Spring restrictor for drop end of BALE chute

Abstract

An agricultural baler (102) has a pickup assembly (104) and a stuffer assembly (110) configured to take cut plant material from the ground and move the plant material to a baling chamber (108) and compress the plant material in the baling chamber with a reciprocating plunger (106) into a growing bale and eject a finished bale out a discharge end (114) of the baling chamber. The baler includes a bale chute (116) having a drop end (202) opposite the discharge end of the baling chamber from which the bale drops off the bale chute. At least one spring resistor (208) is configured so as to engage the finished bale as the finished bale drops off the drop end of the bale chute, where the spring resistor has at least one engagement leg (214) biased to drag across the finished bale in order to apply a force to tip the bale.

Description

SPRING RESTRICTOR FOR DROP END OF BALE CHUTEBACKGROUNDField

[0001] This disclosure relates to agricultural harvesting machines such as balers and, more particularly, to a bale chute for a baler having a spring restrictor for guiding the bale on the chute.Description of Related Art

[0002] Square balers as they are commonly called are used in the agricultural industry to create substantially rectangular bales of crop material by moving over crop windrows to collect loose crop material, compress it, and form it into bales that are then tied and ejected from the baler. To that end, a baler is typically mechanically coupled with a tractor, and a power take-off (PTO) mechanism transfers power from the tractor's engine to drive the baler's operation. A rotary pick-up at the front of the baler picks up the loose crop material and moves it into a stuffer chamber. Once the stuffer chamber is full, its content, which may be referred to as a “charge,” is moved through a stuffer chute into a baling chamber. A reciprocating plunger compresses the charge of crop material into a growing bale. Once the bale reaches a predetermined length, it is tied and ejected through a discharge outlet to a bale chute and then falls onto the ground behind the baler. The process continues to create the next bale.

[0003] Square bales may be weighed behind a square baler by placing load cells onto a weigh table of the bale chute to weigh bales as they exit the chamber and before they fall to the ground. However, when the bale falls off the end of a bale chute it is possible that the bale falls off in a way that causes the bale to stand on end or in a vertical position. Bales that remain in this on end or vertical position are more difficult to handle and retrieve from the field.

[0004] It would be desirable to prevents bales from standing on end after coming off the end of the bale chute.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0005] In one aspect the invention is directed to an agricultural baler having a pickup assembly and a stuffer assembly configured to take cut plant material from the ground and move the plant material to a baling chamber and compress the plant material in the baling chamber with a reciprocating plunger into a growing bale and eject a finished bale out adischarge end of the baling chamber. The baler includes a bale chute at the discharge end of the baling chamber, the bale chute having a drop end opposite the discharge end of the baling chamber from which the bale drops off the bale chute. At least one spring resistor is configured so at to be able to engage the finished bale as the finished bale drops off the drop end of the bale chute, where the at least one spring resistor has at least one engagement leg biased to drag across the finished bale in order to apply a force to tip the bale such that it does not stand up on end in a vertical position.

[0006] This summary is provided to introduce concepts in simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosed or claimed subject matter and is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the disclosed or claimed subject matter. Specifically, features disclosed herein with respect to one embodiment may be equally applicable to another. Further, this summary is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Many other novel advantages, features, and relationships will become apparent as this description proceeds. The figures and the description that follow more particularly exemplify illustrative embodiment.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a side view of a baler for formation of a bale of agricultural material; and

[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a bale chute of the baler of FIG. 1 with a spring resistor in accordance with one embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] The invention will now be described in the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein preferred embodiments are described in detail to enable practice of the invention. Although the invention is described with reference to these specific preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these preferred embodiments. But to the contrary, the invention includes numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents as will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description. Many of the fastening, connection, processes and other means and componentsutilized in this invention are widely known and used in the field of the invention described, and their exact nature or type is not necessary for an understanding and use of the invention by a person skilled in the art, and they will not therefore be discussed in significant detail. Also, any reference herein to the terms "left" or "right" are used as a matter of mere convenience and are determined by standing at the rear of the machine facing in its normal direction of travel.Furthermore, the various components shown or described herein for any specific application of this invention can be varied or altered as anticipated by this invention and the practice of a specific application of any element may already by widely known or used in the art by persons skilled in the art and each will likewise not therefore be discussed in significant detail.

[0011] As used herein, the singular forms following “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term “may” with respect to a material, structure, feature, or method act indicates that such is contemplated for use in implementation of an embodiment of the disclosure, and such term is used in preference to the more restrictive term “is” so as to avoid any implication that other compatible materials, structures, features, and methods usable in combination therewith should or must be excluded. As used herein, the term “configured” refers to a size, shape, material composition, and arrangement of one or more of at least one structure and at least one apparatus facilitating operation of one or more of the structure and the apparatus in a predetermined way.

[0012] As used herein, any relational term, such as “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “beneath,” “side,” etc., is used for clarity and convenience in understanding the disclosure and accompanying drawings, and does not connote or depend on any specific preference or order, except where the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0013] As used herein, the term “about” used in reference to a given parameter is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the given parameter, as well as variations resulting from manufacturing tolerances, etc.). As used herein, the term “substantially” in reference to a given parameter, property, or condition means and includes to a degree that one skilled in the art would understand that the given parameter, property, or condition is met with a small degree of variance, such as within acceptable manufacturing tolerances. By way of example, depending on the particular parameter, property, or condition that is substantially met, the parameter,property, or condition may be at least 90.0% met, at least 95.0% met, at least 99.0% met, or even at least 99.9% met.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, an example agricultural baler 102 is shown into which embodiments of the present invention may be incorporated. Broadly, the baler 102 may be configured to move over a field and collect previously cut plant material and to compress, shape, and secure the collected plant material into a plurality of bales. The baler 102 may generally include a pickup assembly 104, a reciprocating plunger 106, and a baling (or compression) baling chamber 108. The baler 102 may include some form of a stuffer assembly 110 configured to move the cut plant material gathered by the pickup assembly 104 into the baling chamber 108. Additionally, the baler 102 may be hitched to a towing vehicle (not shown) by a tongue 112, and power for operating the various mechanisms (e.g., the reciprocating plunger 106) of the baler 102 may be supplied by a power take-off (PTO) of the towing vehicle. The baler 102 is depicted as an “in-line” type of baler wherein crop material is picked up below and slightly ahead of baling chamber 108 and then loaded up into the bottom of baling chamber 108 in a straight-line path of travel. The pickup assembly 104 is positioned under the tongue 112 on the longitudinal axis of the machine, somewhat forwardly of the baling chamber 108.

[0015] The reciprocating plunger 106 may be configured to compress the plant material into a growing bale in the baling chamber 108. In one implementation, the plunger 106 may be configured to reciprocate within the baling chamber 108 in repeating compression and retraction strokes across an outlet opening of stuffer assembly 110. As the plunger 106 retracts, the outlet opening is uncovered and an additional flake, charge, or other subunit of plant material enters the baling chamber 108, and as the plunger 106 contracts the outlet opening is covered, and the additional subunit of plant material is compressed into the growing bale. One having ordinary skill in the art should appreciate in the context of the present disclosure that the example pickup assembly 104, plunger 106, baling chamber 108, stuffer assembly 110 and cooperating elements and / or sub-assemblies of the baler 102 are merely illustrative, and that other types of configurations may be implemented without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0016] The finished bale may be ejected from a discharge end 114 of the baling chamber 108 rearwardly onto a bale chute 116. Rearward movement of the bale may be detected with a sensor such as a starwheel (not shown). Bale movement sensors such as starwheels are knownin the art and need not be discussed further herein. From the bale chute 116, the bale is dropped to land on the field behind the baler 102 for subsequent collection.

[0017] Turning now to FIG. 2, a bale chute 116 for a strait bale drop is illustrated. The bale chute 118 has a drop end 202 opposite the discharge end 114 of the baling chamber 108 from which the bale drops off the bale chute 118. In the illustrated embodiment, the bale chute 118 has a chute frame 204 with a drop plate 206 on its drop end 202 that guides the bale down to the ground. Occasionally, when a bale slides off the end of a bale chute 118, the bale will land on the rear face or end of the bale and remain standing up in a vertical position. When bales remain in this vertical position, they are harder for the operator to handle and retrieve.

[0018] According to the invention, the bale chute 118 has a spring resistor 208 configured to engage the bale while the bale is dropping off the drop end 202 on the bale chute 118 to provide a resistance to rearward movement of the bale. The spring resistor 208 is configured to drag across a top half of the bale in order to apply a force to pull the bale down to ensure that the bale does not stand up on end or remain on end in the vertical position. The spring resistor 208 is positioned behind the drop end 202 of the bale chute 118 and above what would be the mid-line of the bale as it comes off the bale chute 118. The spring resistor 208 provides enough friction on the bale to topple the bale and prevent the bale from standing on end or vertical. Desirably, the spring resistor 208 is biased such that a force is applied to the bale that is sufficient to tip the bale out of a vertical position, but not provide enough resistance so as to drag the bale behind the baler 102. Stated another way, the gravitational force and weight of the dropping bale is sufficient to overcome the biased force provided by the spring resistor 208 and permit the bale to drop off the bale chute 118 behind the baler 102.

[0019] In one embodiment as illustrated herein, the spring resistor 208 includes a mounting bracket 210 attached to or configured to be an integral component of a rearward extending arm 212 attached to the bale chute frame 204 and at least one torsion spring tine 214 attached to the mounting bracket 210. The spring tine 214 has at least one engagement leg 216 biased to extend away from the mounting bracket 210 and into the path of movement of the bale such that the engagement leg 216 engages with the side of the bale as the bale drops off the drop end 202 of the bale chute 118. In the illustrated embodiment, a left and right side of the bale chute 118 each have a spring resistor 208 such that the two spring resistors 208 combine to squeeze or pinch the bale to create friction.

[0020] In the illustrated embodiment, each spring tine 214 has two engagement legs 216, although it will be appreciated that the principles of the present invention are not limited to the number of legs provided by each tine 214. Desirably, each tine 214 comprises a continuous strand of resilient material, preferably metal wire, which is formed into a pair of end-to-end bases 218 presented by a series of side-by-side, helical coils. The coils of one base 218 are spiraled in a clockwise direction, while the coils of the other base 218 are spiraled in the opposite, counterclockwise direction. Each base 218 has its own elongated tine engagement leg 216 projecting outwardly therefrom, and the two bases 218 are interconnected by mounting portion. Desirably, each engagement leg 216 has an angled tip 220 to discourage the engagement leg 216 from digging into the bale but allow the bale to pivot the biased engagement leg 216 such that the engagement leg 216 drags along the side of the bale.However, one skilled in the art will understand that other biasing members may be used in the spring resistor 208 such as torsion bars as long as the spring resistor 208 has an engagement leg 216 biased into the path of the bale and configured to drag across a top portion of the bale in order to apply a force to pull the bale down to ensure that the bale does not stand up on end or remain on end in the vertical position. The amount of friction that is applied to the bale by the spring resistor 208 may depend on crop characteristics, environment, or topography expected to be encountered by the baler 102.

[0021] The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more pertinent aspects and features of the present invention. These should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. An agricultural baler (102) having a pickup assembly (104) and a stuffer assembly (110) configured to take cut plant material from the ground and move the plant material to a baling chamber (108) and compress the plant material in the baling chamber with a reciprocating plunger (106) into a growing bale and eject a finished bale out a discharge end (114) of the baling chamber, the baler comprising:a bale chute (116) at the discharge end of the baling chamber, the bale chute having a drop end (202) opposite the discharge end of the baling chamber from which the bale drops off the bale chute; andat least one spring resistor (208) configured to engage the finished bale as the finished bale drops off the drop end, wherein the at least one spring resistor has at least one engagement leg (216) biased to contact the finished bale in order to apply a force to tip the bale such that the bale does not stand up on end in a vertical position.

2. The agricultural baler of claim 1 the at least one engagement leg is biased to drag across a top half of the finished bale in order to apply a force to tip the bale such that the bale does not stand up on end in a vertical position.

3. The agricultural baler of claim 1 or 2 wherein the at least one spring resistor includes a mounting bracket (210) on a rearward extending arm (212) attached to a bale chute frame (204).

4. The agricultural baler of claim 3 wherein the at least one spring resistor includes at least one torsion spring tine (214) attached to the mounting bracket.

5. The agricultural baler of claim 4 wherein the at least one spring tine forms the at least one engagement leg and is biased to extend the engagement leg away from the mounting bracket and into a path of movement of the finished bale such that the engagement leg engages with a side of the bale as the bale drops off the bale drop end.

6. The agricultural baler of claim 4 or 5 wherein each of the at least one torsion spring tine has two engagement legs.

7. The agricultural baler of any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein each torsion spring tine comprises a continuous strand of resilient material.

8. The agricultural baler of any one of claims 1 to 7 comprising two spring resistors such that the two spring resistors combine to squeeze the finished bale.

9. The agricultural baler of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the bale chute has a chute frame (204) with a drop plate (206) on the drop end that guides the finished bale down to the ground.

10. The agricultural baler of any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the spring resistor is positioned behind the drop end of the bale chute and above the mid-line of the finished bale as it drops off the bale chute.

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