Ground engaging hay bale rolling apparatus

Claim 2

Hay bale rolling apparatus comprising, in combination: a wheeled frame defining a baling chamber which is open at the bottom; bale rolling means movably supported in the baling chamber for engaging hay in a swath and rolling it into a bale in contact with the ground as the apparatus moves along the swath, said bale rolling means including a generally upright portion at the rear of the chamber which contacts the rear of a bale to confine the bale as it is rolled; rotary hydraulic motor means operatively connected to the bale rolling means to drive the latter; hydraulic power means for moving the generally upright bale confining portion of the bale rolling means upwardly and rearwardly out of contact with a bale to release said bale; hydraulic control circuit means including a single mechanical control valve having a running setting in which the bale confining means is in a bale rolling position and the hydraulic motor is driving the bale rolling means, and a release setting for actuating the hydraulic power means to move the generally upright bale confining portion of the bale rolling means to an elevated bale release position and for stopping the motor; means for moving said mechanical control valve from its running setting to its release setting when a bale reaches a predetermined size; and means for automatically returning said control valve to its running setting after release of a bale from the chamber.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 in which the means for moving the mechanical control valve from its running setting to its release setting comprises a manual actuator accessible to an operator.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for moving the mechanical control valve from its running setting to its release setting comprises sensing means in the baling chamber which directly senses the diameter of a bale, and means operatively connecting the sensing means to the mechanical control valve to move said valve when a bale reaches a predetermined diameter.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 in which the sensing means comprises a sensing arm in the baling chamber which is pivotally mounted on the frame on a generally horizontal axis and which has a free end resting on a bale as the latter is rolled, and in which the arm is mechanically connected to the control valve.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 4 in which the mechanical connection includes means for adjusting the position of the sensing arm at which the valve is moved.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 in which the pivot axis for the sensing arm extends transversely near the front of the frame and the sensing arm extends rearwardly generally in the longitudinal vertical median plane of the frame.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1 in which the means for automatically returning the control valve to its running setting comprises a mechanical connection between the bale confining means and the control valve which returns the control valve when the confining means reaches its elevated position.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 1 in which the hydraulic control circuit means includes a check valve which permits the rotary hydraulic motor to idle in reverse when the control valve is in its release setting.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 1 in which the bale rolling means includes rotatable front sprocket means driven by the rotary hydraulic motor, rotatable rear sprocket means forming a part of the bale confining means, rotatable upper sprocket means supported for bodily movement, chain means trained around all said sprockeT means with a bale rolling lower chain run between the front and rear sprocket means, in which hydraulic cylinder and piston means is operatively connected to the upper sprocket means to control movement of the latter between a starting position in which the lower chain run engages hay in a swath and a terminal position in which said lower chain run is arched over a rolled bale in the chamber, and in which the hydraulic control circuit means includes an accumulator operatively associated with the cylinder and piston means so that said cylinder and piston means extends as the lower chain run arches progressively during the rolling of a bale and returns when the bale is released.

Claim 11

Hay bale rolling apparatus comprising, in combination: a wheeled frame defining a baling chamber which is open at the bottom; rotatable front sprocket means and rotatable rear sprocket means supported by the frame within the bottom portion of the baling chamber, and rotatable upper sprocket means supported near the top of the frame; upper support means mounting said upper sprocket means on the frame for bodily movement between a starting position and a terminal position; hay rolling chain means trained around all said sprocket means with a lower chain run between said front and rear sprocket means which engages hay in a swath on the ground; means for driving one of the sprocket means so that the chain means moves forwardly in its lower run to roll hay into a bale in contact with the ground as the apparatus moves along a swath, said lower run arching progressively higher as the bale increases in size, and said arching being permitted by movement of the upper sprocket means toward terminal position; pivotal means on the frame for elevating the rear sprocket means; sensing means in the baling chamber which contacts the circumferential surface of the bale to continuously sense the diameter of the bale; actuating means for moving the pivotal means to release a bale from the chamber; and means operatively connecting the sensing means to the actuating means for initiating operation of the latter when the bale reaches a predetermined diameter.

Claim 12

Hay bale rolling apparatus comprising, in combination: a wheeled frame defining a baling chamber which is open at the bottom; rotatable front sprocket means and rotatable rear sprocket means supported by the frame within the bottom portion of the baling chamber, and rotatable upper sprocket means supported near the top of the frame; upper support means mounting said upper sprocket means on the frame for bodily movement between a starting position and a terminal position; hay rolling chain means trained around all said sprocket means with a lower chain run between said front and rear sprocket means which engages hay in a swath on the ground; means for driving one of the sprocket means so that the chain means moves forwardly in its lower run to roll hay into a bale in contact with the ground as the apparatus moves along a swath, said lower run arching progressively higher as the bale increases in size, and said arching being permitted by movement of the upper sprocket means toward terminal position; pivotal means on the frame for elevating the rear sprocket means; sensing means in the baling chamber which contacts the circumferential surface of the bale to continuously sense the diameter of the bale; actuating means for moving the pivotal means to release a bale from the chamber; and means operatively connecting the sensing means to the actuating means for initiating operation of the latter when the bale reaches a predetermined diameter.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 10 in which the sensing means comprises a sensing arm in the baling chamber which is pivotally mounted on the frame on a generally horizontal axis and which has a free end resting on a bale as the latter is rolled.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 11 in which the pivot axis for the sensing arm extends transversely near the front of the frame and the sensing arm extends rearwardly generally in the longitudinal vertical median plane of the frame.

Claim 15

Hay bale rolling apparatus comprising, in combination: a wheeled frame defining a baling chamber which is open at the bottom; rotatable front sprocket means journalled in the lower portion of the frame; a pair of forward sprocket arms pivoted at their lower ends on the frame and having sprocket means journalled at their upper ends; a pair of rear sprocket arms pivoted at their upper ends on the frame and having rear sprocket means journalled at their lower ends; hay rolling chain means trained around all said sprocket means with a lower chain run between said front and rear sprocket means which engages hay in a swath on the ground; forward hydraulic cylinder and piston means on the frame controlling movement of the forward sprocket arms between a starting position in which the lower chain run engages hay in a swath and a terminal position in which the lower chain run is arched over a rolled bale in the chamber; rearward hydraulic cylinder means on the frame operatively connected to the rear sprocket arms to maintain said arms normally in a downwardly extending position closing the rear of the baling chamber, said rearward cylinder means being operable to elevate said arms and thereby open the rear of the baling chamber; hydraulic motor means for driving the front sprocket means; hydraulic control circuit means including a single mechanical control valve having a running setting in which the rear hydraulic cylinder means is retracted to retain the rear sprocket arms in their downwardly extending positions and the hydraulic motor is driving the front sprocket means, and a release setting for extending the rearward hydraulic cylinder means and stopping the motor; means for moving said mechanical control valve from its running setting to its release setting when a bale reaches a predetermined size; and means for automatically returning said control valve to its running setting after release of a bale from the chamber.

Claim 16

Hay bale rolling apparatus comprising, in combination: a wheeled frame defining a baling chamber which is open at the bottom; rotatable front sprocket means journalled in the lower portion of the frame; a pair of forward sprocket arms pivoted at their lower ends on the frame and having sprocket means journalled at their upper ends; a pair of rear sprocket arms pivoted at their upper ends on the frame and having rear sprocket means journalled at their lower ends; hay rolling chain means trained around all said sprocket means with a lower chain run between said front and rear sprocket means which engages hay in a swath on the ground; forward hydraulic cylinder and piston means on the frame controlling movement of the forward sprocket arms between a starting position in which the lower chain run engages hay in a swath and a terminal position in which the lower chain run is arched over a rolled bale in the chamber; rearward hydraulic cylinder means on the frame operatively connected to the rear sprocket arms to maintain said arms normally in a downwardly extending position closing the rear of the baling chamber, said rearward cylinder means being operable to elevate said arms and thereby open the rear of the baling chamber; hydraulic motor means for driving the front sprocket means; hydraulic control circuit means including a single mechanical control valve having a running setting in which the rear hydraulic cylinder means is retracted to retain the rear sprocket arms in their downwardly extending positions and the hydraulic motor is driving the front sprocket means, and a release setting for extending the rearward hydraulic cylinder means and stopping the motor; means for moving said mechanical control valve from its running setting to its release setting when a bale reaches a predetermined size; and means for automatically returning said control valve to its running setting after release of a bale from the chamber.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 13 in which the means for moving the mechanical control valve from its running setting to its release setting comprises a manual actuator accessible to an operator on a tractor to which the apparatus is attached.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 13 in which the means for moving the mechanical control valve from its running setting to its release setting comprises sensing means in the baling chamber which directly senses the diameter of a bale, and means operatively connecting the sensing means to the mechanical control valve to move said valve when a bale reaches a predetermiend diameter.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 15 in which the sensing means comprises a sensing arm in the baling chamber which is pivotally mounted on the frame on a generally horizontal axis and which has a free end resting on a bale as the latter is rolled, and in which the arm is mechanically connected to the control valve.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 16 in which the mechanical connection includes means for adjusting the position of the sensing arm at which the valve is moved.

Claim 21

The combination of claim 13 in which the means for automatically returning the control valve to its running setting comprises a mechanical connection between the rear sprocket arms and the control valve which returns the control valve when said rear arms reach a predetermined elevated position.

Claim 22

The combination of claim 18 in which the mechanical connection includes means for adjusting the position of the rear arms at which the control valve is returned.

Claim 23

The combination of claim 13 in which the hydraulic control circuit means includes a check valve which permits the rotary hydraulic motor to idle in reverse when the control valve is in its release setting.

Claim 24

The combination of claim 13 in which the hydraulic control circuit means includes an accumulator operatively associated with the forward hydraulic cylinder and piston means so that said cylinder and piston means extends as the lower chain run arches progressively during the rolling of a bale and returns when the bale is released.