Abstract:
A bale processor ( 10 ) of a type that efficiently processes both round and square bales. A bale processor chamber ( 12 ) has at least one moveable wall ( 12   b ) adjustable between a mostly vertical position suitable to process round bales and at least one less vertical position suitable to process square bales. A floor conveyor ( 16 ) is provided at the bottom of the bale processor chamber ( 12 ) and is oriented at an angle of eight to sixteen degrees from horizontal to move a bale and bale parts toward a rotor ( 14 ) which tears the bale into smaller pieces and throws the smaller pieces out of the bale processor ( 10 ).

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to bale processors and more particularly to a bale processor for processing bales of all shapes. 
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]    Bale processors are devices used to spread the content of bales of forage in a controlled way for reasons such as mulching or feeding livestock. Examples of bale processors are shown in application PCT/US2011/058514, filed Oct. 31, 2011, to Graham et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,911 to Patterson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,711,824 to Hruska, U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,784 to Lischynski et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,763 to Lepage et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,691 to Helmeczi et al. and Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0086857 to Lepage et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
         [0003]    One of the most popular configurations of bale processors includes a processing tub, that holds the bale while it is being processed, mounted to a frame with a hitch on the front, and a bale lift device at the back. The processing tub includes a conveyor located at the bottom, adjacent a rotor. The conveyor is configured move the round bale so that a portion of the bale comes into contact with the rotor. A portion of the bale also comes in contact with a side of the tub, a generally planar side panel that is positioned in a generally vertical orientation, adjacent to the rotor. These three devices, the conveyor, the rotor and the first side panel, work together to cause the round bale to rotate about its axis while the rotor cuts or tears a layer of material off the bale. The tubs generally include a second side panel, on the side of the machine opposite the first side panel, so that the conveyor can move the bale in either direction, so that the bale can be forced to rotate either clockwise or counter-clockwise. The bale lift device is positioned to place the bale approximately in the center of the tub, between the two side panels. 
         [0004]    These aforementioned bale processors were developed specifically to process round bales and they are not effective in processing large square bales (i.e. bales that are square or rectangular in cross section). 
         [0005]    One company, Brandt, developed and marketed a bale processor a brochure of which is cited in the invention disclosure statement of the instant patent file. The Brant bale processor, model VSF-X, was advertised by Brant as being able to process both large square bales and large round bales that included a conveyor at the bottom of its tub oriented at a 4.5 degree slope. This Brandt machine had a square bale kit that added the capability that the second side of the tub could be repositioned into a generally horizontal orientation, with an upper surface generally aligned with the upper surface of the conveyor. The combination of the conveyor and the side panel in the horizontal position defined a feed deck. This feed deck supported a large square bale, with about one half of the bale on the side panel and the other half on the conveyor, it being surmised that the feed conveyor was used to move the bale towards the rotor. The side panel of this product was positioned with a hydraulic cylinder, in either (1) a raised position for processing round bales, or (2) in a lowered position for processing square bales. 
         [0006]    The Brandt bale lift device was modified for the square bale kit, to include bale forks that would pick-up and load a square bale off-set from the original center of the tub, the center of the side panels when both are in a vertical position, to place the bale on the feed deck, with approximately half of the bale supported by the second side panel when in the horizontal orientation. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, a bale processor that will efficiently process both round and square bales is needed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The above needs are at least partially met through provision of the method and apparatus described in the following detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the bale processor of the present invention with a moveable side wall in a position ideal for processing round bales; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the bale processor of the present invention like  FIG. 1 , but with a moveable side wall in a position for processing square bales; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a front elevational schematic view with the front sheet metal panel of the hopper removed to show the working parts inside and showing the moveable side wall in a position for processing square bales; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a front elevational schematic view with the front sheet metal panel of the hopper removed to show the working parts inside and showing the moveable side wall in a position for processing round bales; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational schematic view with the front sheet metal panel of the hopper removed to show the working parts inside and showing the moveable side wall in a first position for processing square bales and showing a square bale being processed; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front elevational schematic view with the front sheet metal panel of the hopper removed to show the working parts inside and showing the moveable side wall in a second position for processing square bales and showing a square bale being processed. 
       
    
    
       [0015]    Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate identical or similar parts throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1-6  show a bale processor  10  constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         [0017]    The bale processor  10  has a frame  11  as shown in  FIG. 3 , connecting a hopper  12  to the frame  11  for receiving a bale (not shown) to be processed. The hopper  12  has two side walls  12   a / 12   b  and two end walls,  12   f / 12   r  arranged to define an open top through which the bale is loaded. The two side walls  12   a / 12   b  converge inwardly and downwardly to a lower disintegration area  13 . 
         [0018]    A flail rotor  14  is mounted in the disintegration area  13  and is rotatable about an axis  15 , extending generally along the side wall  12   a  and transverse to the end walls  12   f / 12   r . The flails  14  are preferably flails like those shown with the outer cutting edge leading the rest of the flail when it rotates because this type of flail tends to throw the material, which action is desired in a bale processor. The rotor  14  and flails  14   f  can be like those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,691, column 1, starting at line  45 . An example of such a typical flail disintegrator for a bale processor is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-24  and is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,553 to Hruska, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0019]    One end of each flail  14   f  is welded to a hollow cylindrical section for pivotally mounting by a bolt to a support or tab that is welded to the rotor  14 . The other, radially outer, end of flail is beveled to provide a cutting or tearing edge. 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a portion of a chain conveyor  16  positioned in the hopper  12  to rotate a round bale  17   r  around an axis  17   a  that is generally parallel to the flail rotor axis  15 . Chain conveyor  16  is powered by hydrostatically powered drive sprocket  16   ds  and idler sprocket  16   is  that are positioned outside and below the hopper  12 . Drive members  16   a , supported by plate  16   p  and wear strips  16   w , and attached to chains  16   c , engage the bale  17 , at the bottom of the hopper  12 . Movement of the drive members  16   a  in the direction of arrow  16   d  result in rotation of the bale in direction  17   d . The flail rotor  14  rotates in a direction  14   d . The direction of movement of chain conveyor  16  can be reversed as may be required to accommodate variations in bale shape. Wear strips  16   w  are supported on metal formed in channels  16   p  disposed at the bottom of the hopper  12 . 
         [0021]    The flail rotor  14  provides an outer support surface with a plurality of flails  14   f  pivotally mounted thereon along axes  14   p  for movement therewith around the flail rotor axis  15  for engaging the bale  17  and removing material from the outside thereof due to the flails  14   f  above the spacer bars  18  coming in contact with the outer part of the bale  17 . Some of the flails  14   f  are spaced apart along the flail rotor axis  15 . The rotor  14  is like U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,691 to Helmeczi et al., and the flails  14   f  are preferably cup shaped like those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,691 to Helmeczi et al., which has been incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
         [0022]    One of the side walls  12   a  has the rotor access door  12   do  at the disintegration area  13  for discharge of the material removed from the bale  17  by the flail rotor flails  14   f  from the disintegration area  13 .  12   do  is a rotor access door which must be closed during machine operation. It is used to perform rotor inspection and maintenance. The rotor access door  12   do  can optionally be held closed with latches  12 L when the bale processor  10  is in use and opened for maintenance and inspection when the bale processor not in use. 
         [0023]    A plurality of depth control bars, called slugbars,  18  are pivotally attached at the top end by bolts  18   a , the depth control bars  18  being disposed between adjacent flails  14   f  for controlling the distance that a radially outer end of the flails  14   f  extend into the outer surface of the bale  17 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , it is noted that a minimum slope MS of 8 degrees of the conveyor  16  from horizontal is required to consistently cause round bales to rotate while being processed. 
         [0025]    Using a floor conveyor  16  positioned at that angle of more than eight (8) degrees also allows processing of square bales  17   s  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) when the position the second side panel  12   b  is at a wall angle WA about pivot point  12   p , steep enough to guarantee that when the bale  17   s  falls apart, after the twines are cut, the loose material will slide off the side panel  12   b  and onto the floor conveyor  16 . The combination of a floor conveyor  16  at a slope of between 8 and 15 degrees from horizontal with the side panel  12   b  at a slope of at least 20 degrees from horizontal, is able to reliably process large square bales. 
         [0026]    Looking to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , once a square bale  17   s  is loaded in the processing area  12 , the floor conveyor  16  can move one corner of the bale  17   s  into contact with the rotor flails  14   f  of rotor  14 . Once the rotor  14  securely contacts the bale  17   s , and a sufficient amount of material is removed from the bale  17   s  to expose the twine (not shown), the rotor  14  cuts the twines and the bale  17   s  will fall apart. Approximately half of the bale  17   s  is then supported by the floor conveyor  16  and can reliably be moved into contact with the rotor  14  and against the first side panel  12   a  by the conveyor  16 . The other half of the bale  17   s  will be supported by the second side panel  12   b . With the second side panel  12   b  in an angled position as shown in  FIG. 5  or  6 , the material of bale  17   s  will slide down the second side panel  12   b  and in to contact with the conveyor  16 . The angled position of second side panel  12   b  also results in an enlarged space between the first and second side panels  12   a / 12   b  to allow an eight foot long square bale to be loaded. It is to be understood that  FIGS. 5 and 6  show the extreme pivoted positions of the wall  12   b  for use with square bales  17   s , but that the wall  12   b  could be positioned anywhere between the  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  position for processing square bales  17   s.    
         [0027]    The operation of the present invention can be summarized as follows: 
         [0028]    (1) Position the floor conveyor  16  at an angle of at least 8 degrees, as measured from horizontal, to assure consistent operation when processing round bales  17   r . When configured for processing round bales  17   r  both the first and second side panels  12   a / 12   b  are mostly vertical as shown in  FIG. 4  and the bale lift device  20  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) places a bale  17   r  in the center, as defined as the middle of the space between the side panels  12   a / 12   b.    
         [0029]    (2) For processing a square bale  17   s , reposition the second side panel  12   b  to an alternate position shown in or between that shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , angled at least 20 degrees as measured from the horizontal plane, to widen the tub between walls  12   a  and  12   b  to receive a square bale  17   s.    
         [0030]    (3) With the second side panel  12   b  in this alternate position of  FIG. 5  or  6 , or a position between the positions shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a portion of a square bale  17   s  that is loaded into the processing tub, in any position that the bale can take within the tub, will be in contact with the floor conveyor  16  with enough contact area that the floor conveyor  16  is capable of moving the bale  17   s  in either direction, towards the rotor  14  and the first side panel  12   a , or towards the second side panel  12   b.    
         [0031]    (4) When the rotor  14  is rotated to process the bale  17   s , the floor conveyor  16  can move the bale  17   s  into contact with the rotor  14 , oscillating it back and forth if required, until the rotor  14  cuts into the bale  17   s  far enough to cut through the twines. Once the twines are cut, the bale  17   s  will fall apart, and onto the floor conveyor  16 . 
         [0032]    Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept as expressed by the attached claims.