WINDROW DEFLECTOR PLATE FOR A ROUND BALER

DEFLECTEUR POUR PRESSE A BALLE

English Abstract

The invention provides an improvement to the feed path for conventional belt round balers in the agricultural industry, and reduces the jamming of baling material in the feed gap of the baler. In a commonly known round baler the baling material enters the bale forming chamber through a feed gap defined by an upper roller and rotating away from the bale forming chamber, and a lower roller and rotating towards the bale forming chamber. As the upper roller is moving counter to the flow of baling material into the bale forming chamber, baling material which contacts them is retarded, and tends to form a ball of material which can plug the feed gap. The present invention provides a plate covering the upper roller which plate deflects the baling material into the feed gap and prevents the baling material from contacting the upper roller. The invention could be provided as an integral flange manufactured in new balers, or could be produced as a mountable plate for retrofitting of existing equipment.

French Abstract

L'invention fournit une amélioration au trajet d'alimentation de presses à balle ronde classiques dans l'industrie agricole, et réduit les risques de blocage de matériau à mettre en balles dans l'espace d'alimentation de la presse à balle. Dans une presse à balle courante, le matériau à mettre en balles entre dans la chambre de formation de balles à travers un espace d'alimentation défini par un rouleau supérieur et tournant en s'éloignant de la chambre de formation de balles, et un rouleau inférieur et tournant en direction de la chambre de formation de balles. Lorsque le rouleau supérieur se déplace à contre-courant du flux de matériau à mettre en balles dans la chambre de formation de balles, le matériau à mettre en balles qui entre en contact avec eux est retardé, et tend à former une boule de matériau qui peut boucher l'espace d'alimentation. La présente invention fournit une plaque couvrant le rouleau supérieur, plaque qui dévie le matériau à mettre en balles dans l'espace d'alimentation et empêche le matériau à mettre en balles d'entrer en contact avec le rouleau supérieur. L'invention peut être fournie sous forme de bride intégrée fabriquée dans de nouvelles presses à balle, ou peut être produite sous forme de plaque montable pour la modernisation des équipements existants.

Claims

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CLAIMS
I claim:
1. A windrow deflector device for attachment to a conventional round baler
used in
the baling of forage crops and other crop material, said baler comprising
substantially a pick-up; a bale forming chamber; a feed gap through which the
baling material enters the baling chamber, said feed gap having a top edge and
a
bottom edge; a lower roller, said lower roller defining the bottom edge of the
feed
gap; an upper roller, said upper roller defining the top edge of the feed gap;
bale
forming means; and bale tying and dumping means; where in operation of the
baler the top of said lower roller is rotating in a direction towards the rear
of the
baler and the bottom of said upper roller is rotating in a direction towards
the
front of the baler, the windrow deflector device comprising:
a plate having first and second opposite long sides and first and second
opposite
short sides, said plate attached to the baler such that the edge of the first
long side
is substantially parallel to said upper roller and located vertically at or
below, and
in proximity to, the bottom of said upper roller and horizontally in proximity
to
the upper roller, and such that the edge of the second long side is located
forward
of and above the edge of said first long side;

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wherein said first long side of said plate extends substantially the length of
said
upper roller; and
whereby crop material entering said feed gap is deflected down and through
said
feed gap, and contact of said crop material with said upper roller is
inhibited.
2. The windrow deflector device of Claim 1 wherein said plate and means to
attach
said plate are provided in kit form for installation on existing balers.
3. The windrow deflector device of Claim 3 wherein said plate further
comprises a
mounting flange fixed to the edge of said second long side, said mounting
flange
attachable to a baler.
4. The windrow deflector device of Claim 3 wherein the attachment means are
adjustable to fit a number of different balers.
5. The windrow deflector device of Claim 1 used on a round baler wherein said
upper roller and said lower roller also carry belts, which are part of said
bale
forming means.
6. The windrow deflector device of Claim 1 used on a round baler wherein said
upper roller and said lower roller also carry chains, which are part of said
bale
forming means.

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7. The windrow deflector device of Claim 2 used on a round baler wherein said
upper roller and said lower roller also carry belts, which are part of said
bale
forming means.
8. The windrow deflector device of Claim 2 used on a round baler wherein said
upper roller and said lower roller also carry chains, which are part of said
bale
forming means.

Description

CA 02205752 2001-O1-17
2
WINDROW DEFLECTOR FEED PLATE FOR A ROUND BALER
This invention deals with the field of round balers for agricultural use, and
in particular
improvements in the feeding of baling material into the bale forming chambers
thereof.
BACKGROUND
The process of harvesting hay and straw begins by cutting the crop and laying
it in a
windrow. Various baling machinery is then used to gather and bundle the hay or
straw
for transport and storage. The round baler pulled behind a farm tractor has
become the
predominant agricultural method of baling hay and straw due to the ease in
mechanized
handling of round bales. It has replaced the older square baler which produced
small
bales which were most often handled manually.
Round balers are equipped with a pickup comprising rotating teeth which pick
the
windrow up and deliver it through a feed gap to the bale forming chamber. Most
round
balers are designed so that the feed gap through which the baling material
enters the bale
forming chamber is defined on the bottom by the top of a lower roller, which
is rotating
towards the rear of the baler and into the bale forming chamber, and on the
top by the
bottom of an upper roller rotating away from said chamber towards the front of
the baler.
This design is necessitated by the need to have the baling material traveling
in the proper
direction around the circumference of the bale forming chamber to form a bale.

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Within the bale forming chamber there are bale forming means. Some round
balers use
belts traveling around the chamber as the bale forming means. Others use
chains or
rollers. In most cases, however, there is an upper and a lower roller defining
the entry of
the feeds gap into the bale forming chamber.
As the baling material travels through the feed gap the bottom roller moves it
into the
bale forming chamber. In larger windrows the top of the windrow often contacts
the
upper roller which, because of its counter-rotation, tend to push the baling
material away
from the chamber and so retards the even flow of material. The result is often
a plugged
feed gap as the material is pulled in opposite directions.
To unplug the feed gap, operators commonly use a stick or prod to reach over
the pickup
and push the material through the feed gap and into the bale forming chamber.
This is
most often done while the baler is under power with the power take off shaft,
pickup,
rollers and bale forming means moving because then only a slight push is
needed to
overcome the counter-rotating force of the upper roller, and the material is
carried into
the bale forming chamber by the motion of the bottom roller. This puts the
operator in
the dangerous position of being in close proximity to the fast moving parts of
the baler,
and in contact with some of these fast moving parts through the stick or prod.
Accidents
are not uncommon, often resulting in loss of limbs and other very serious
injuries.
In the busy baling season, frequent plugging of the feed gap can be very
tiring and
frustrating as the operator must stop the forward motion of the tractor, climb
down from

CA 02205752 2001-O1-17
4
it, locate his stick or prod and push the material through the feed gap. This
repeated
process can easily lead to carelessness and hurry on the operator's part, and
increase the
chances of an accident. The frequency of such plugging of the feed gap varies
greatly
with conditions, but in some conditions the frequency can make it almost
impossible to
continue with the baling operation.
This problem has existed in balers manufactured by many different companies
since such
round balers were first introduced. The problem is more or less pronounced
depending
upon the size of the feed gap on the various balers, however in all round
balers where the
feed gap is defined by such counter-rotating rollers, the problem exists to
some extent.
No prior art has addressed this problem. The solution provided by the present
invention is
very simple and practical, and while it does not entirely eliminate plugging
of the feed
gap, such plugging is greatly reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide, in commonly found round
balers, a
modification to the upper definition of the feed gap so as to prevent the top
of the
windrow from contacting the upper roller as it enters the bale forming
chamber.
The invention, a windrow deflector plate, accomplishes these objects in a
commonly
known round baler, said baler comprising substantially a pick-up; a bale
forming

CA 02205752 2001-O1-17
chamber; a feed gap through which the baling material enters the baling
chamber, said
feed gap having a top edge and a bottom edge; a lower roller, said lower
roller defining
the bottom edge of the feed gap; an upper roller, said upper roller defining
the top edge of
the feed gap; bale forming means; and bale tying and dumping means; where in
operation
5 of the baler the lower roller is rotating in a direction towards the rear of
the baler and the
upper roller is rotating in a direction towards the front of the baler, the
windrow deflector
plate comprising a substantially rectangular plate with a longer dimension and
a shorter
dimension, said plate being bent along its longer dimension at a deflection
angle to form
an attachment flange and a deflector flange, said longer dimension being
approximately
the same length as the length of the upper roller along its rotational axis,
wherein the
windrow deflector plate is attached to the baler by the fastening of the
attachment flange
at a point above the top of the feed gap forward of the upper roller such that
the longer
dimension of the plate is parallel to the rotational axis of the upper roller,
and wherein the
deflection angle is such that in combination with the attachment of the
attachment flange
above the feed gap the deflector flange extends downward and angles back
toward the
rear of the baler, relative to the feed gap, extending to a point vertically
at or below the
upper roller, wherein the windrow deflector flange becomes the new upper
definition of
the feed gap or coincidental with same, said plate then covering the said
upper roller,
preventing incoming baling material from coming into contact with said upper
roller and
deflecting said material into the feed gap, and attachment means for attaching
the
windrow deflector plate to the baler in the manner aforesaid.

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In a second similar embodiment, the invention could be integrally incorporated
into new
baling equipment as a windrow deflector flange, being an improvement to a
conventional
round baler used in the baling of forage crops and other baling material, said
baler
comprising substantially a pick-up; a bale forming chamber; a feed gap through
which
the baling material enters the baling chamber, said feed gap having a top edge
and a
bottom edge; a lower roller, said lower roller defining the bottom edge of the
feed gap; an
upper roller, said upper roller defining the top edge of the feed gap; bale
forming means;
and bale tying and dumping means; where in operation of the baler the lower
roller is
rotating in a direction towards the rear of the baler and the upper roller is
rotating in a
direction towards the front of the baler, the improvement windrow deflector
flange
comprising an integral flange of the baler of approximately the same length as
the upper
roller, said flange extending rearward from a point along the top of the feed
gap forward
of the upper roller and parallel to the rotational axis of the upper roller,
said flange
projecting back toward the rear of the baler, and said flange extending to a
point
vertically at or below the upper roller, and in proximity thereto, wherein the
windrow
deflector flange becomes the new upper definition of the feed gap or
coincidental with
same.
The invention may be practiced on round balers wherein the bale forming means
are
rollers alone or rollers carrying belts or chains.
The invention can either be implemented by baler manufacturers, by designing
the
windrow deflector plate or flange into their balers at the point of
manufacture, or the

CA 02205752 2001-O1-17
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windrow deflector plate itself could be sold in a kit with the proper mounting
hardware
and farmers or implement dealers could then retrofit existing round balers.
Reducing the frequency of such plugging reduces the chance of injuries, and
makes for a
safer baler to operate. The baler is also far more efficient and the operation
takes much
less time. Feed rates may be increased because the operator is not slowing
down to avoid
plugging.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred
embodiments
are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best
understood in
conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the
several
diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the windrow deflector plate
as
mounted on a round baler;
Figure 2 is a plane front view of the embodiment;
Figure 3 is a plane side view of the embodiment;
Figure 4 is a plane side view of the embodiment as mounted on a round baler;

CA 02205752 2001-O1-17
g
Figure 5 is an enlargement of a portion of Figure 4 showing the position of
the
embodiment relative to the parts of the baler.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment he invention is a windrow deflector plate, being an
improvement to a
commonly known round baler, said baler comprising substantially a pick-up; a
bale
forming chamber; a feed gap through which the baling material enters the
baling
chamber, said feed gap having a top edge and a bottom edge; a lower roller,
said lower
roller defining the bottom edge of the feed gap; an upper roller, said upper
roller defining
the top edge of the feed gap; bale forming means; and bale tying and dumping
means;
where in operation of the baler the lower roller is rotating in a direction
towards the rear
of the baler and the upper roller is rotating in a direction towards the front
of the baler,
the improvement being a windrow deflector plate comprising a substantially
rectangular
plate with a longer dimension and a shorter dimension, said plate being bent
along its
longer dimension at a deflection angle to form an attachment flange and a
deflector
flange, said longer dimension being approximately the same length as the
length of the
upper roller along its rotational axis, wherein the windrow deflector plate is
attached to
the baler by the fastening of the attachment flange at a point above the top
of the feed gap
forward of the upper roller such that the longer dimension of the plate is
parallel to the
rotational axis of the upper roller, and wherein the deflection angle is such
that in

CA 02205752 2001-O1-17
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combination with the attachment of the attachment flange above the feed gap
the
deflector flange extends downward and angles back toward the rear of the
baler, relative
to the feed gap, extending to a point vertically at or below the upper roller,
wherein the
windrow deflector flange becomes the new upper definition of the feed gap or
coincidental with same, said plate then covering the said upper roller,
preventing
incoming baling material from coming into contact with said upper roller and
deflecting
said material into the feed gap, and attachment means for attaching the
windrow deflector
plate to the baler in the manner aforesaid.
Figure 1 shows one preferred embodiment of the invention. The embodiment is
attached
to a commonly known round baler 1 wherein the baling material 2 is picked up
from the
ground by a pickup 13 and directed to the bale forming chamber 3 through a
feed gap 4
defined on the bottom by the top of a lower roller 5, carrying belts 6
approximately
horizontally towards the rear of the bale chamber 7, direction as indicated by
arrow A and
on the top by an upper roller 8, carrying belts 9 in an approximately vertical
direction
such that the bottom edge of said upper roller 8 is moving towards the front
of the baler
10, direction as indicated by arrows B, opposite to the direction of travel of
the baling
material 2 into the bale forming chamber, direction as indicated by arrows C.
The windrow deflector plate comprises a substantially rectangular plate 11
with a longer
dimension 14 and a shorter dimension 15, said plate being bent along its
longer
dimension at a deflection angle 16 to form an attachment flange 17 and a
deflector flange
18, said longer dimension 14 being approximately the same length as the length
of the

CA 02205752 2001-O1-17
upper roller 8 along its rotational axis, wherein the plate 11 is attached to
the baler by the
fastening of the attachment flange 17 at a point on the baler frame 12 above
the top of
the feed gap 4 forward of the upper roller 8 such that the longer dimension of
the plate 14
is parallel to the rotational axis of the upper roller 8, and wherein the
deflection angle 16
5 is such that in combination with the attachment of the attachment flange 17
above the
feed gap 4 the deflector flange 18 extends downward and angles back toward the
rear of
the baler, relative to the feed gap 4, to a point vertically at or below the
upper roller 8,
and in proximity thereto, wherein the deflector flange 18 becomes the new
upper
definition of the feed gap 4 or coincidental with same, said deflector flange
18 then
10 covering the upper roller 8, preventing incoming baling material 2 from
coming into
contact with said upper roller 8 and deflecting said material 2 into the feed
gap 4.
The windrow deflector plate, along with its attachment means/mounting
hardware, could
be packaged in a kit for sale and use by farmers or implement dealers to
retrofit existing
baling equipment.
In similar vein, it is also contemplated that the windrow deflector plate
could be
manufactured with adaptable attachment means so that said attachment means
could be
adjusted and fitted onto any number of different balers
The invention could also be practiced as a windrow deflector flange,
integrally
incorporated into a baler at manufacture.

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Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes all of its stated
objectives. Further,
since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled
in the art, it
is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation
shown and
described, and accordingly all such suitable changes or modifications in
structure or
operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within the scope of
the claimed
invention.

Representative Drawing