Machine for forming large round bales of a fibrous material

Claim 2

A machine for forming a round bale of windrowed fibrous material comprising: a. a portable frame including transversely spaced side members, b. a rotatable combination material lifting and rolling unit including a cylindrical body member extended between and rotatably supported on said side members, c. material lift members secured to and projected radially from the peripheral surface of said body member, for rotation as a unit with said body member, d. means for rotating said combination unit in a direction counter to the forward advance of travel of said portable frame at a peripheral speed equal substantially to the speed of forward travel of said portable frame, whereby said lift members initially engage and lift the windrowed material and then release the material for rolling on the ground surface in said direction of travel and between said side members to form a round bale forwardly of said combination unit; and e. means on said frame for yieldably engaging certain peripheral portions of the bale being formed to compact the material in the bale including upwardly and forwardly extended continuous flexible members having lower portions trained about said body member.

Claim 3

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 1 wherein: a. said yieldable engaging means includes a transverse shaft rotatably mounted on said portable frame upwardly and forwardly of said combination unit, and said flexible members being continuous belts having upper portions trained about said shaft, b. a pair of arms at opposite sides of said portable frame projected forwardly of said shaft, c. means pivotally supporting the rear ends of said arms on said shaft for pivotal up and down movement of the front ends thereof about the axis of said shaft, d. means limiting the downward pivotal movement of said arms, and e. a plurality of bale engaging members supported on and extended longitudinally of sAid arms in a spaced relation transversely of said portable frame.

Claim 4

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 1 including: a. means on said frame for vertically adjusting said combination unit relative to the ground surface.

Claim 5

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 1 including: a. a transverse shaft rotatably mounted on said portable frame upwardly and forwardly of said combination unit, b. a pair of forwardly projected arms at opposite sides of said frame pivotally supported on said shaft for up and down pivotal movement of the front ends thereof about the axis of said shaft, c. a belt assembly including a pair of side members corresponding to said arms members having rear ends guidably supported on said portable frame for vertical up and down movement forwardly of said flexible members which comprise continuous belts, d. a second shaft parallel to said first shaft pivotally interconnecting the front ends of said arms and the front ends of said side members, e. a third shaft extended between and mounted on the rear ends of said side members, f. a series of transversely spaced belts trained about said second and third shafts, and g. means for driving said third shaft from said second shaft.

Claim 6

A machine for forming a round bale in accordance with claim 1 wherein: a. said combination unit includes a shaft member having the ends thereof rotatably supported on and projected laterally outwardly from said side members, b. a pair of transversely opposite ground wheels supported on said frame for relative up and down adjustment, c. a pair of friction wheels corresponding to said ground wheels and mounted on corresponding ends of said combination unit shaft, and d. means for adjustably moving said frame relative to said ground wheels to a first operating position wherein corresponding ones of said ground wheels and friction wheels have peripheral portions thereof in frictional engagement to provide for the rotation of said combination unit in response to a forward advance of said portable frame, and to a second position wherein said peripheral portions are disengaged.

Claim 7

A machine for forming a round bale in accordance with claim 1 wherein: a. said yieldable means and the ground surface between said side members forwardly of the combination unit define a bale forming zone.

Claim 8

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 1 wherein: a. said lift members are arranged in circumferential rows spaced axially of said body member, and b. the lower portions of said flexible members which consist of continuous belts are positioned between said circumferential rows of lift members.

Claim 9

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 2 including: a. a roller extended between and rotatably supported on the front ends of said arms, and b. said bale engaging members comprise continuous belts trained about said shaft and roller.

Claim 10

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 7 wherein: a. each of said lift members has a leading side which lies in a plane substantially tangent to said body member and movable, on rotation of the material lifting and rolling unit, to a horizontal position projected forwardly from the upper side of said body member.

Claim 11

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 7 wherein: a. said body member is not less than about a foot in diameter and each lift member is of a length equal substantially to the radius of said body member.

Claim 12

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 7 wherein: a. said yieldable means additionally includes a pair of arm assemblies, b. a pair of parallel transverse rock shafts corresponding to said arm assemblies rotatably mounted in a vertically spaced relation on said frame rearwardly of said continuous belts, c. each of said arm assemblies including arm members spaced transversely of a corresponding rock shaft and projected fOrwardly of the lifting and rolling unit between certain adjacent ones of said continuous belts, d. each of said arm members having a front section of a curved shape with the concave side thereof faced downwardly and with the front sections of the arm members of the upper one of said arm assemblies of a longer length than the front sections of the arm members of the lower one of said arm assemblies, and e. means for yieldably urging said arm assemblies in a downward direction, f. with the lower arm assembly initially engageable with a bale being formed and the arm members thereof movable to positions between the arm members of the upper arm assembly.

Claim 13

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 9 wherein: a. each lift member is of an isosceles triangular shape in side elevation with said leading side constituting one side thereof.

Claim 14

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 11, wherein: a. the front curved sections of the arm members of the lower arm assembly extend rearwardly to a position located rearwardly of the forward runs of said continuous belts so that material moved upwardly by said continuous belts and combination unit is directed against said curved sections of the arm members of said lower arm assembly.

Claim 15

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 11 including: a. a third arm assembly including a transverse rock shaft mounted at the front ends of the curved sections of the arm members of the upper arm assembly, b. curved arm members secured at one of the ends thereof to said last mentioned rock shaft and extended downwardly from said secured ends, and c. means yieldably urging said third arm assembly in a direction toward said continuous belts, d. said pair of arm assemblies and said third arm assembly cooperating in response to the enlargement of a bale being formed to successively engage selected peripheral portions of the bale.

Claim 16

A machine for forming a round bale according to claim 11 including: a. means on said frame for limiting the downward movement of said pair of arm assemblies.

Claim 17

A machine for forming a round bale of windrowed fibrous material comprising: a. a portable frame including a pair of longitudinally extended transversely spaced side members and a pair of transversely opposite upright frames mounted on and corresponding to said side members, b. a rotatable combination material lifting and rolling unit extended between and rotatably supported on said side members, c. a first rotatable shaft extended between and rotatably supported on said upright frames adjacent the upper ends thereof at a position forwardly of said combination unit, d. a second rotatable shaft, e. a pair of transversely spaced arms having rear ends pivotally supported on said upright frames and front ends located forwardly of said first shaft, f. means rotatably supporting said second shaft at the front ends of said arms in a parallel relation with said first shaft, g. a first plurality of belts spaced transversely of said portable frame and trained about said combination unit and said first shaft, h. a second plurality of belts spaced transversely of said portable frame and trained about said first shaft and second shaft, i. means for rotating said combination unit in a direction counter to the direction of travel of said frame at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the linear speed of travel of said portable frame, and j. means for rotating said second plurality of belts such that the lower runs thereof move in the direction of travel of said portable frame.

Claim 18

A machine for forming a round bale of windrowed fibrous material comprising: a. a portable frame including a pair of longitudinally extended transversely spaced side members and a pair of transversely opposite upright frames mounted on and corresponding to said side members, b. a rotatable combination material lifting and rolling unit extended between and rotatably supported on said side members, c. a first rotatable shaft extended between and rotatably supported on said upright frames adjacent the upper ends thereof at a position forwardly of said combination unit, d. a second rotatable shaft, e. a pair of transversely spaced arms having rear ends pivotally supported on said upright frames and front ends located forwardly of said first shaft, f. means rotatably supporting said second shaft at the front ends of said arms in a parallel relation with said first shaft, g. a first plurality of belts spaced transversely of said portable frame and trained about said combination unit and said first shaft, h. a second plurality of belts spaced transversely of said portable frame and trained about said first shaft and second shaft, i. means for rotating said combination unit in a direction counter to the direction of travel of said frame at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the linear speed of travel of said portable frame, and j. means for rotating said second plurality of belts such that the lower runs thereof move in the direction of travel of said portable frame.