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US 11,825,773 B2Granted
High capacity baler
AssigneeGreat Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsBrian Olander, Taylor Bozarth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high capacity square baler including a pickup mechanism configured to pick up a single windrow of crop material off the ground. The baler additionally includes one or more stuffer chutes each configured to receive at least a portion of the crop material picked up by the pickup mechanism. The baler additionally includes one or more stuffer assemblies each configured to push crop generally upward through one of the stuffer chutes. The baler further includes a plurality of separate bale-forming chambers each configured to receive crop material from one or more of the stuffer chutes and to form a bale of crop material therein.
Claims18
A high capacity square baler comprising:
- a pickup mechanism configured to pick up a single windrow of crop material off the ground;
- a first stuffer chute and a second stuffer chute each configured to receive a portion of the crop material picked up by said pickup mechanism, wherein said first and second stuffer chutes are spaced apart from one another;
- a first stuffer assembly positioned within said first stuffer chute and configured to force crop material generally upward through said first stuffer chute;
- and
- a second stuffer assembly positioned within said second stuffer chute and configured to force crop material generally upward through said second stuffer chute;
- a centrally-positioned gearbox, with the first stuffer chute positioned on a first side of the gearbox and the second stuffer chute positioned on an opposite, second side of the gearbox, wherein the gearbox is configured to provide power to the first stuffer assembly, wherein the second stuffer assembly is operably connected to the first stuffer assembly via a connection element extending between the first and second stuffer assemblies such that rotation of the first stuffer assembly causes a corresponding rotation of the second stuffer assembly, and wherein when the first stuffer assembly is shifted to a top position, the second stuffer assembly is shifted to a bottom position;
- a first bale-forming chamber configured to receive crop material from said first stuffer chute and to form a bale of crop material therein, wherein said first bale-forming chamber receives crop material through a bottom of said first bale-forming chamber,
- a second bale-forming chamber configured to receive crop material from said second stuffer chute and to form a bale of crop material therein, wherein said second bale-forming chamber receives crop material through a bottom of said second bale-forming chamber,
- wherein said first and second bale-forming chambers are spaced apart from one another and configured to simultaneously form and eject bales.
6 more elements
A method of forming a plurality of bales of crop material with a high capacity square baler, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) picking up crop material from a single windrow via a pickup mechanism;
- (b) providing the crop material from the pickup mechanism to a first stuffer chute and a second stuffer chute for pre-compression, wherein the first and second stuffer chutes are spaced apart from one another, and wherein the baler includes a centrally-positioned gearbox, with the first stuffer chute positioned on a first side of the gearbox and the second stuffer chute positioned on an opposite, second side of the gearbox;
- (c) using a first stuffer assembly positioned within the first stuffer chute to transfer crop material generally upward through the first stuffer chute to a first bale-forming chamber, wherein the first bale-forming chamber receives crop material through a bottom of the first bale-forming chamber;
- (d) using a second stuffer assembly positioned within the second stuffer chute to transfer crop material generally upward through the second stuffer chute to a second bale-forming chamber, wherein the second bale-forming chamber receives crop material through a bottom of the second bale-forming chamber,
- wherein the gearbox is configured to provide power to the first stuffer assembly wherein the second stuffer assembly is operably connected to the first stuffer assembly via a connection element extending between the first and second stuffer assemblies such that rotation of the first stuffer assembly causes a corresponding rotation of the second stuffer assembly, and wherein when the first stuffer assembly is shifted to a top position, the second stuffer assembly is shifted to a bottom position;
- and
- (e) simultaneously forming a bale of crop material within each of the first and second bale-forming chambers, wherein the first and second bale-forming chambers are spaced apart from one another.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.