Hay rolling machine with compressing means

Claim 2

A machine to form rolls of hay and the like from a swath or windrow thereof lying in a field and comprising in combination, a frame, wheels mounted at opposite sides of said frame to render the same mobile to move along a field, hay rolling means on said frame adjacent the normally rear end thereof movably supported and engageable with a swath or windrow of partially cured hay and the like to roll the same in the direction of movement of the machine to form a coiled roll of siad hay and the like, a roll means extending transversely between the sides of said frame, and means rotatably supporting said roll means forwardly of said hay rolling means for operation by gravity to rotatably engage a roll of hay and the like being formed and compress the same as it is rolled along a field.

Claim 3

The hay rolling machine according to claim 1 further including means to positively drive said roll means to move the periphery thereof in the same direction as the periphery of the roll of hay and the like being formed.

Claim 4

The hay rolling machine according to claim 2 in which said drive means is connected to at least one of said wheels on said frame to be powered thereby for said positive drive of said roll means as the machine moves along a field.

Claim 5

The hay rolling machine according to claim 3 in which said drive means is operable to move the periphery of said roll means at a speed in excess of the ground speed of said machine and thereby facilitate compacting the roll of hay and the like being formed.

Claim 6

The hay rolling machine according to claim 1 in which said means to support said roll means comprises auxiliary frame means extending upward from opposite sides of said frame in transverse alignment with each other, link means pivotally supported by the upper portions of said auxiliary frame means and suspended downward therefrom by gravity, shaft means on the ends of said roll means, and bearings in the outer ends of said link means respectively receivinG said shaft means on the ends of said roll means.

Claim 7

The hay rolling machine according to claim 5 further including drive chain means interconnecting said roll means with at least one of said wheels on said frame and operable to drive the roll means in a direction to move the periphery thereof in the same direction as said roll of hay and the like is being rolled to facilitate rolling and compacting said roll of hay and the like.

Claim 8

The hay rolling machine according to claim 6 in which said roll means has circumferentially spaced radially extending rib means disposed longitudinally thereon to facilitate rolling said roll of hay and the like along a field.

Claim 9

The hay rolling machine according to claim 5 in which the length of said link means is sufficient to dispose the periphery of said roll means spaced a short distance above the surface of a field from which hay and the like is being formed into rolls by said machine when said roll means is depending from said links in the lowermost position thereof, and drive means connected to said roll means and operable as said machine moves along a field to rotate said roll means positively in a direction to move the periphery thereof in the direction of movement of said machine whereby said roll means is adapted to facilitate the starting of a roll of hay and the like by said machine as it moves along a field.

Claim 10

The hay rolling machine according to claim 8 further including chain drive means interconnecting said roll means with at least one of the wheels of said machine to drive said roll means positively as said machine moves along a field.

Claim 11

The hay rolling machine according to claim 5 in which said hay roll comprises a shaft, a plurality of disc-like members spaced therealong and fixed transversely thereto, and a plurality of channel members extending in parallel relation to said shaft and circumferentially spaced evenly around the periphery of said disc-like members and fixed thereto, said channel members opening outwardly on said hay roll to render the flanges thereof operable to effectively engage a roll of hay and also brace said channels against flexing incident to compacting a roll of hay.

Claim 12

The hay rolling machine according to claim 1 in which said hay rolling means comprises a series of elongated loops of flexible endless members having fingers thereon and normally extending substantially vertically and spaced transversely apart across the normally rearward portion of said frame, elevated means on the sides of said frame, side members adjacent opposite sides of said frame pivotally connected at one end to said elevated means, transverse supporting means extending between said side members to support said series of flexible endless members, means to drive said series of flexible member in a direction to roll a swath of hay in the direction of movement of said machine, and power means connected to said side members and operable to pivotally elevate said members and the flexible endless members carried thereby relative to the rear end of said frame to a height adequate to permit a roll of hay to pass therebeneath when formed to a desired diameter.

Claim 13

The hay rolling machine according to claim 11 in which said transverse supporting means are horizontal shafts supporting circular means around which said flexible endless members extend, and drive means interconnecting one of said shafts to at least one of said wheels of said machine to drive said flexible members when said machine moves along a field.

Claim 14

The hay rolling machine according to claim 11 in which the lower ends of said elongated loops of said flexible endless members are adjacent the ground in use, whereby when a roll of hay is initially being formed said compressing roll means initially is near and forwardly of said lower ends of said loops of flexible endless members, and drive means connected between said roll means and at least one of said wheels to drive said roll means in a direction for the periphery thereof to move in the rolling diRection of a roll of hay engaged thereby, and thereby augment the formation of a roll of hay by said endless flexible members.

Claim 15

The hay rolling machine according to claim 13 in which said drive means for said roll means is operable to drive the same at a peripheral surface speed slightly greater than the speed of said flexible endless members.