Patent ID: 7805914

Claim:
A bale kicker apparatus for an agricultural round baler, the baler having a ground supported chassis for movement across the ground in a forward direction, and a movable tailgate, the apparatus comprising: a first actuator for moving the tailgate between an open position and a closed position; a movable bale ramp pivotally connected to the chassis for pivotal movement about an axis, said ramp having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said forward portion being angled with respect to said rearward portion; a second actuator for managing the pivotal position of said ramp between raised and lowered positions; and a hydraulic control system interconnecting said first actuator and said second actuator wherein movement of the tailgate toward the open position causes movement of said ramp toward said lowered position, and movement of the tailgate toward the closed position causes movement of said ramp toward said raised position and said first actuator is a double-acting hydraulic actuator having an extension side and a retraction side and said second actuator is a single acting hydraulic actuator, said retraction side and said second actuator are connected in a parallel flow arrangement to said hydraulic control system.