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|||||||IIIHIII USOO5479766A United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,479,766 Ransom (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 2, 1996 (54) BALINGAPPARATUS AND METHOD Primary Examiner–Stephen J. Novosad Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jenner & Block 76 Inventor: Woodbury S. Ransom, 14 Elm Rd., Bolinas, Calif. 94924 57) ABSTRACT Abaling apparatus is provided for forming large rectangular 21 Appl. No.: 271327 bales of fibrous material. The apparatus includes a rectan gular bale chamber having an inlet for receiving baling 22 Filed: Jul. 6, 1994 material beneath the bale chamber and an outlet for dis (51) Int. Cl. ........................... A01D 87/02; A01E 15/02; charging completed bales at the top of the bale chamber. AO1F 15/04 Balable material is gathered from the surface of the field of by the pickup mechanism, formed into a mat by clamping 52 U.S. Cl. ................................. 56/341; 56/343; 56/432; rollers and transported toward the bale chamber by a con 100/3; 100/35 veying mechanism. A conveyor sweep apparatus detaches a 58 Field of Search .............................. 56/341, 432, 433, segment of the mat on the conveyor and feeds it to a 56/343; 100/3, 35, 100 compressing mechanism located beneath the bale chamber inlet. The clamping rollers ensure that the mat separates 56) References Cited cleanly when engaged by the sweep apparatus. The com U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS pressing structure then compresses the segment of baling 3,583,312 6/1971 Van Doorn et al. ...................... OO/90 material in a slow upward compression stroke into the bale 3,828,535 8/1974 Lundahl ............. ... 56/344 chamber inlet. As a result, a rectangular bale comprising 4,193,251 3/1980 Oosterling et al. ... 56/341 successive horizontal layers is formed within the bale cham 4,302,923 12/1981 Molitorisz ...... ... 56/341 ber. A dedicated structure is provided for tying completed 4,464,889 8/1984 Weelink ..... ... 56/341 bales within the bale chamber and discharging the bales onto 4,803,832 2/1989 Crawford .................................. 56/341 the surface of the field. 5,105,563 4/1992 Fingerson et al. .................... 56/432 X 5,299,684 4/1994 Ransom ................................. 206/83.5 27 Claims, 14 Drawing Sheets O 58 72 IO 34 36 36 -9 IIIIIIINit 1.loo l 1 s U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 1 of 14 5,479,766 S s 8 U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 2 of 14 5,479,766 U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 3 of 14 5,479,766 : U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 4 of 14 5,479,766 N NIN NSSNN U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 5 of 14 5,479,766 All s S. U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 6 of 14 5,479,766 5. & NN W. g 2. (O 9 U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 7 of 14 5,479,766 ===[4||4||4||×], (2)(N)@(T) @rn of He-| 88 U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 8 of 14 5,479,766 FIG 8A 88 Use is as -. - SOs sea Fasa " SIEEEI GT UY 32 U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 9 of 14 5,479,766 IO6 IO4 O8 II6 E esses iteisegeS 5SAES E. I29 I39 FFessesses 7aelanese Ze 143 I6 1421 8O I6 1.PS-88-) E|| EE LIE Usess as 34 28 o 42 IO8 14O I38 143 I6 d IFIE. - I Use Y-8s U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 10 of 14 5,479,766 O P. I 32 86 86 FIGS -135 I3O / 4. V ZAZZZZZZZ 1LA's U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 11 of 14 5,479,766 S. Ya 8 YA, WiMAy voy l tly y CO ... I " H.V. - ; !",: s \ h l,E. : : ill ' ' , , , ;3 . iii' $8 S IVWAWA S $8 IEEEAA -1. \ .. if A. VIAWTA IV $8 U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 12 of 14 5,479,766 No.! ETTETTE U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 13 of 14 5,479,766 U.S. Patent Jan. 2, 1996 Sheet 14 of 14 5,479,766 | ||||||| \en | ----------------- | 91 5,479,766 1. 2 BALING APPARATUS AND METHOD SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTON In accordance with the present invention, an improved The present invention relates to an apparatus and method baling apparatus and method is provided which overcomes forbaling materials. More specifically, the present invention the limitations of the prior art. More specifically, a baling relates to a device and method for forming large rectangular apparatus of non-complex design is provided which has bales having a high bale density. modest power requirements and which is capable of pro BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ducing a rectangular bale with a specific density of well above 14 pounds per cubic foot. Baling apparatus for forming large bales of crop or other fibrous materials are well known today. Although balers of 10 In accordance with the present invention, the baling many designs have been in use for a number of years, mobile apparatus includes a bale chamber with a material receiving balers which produce large round or rectangular bales are a inlet located at the bottom of the chamber and an outlet for relatively recent development. A typical mobile baler oper discharging bales located at the top of the chamber. The ates continuously, gathering balable material that lies in a baling apparatus provides a delivery mechanism for feeding windrow on the surface of a field, compacting the material 15 balable material to a compressing structure adjacent to the into a bale within a bale chamber and tying and discharging material receiving inlet of the bale chamber. The compress the completed bale in the field. ing structure compresses the material through the bale A primary concern of the designer of a baler mechanism chamber inlet. As a result, successive horizontal layers of is the expense of shipping and storing completed bales. In baling material are formed within the bale chamber. A order to minimize the amount of space required to store 20 supporting structure is also provided to support the bottom completed bales, it is highly desirable that the bale have a layers of the bale. high density in pounds of material per cubic foot. In addi In accordance with one embodiment of the present inven tion, because round bales tend to roll and are more difficult tion, the baling apparatus forms large rectangular bales of to handle and store than rectangular bales, rectangular bales balable material and includes a bale chamber having a are generally preferred over round bales. 25 rectangular cross section. In the preferred embodiment, the It is believed that the even distribution of material in each delivery structure includes a pick-up and conveyor mecha layer of the bale has an important effect on bale density. One nism for gathering balable material and transporting a mat of of the advantages found in round balers is that they add the material toward the bale chamber. A sweep mechanism layers of material simply by "rolling up' material from the engages and feeds a section of the mat to an area below the field without disturbing the windrow. In addition, each new 30 material receiving inlet of the bale chamber. During the layer of material in a round bale is evenly compressed. As . operation of the baling apparatus, the detached section of the a result of this gentle handling and uniform compression, the mat which is to be compressed remains oriented parallel layers of material in round bales is of relatively even with the surface of the field. This has the effect of main distribution. In contrast, many typical rectangular balers tear taining the integrity of the windrow which helps to ensure an sections of material from the incoming windrow and com 35 even distribution of each layer of material in the bale. press the sections into the bale chamber using a horizontal The compressing structure located beneath the receiving ram. This can result in a relatively uneven distribution of inlet of the bale chamber comprises a ram with a flat surface material in each layer of the bale. Therefore, round balers for receiving the mat of balable material. The compressing tend to produce higher density bales than typical rectangular ram moves upward in a compression stroke compressing the balers per unit of compressive force applied. 40 balable material against the bottom of the bale within the Prior attempts to overcome these disadvantages have not bale chamber. This gentle handling helps to minimize leaf been entirely successful. For example, in one approach to shattering and feed value loss. Moreover, higher density rectangular baling, the windrow is gathered into a recipro bales are produced because compression is uniform across cating chute or conveyor forming bales with layers having a 45 the face of the bale and because of the relatively even zig-zag pattern. Such a baling apparatus is described in U.S. distribution of the hay to be compressed. Pat. No. 4,803,832 to Crawford. Alternatively, the gathered The supporting structure includes moveable gates that windrow can be transported vertically into an oscillating alternatively open to a non-support position and close to a bale chamber as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,923 to Molitorisz. support position. The gate movement is synchronized with Although these designs improve material distribution in 50 the operation of the compressing structure such that the each layer of the bale, bale density is not greatly improved supporting gate opens just before the new layer of material because compressive force is not uniformly applied to each on the compressing structure engages the bottom of the gate layer.

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