Patent ID: 8113113

Claim:
In combination with a baler for making large cylindrical bales and including a mobile main frame, a baling chamber including a fixed forward section having opposite sidewalls forming part of said main frame, and a movable rear section defining a discharge gate mounted to an upper rear location of said forward section for pivoting about a transverse axis between a closed baling position and a raised discharge position, with a rearmost surface carried by said discharge gate thereby tracing a swing path, a discharged bale control device, comprising: a bale control arm assembly mounted to said main frame and including transversely extending front and rear bale control members mounted for movement among various operating positions including a home position, wherein said front and rear bale control members are located adjacent the closed discharge gate, a bale-receiving position, wherein said front and rear bale control members are disposed in a plane extending beneath said swing path and defining a space between them for directly receiving a bale discharged onto the ground, a bale-locating position, wherein said front bale control member is shifted to the rear a distance for locating the discharged bale rearward of said swing path, with the front and rear bale control members acting for causing the bale to come to a complete stop despite rolling inertia being imparted to the bale during discharge, and a resume-baling position, wherein said rear bale control member is moved to a bale-clearing position relative to the discharged bale permitting forward movement of said rear bale control member without contacting the discharged bale; and an actuator assembly being coupled for selectively moving said front and rear bale control members among said various operating positions.