Baling apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022354059-A1
Application number	US-202217661892-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 3, 2022
Priority date	May 4, 2021
Publication date	Nov 10, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A round baler having a baling chamber, a wrapping material reservoir, a feed apparatus having an actuator, the feed apparatus configured to convey a wrapping material from the wrapping material reservoir to the baling chamber, a cutting apparatus moveable between a retracted position allowing free movement of the wrapping material and an advanced position to cut the wrapping material, and a braking apparatus for applying a braking force on a roll of wrapping material installed in the wrapping material reservoir, and an actuator for controlling operation of the feed apparatus and the cutting apparatus. The round baler further comprises a tensioning element connecting the actuator to the braking apparatus to control a down force exerted on the roll of wrapping material and so control the tension in the wrapping material.

First claim

1 . A round baler comprising a baling chamber, a wrapping material reservoir, a feed apparatus having an actuator, the feed apparatus configured to convey a wrapping material from the wrapping material reservoir to the baling chamber, a cutting apparatus moveable between a retracted position allowing free movement of the wrapping material, and an advanced position to cut the wrapping material, a braking apparatus for applying a braking force on a roll of wrapping material installed in the wrapping material reservoir, an actuator for controlling operation of the feed apparatus and the cutting apparatus, wherein the round baler further comprises a tensioning element connecting the actuator to the braking apparatus.

2 . The round baler of claim 1 , wherein the tensioning element comprises an extensible tensioning element.

3 . The round baler of claim 2 , wherein the tensioning element comprises a first elastically deformable element and a second inextensible element.

4 . The round baler of claim 1 , wherein at the commencement of a wrapping operation, the actuator is in a first position such that the braking element exerts a first braking force on a roll of wrapping material installed in the wrapping material reservoir, during feeding of wrapping material into the baling chamber the actuator is in a second position such that the braking element exerts a second braking force lower than the first braking force on the roll of wrapping material, and when wrapping material is being cut the actuator is in a third position such that the braking element exerts a third braking force higher than the first braking force on the roll of wrapping material installed in the wrapping material reservoir.

5 . The baler of claim 1 , further comprising a guide element between the actuator and the braking apparatus by which the tensioning element is directed from the actuator to the braking apparatus.

6 . The baler of claim 1 , wherein the braking apparatus comprises a lever adapted to pivot about a pivot axis.

7 . The baler of claim 6 , wherein the guide element is located lower than the braking apparatus pivot axis.

8 . The baler of claim 6 , wherein the guide element takes the form of a bounded region.

9 . The baler of claim 6 , wherein the guide element takes the form of a grooved bearing or pulley.

10 . The baler of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect the size of a bale being formed in the baling chamber.

11 . The baler of claim 10 , wherein when the size of the bale being formed in the baling chamber reaches a predetermined size, the actuator adopts a position to advance the cutting apparatus from the retracted position towards an intermediate position between the advanced and retracted positions.

12 . The baler of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is electric, hydraulic or mechanical.

13 . A baling apparatus comprising an agricultural vehicle and the round baler of claim 1 .

14 . The baling apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a controller.

15 . The baling apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the controller receives signals for determining progress of a wrapping operation and generates signals to control operation of the actuator.

16 . The baling apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the signals for determining progress of the wrapping operation may represent the time of operation of the wrapping operation or the number of rotations of the baling chamber during the wrapping operation.

17 . A method of wrapping a round bale using the round baler of claim 1 , the round baler having a roll of wrapping material installed in the wrapping material reservoir, wherein the method comprises:
the actuator adopting a first position such that the braking element exerts a first braking force on the roll of wrapping material during commencement of a wrapping operation; the actuator adopting a second position such that the braking element exerts a second braking force lower than the first braking force on the roll of wrapping material during feeding of the wrapping material into the baling chamber; and the actuator adopting a third position such that the braking element exerts a third braking force higher than the first braking force on the roll of wrapping material when cutting the wrapping material.

Assignees

• Agco Corp

Inventors

• Weller Lucas Andrew
• Alexander Richard Lee
• Kraus James

Classifications

• A01F15/07 Primary

  Rotobalers, i.e. machines for forming cylindrical bales by winding and pressing · CPC title

• A01F2015/072

  Braking means for the film roll in balers which wrap the bale before opening the pressing chamber in order to stretch the film while wrapping · CPC title

• A01F15/071 Primary

  Wrapping devices (tying devices A01F15/141) · CPC title

• A01F15/0833

  for round balers · CPC title

• A01F2015/076

  Wrapping device incorporating sensors · CPC title