US-12616101-B2 - Agricultural baler

US12616101B2US 12616101 B2US12616101 B2US 12616101B2US-12616101-B2

Abstract

In a high capacity baling apparatus concurrently formed first formed bales and second formed bales are discharged from respective bale forming regions to a discharge chute arrangement. The disclosed discharge chute arrangement comprises a first bale support surface, a second bale support surface adjacent to the first bale support surface and disposed at an angle to the first bale support surface, an impeller located at a downstream end of the second bale support surface and a displacement apparatus adapted to move between a first position at one side of the first bale support surface and a second position.

Inventors

Tracy Alan Jahay
Patrick L. Cherney

Assignees

AGCO CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230330

Claims (9)

1 . An agricultural baling apparatus comprising a first baling chamber, a second baling chamber and a discharge chute arrangement adapted to receive concurrently formed first formed bales and second formed bales discharged from the respective first and second baling chambers and to discharge the first formed bales and second formed bales consecutively, in which the discharge chute arrangement comprises a first bale support surface, a second bale support surface adjacent to the first bale support surface and disposed at a downward angle with respect to the first bale support surface, a drive roller provided with a drive apparatus located at a downstream end of the second bale support surface and a displacement apparatus comprising a moveable member adapted to be displaced across the first bale support surface between a first position at a first side of the first bale support surface furthest from the second bale support surface and a second position away from the first side of the first bale support surface and adjacent the second bale support surface.
2 . The agricultural baling apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the drive apparatus comprises a hydraulic motor.
3 . The agricultural baling apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the displacement apparatus further comprises an actuator to control displacement of the moveable member.
4 . The agricultural baling apparatus according to claim 3 , in which the actuator is a hydraulic actuator.
5 . The agricultural baling apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the moveable member is actuated to be displaced along a length of the movable member away from the first side of the first bale support surface.
6 . The agricultural baling apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the moveable member is actuated to displace a downstream end of the moveable member from the first side of the first bale support surface.
7 . The agricultural baling apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the agricultural baling apparatus further comprises an electronic control unit arranged to control the operation of the drive apparatus and the displacement apparatus.
8 . The agricultural baling apparatus according to claim 7 , in which the agricultural baling apparatus further comprises a sensor configured to monitor the position of at least one of the first and second formed bales on either the first or second bale support surfaces.
9 . A method of operation of an agricultural baling apparatus having a first baling chamber, a second baling chamber and a discharge chute arrangement adapted to receive concurrently formed first formed bales and second formed bales discharged from the respective first and second baling chambers and to discharge the first formed bales and second formed bales consecutively, in which the discharge chute arrangement comprises a first bale support surface, a second bale support surface adjacent to the first bale support surface and disposed at an angle to the first bale support surface, a drive roller provided with a drive apparatus located at a downstream end of the second bale support surface and a displacement apparatus adapted to move between a first position at a first side of the first bale support surface and a second position, the method comprising: concurrently forming a first formed bale and a second formed bale; advancing the first formed bale from the first bale forming region to the second bale support surface and simultaneously advancing the second formed bale to the first bale support surface; and with the first formed bale on second bale support surface and the second formed bale on the first bale support surface; using the drive roller to first remove the first formed bale from the second bale support surface; using the displacement apparatus to move the second formed bale from the first bale support surface to the second bale support surface; and then using the drive roller to remove the second formed bale from the second bale support surface.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an agricultural baling apparatus, and in particular to a high capacity baling apparatus. BACKGROUND It is known to provide a baler with a plurality of baling chambers, extending generally in a fore-and-aft direction. The baling chambers are configured to allow small, square bales of crop material to be formed from harvested crop material taken from the ground. Where the baler includes a plurality of baling chambers and is capable of simultaneously forming multiple bales of crop material, the baler is known as a “high capacity” baler. The bales from the baling chambers are then ejected by means of an ejection chute to form a series of rows behind the baler. While such bales are more manageable than standard or large square bales, it can nevertheless still be cumbersome and time consuming to pick up and/or process such bales when deposited in multiple series or rows. 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 agricultural baling apparatus comprises a first bale forming region, a second bale forming region and a discharge chute arrangement adapted to receive concurrently formed first formed bales and second formed bales discharged from the respective first and second bale forming regions and to discharge the first formed bales and second formed bales consecutively, in which the discharge chute arrangement comprises a first bale support surface, a second bale support surface adjacent to the first bale support surface and disposed at an angle to the first bale support surface, an impeller located at a downstream end of the second bale support surface and a displacement apparatus adapted to move between a first position at a first side of the first bale support surface and a second position. Preferably, the impeller comprises a drive roller provided with a drive apparatus. More preferably, the drive apparatus comprises a hydraulic motor. Preferably the displacement apparatus comprises a moveable member adapted to be displaced between the first position at the first side of the first bale support surface remote from the second bale support surface and a second position away from the first side of the first bale support surface. Preferably the displacement apparatus further comprises an actuator to control displacement of the moveable member. More preferably the actuator is a hydraulic actuator. More preferably the moveable member is actuated to be displaced along its length away from the first side of the first bale support surface. Alternatively, the moveable member is actuated to displace a downstream end of the moveable member from the first side of the first bale support surface. Preferably the agricultural baling apparatus further comprises an electronic control unit arranged to control the operation of the drive apparatus and the displacement apparatus. More preferably the agricultural baling apparatus further comprises a sensor configured to monitor the position of at least one of the first and second formed bales on either the first or second bale support surfaces. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method of operation of the agricultural baling apparatus of the first aspect of the invention comprises the steps of concurrently forming a first formed bale and a second formed bale, advancing the first formed bale from the first bale forming region to the second bale support surface and simultaneously advancing the second formed bale to the first bale support surface,and with the first formed bale on second bale support surface and the second formed bale on the first bale support surface,using the impeller to first remove the first formed bale from the second bale support surface,using the displacement apparatus to move the second formed bale from the first bale support surface to the second bale support surface andthen using the impeller to remove the second formed bale from the second bale support surface. According to a third aspect of the present invention a computer readable program comprises instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, causes the agricultural baling apparatus of the first aspect of the invention to implement the method of the second aspect of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a side view of a baler for use in the present invention; FIG. 2 shows a part sectional perspective view of a baling chamber that may be used in the present invention; FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an ejection chute arrangement for use in the present invention; and FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of certain elements of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The invention will now be described in the following detailed