Presses – Methods – With winding or folding
Patent
1998-01-06
2000-06-27
Gerrity, Stephen F.
Presses
Methods
With winding or folding
53587, 56341, 100 5, 100 88, A01F 1507
Patent
active
060793244
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a round baler. A round baler is an agricultural machine for picking up and forming cylindrical bales of straw and silage, like maize plant, hay, grass or any other product which can be treated in this way.
Particularly, the invention relates to a round baler which is generally known as a variable chamber round baler for forming bales. Moreover, the invention relates to a baler with the feature that the bale core formation chamber has a geometry which can be modified automatically by the operator.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
It is known that balers may be classified in two distinct groups: the variable chamber balers and the fixed-chamber balers.
The variable chamber baler picks up the product which is arranged in windrows on the field, by means of a pickup and of supporting and feeding rollers or the like placed immediately after the pickup so that the product is conveyed towards the inside of the round baler.
One or more sets of belts or the like mounted on rollers which are partly fixed and partly movable through levers actuated by cylinder units are brought into contact with the product and transform its linear motion into a rotary motion.
The feature which distinguishes the variable chamber baler from the fixed-chamber round baler results from the fact that the bale formation space bound by the belts, at the time when the product is first introduced inside the baler, is only a fraction of the total volume enclosed within the machine body.
During the gradual formation of the cylindrical bale, the above-mentioned levers or arms which support the movable belt tightening rollers, are rotated, thereby allowing the expansion of the bale which is continuously in contact with the belts. The belts tension may be adjusted in order to vary the density of the cylindrical bale by acting on belt tightening systems which may be mechanical (springs) or hydraulic (cylinder units and pressure changing valves). Since the bale is continuously in touch with the tightened belts when it expands, starting from the formation of the core, a bale having a "hard" core is obtained. The "hard" core does not allow the passage of air and therefore more attention must be paid to the degree of product humidity.
The fixed-chamber baler has instead only stationary rollers, or fixed rollers for rotating belts, or chains provided with cross rods. Additionally, the bale compression starts only after the bale has reached a diameter such that it fills substantially the whole inner room of the machine as previously the bale is in contact with the compression means only on its lower surface.
The drawbacks of the fixed-chamber baler are due to the fact that the bales have a reduced weight/density, the bale diameter is previously set and may not be varied by the operator through the cab control means, and the power absorption is greater.
Of course the core will be soft, allowing the passage of air inside it, thereby promoting fermentation processes.
The patent EP-A-0 235 356 discloses a round baler which aims to solve the same problems of the present invention; that is, the formation of a constant density bale having a hard core, or a bale with a soft core and a denser outer surface.
However, the means for attaining these aims are totally different since in EP-A-0 235 356, in order to change over from an arrangement suited to form a soft core to one suited to form a hard core and vice versa, it is necessary to manually displace the action (or linked connection) point of the cylinder unit which resists the expansion of the bale. Moreover, in contrast with the arrangement of the present invention, the outer surface density is not controlled by the pressure of a hydraulic cylinder unit, but rather by a spring associated to a switch which is triggered when the bale has reached a predetermined size. The patent EP-0 125 719 discloses a system which prevents belts from breaking, by a circular arrangement of rollers defining the final shape and diameter of the bale.
EP-0 102 530 proposes to s
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patent: 5025718 (1991-06-01), Viaud et al.
patent: 5134839 (1992-08-01), Clostermeyer et al.
patent: 5152123 (1992-10-01), Viaud et al.
patent: 5450704 (1995-09-01), Clostermeyer
Caglieri Vanni
Feraboli Antonio
Feraboli Antonio
Gerrity Stephen F.
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