openings 58 in skirt 52. 
Baffles 54 are mounted in front and rear rows 54' and 54", respectively 
(FIGS. 2 and 6). The baffles of each row are laterally spaced from one 
another by a distance slightly less than the width of an individual 
baffle, whereby the two rows of baffles cooperate to form an essentially 
continuous wall extending laterally of skirt 52. 
As seen in FIG. 7, when the downwardly extending portion of any baffle 54 
contacts an obstruction, such as rock 60, as baler 10 is moved forwardly, 
the baffle is pivoted in a clockwise direction and moves over the rock. If 
rock 60 is propelled forwardly by paddle wheel 24, it will strike the 
downwardly extending portion of one or more baffles 54, which cannot pivot 
in a counterclockwise direction due to contact of the upper, rearwardly 
extending portion of the baffles with the upper surface of skirt 52 
adjacent the rear edge of the respective opening 58. 
From the foregoing, it may be seen that the baler of the present invention 
provides improved operation with respect to that of the present inventor's 
prior patent. Inhibiting the leaves from rotating within the bag permits 
more complete leaf compaction and the array of moveable baffles enhances 
the safety of operation by preventing objects from being propelled 
forwardly of the baler.