GB2034244A

GB2034244A - Agricultural Balers

Info

Publication number: GB2034244A
Application number: GB7933746A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Sperry Rand Ltd
Current assignee: Unisys Group Services Ltd
Priority date: 1978-10-10
Filing date: 1979-09-28
Publication date: 1980-06-04
Also published as: GB2034244B

Abstract

The invention provides hay dogs for agricultural balers which in use penetrate deeper into the bale case than is usual so as better to hold the compressed crop from expanding back into the bale case when the baling plunger retracts. Each hay dog structure comprises a fixed hay dog portion (37) of reduced height, combined with a movable hay dog portion (38) which, in its normal position, penetrates the bale case beyond the fixed hay dog portion. Each movable portion (38) may comprise a pair of arms (44) and (45) pivotally mounted at (46) and urged against a stop (43) by a spring (51). A needle for passing a binding medium around the forward end of a bale may pass through the opening (50) between the arms (44) and (45). The fixed portions (37) may be integral with bale grooves (35). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Agricultural Balers This invention relates generally to agricultural balers and more particularly to improved so-called hay dog means for the bale case of a baler.

In an agricultural baler it is conventional to provide hay dogs for holding hay, straw, etc.

delivered rearwardly by a bale forming plunger to prevent it from expanding forwardly when the plunger retracts. The dogs are helpful when a bale is being formed but they are particularly important when the bale is completed and the needle means carrying the medium with which the bale is to be tied has to be projected across the bale case. In retarding forward expansion of the crop material the dogs help to keep clear the paths in which the needles of the tying mechanism have to travel.

Various types of hay dogs have been in use in the past with varying degrees of success.

Stationary hay dogs have been provided having holding edges projecting into the bale case at a location substantially at the rearwardmost position of the plunger. Often these hay dogs are also positioned close to the sides of slots in the bale case walls through which the needles are projected during the tying operation. Either such fixed hay dogs have a reduced height and are therefore relatively ineffective, or they have a greater height so as to be more effective but then they tend to cut crop material during the bale formation which may result in crop losses and is therefore a disadvantage.

Stationary hay dogs should not be confused with so-called bale groovers. Bale groovers are provided for forming grooves in the bale surfaces to accommodate the tying medium. This gives an improved bale stability, on the one hand, and reduces, on the other hand, the risk of the tying medium being damaged and/or cut during subsequent handling by bale-handling machinery such as bale wagons and bale elevators. Bale groovers also extend inwardly of the bale case from the walls thereof. However, contrary to hay dogs, bale groovers have rearward edges which are positioned further rearwardly in the bale case.

This means that the front face of the bale as it is being formed by the plunger is not held back by said rearward edges. Instead, the bale groovers hold the crop material down as the baler twine or other tying medium is wrapped around the bale and the knot formed therein, thus positioning the twine inwardly of the outer surfaces of the bale.

Other hay dogs project through slots in the bale case of the baler and are spring loaded so that they move outwardly relative to the bale case when engaged by crop material delivered by the baler plunger and move inwardly after the plunger has pushed the hay or other crop material past the dogs.

Resiliently-mounted baler hay dogs also are usually located laterally spaced from and slightly rearwardly of the bale case slots through which the needles pass with each dog operating in its own bale case slot. Frequently, there is one hay dog for each needle, and since a given dog is located at one side of its associated needle, it provides protection for the needle only from that side. The other side of the needle may be subjected to interference caused by expansion of the compressed crop material. Additional dogs may be provided to give greater needle protection. However, such a solution is undesirable, not only because of the added costs involved in providing the dogs, but also because of the costs involved in making additional slots in the bale case in which the dogs may operate.

Further, such additional slots reduce the strength of the bale case and make the case less secure to escape of crop material being baled.

Also, whilst resiliently-mounted hay dogs form an important improvement over the fixed hay dogs described above, they occasionally perform in a manner which is less than fully satisfactory. It has been experienced that occasionally the movable hay dogs do not reach fast enough their innermost position, whereby they sometimes fail properly to prevent the compressed crop material from expanding back into the bale case as the plunger retracts. This has been experienced even though, theoretically the depth of penetration of the hay dogs into the bale case is sufficient. On the other hand, the movable hay dogs do not damage the crop by a cutting action as it is being compressed.

According to the present invention an agricultural baler comprises a bale case for receiving crop material, a plunger reciprocable in the bale case for compressing the crop material therein, at least one hay dog mounted in the bale case in the path of the plunger and operable to hold compressed crop material and prevent it from expanding as the plunger retracts, the or each hay dog comprising a fixed portion and movable portion associated with the fixed portion, the movable portion having a normal position extending into the bale case beyond the fixed portion and being movable outwardly of the bale case as crop material is moved therepast by the plunger.

Preferably a pair of hay dogs is provided on both the top and bottom wall of the bale case.

Each hay dog is associated with an opening in the respective bale case wall, with the fixed hay dog portions comprising hay dog elements secured to the inner sides of the bale case at opposed sides of said openings. The elements define acute angles with the bale case walls to which they are secured and comprise crop-engaging ends facing in the direction of the compression stroke of the plunger.

The movable hay dog portions preferably are pivotally mounted on brackets on the outer sides of the bale case and penetrate into the bale case through said openings. Springs may be provided between the bale case and arms on the respective movable hay dog portions to bias the latter to their normal crop-holding position wherein they abut against stops. The movable hay dog portions have crop-engaging ends facing in the direction of the compression stroke of the plunger and which, when the movable hay dog portions are in their normal position, extend generally in line with the crop-engaging ends of the fixed hay dog portions, and penetrate further into the bale case than the latter. The crop-engaging ends of both the fixed and the movable hay dog portions are located substantially at the end of the compression stroke of the plunger.

The movable hay dog portions may comprise crop-engageable laterally spaced, elongate elements with extensions at their crop-engaging ends and which are coupled together in pairs at one end by coupling or bridging pieces. The extensions of each pair of elements face each other and, together with the coupling pieces and the associated elements, define openings for needles of a bale tying mechanism to extend therethrough. The movable hay dog elements are located at acute angles relative to the fixed hay dog elements when in their normal position and are pivotable in an outward direction relative to the bale case in response to engagement by crop material moved past the elements by the plunger.

The movable hay dog elements are movable closely adjacent and inside the associated pairs of fixed hay dog elements.

An agricultural baler constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the baler, Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through the bale case of the baler shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2, part of the top of the bale case being broken away to show the plunger construction, Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the baler plunger delivering crop material rearwardly, Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the baler plunger in a fully extended position, Figure 6 is a partial side view on a larger scale of a hay dog of the baler, and Figure 7 is a plan view of Figure 6.

In the following description, right and left, forward and rearward references are determined by standing at the rear of the baler and facing in the direction of forward travel. Also, in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as "forward", "rearward", "left", "right", "upwardly", are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1, the baler is indicated generally at 1 and comprises a tongue 2 extending forwardly of the baler for attachment to a tractor (not shown), a fore-and-aft extending bale case 3 having a forward end on which a flywheel 4 is rotatably mounted, a feed housing 5 transversely located adjacent the right-hand side of the bale case 3 within which is mounted a feed mechanism 6 adapted to convey crop material into the bale case 3 through an inlet opening 7, and a rotatable pick-up 8 mounted on the baler 1 forwardly of and below the feed housing 5 and adapted to lift crop material from the field and deliver it to the feed mechanism 6.

The bale case 3 is elongate and rectangular in cross-section with a top wall 9, a bottom wall 10 and side walls 11 and 12. Conventionally, the bale case 3 extends fore-and-aft relative to the direction of travel of the baler and has a forward end and a rear end. The inlet opening 7 is provided in the side wall 11 intermediate the ends thereof.

A reciprocable plunger 1 5 is mounted in the bale case 3 and is movable from the position shown in Figure 2, adjacent the forward end of the bale case, to the position shown in Figure 5, adjacent the rear end, and back again. The plunger 1 5 is reciprocated by means of a connecting rod 1 6 pivotally connected to the plunger at 1 7 and driven from a suitable power source not shown. The face 1 8 of the plunger is provided with forwardly projecting tabs 1 9 and the plunger face has recesses or slots 20 shown best in Figure 3. The side of the plunger adjacent side wall 11 is provided with a knife 21 which is operable to sever crop material delivered into the bale case from material remaining outside the wall 11.

The plunger 15 conveys crop material in bale case 3 in a rearward direction. A plurality of wads of crop material go into making a completed bale.

As each bale is formed, it is moved rearwardly against a tying medium 22, such as wire or twine, which extends across the bale case from the top wall 9 to the bottom wall 10. The movement of the bale against the tying medium causes the latter to be extended around the rearward end and the top and bottom of the formed bale. To pass the tying medium around the forward end of a completed bale, needle means 23 are provided comprising needles 24 which are adapted to be projected across the bale case 3. The number of needles employed corresponds to the number of strands which are to be banded around each bale.

In the illustration of Figure 3, two needles 24 are shown and each needle is carried on a yoke 25 which straddles the sides 11, 1 2 of the bale case and is pivotally connected thereto at 26. The rearward ends 27 of the needles are connected to the bight portion 28 of the yoke 25. Each needle has a free end 29 provided with a roller 30 engageable with the tying medium 22 to project it across the bale case as shown best in Figure 5.

The top wall 9 is provided with two fore-andaft extending laterally spaced openings or slots 31. The bottom wall 10 also has openings 31 which are the same size as, and register with, the openings 31 in the top wall 9. When the needles 24 are projected from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in solid lines in Figure 5, the needles pass through the openings in the bottom wall 10, then across the bale case 3 and out through the slots 31 in the top wall 9 and in so doing pass through the slots 20 in the face of the plunger 1 5. When projected, the needles 24 are forwardly of the bale B in the bale case, as shown.

To prevent the separate wads of crop material from expanding forwardly each time the plunger retracts, hay dog means 33 constructed according to the invention are provided. The hay dog means 33 are mounted on the bale case 3 and comprises four hay dogs, there being one hay dog for each of the openings 31 in the top wall and one hay dog for each of the openings 31 in the bottom wall 10. All of the hay dogs are similarly constructed and, therefore, only one of the dogs will be described.

Bale groovers 35 in the form of elongate, inwardly-projecting ribs are provided at the opposite longitudinal side edges of the openings 31.The bale groovers 35 extend in a fore-and-aft direction from a location substantially forwardly of the openings 31 to a location substantially rearwardly thereof. The bale groovers 35 have inclined forward edges 36 for facilitating crop material to pass beyond said forward edges without being cut. The bale groovers 35 have a height which preferably is in the range of 2 to 3 cms.

The hay dogs 33 are combined with the bale groovers 35 and comprise fixed portions 37 as well as movable portions 38. The fixed portions 37 comprise elements 41 and 42 extending inwardly into the bale case 3 from the bale groovers 35 and from opposed side edges of the openings 31. The elements 41 and 42 thus are provided intermediate the opposite ends of the bale groover ribs and are generally triangular in shape, having a rearwardly and downwardly inclined elongate edge 39. The edges 39 extend at a small angle relative to the bale case top and bottom walls 9 and 1 0. At their rearward ends, the elements 41 and 42 comprise crop engageable, steeply inclined edges 40 which face in a rearward direction and extend generally transverse to the direction of movement of the crop material in the bale case.The fixed hay dog portions 37 have a maximum height which preferably is in the range of 2 to 3 cms.

Abutments or stops 43 are welded or otherwise secured inside the bale case 3, generally at the forward ends of the adjacent stationary elements 41 and 42 of each fixed hay dog portion 37. The stops 43 bridge the forward ends of the respective openings 31 at a location inside the bale case 3.

Further, each movable hay dog portion 38 comprises a pair of elongate crop-engageable elements or arms 44 and 45, which are spaced relative to each other and are pivotally connected at 46 to brackets 47 on the outside of the bale case 3. The movable elements 44 and 45 are coupled to each other via a forward section 48 which can cooperate with the respective stops 43. At their rearward ends, the elements 45 and 46 comprise extensions 49 which face each other and which together with the interconnecting section 48, define an opening 50 for the associated needles 24 to pass therethrough.

When in the normal position, each movable hay dog portion 38 extends rearwardly and into the bale case 3 as shown in Figures 2 and 6. Each movable dog portion 38 is held in such a position by a'spring 51 connected between a fixed tab 52 on the outside of the balecase 3 and a pivot arm 53 rigidly coupled to the pivot axis 46 which itself is fixed to the movable dog portion 38. As shown in Figure 2, the hay dog portions 38 at the bottom 10 of the bale case 3 are biased to pivot in a counterclockwise direction whilst the movable dog portions 38 at the top 9 of the bale case 3 are biased to pivot in a clockwise direction. In the normal position, each movable hay dog portion 38 engages the associated stop 43, whereby the extension of that portion into the bale case is limited.In this position the movable hay dog portions 38 have their crop engageable, rearwardly facing edges 54 substantially in line with the edges 40 of the fixed hay dog elements 41 and 42, when seen in side elevation. Actually, the movable hay dog elements 44 and 45 are arranged closely adjacent and inwardly of the fixed hay dog elements 41 and 42 defining the side edges of the openings 31.

When the movable hay dog portions 38 are in the normal position projecting into the bale case 3, they form acute angles with the top and bottom walls 9 and 10 as well as with the inner edges of the fixed hay dog portions 37. When a charge of crop material is delivered rearwardly by the bale forming plunger 15, the crop material slides over the bale groovers 35 and the fixed and movable hay dog portions 37, 38. This causes the crop material locally to be further compressed.

Also, as the movable dog portions 38 are engaged by the crop material they are pivoted outwardly of the bale case as shown in Figure 4.

The movable dog portions 38 are shielded in this position by the stationary dog portions 37. Once the plunger 1 5 has pushed the crop material past the hay dogs 33, the crop material almost instantaneously expands again until it contacts the rear ends of the bale groovers 35. Between adjacent bale groovers 35, the crop material engages the top and bottom walls 9 and 10 of the bale case 3. Also once the plunger has pushed the crop material past the hay dogs 33, the movable dog portions 38 are free to be pivoted by the springs 51 back into the bale case and through the slots 20 in the face of the plunger 1 5. The movable hay dog portions 38 then assume a position as shown in Figures 5 and 6 forwardly of the crop material, thus retaining the same, until the next wad of material is delivered.

The movable hay dog portions 38 have a height in the range of 3 to 5 cms. and are movable over the same range into the bale case 3 beyond the fixed hay dog elements 37, so that in the normal position, the total height of the hay dogs 34 is in the range of 5 to 8 cms. This also means that the movable hay dog portions 38 extend from the top and bottom walls 9 and 10 into the bale case 3 over a distance of about 7 to 11 cms., which is indeed substantial. Yet the movable hay dog portions 38 move over a short distance (3 to 5 cms.) as the crop material is pushed beyond said portions. This also means that the movable hay dog portions 38 quickly regain their crop-holding position after a further wad of crop material has been compressed.

When a bale has been completed, the needle means 23 are operated to project the tying medium 22 around the forward end of the completed bale. As shown in Figure 5, each needle 24 is projected through the slots 20 in the plunger face 18 and through the space 50 between the crop engageable elements 44 and 45 of the movable hay dog portions 38. Thus, when projected, the needles 24 pass through the central portion of the openings 31 whilst the crop-engageable elements 44 and 45 of the movable hay dog portions 38 operate in the lateral portions of these openings. Since the needles 24 pass between the elements 41 and 42 of the stationary hay dog portions 37 and the elements 44 and 45 of the movable hay dog portions 38, they are protected on both sides from expansion of the bale B. The needles 24 are thus better protected than was heretofore provided.

The rear ends of the bale groovers 35 extend further rearwardly in the bale case 3 than the hay dogs 33, whereby grooves are impressed in the bale surfaces after such bale has passed the hay dogs and whilst the tying medium is tied around the bale, the tying medium being advantageously positioned in those groves.

Since the hay dog portions 38 operated in the same slots through which the needles project, the number of openings in the top wall 9 and bottom wail 10 of the bale case 3 are kept at a minimum, thereby maintaining the overall strength of the bale case at a maximum. The number of operations in manufacturing the bale case are reduced thus saving manufacturing costs. Since each dog 33 has two stationary and two movable crop-engaging elements 41 and 42; 44 and 45, respectively, instead of only one, and since these elements are close to and on opposite sides of the associated needle, the hold on crop delivered rearwardly by the plunger 1 5 as a bale is formed and when it is completed, is extremely effective.

This is so for several reasons, one being the substantial penetration of the hay dogs into the bale case. Another reason is the fact that the movable elements 44 and 45 assume almost instantaneously their extreme holding position after a new wad of crop material has been compressed by the plunger. This is due to the fact that the stroke of the movable hay dog portions is fairly short in comparison to the total height of the combined hay dogs. Yet, irrespective of the substantial penetration of the hay dogs into the bale case, there is little or no crop cutting effect of the hay dogs.

Claims

1. An agricultural baler comprising a bale case for receiving crop material, a plunger reciprocable in the bale case for compressing the crop material therein, and at least one hay dog mounted in the bale case in the path of the plunger and operable to hold compressed crop material and prevent it from expanding as the plunger retracts, the or each hay dog comprising a fixed portion and movable portion associated with the fixed portion, the movable portion having a normal position extending into the bale case beyond the fixed portion and being movable outwardly of the bale case as crop material is moved therepast by the plunger.

2. A baler according to claim 1, wherein two hay dogs are provided on one wall of the bale case and another pair of hay dogs is provided on the opposite wall of the bale case, the hay dogs on one wall being located in register with the hay dogs on the opposite wall.

3. A baler according to either claim 1 or 2, wherein the or each hay dog means comprises a pair of spaced apart elements.

4. A baler according to any of claims to 3, wherein each fixed hay dog portion is fixedly mounted on a wall of the bale case and comprises a pair of fore-and-aft extending, laterally spaced apart elements which form an acute angle with said wall and which comprise crop-engaging ends facing in the direction of the compression stroke of the plunger.

5. A baler according to claim 4, wherein the fixed hay dog elements of each hay dog are provided at opposite sides of an opening in the bale case wall.

6. A baler according to claim 5 when appended to claim 2, the baler further comprises needle means movable through the openings in the opposed side walls of the bale case and through slots in the plunger to wrap a tying medium around a bale formed in the bale case.

7. A baler according to claim 6, wherein each movable hay dog portion is pivotally mounted in a respective opening in the opposed side walls of the bale case.

8. A baler according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the or each movable hay dog portion comprises a pair of fore-and-aft extending, laterally spaced crop-engaging elements which form an acute angle with the associated fixed hay dog portion when the movable hay dog portion is in the normal position.

9. A baler according to claim 8, wherein the elements of the or each movable hay dog portion are pivotable closely adjacent the elements of the associated fixed hay dog portion.

10. A baler according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the elements of the or each movable hay dog portion are coupled together at their forward end by a connecting piece bridging the gap between the adjacent elements.

11. A baler according to claim 10, wherein the elements of the or each movable hay dog portion comprise extensions of the end facing in the direction of the compression stroke of the plunger, the extensions of one movable hay dog portion facing each other and defining, together with the elements thereof and the connecting piece, an opening for the needle means to pass therethrough.

12. A baler according to claim 10, wherein the or each movable hay dog portion is pivotably mounted on the associated bale case wall at the location of said connecting piece.

13. A baler according to claim 12, wherein the or each movable hay dog portion is pivotably mounted via brackets on the outside of the bale case and at opposite sides of the associated opening therein.

14. A baler according to claini 13, wherein the or each movable hay dog portion comprises an arm projecting outwardly relative to the bale case, the baler further also comprising spring means between the arm and the bale case to bias the movable hay dog portion to the normal position.

1 5. A baler according to claim 14 and further comprising stop means operable to limit the penetration of the movable hay dog portion into the bale case in its normal position.

1 6. A baler according to any of the claims 8 to 1 5, wherein the elements of the or each movable hay dog portion comprise crop-engaging ends facing in the direction of the compression stroke of the plunger.

1 7. A baler according to claim 16, wherein, when seen in a direction transverse to the hay dog and when the movable hay dog portion is in the normal position, the crop-engaging ends of the or each movable hay dog portion are substantially aligned with the crop-engaging ends of the associated fixed hay dog portion.

1 8. A baler according to claim 17, wherein, when the movable portions of the or each hay dog is in the normal position, the crop-engaging ends thereof are located further inside the bale case than the crop-engaging ends of the associated fixed portion.

19. A baler according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the crop-engaging ends of the fixed and movable hay dog portions are located substantially at the end of the compression stroke of the plunger in the bale case.

20. A baler according to any of the preceding claims and further comprising bale groovers, the fixed hay dog portions being integrated with the bale groovers and the bale groovers extending forwardly and rearwardly of the fixed hay dog portions.

21. A baler according to claim 20, wherein the bale groovers have a height in the range of 2 to 3 cms.

22. A baler according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the or each fixed hay dog portion has a height in the range of 2 to 3 cms.

23. A baler according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the or each movable hay dog portion has a height in the range of 3 to 5 cms.

24. A baler as herein particularly described with reference to the Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.