The field of this disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for gathering bales and, in particular, apparatus and methods that involve wrapping bales during or prior to unloading of bales. In particular embodiments, a module of bales is gathered on the apparatus and the module is wrapped and unloaded from the apparatus. The wrapped module may be reloaded on the apparatus and transported for further use.
Crop forages such as hay (e.g., alfalfa and/or grass hay) are periodically cut in the field, dried and compacted into bales for transport and storage of the forage material. Recent evolutions in row crop production and in technology for processing these materials have led to changes in the scale and economics of harvest and to increasing potential for harvest of crop residues like corn stover. Corn stover is also baled in the field and used as livestock feed, bedding or production of biofuels. In addition, harvest technology for cotton that includes the step of baling the cotton in the field has been developed. Due to these relatively recent changes, the scale at which this type of harvest process is conducted in some instances is different than the traditional process. The density of the bales, in terms of the number of bales per acre, is higher in some instances, the labor availability is less in some instances and the criticality of timing is higher in some instances.
In some cases and, in particular when silage material is baled, it may be desirable to wrap the bales in protective material such as plastic. Wrapping the silage promotes the ensiling process in which the material ferments thereby improving the digestibility of the material for ruminants. Silage may be composed of various materials such as field crops or various grasses or legumes (i.e., alfalfa). In the case of forage bales, wrapping the bales allows the bales to be protected from rain and precipitation which may degrade the nutrient value of the material.
A continuing need exists for apparatus for gathering and wrapping bales. A continuing need also exists for an apparatus that allows bales to be wrapped and unloaded in modules which may subsequently be reloaded for further transport and use.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for gathering and wrapping bales resting on a surface. The apparatus includes a first bed assembly for supporting and conveying bales, a loading assembly for lifting a bale from the surface and conveying it to the first bed assembly, a second bed assembly for conveying bales and a bale wrapping device for wrapping bales. The loading assembly is pivotal relative to the first bed assembly. The second bed assembly is pivotal relative to the first bed assembly. The bale wrapping device is mounted to the second bed assembly.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a method for gathering and wrapping bales resting on a surface. Bales are loaded from the surface onto an apparatus for gathering and wrapping bales. The bales form a module of at least two bales on the apparatus. The module of bales is wrapped. A wrapped module of bales is unloaded onto the surface at a storage site. The module of bales is reloaded onto the apparatus at the storage site. The apparatus and module of bales is transferred to a second site. The module of bales is unloaded onto the surface at the second site.
A further aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a method for gathering and wrapping bales resting on a surface. A bale is loaded on an apparatus for gathering and wrapping bales. The bale is wrapped. The bale is unloaded onto the surface. The loading, wrapping and unloading steps occur along a common lengthwise central axis.
Yet another aspect of the present application is directed to a method for wrapping a substantially continuous row of bales resting on a surface. Bales are loaded in the row from the surface onto an apparatus for wrapping bales. The loaded bales are wrapped as the apparatus continues to load additional bales. The wrapped bales are unloaded as the apparatus continues to load additional bales.
Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to any of the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure, alone or in any combination.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
An embodiment of an apparatus for gathering bales is generally referred to as 5 in
The apparatus 5 includes a tongue 1 for pulling the apparatus by use of, for example, a tractor or other pulling vehicle. In some embodiments (not shown) the apparatus 5 includes its own propulsion mechanism rather than being pulled by a pulling vehicle.
The apparatus 5 includes wheels 3. The two wheels 3 on each side of the apparatus 5 are connected by a tandem axle 19 by use of hub and spindle assemblies (not shown). The tandem axles 19 are connected by a frame member 21 (
The loading assembly 15 includes two arms 4, 24 that are the first portion of the apparatus 5 to contact the bale during loading. Each arm 4, 24 includes an endless conveyor belt 16, 18. The endless conveyor belts 16, 18 may include various drive, idler and/or support rollers (not shown) for rotating the conveyor belt. In some cases the drive roller is positioned at the front, and in some cases at the rear.
Each belt 16, 18 includes upper portions 16u, 18u (
The surface characteristics of the conveyors 16, 18 may affect the frictional engagement between the conveyor belt and the bale. The conveyor belts 16, 18 may include a surface that will adequately engage the bale to enhance the capability for the loading assembly to reliably lift the bales while also minimizing potential for damage to the bale and any bale wrapping.
The arms 4, 24 are each independently pivotally attached to the chassis 6 of the first bed assembly 7. The arms 4, 24 may be attached by use of a pivot pin (not shown) or by any other suitable method which allows the arms 4, 24 to pivot relative to the chassis 6. Each side of the chassis 6 includes a stop (not shown) which limits the downward pivot of the arms 4, 24 relative to the chassis.
The apparatus 5 has a loading end 50, discharge end 47 and a central lengthwise axis A (
The first bed assembly 7 has a first end 32 and a second end 27 and includes two generally parallel bed conveyors 35 (
The first bed assembly 7 may have one bed conveyor (not shown) on each side that extends from the first end 32 to the second end 27 of the bed assembly rather than multiple bed conveyors on each side. In some embodiments, the first bed assembly 7 has a single conveyor belt (not shown) that forms a floor upon which the bales rest for moving bales toward the second end 27.
The second bed assembly 25 also includes two generally parallel bed conveyors 39 on each side of the apparatus 5 and a chassis 14 to which the bed conveyors are mounted. Similar to the bed conveyors 35 of the first bed assembly 7, each bed conveyor 39 of the second bed assembly 25 includes an endless belt routed around a front idler roller and a rear powered roller. The conveyors 39 may be rotated to cause the bales to move toward the bale wrapping device 20 and for unloading bales as explained further below.
The bale wrapping device 20 is mounted on the second bed assembly 25 at the second end 47 of the assembly 25. In other embodiments, the bale wrapping device 20 is mounted to the second bed assembly 25 at points other than the second end 20 (i.e., nearer or at the first end 29) or may even be mounted to the first bed assembly 7.
The conveyor belts 16, 18 of the first and second arms 4, 24 of the loading assembly 15 may be driven by hydraulics, by a power-take-off system or by an electrical drive. Similarly, the first bed assembly conveyor belts 35 and second bed assembly conveyor belts 39 may be driven by hydraulics, a power-take-off system or an electric drive. The position of the loading apparatus 5 relative to the pull vehicle (i.e., whether the apparatus is pulled directly behind the pull vehicle or at an offset position such as when bales are being gathered from the field) may be adjusted by manipulating the angle between the tongue 1 and the axis A (
The bed conveyors 35, 39 could be constructed from the same basic components used in the loading assembly conveyors 16, 18, with an endless conveyor belt, an idler roller, a drive roller and supports. The embodiments illustrated herein show an alternative construction for the bed conveyors 35, 39 each including an endless conveyor belt of a slightly different construction than the belts 16 and 18, routed around a drive pulley and an idler pulley. In some cases the drive roller of each bed conveyor 35, 39 is positioned at the front, and in some cases at the rear.
It should be noted that any suitable type of conveyer belts or conveyor systems may be included in the apparatus 5. For instance, a conveyor belt composed of nylon or fiberglass fibers covered by materials such as rubber, PVC, thermoplastic polymer or the equivalent may be used. Chain conveyor systems may also be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In this regard, “conveyor belt” as used herein includes any arrangement in which a belt, chain, track or the like is moved around a series of pulleys to cause movement of the belt, chain or track.
The first bed assembly 7 may be pivoted relative to the loading assembly 15 and/or the second bed assembly 25 by use of cylinder 17 (
During loading of bales, the cylinder 17 may be actuated to cause the arms 4, 24 (
The second bed assembly 25 may pivot relative to the first bed assembly 7. A cylinder 37 (
Referring now to
In operation, the apparatus 5 is pulled by the pull vehicle (not shown) with the loading assembly in a loading position toward a bale as shown in
Generally, the apparatus 5 is suitable for picking up cylindrical bales commonly referred to as “round” bales. Round bales are used for harvesting any material capable of being formed into a cylindrical bale such as silage or traditional hay crops (e.g., alfalfa or grass), corn stover or other crop residues, cotton, or woody products like small diameter trees. The round bales may have a variety of sizes typically ranging from forty to one hundred inches in diameter and forty to one hundred inches in length. While the apparatus 5 is shown in
The apparatus 5 shown in
As shown in
The chassis 6 and tongue 1 are caused to be at an angle λ relative to one another such that the loading assembly 15, first bed assembly 7 and second bed assembly 25 travel outside of the path of the pull vehicle (not shown) to allow the pull vehicle to travel to the outside of bales targeted for loading.
The first and second conveyor belts 16, 18 are caused to move by rotating the drive rollers while the apparatus 5 travels toward the bale B1. As the apparatus 5 approaches the bale B1, the conveyor belts 16, 18 of the arms 4, 24 contact the bale causing the bale to be lifted and simultaneously moved toward the first bed assembly 7. The bale B1 may be loaded onto the loading assembly 15 (and subsequently onto the first bed assembly 7, second bed assembly 25 and through the wrapping device 20) without stopping the apparatus 5 such that the apparatus 5 and the vehicle which pulls the apparatus may continually move forward during bale pick-up.
Once the bale is loaded on the loading assembly 15, the belt conveyors 35 of the first bed assembly 7 move to transfer the bale B1 from the loading assembly 15 to the position on the first bed assembly illustrated in
Once the first bale B1 is loaded, the apparatus 5 is directed to a second bale. The loading assembly 15 lifts the second bale and carries the second bale toward the bed assembly 7 until it nears of contacts the first bale. Upon nearing or contacting the first bale, one or more sets of bed conveyors 35 of the first bed assembly 7 are caused to rotate and the first and second bales travel partially down the first bed assembly 7 toward the second end 27.
Bales may continue to be loaded onto the apparatus 5 by operation of conveyors of the loading assembly 15, first bed assembly 7 and second bed assembly 25 until the apparatus becomes fully loaded (
As shown in
Referring now to
During wrapping, the wrapping device 20 is maintained with an inner radius greater than the radius of the bales to allow bales to pass through the wrapping device. The bales are conveyed to the discharge end 47 (
After the last bale of the module has passed through the wrapping device 20, the wrapping material is cut and sealed to form a wrapped module. As the bales are wrapped, the wrapped module is transferred to a support surface (
It should be noted that the methods of the present disclosure for gathering and wrapping bales are not limited to any particular pivot position between (1) the loading assembly 15 and the first bed assembly 7 and (2) the second bed assembly 15 and the first bed assembly 7 during loading, transport, wrapping and/or unloading of bales. If desired, bales may be unloaded to the front of the apparatus 5 without wrapping by tilting the loading assembly 15 to a forward tilted position and causing the apparatus 5 to move backward.
In some embodiments, the apparatus is not adjusted to a traveling position after bales are loaded. In such embodiments, the last bale is loaded and the module of bales is wrapped and unloaded without adjusting the relative position of the loading assembly 15, first bed assembly 7 or second bed assembly 25 (i.e., the second bed assembly 25 is maintained at a pivot position in which second end 47 is positioned near or at the unloading surface).
As shown in
As noted above, the apparatus 5 of embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to prepare wrapped modules of at least two bales for further use. The apparatus 5 as shown in
After the bales have been loaded from the bale surface onto the apparatus 5, the module of bales may be concurrently wrapped and unloaded (e.g. onto the surface at a storage site). When transport of the module is subsequently desired, the module may be reloaded on the apparatus (either as wrapped or after unwrapping the module) at the storage site and the apparatus and module of bales may be transported to a second site (e.g., a site at which the bales are consumed). The module (either wrapper or unwrapped) may then be unloaded onto the surface at the second site.
It should be noted that the module of bales may be reloaded onto the apparatus 5 by propelling the apparatus 5 forward and loading onto the loading assembly 15 or the module may be loaded by moving the apparatus backward and loading onto the second bed assembly 25 (e.g., after removing the bale wrapping device 20 from the apparatus). After being reloaded, the module may be unloaded from either the loading assembly 15 or the second bed assembly 25 onto the surface at the second site (e.g., the site at which the bales are consumed).
Modules of wrapped bales may be prepared by use of the apparatus 5 by loading a first bale B1 from the bale surface onto the loading assembly 15. The first bale B1 is transferred from the loading assembly 15 to the first bed assembly 7 by use of conveyor belts 16, 18. A second bale B2 is loaded from the surface on which it rests onto the loading assembly 15 and the second bale B2 is transferred from the loading assembly 15 to the first bed assembly 7. Additional bales may be loaded to form a larger module. Bales are transferred from the first bed assembly 7 to the second bed assembly 25 and conveyed through the wrapping device 20. The wrapped module of bales is unloaded onto the surface at a storage site.
Compared to conventional apparatus for gathering and wrapping bales, the apparatus described above has several advantages. The apparatus may allow loading, wrapping and unloading of bales to occur along a common lengthwise central axis thereby minimizing bale movement to allow for reliable bale transport and wrapping (e.g., minimized air inclusion) to be achieved. The apparatus may include two pivot points which allows bales to be loaded from the bale surface, wrapped and unloaded back to the surface by conveyor action. Modules of bales may be formed and wrapped and the modules may be unloaded, stored, reloaded and transported as desired by one operator and one machine. Use of separately controllable bale sections (e.g., loading assembly 15, first bed assembly 7 and/or second bed assembly 25) allows bales to be wrapped more closely together relative to the spacing before bale loading. A substantially continuous prearranged row of bales resting on a surface may be wrapped by use of the apparatus.
As used herein, the terms “about,” “substantially” and “approximately” when used in conjunction with ranges of dimensions, concentrations, temperatures or other physical or chemical properties or characteristics is meant to cover variations that may exist in the upper and/or lower limits of the ranges of the properties or characteristics, including, for example, variations resulting from rounding, measurement methodology or other statistical variation.
When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, the and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. The use of terms indicating a particular orientation (e.g., “top”, “bottom”, “side”, etc.) is for convenience of description and does not require any particular orientation of the item described.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing[s] shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/NL2014/050363 | 6/6/2014 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61835166 | Jun 2013 | US |