Cylindrical bale forming system

Claim 2

In a baler adapted to form a cylindrical bale of fibrous material within a bale-forming zone, the combination comprising: a frame; an endless belt conveyor disposed generally horizontally on the frame and having an upper run movable in a front-to-rear conveying direction and defining the bottom of said bale-forming zone; a superstructure on said frame extending above said belt conveyor, said superstructure including a gate pivotally mounted for rearward opening about a transverse pivot axis; a roller journaled on an end of said gate and disposed in proximity to said upper run of said belt conveyor and defining therewith a rearmost parameter of said bale-forming zone; a feed roller journaled on said superstructure above said upper run proximate to the front thereof to guide incoming material onto said belt conveyor; a power drive roller journaled on said superstructure closely above said feed roller so as to define therewith a forward parameter of said bale-forming zone; a plurality of bale-forming belts on said superstructure in forwardly running engagement between said gatemounted roller and said drive roller so as to define the top portion of said bale-forming zone; and means for maintaining said bale-forming belts in slack condition from said gate-mounted roller to said drive roller so as to be non-drivable thereby prior to receiving material into said zone while maintaining said belts in taut relation for driving during subsequent bale formation.

Claim 3

The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said means includes a belt tightener assembly pivotally mounted on said superstructure and including a tightener roller engageable with said bale-forming belts, means biasing said assembly to a position wherein said tightenEr roller engages said belts, and stop means engaged by said assembly to prevent tightening said belts prior to bale formation.

Claim 4

In a baler adapted to form a cylindrical bale of fibrous material in a bale-forming zone, the combination comprising: a frame; an endless belt conveyor disposed on the frame and having an upper run movable in a front-to-rear conveying direction and defining the bottom of said bale-forming zone; a superstructure on said frame extending above said belt conveyor, said superstructure including a gate pivotally mounted for rearward opening about a transverse pivot axis; a roller journaled on an end of said gate and disposed in proximity to said upper run of said belt conveyor and defining therewith a rearmost parameter of said baleforming zone; a feed roller journaled on said superstructure above said upper run proximate to the front thereof to guide incoming material onto said belt conveyor; a power drive roller journaled on said superstructure closely above said feed roller so as to define therewith a forward parameter of said bale-forming zone; a plurality of bale-forming belts on said superstructure in forwardly running engagement between said gate-mounted roller and said drive roller so as to define the top portion of said bale-forming zone; and means for maintaining said bale-forming belts in non-driven relation with said power drive roller while maintaining said belts in position to be driven by said drive roller in response to receipt of material into said zone, whereby material will not be ejected by said belts from said zone.

Claim 5

In a baler adapted to form a cylindrical bale of fibrous material in a bale-forming zone, the combination comprising: a frame; an endless belt conveyor disposed on the frame and having an upper run movable in a front-to-rear conveying direction and defining the bottom of said bale-forming zone; a superstructure on said frame extending above said belt conveyor, said superstructure including a gate pivotally mounted for rearward opening about a transverse pivot axis; a roller journaled on an end of said gate and disposed in proximity to said upper run of said belt conveyor and defining therewith a rearmost parameter of said baleforming zone; a feed roller journaled on said superstructure above said upper run proximate to the front thereof to guide incoming material onto said belt conveyor; a power drive roller journaled on said superstructure closely above said feed roller so as to define therewith a forward parameter of said bale-forming zone; a plurality of bale-forming belts on said superstructure in forwardly running engagement between said gate-mounted roller and said drive roller so as to define the top portion of said bale-forming zone; and means for maintaining said bale-forming belts in non-driven relation with said power drive roller while maintaining said belts in position to be driven by said drive roller in response to receipt of material into said zone, whereby material will not be ejected by said belts from said zone.

Claim 6

The subject matter of claim 3, wherein said means includes a tightener roller movably biased toward engagement with said belts, and stop means effective to prevent said tightener roller from disposing said belts into a taut condition prior to bale formation.

Claim 7

In a baler adapted to gather hay from the ground and form a cylindrical bale within a bale-forming zone, the combination comprising: a mobile frame; an endless belt conveyor disposed on the frame and having an upper run movable in a front-to-rear conveying direction and defining the bottom of said bale-forming zone; a superstructure on said frame extending above said belt conveyor, said superstructure including a gate pivotally mounted for rearward opening about a transverse pivot axis; a roller journaled on an end of said gate and disposed in proximity to said upper run of said belt conveyor and defining therewith a rearmost parameter of said baleforming zone; a feed roller journaled on said superstructure above said upper run proximate to the front thereof to guide incoming hay onto said belt conveyor; a power drive roller journaled on said superstructure immediately above said feed roller so as to define therewith a forward parameter of said bale-forming zone; a plurality of support rollers journaled on said superstructure in progressive front-to-rear spaced relation along the top of the superstructure; a plurality of bale-forming endless belts trained in running sequence on said support rollers downwardly onto said gate-mounted roller forwardly onto said drive roller and upwardly onto said support rollers, the extent of said belts between said gate-mounted roller and said drive roller defining the top of said bale-forming zone; a belt tightener assembly pivoted on said superstructure and including a tightener roller in engagement with said bale-forming belts at a point in their extent on said support rollers; stop means on said superstructure engageable by said tightener assembly to prevent tightening of said belts onto said drive roller during initial receipt of the hay into said zone; and resilient means operable on said tightener assembly for maintaining said belts in firm driving engagement on said drive roller so as to be driven thereby as hay accumulates in said zone.

Claim 8

In a baler adapted to gather hay from the ground and form a cylindrical bale within a bale-forming zone, the combination comprising: a mobile frame; an endless belt conveyor disposed on the frame and having an upper run movable in a front-to-rear conveying direction and defining the bottom of said bale-forming zone; a superstructure on said frame extending above said belt conveyor, said superstructure including a gate pivotally mounted for rearward opening about a transverse pivot axis; a roller journaled on an end of said gate and disposed in proximity to said upper run of said belt conveyor and defining therewith a rearmost parameter of said baleforming zone; a feed roller journaled on said superstructure above said upper run proximate to the front thereof to guide incoming hay onto said belt conveyor; a power drive roller journaled on said superstructure immediately above said feed roller so as to define therewith a forward parameter of said bale-forming zone; a plurality of support rollers journaled on said superstructure in progressive front-to-rear spaced relation along the top of the superstructure; a plurality of bale-forming endless belts trained in running sequence on said support rollers downwardly onto said gate-mounted roller forwardly onto said drive roller and upwardly onto said support rollers, the extent of said belts between said gate-mounted roller and said drive roller defining the top of said bale-forming zone; a belt tightener assembly pivoted on said superstructure and including a tightener roller in engagement with said bale-forming belts at a point in their extent on said support rollers; stop means on said superstructure engageable by said tightener assembly to prevent tightening of said belts onto said drive roller during initial receipt of the hay into said zone; and resilient means operable on said tightener assembly for maintaining said belts in firm driving engagement on said drive roller so as to be driven thereby as hay accumulates in said zone.