Baler apparatus

Claim 2

In a baler: a hollow bale case defining a baling chamber; a plunger reciprocable within said chamber, said case having an inlet for admitting a charge of material to the chamber for compaction by the plunger during its reciprocation; a loading duct leading to said inlet; apparatus for continuously feeding material into said duct to accumulate a charge of predetermined characteristics; a loader for cyclically stuffing the charge from said duct into the chamber in timed relationship to reciprocation of the plunger; and mechanism for temporarily deactivating the loader between cycles if a charge having said predetermined characteristics fails to accumulate in said duct during the preceding stuffing cycle.

Claim 3

In a baler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanism includes a sensor responsive to the density of the accumulating charge in said duct for controlling deactivation.

Claim 4

In a baler as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sensor includes a pressure-sensitive device shiftable between standby and operated positions.

Claim 5

In a baler as claimed in claim 3, wherein said device is mounted for operation adjacent said inlet.

Claim 6

In a baler as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mechanism further includes a clutch operable to disconnect the loader from driving power when the clutch is disengaged, said device being coupled with the clutch for maintaining the latter disengaged when the device is in its standby position.

Claim 7

In a baler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bale case has a floor extending parallel to the path of travel of the plunger, said inlet being in said floor.

Claim 8

In a baler as claimed in claim 6, wherein said duct approaches said inlet from below said floor, having an upper end adjacent the floor and a lower end spaced below the floor.

Claim 9

In a baler as claimed in claim 7, wherein said duct flares outwardly in cross-section as said upper end is approached.

Claim 10

In a baler as claimed in claim 7, wherein said apparatus is adjacent said lower end of the duct, said loader being between said apparatus and the bale case.

Claim 11

In a baler as claimed in claim 9, wherein said duct is longitudinally slottd, said loader including a fork having a plurality of tines movable in a closed loop of travel into, along, and out of said duct by way of said slots for charging said bale case.

Claim 12

In a baler as claimed in claim 9, wherein the baler is mobile and said apparatus includes a pickup unit for lifting crop material from the ground as the baler advances, said apparatus further includng a packing unit for packing the lifted material into the lower end of the duct.

Claim 13

In a baler as claimed in claim 11, wherein said packing unit is disposed across said lower end of the duct and is rotatable about an axis transverse to the flow path of material through the duct, said packing unit being provided with a plurality of radial fingers disposed to sweep into and out of the flow path for engaging and moving the crop material.

Claim 14

In a baler as claimed in claim 12, wherein said fingers are retractable as they sweep out of the flow path.

Claim 15

In a baler as claimed in claim 13, wherein said duct is longitudinally slotted, said loader including a fork having a plurality of tines movable in a closed loop of travel into, along, and out of said duct by way of said slots for charging said bale case.

Claim 16

In a baler as claimed in claim 1, wherein the baler is mobile and said apparatus includes a pickup unit for lifting crop material off the ground.

Claim 17

In a baler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanism is operable to deactivate both the plunger and the loader.

Claim 18

In a baler as claimed in claim 16, wherein said plunger is movable into and out of blocking relationship with said inlet during reciprocation, said mechanism being operable to deactivate the plunger when the latter is in said blocking relationship.

Claim 19

In a baler as claimed in claim 17, wherein said apparatus is provided with a source of driving power, said mechanism including a clutch operable to drivingly couple said loader and said plunger with said source of power when the clutch is engaged, said mechanism further including a pressure-sensitive device on the duct responsive to accumulating a charge of predetermined density in the duct to engage the clutch.

Claim 20

In a baler as claimed in claim 18, wherein said mechanism further includes means for maintaining said clutch engaged for a complete stuffing and compacting cycle despite the release of pressure on said device as the charge of material is stuffed into said chamber.

Claim 21

In a baler as claimed in claim 19, wherein said bale case has a floor extending parallel to the path of travel of the plunger, said inlet being in said floor.

Claim 22

In a baler as claimed in claim 20, wherein said duct is upwardly curved and approaches said inlet from below said floor, said apparatus being at the lower end of the duct and said loader being located between said apparatus and the bale case.

Claim 23

In a baler as claimed in claim 21, wherein the baler is mobile and said apparatus includes a pickup unit for lifting crop material from the ground as the baler advances, said apparatus further including a packing unit for packing the lifted material into the lower end of the duct.

Claim 24

In a baler as claimed in claim 22, wherein said packing unit is disposed across said lower end of the duct and is rotatable about an axis transverse to the flow path of material through the duct, said packing unit being provided with a plurality of radial fingers disposed to sweep into and out of the flow path for engaging and moving the crop material.

Claim 25

In a baler as claimed in claim 23, wherein said fingers are retractable as they sweep out of the flow path.

Claim 26

In a baler as claimed in claim 24, wherein said duct is longitudinally slotted, said loader including a fork having a plurality of tines movable in a closed loop of travel into, along, and out of said duct by way of said slots for charging said bale case.

Claim 27

In a baler: a bale case defining a baling chamber; a plunger reciprocable within said chamber for compacting materials presented thereto, said bale case having a lateral inlet through which materials may be introduced into the chamber and across which the plunger reciprocates; a materials delivery duct leading to said inlet; a stuffer movable in successive stuffing strokes through the duct for loading a charge of materials from the duct into said chamber; means for feeding and packing materials into said duct to form a charge, said plunger covering said inlet to thereby close the same as the plunger crosses the inlet in one direction during its compaction stroke, and said plunger uncovering the inlet to thereby open the same as the plunger crosses the inlet in the opposite direction during its retraction stroke; apparatus synchronizing the stuffer and the plunger such that the plunger closes the inlet during the interval between successive strokes of the stuffer, thereby providing a backstop against which materials fed into the duct may be precompressed into a charge; mechanism for temporarily deactivating the stuffer and the plunger during said interval if the next charge in the duct has not obtained a predetermined size and density by the time the stuffer is ready to begin its next stuffing stroke, said mechanism including a device sensitive to pressure buildup in said duct to control said deactivation; and a drive shaft for the stuffer and the plunger, said mechanism further including a clutch operable to drivingly couple the stuffer and the plunger with said shaft in response to actuation of said device, said bale case extending generally horizontally and said inlet being in the bottom of the case, said duct leading upwardly to said inlet from below the bale case, said bale case being mobile and said feeding and packing means including a pickup unit for lifting materials off the ground as the bale case is advanced.

Claim 28

In a baler: a bale case defining a baling chamber; a plunger reciprocable within said chamber for compacting materials presented thereto, said bale case having a lateral inlet through which materials may be introduced into the chamber and across which the plunger reciprocates; a materials delivery duct leading to said inlet; a stuffer movable in successive stuffing strokes through the duct for loading a charge of materials from the duct into said chamber; means for feeding and packing materials into said duct to form a charge, said plunger covering said inlet to thereby close the same as the plunger crosses the inlet in one direction during its compaction stroke, and said plunger uncovering the inlet to thereby open the same as the plunger crosses the inlet in the opposite direction during its retraction stroke; apparatus synchronizing the stuffer and the plunger such that the plunger closes the inlet during the interval between successive strokes of the stuffer, thereby providing a backstop against which materials fed into the duct may be precompressed into a charge; mechanism for temporarily deactivating the stuffer and the plunger during said interval if the next charge in the duct has not obtained a predetermined size and density by the time the stuffer is ready to begin its next stuffing stroke, said mechanism including a device sensitive to pressure buildup in said duct to control said deactivation; and a drive shaft for the stuffer and the plunger, said mechanism further including a clutch operable to drivingly couple the stuffer and the plunger with said shaft in response to actuation of said device, said bale case extending generally horizontally and said inlet being in the bottom of the case, said duct leading upwardly to said inlet from below the bale case, said bale case being mobile and said feeding and packing means including a pickup unit for lifting materials off the ground as the bale case is advanced.