US-12616100-B2 - Ejection chute for an agricultural baler

Abstract

An ejection chute for an agricultural baler has an ejection chute that includes a channel having a base wall and first and second side walls extending upwards from either side of the base wall, and in which a region of the base wall is provided with a first window. Various deposit mechanisms are provided for controlling movement of a formed bale through the first window.

Inventors

• Lucas Andrew Weller

Assignees

• AGCO CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230124

Claims (18)

1. 1 . An ejection chute for an agricultural baler comprises a channel having a base wall and first and second side walls extending upwards from either side of the base wall, in which a region of the base wall is provided with a first window shaped and sized to allow a formed bale to pass though the window, the base wall including an outwardly extending flange extending to one side of the ejection chute outward of the first sidewall, and a deposit mechanism for controlling movement of a formed bale through the first window, the deposit mechanism comprising a first selectively displaceable panel adapted to pivot about a longitudinal axis located to a first side of the first window at a distal end of the flange and a second selectively displaceable panel adapted to pivot about a longitudinal axis located at a second side of the first window such that the longitudinal axis of the second selectively displaceable panel extends along a base of the second wall.
2. 2 . The ejection chute according to claim 1 , in which the first panel is selectively displaceable between a first position in which travel of a formed bale through the first window is prevented and a second position in which deposit of the formed bale through the first window is permitted.
3. 3 . The ejection chute according to claim 1 , in which the first side wall of the ejection chute is provided with a laterally extending support for the first selectively displaceable panel.
4. 4 . The ejection chute according to claim 1 in which the first side wall of the ejection chute is provided with a second window extending alongside the first window in the base panel.
5. 5 . The ejection chute according to claim 1 , in which the second selectively displaceable panel is selectively displaceable between a first position in which travel of a formed bale through the first window is prevented and a second position in which deposit of the formed bale through the first window is permitted.
6. 6 . The ejection chute according to claim 5 , in which the second selectively displaceable panel includes a second portion formed at an angle to a first portion.
7. 7 . The ejection chute according to claim 5 , in which a first mechanical apparatus controls operation of the first and second selectively displaceable panels.
8. 8 . The ejection chute according to claim 5 , in which a first mechanical apparatus controls operation of the first selectively displaceable panel and a second mechanical apparatus controls operation of the second selectively displaceable panel.
9. 9 . The ejection chute according to claim 1 , in which the ejection chute further comprises a deflector suspended from the first selectively displaceable panel.
10. 10 . The ejection chute according to claim 1 , further comprising a first actuator associated with the first selectively displaceable panel, whereby the first actuator controls the displacement of the first selectively displaceable panel.
11. 11 . The ejection chute according to claim 10 , in which the first actuator is in communication with a controller configured to control actuation of the first actuator.
12. 12 . The ejection chute according to claim 10 , in which the ejection chute also comprises a second actuator associated with the second selectively displaceable panel, whereby the second actuator controls the displacement of the second selectively displaceable panel.
13. 13 . The ejection chute according to claim 12 , in which the second actuator is in communication with a controller configured also to control actuation of the first actuator.
14. 14 . The ejection chute according to claim 1 , in which a mechanical apparatus is provided to control displacement of the first selectively displaceable panel.
15. 15 . An agricultural baler comprising a baling mechanism including a baling chamber for the sequential production of square bales, and an ejection chute in accordance with claim 1 .
16. 16 . An agricultural baler comprising: a baling mechanism including a first baling chamber and a second baling chamber for the sequential production of square bales, the second baling chamber producing square bales concurrently with the first baling chamber; a first ejection chute and a second ejection chute with each of the first and second ejection chutes comprising a channel having a base wall and first and second side walls extending upwards from either side of the base wall, in which a region of the base wall is provided with a first window, and a deposit mechanism for controlling movement of a formed bale through the first window.
17. 17 . An agricultural baler according to claim 16 in which each deposit mechanism comprises at least a first selectively displaceable panel at a first side of the first window, the first panel being selectively displaceable between a first position in which travel of a formed bale through the first window is prevented and a second position in which deposit of the formed bale through the first window is permitted, wherein each of the first and second ejection chutes comprise a first actuator associated with the first selectively displaceable panel, whereby the first actuator controls the displacement of the first selectively displaceable panel, and wherein the actuator of the second ejection chute is in communication with the controller configured also to control actuation of the actuator of the first ejection chute.
18. 18 . The agricultural baler according to claim 17 , in which the first selectively displaceable panel of the first ejection chute is located adjacent to the first selectively displaceable panel of the second ejection chute.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/267,967, filed Feb. 14, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Invention The present invention relates to an agricultural baler and in particular to a baler of the square bale type. The invention has particular relevance to an arrangement for discharge of such bales from the baler. Description of Related Art It is known to provide balers of the kind that gather harvested crop from a windrow formed on the ground and then compact the harvested crop into bales. In a known kind of apparatus, the harvested crop is lifted from a formed windrow by a pick up mechanism and transferred to a stuffer chute before being introduced into a first end of a baling chamber. A reciprocating plunger is provided to compress the crop material into a flake and by advancing consecutive flakes within the baling chamber under the action of the plunger to form a bale. Such parallelepiped bales are generally elongate and known as square bales. Once a bale of a certain size has been formed a knotter mechanism is actuated to tie the formed bale. The formed bale will then be driven from a second end of the baling chamber to an ejection chute or platform from where the formed bale will be deposited to the ground. Collection of the deposited formed bales then follows as a separate operation. Nevertheless, it is not ideal that formed bales are dropped from the end of an ejection platform. In particular there can be a lack of control as to how the bales are ejected and their subsequent orientation on the ground, the orientation of the bales affecting the ease of collection of such bales. Accordingly, there is a desire to more closely control the depositing of formed bales from such a baler. It is an advantage of the present invention that this problem is addressed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention an ejection chute for an agricultural baler comprises a channel having a base wall and first and second side walls extending upwards from either side of the base wall, in which a region of the base wall is provided with a first window, and a deposit mechanism for controlling movement of a formed bale through the first window. Preferably, the deposit mechanism comprises at least a first selectively displaceable panel at a first side of the first window, the first panel being selectively displaceable between a first position in which travel of a formed bale through the first window is prevented and a second position in which deposit of the formed bale through the first window is permitted. Preferably, the first side wall of the ejection chute is provided with a laterally extending support for the first selectively displaceable panel. Preferably, the first side wall of the ejection chute is provided with a second window extending alongside the first window in the base panel. Preferably, the deposit mechanism further comprises a second selectively displaceable panel located along a second side of the first window, the second selectively displaceable panel being selectively displaceable between a first position in which travel of a formed bale through the first window is prevented and a second position in which deposit of the formed bale through the first window is permitted. Preferably, the second selectively displaceable panel includes a second portion formed at an angle to a first portion. Preferably, the ejection chute further comprises a deflector suspended from the first selectively displaceable panel. Preferably the ejection chute further comprises a first actuator associated with the first selectively displaceable panel, whereby the first actuator controls the displacement of the first selectively displaceable panel. More preferably, the first actuator is in communication with a controller configured to control actuation of the first actuator. Preferably, the ejection chute also comprises a second actuator associated with the second selectively displaceable panel, whereby the second actuator controls the displacement of the second selectively displaceable panel. More preferably, the second actuator is in communication with a controller configured also to control actuation of the first actuator. Alternatively, a mechanical apparatus is provided to control displacement of the first selectively displaceable panel. Preferably, a first mechanical apparatus controls operation of the first and second selectively displaceable panels. Alternatively, a first mechanical apparatus controls operation of the first selectively displaceable panel and a second mechanical apparatus controls operation of the second selectively displaceable panel. According to a second aspect, an agricultural baler comprises a baling mechanism including a baling chamber for the sequential production of square bales, and an ejection chute in accordance with the firs