Mechanism for fastening the bale

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a mechanism for binding bales with twisted yarn while the straw or grass is being collected from a field, the mechanism being mounted on a frame of a baler machine. The mechanism includes a double helix shaft having ends mounted between opposing sidewalls of the mechanism, a guide shaft having ends mounted between opposing sidewalls of the mechanism and oriented parallel to the double helix shaft, and a twisted yarn guide unit having a pawl nut configured to traverse a grooved path on the double helix shaft and follow the grooved path between the ends of the double helix shaft as the double helix shaft rotates, guiding the twisted yarn through the twisted yarn guide unit to uniformly bind the formed bale.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Field FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to the field of agricultural equipment, and more particularly to mechanisms for tying bales.

[0002] definition Bale - A bale is a volume of dry grass or straw collected from a field, typically in the form of a cylinder.

[0003] Baler Machine - A baler machine is an agricultural machine used to collect straw from the field, bind it by rope / twine / plastic net and discharge it as a cylindrical bale.

[0004] Yarn - Yarn is defined as a thread or cord consisting of two or more strands of linen or cotton twisted together. [Background technology]

[0005] background The following background information is relevant to the present disclosure, but is not necessarily prior art.

[0006] Baler machines are used to collect straw from fields and convert the collected straw or hay or agricultural waste into cylindrical bales. After the bale is formed, the bale is typically tied with the help of a twisting thread or enclosed in a plastic net. The present disclosure deals in particular with bales tied with the help of a twisting thread. The baler machine has an automatic mechanism for tying the bale with the help of a twisting thread. In the prior art mechanism, one end of the twisting thread is fed through a twisting thread guide unit having a swinging arm. The swinging arm swings about a pivot axis to allow the twisting thread to cross from one end of the bale to the other end being formed. The twisting thread is dispensed from a reel attached to the baler machine. However, this makes the construction of conventional baler machines very complicated. Also, the possibility of accidents increases due to the up and down swinging motion of the arm. It also moves slowly, which increases the time required for the tying operation. Furthermore, the swinging motion of the arm imposes wind loads and wind shear on the twisting thread. This causes the yarn to deflect from its desired position, thereby impairing the quality of tying the bale with the yarn. Another problem is that additional time is required to assemble the mechanism with its multiple linkages and worm gear transmissions to achieve the desired motion while assembling the machine as well as before the start of the tying operation.

[0007] Therefore, a need has been felt for a mechanism that can be attached to a baler machine to perform the bundling operation which overcomes the problems discussed above.

[0008] the purpose Some of the objectives of the present disclosure that are met by at least one embodiment herein are as follows:

[0009] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a mechanism mounted on a baler machine for bundling bales, said mechanism being compact in construction and having few moving parts.

[0010] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism for safely tying bales and reducing the number of accidents during bale forming and tying operations.

[0011] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a mechanism for bundling bales that consistently produces good quality bundled bales.

[0012] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a mechanism for bundling bales that allows for easier maintenance and shorter service times.

[0013] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0014] overview The present disclosure relates to a mechanism for mounting to a frame of a baler machine. The mechanism is configured to bind a bale with twine, straw or hay that has been collected from a field. The mechanism includes spaced apart side walls. An end of a double helix shaft is mounted between the opposing side walls of the mechanism, and a guide shaft has an end mounted between the opposing side walls of the mechanism, the guide shaft being oriented parallel to the double helix shaft and a twine guide unit having a pawl nut. The pawl nut is configured to traverse a grooved path on the double helix shaft and reciprocate between the ends of the double helix shaft. As the double helix shaft rotates, the pawl nut guides the twine through the twine guide unit to uniformly bind the formed bale.

[0015] In an embodiment, the double helix shaft has two helical grooves configured along the length of the double helix shaft, the helical grooves configured to intersect each other at the end of the double helix shaft.

[0016] In another embodiment, the dual helix shaft is comprised of a right hand thread profile and a left hand thread profile.

[0017] In yet another embodiment, the profile of the spiral groove has various dimensions to produce a desired bundle density of the bale.

[0018] In an embodiment, the blade is configured on the mechanism to trim the strands.

[0019] In another embodiment, a sensor is provided in the baler machine to send a signal to a motor of the twist guide unit, the motor being configured to supply the twist yarn to the twist guide unit.

[0020] In yet another embodiment, rubber and steel rollers are configured on the twist guide unit to facilitate a tight grip on the twist yarn.

[0021] In yet another embodiment, the mechanism is configured to bundle a variety of bale widths.

[0022] In another embodiment, a pulley coupled to the double helix shaft is configured to drive the double helix shaft, the pulley being configured to be driven by a bale inside the baler machine.

[0023] In an embodiment, the mechanism is configured to deliver a thread made from a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, yarn, and fabric.

[0024] In another embodiment, a bottom backstop device is attached to the twist guide unit to feed the twist yarn into the bale in a desired orientation, and a side backstop device is attached to the baler machine frame to facilitate holding the twist yarn when the side backstop device is in a closed position and releasing the twist yarn when the side backstop device is in an open position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] The mechanism for fastening a veil of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an isometric view of a mechanism for bundling a bale installed on a baler machine, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the mechanism of FIG. 1; [Diagram 3] 2 shows an isometric view of the twist guide unit of FIG. 1; [Figure 4] 4 shows an exploded view of the twisting guide unit of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 5 shows a side view of the claw nut of FIG. [Figure 6] 2 shows an isometric view of the mechanism of FIG. 1 with its operational steps. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an isometric view of a mechanism for bundling a bale installed on a baler machine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates an isometric view of the side backstop device mechanism of FIG. 7 in a closed state. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 illustrates an isometric view of the side backstop device mechanism of FIG. 7 in an open state. [Figure 10] FIG. 8 illustrates an isometric view of the bottom backstop mechanism of FIG. [Figure 11] 8 shows a routing sequence for a twisting yarn according to the embodiment of FIG. 7. [Figure 12] 1 shows the yarn being released from the side backstop device. [Figure 13] 8 shows a side view of the baler machine according to the embodiment of FIG. 7. [Figure 14] 8 shows a side view of FIG. 7 with operation of the side backstop device lever, the side backstop device linkage, and the bale density adjustment lever. [Figure 15] 1 shows the yarn beginning to wrap around the bale as the yarn guide unit advances toward the end. [Figure 16] The state in which the twist guide unit reciprocates and reaches the opposite end is shown. [Figure 17] 1 shows the side backstop device in an open position. [Figure 18] 1 shows the side backstop device in a retained position. [Figure 19] 1 shows the bottom backstop device interacting with the side backstop device. [Figure 20] The veil is shown in a fully wrapped position with the yarn being trimmed. [Figure 21] 13 illustrates another embodiment of a side backstop device according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 22] 22 shows the side backstop device of FIG. 21 in an open position. [Diagram 23] 22 shows the side backstop device of FIG. 21 in a closed position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1000-baler machine 100,100'-mechanism 110-Tailgate 120-Sensor 130-Side backstop device lever 140-Side Backstop Linkage 150-Bale density adjustment lever 210-pulley 220-Side Frame 230-Double Helix Shaft 250-Guide shaft 260-Side mounting plate 270-Blade 280-Stopper 290-Electric Motor 300,500-Twisting guide unit 510-Bottom Backstop Device 512-Latch Block 514-Spring plate 516-Spring Latch 520,620-Side Backstop Device 522,622-Release lever 524,624-Closing lever 526-Laura 310-Twist guide housing 320-claw nut Top cover for 330-housing 340-Rubber Roller 350-Guide pin 360-Spring 370-Holder 380-Steel roller 390-Rubber roller holder 400-Twist guide roller 410-Bearing block 420-Retaining Clamp 430-Bushing 440-Spring 450-Stopper clamp 460-Clamp Housing 470-Plumbing 626-Hook DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Detailed Description Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] The embodiments are provided to fully and completely convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Numerous details of specific components and methods are described to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

[0029] The terms used in this disclosure are merely for the purpose of describing certain embodiments, and such terms should not be considered to limit the scope of the disclosure. When used in this disclosure, the forms "a", "an", and "the" can be intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises", "comprising", "including", and "having" are open-ended transitional phrases and thus specify the presence of the described features, elements, modules, units, and / or components, but do not prohibit the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the methods and processes of the present disclosure should not necessarily be construed as requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0030] When an element is referred to as being "attached," "engaged," "connected," or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.

[0031] Terms such as "inner," "outer," "below," "lower," "upper," "top," and the like may be used in this disclosure to describe the relationship between different elements as depicted in the figures.

[0032] With reference to Figures 1-23, a mechanism 100 for tying bales is shown. The mechanism 100 is mounted to the baler machine 1000, typically located at the top end of the baler machine 1000. The mechanism 100 has side mounting plates 260 on either side such that the mechanism 100 is mounted between the side walls of the frame baler machine 1000, typically by fasteners. The mechanism 100 comprises a double helix shaft 230 having an end of the double helix shaft mounted between the opposing side walls of the mechanism 100. The side walls of the mechanism 100 are in the form of a mounting plate 260 on one side and a frame 220 on the other side. The double helix shaft 230 comprises a groove extending along the length of the double helix shaft 230. The double helix shaft 230 has a combination of right hand and left hand threads. The path of the groove on the double helix shaft 230 is in the form of a helix traveling from one end of the shaft to the other. The double helix profile on the double helix shaft 230 meets at the end of the double helix shaft 230, so that an automatic reversal of motion is obtained by a traversing object following the double helix profile. Similarly, the guide shaft 250 is mounted parallel to the double helix shaft 230 between the side walls of the mechanism 100. The mechanism 100 further comprises a twist guide unit 300 configured to oscillate between the end of the double helix shaft 230 and the guide shaft 250. The twist guide unit 300 maintains contact with both the double helix shaft 230 and the guide shaft 250. The twist guide unit 300 oscillates linearly in response to the motion of the double helix shaft 230. The linear oscillating motion of the twist guide unit 300 along the double helix shaft 230 and the guide shaft 250 facilitates a compact configuration of the mechanism 100.

[0033] In another embodiment, the profile of the spiral groove has various dimensions to produce a desired bundling density of the bale.

[0034] The twist guide unit 300 further comprises a twist guide housing 310, a pawl nut 320, a top cover 330 for the twist guide housing 310, a rubber roller 34, a guide pin 350, a spring 360, a holder 370, a steel roller 380, and a holder 390 for the rubber roller. In another embodiment, the roller 34 is made of steel with protrusions that facilitate a firm grip. The twist guide housing 310 is typically cast or manufactured to facilitate holding and positioning the pawl nut 320. The rubber roller 340 and the steel roller 380 facilitate maintaining pressure on the twist fed to the bale to achieve consistency in the bale binding. The spring 360 connected to the steel roller 380 and the rubber roller 340 facilitates maintaining the required contact pressure between the rollers. The rubber roller 340 is a roller molded of rubber on a metal roller. The steel roller 380 has a grip provided by machining or knurling. The pulley 210 is coupled to the double helix shaft 230 and facilitates providing drive to the double helix shaft 230, which in turn is driven by the bale shaft. A blade 270 is provided midway through the mechanism 100 for trimming the yarn once tying of the bale is completed.

[0035] It has a length of 1 m and is provided to accommodate balers of various widths above another mechanism. The shaft 400 is configured to guide the twisted yarn, mounted on the bearing block 410 and fed through a hole provided in the piping 470. When the twisted yarn guide unit 300 reaches one end, the stopper provided on the frame contacts the stopper clamp and moves towards the twisting direction and is fed at the edge of the bale. During the return, the spring 440 holds its position. Similarly, oversized bales of 1 m or more than 1 m can be tied using a shorter double helix shaft.

[0036] In another embodiment, mechanism 100 is configured to deliver a thread made from a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, yarn, and fabric.

[0037] The operation of the mechanism 100 will now be described with reference to Figures 1-6. The baler machine 1000 has a tailgate 110 through which the formed bale exits. A proximity sensor 120 mounted near the tailgate 110 senses the displacement of the tailgate 110 and facilitates the signaling of a motor 290 to be turned on. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensor 120 is a dedicated bale density monitoring mechanism / sensor. The motor 290 facilitates the ply yarn being fed towards the rotating bale inside the baler machine. The ply yarn fed through the ply yarn guide unit 300 is packed into a rolling bale. The rolling motion of the bale is transmitted to the pulley 210 via the ply yarn fed through the pulley. The double helix shaft 230 is coupled to the pulley 210 for rotation. The claw 320 traverses a double helix profile engraved on the double helix shaft 230 from one end of the double helix shaft 230 to the other end. Upon reaching the end, the pawl nut 320 tilts in the opposite direction and the motion continues until the blade 270, located at an appropriate distance in the middle of the shaft 230, cuts the twisted yarn. The twisted yarn guide unit 300 then stops due to losing drive from the bale once the twisted yarn is cut by the blade 270, thereby completing the bale tying procedure. This linear oscillating motion of the twisted yarn guide unit 300 facilitates reducing the probability of accidents occurring due to the absence of a swinging arm as in the prior art.

[0038] The bale tying procedure is summarized in the following steps with reference to FIG. 6: A signal is received from the proximity sensor 120 mounted on the tailgate of the baler machine 1000. The electric motor 290 on the twisting guide unit 300 is energized. The mechanism 100 is primed by the twisting yarn compressed between the steel roller 380 and the rubber roller 340 inside the twisting guide housing 310. This provides a firm grip of the twisting yarn. The twisting yarn starts to feed towards the bale in the baler machine chamber. When the twisting yarn is hooked by the bale, the electric motor 290 stops working. The twisting yarn is pulled from a reel mounted on the baler machine 1000 and starts the movement of the twisting guide unit 300 by rotating a pulley fed by the twisting yarn connected to the double helix shaft 230. The twisting yarn is distributed over the entire width of the bale. The twisting guide unit 300 starts to move back and forth in the direction of the double helix profile groove on the double helix shaft 230. The twist guide unit 300 continues to traverse the shaft along the direction of the double helix profile groove. While reciprocating in the direction of the double helix profile groove, the twist tries to push the blade along the axial direction of the shaft 230, but the stopper 280 further restricts the rotation of the blade 270, causing trimming of the twist. The bale is discharged through the tailgate of the baler machine. Thus, the reciprocating motion associated with the operation of the mechanism 100 always produces a good quality bale since the twist is unoriented. The mechanism 100 facilitates ease of maintenance and servicing.

[0039] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a mechanism 100' is shown in Figures 7-19, where the bale tying operation is performed by mechanical means. The twist guide unit 500 includes a bottom backstop device 510. The bottom backstop device 510 is a device for holding the twist yarn in a taught state as it feeds into the bale. The bottom backstop device 510 includes a latch block 512, a spring plate 514, and a spring latch 516. The spring latch 516 includes a coil spring that facilitates unidirectional feeding of the twist yarn from one side of the bottom backstop device to the other. A side backstop device 520 is attached to the end of the side wall of the mechanism 100'. The side backstop device 520 is a device that includes a bottom plate and a top plate that are hinged together to form a latch. The bottom plate and the top plate hold a pair of rollers together in a closed position. The side backstop device 520 further includes a pair of levers. The opening lever 522 is displaced in the opposite direction to the closing lever 524, thus separating the rollers which opens the latch as shown in FIG.

[0040] The operation of this second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 20. When the baler machine starts to operate, the twisted yarn is fed as shown in Figure 11. The twisted yarn is received at its position from outside the baler machine 1000 and passes over position b on the upper roller attached to the twisted yarn guide unit 300. The twisted yarn passes over position c on the lower roller attached to the twisted yarn guide unit 300, located directly below the upper roller. The twisted yarn is further fed to the roller 526 of the side backstop device 520 at position d. From the roller 526 at position d, the twisted yarn is fed to position e, which is the spring latch 516 of the bottom backstop device 510. When the formed bale reaches the desired density, a set of levers provided on the baler machine are displaced. The side backstop device lever 130, the side backstop device linkage 140, and the bale density adjustment lever 150 move as shown in Figure 14. When the side backstop device 520 opens, the twist yarn is released and starts to fall towards the rotating bale, as shown in FIG. 12. As the drive is transmitted to the twist yarn by the formed bale through the twist pulley, as shown in FIG. 13, the released twist yarn is captured by the rotating bale and the twist guide unit 500 starts to move towards the right. During this movement to the opposite side wall of the mechanism 100' (as shown in FIG. 15), the twist yarn is automatically locked to the bottom backstop device 510. The bottom backstop device 510 facilitates the straight feeding of the twist yarn during tying of the bale and eliminates any slack formation. The twist guide unit 500 reciprocates as facilitated by the double helix shaft 230 and starts to move as shown in FIG. 16. The twist yarn reaches the side backstop device 520 as shown in FIG. 17, which is in the open state maintained by the bale density adjustment lever 150. Further advancement of the twist guide unit 500 towards the end of the side backstop device 520 displaces the closing lever 524 of the side backstop device 520. This results in the side backstop device 520 closing, thereby capturing the twist yarn, as shown in Figures 18 and 19. When the twist guide unit 500 reverses its direction to move towards the center of the bale, the twist yarn is trimmed by the blade 270 and drive through the twist yarn ceases.This results in the stopping and limiting of further movement of the twist guide unit 500, signaling the baler machine 1000 to the end of the bundling process of the bale so formed, as shown in Figure 20. Once the bale is discharged, the bale density adjustment lever 150 and the side backstop device 520 are configured to return to their original positions. The cycle is then repeated for the next bale.

[0041] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the side backstop device 620 shown in Figures 21-23 includes a hook 626. The hook 626 is formed in a circular shape. The hook 626 is located in a fixed closing lever 624. When the density of the bale formed in the baler machine reaches a desired level, the hook 626 opens backwards and the cover plate pushes the twisted yarn towards the rotating bale. When the twisted yarn caught in the bale reaches the hook 626, it will proceed to the side due to its circular shape and will be caught by the hook 626 when the twisted yarn guide unit 500 approaches the side backstop device 620. When the twisted yarn guide unit 500 reverses its direction and moves away from the side backstop device 500, the twisted yarn will get stuck, as shown in Figures 22-23.

[0042] The above description of the embodiments is provided for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally interchangeable and are not limited to that particular embodiment. Such variations should not be considered as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Technological advances

[0043] The present disclosure described hereinabove has several technical advantages, including but not limited to providing a mechanism for bundling a bale.

[0044] · Few moving parts and compact construction;

[0045] · Providing improved safety in bale production;

[0046] Improve bale binding quality; and

[0047] Easy to maintain and service.

[0048] · Do not tolerate dust accumulation.

[0049] The above disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments, which do not limit the scope and breadth of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.

[0050] The embodiments herein and their various features and advantageous details are described with reference to non-limiting embodiments in the following description, and descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein.

[0051] The above description of the specific embodiments fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments of the present specification, so that others can easily modify and / or adapt such specific embodiments to various applications by applying current knowledge without departing from the general concept, and therefore such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be understood within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It should be understood that the expressions or terms used in the present specification are for the purpose of explanation and not for the purpose of limitation. Thus, although the embodiments of the present specification have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of the present specification can be implemented with modifications within the spirit and scope of the embodiments described herein.

[0052] Although considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other variations in the preferred and other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, and it should be clearly understood that the foregoing description is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the present disclosure, and not as limiting.

Claims

1. A mechanism (100, 100') for binding bales with twine while the straw or hay is being collected from a field, said mechanism (100, 100') being mounted on a frame (220) of a baler machine (1000), said mechanism (100, 100') comprising: a double helix shaft (230) having ends attached between the opposing side walls of said mechanism (100, 100'); a guide shaft (250) having an end mounted between the opposing side walls of said mechanism (100, 100'), said guide shaft (250) being oriented parallel to said double helix shaft (230); A twist guide unit having a claw nut, a rubber roller (340) and a steel roller (380); Equipped with the pawl nut is configured to traverse a grooved path on the double helix shaft (230) and follow the grooved path between the ends of the double helix shaft (230) as the double helix shaft (230) rotates to guide the twisted yarn through the twisted yarn guide unit to uniformly bind the formed bale; the double helix shaft (230) is comprised of a right-hand thread profile and a left-hand thread profile; the steel roller (380) is provided with protrusions configured to facilitate a firm hold of the yarn between the steel roller (380) and the rubber roller (340); a bottom backstop device (510) attached to the twist guide unit for feeding the twist yarn to the bale in a desired orientation; A mechanism wherein the side backstop devices (520) are attached to the frame (220) of the baler machine (1000) to facilitate retention of the yarn when the side backstop devices (520) are in a closed position and release of the yarn when the side backstop devices (520) are in an open position.

2. 2. The mechanism (100, 100') of claim 1, wherein the double helix shaft (230) has two helical shaped grooves configured along a length of the double helix shaft (230), the helical shaped grooves being configured to intersect each other at an end of the double helix shaft (230).

3. The mechanism (100, 100') of claim 1, wherein the profile of the spiral groove has various dimensions to produce the desired bundle density of the bale.

4. The mechanism (100, 100') of claim 1, wherein a blade (270) is configured to trim the strands on the mechanism (100, 100').

5. The mechanism (100, 100') of claim 1, wherein a sensor (120) is provided in the baler (1000) for sending a signal to a motor (290) of the twist guide unit, the motor (290) being configured to supply the twist to the twist guide unit.

6. The mechanism (100, 100') of claim 1, wherein the mechanism (100, 100') is configured to bundle a variety of widths of the bale.

7. 2. The mechanism (100, 100') of claim 1, wherein a pulley (210) coupled to the double helix shaft (230) is configured to drive the double helix shaft (230), the pulley (210) being configured to be driven by the baler machine.

8. The mechanism (100, 100') of claim 1, wherein the mechanism (100, 100') is configured to deliver the yarn made from a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, yarn, and fabric.

Images