Tier pattern sequence activation means

In a bale wagon having operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns, means for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said storing means defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns, and means coupled to said operable means and associated with said storing means, said coupled and associated means responsive to each of said storing means positions to cause said operable means to form the bales into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said storing means positions, the improvement which comprises:

• a source of electrical power;
• electrical drive means activatable for effectuating disposal of said coupled and associated means successively at each of said storing means positions;
• and
• electro-mechanical means including
• a movably-mounted drive transmission member operatively interconnecting said drive means with one of said storing means and said coupled and associated means and which upon activation of said drive means will move and thereby effectuate disposal of said coupled and associated means successively at each of said storing means positions, said transmission member having a first element which moves in a predetermined path as said transmission member is moved;
• circuitry interconnecting said electrical power source and said drive means which when closed transmits electrical energy from the former to the latter to activate the latter;
• control means selectively operable for electrically opening and closing said circuitry;
• and
• switch means mounted adjacent said drive transmission member and including a second element disposed in said path of said first element of said transmission member and movable from a first position to a second position by said first element such that when said circuitry is closed by said control means and said drive means is thereby activated, said switch means causes opening of said circuitry and thereby de-activation of said drive means when said first element is moved to said second position by said second element, said movement of said second element to said second position occurring concurrently as said drive transmission member effectuates disposal of said coupled and associated means at said predetermined one of said storing means positions.

In a bale wagon having means for accumulating tiers of bales into a stack, operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns and for adding each tier to said tier-accumulating means, means for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said storing means defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns, and means coupled to said operable means and associated with said storing means, said coupled and associated means responsive to each of said storing means positions to cause said operable means to form the bales into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said storing means positions and to add said tier to said tier-accumulating means, the improvement which comprises:

• a source of electrical power;
• electrical drive means activatable for effectuating disposal of said coupled and associated means successively at each of said storing means positions;
• and
• electro-mechanical means including
• circuitry interconnecting said electrical power source and said drive means for transmitting electrical energy from the former to the latter to activate the latter;
• first means for opening said circuitry in response to the disposal of said coupled and associated means at each of said successive storing means positions so as to prevent the transmission of electrical energy to said drive means;
• and
• second means for closing said circuitry in response to the addition of each of said tiers of bales to said tier-accumulating means so as to allow the transmission of electrical energy to said drive means to activate the same until said first means again opens said circuitry when said coupled and associated means is disposed at said next successive one of said storing means positions.

In a bale wagon having operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns, a memory element for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said memory element defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns and being comprised by a rotatable cam having a peripheral arrangement of lobes which define said plurality of successive positions, and means coupled to said operable means and associated with said rotatable cam, said coupled and associated means including a cam follower disposed adjacent said cam and engaged with one of said lobes thereof and being responsive to each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam to cause said operable means to form the bales into one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said cam positions, the improvement which comprises:

• a source of electrical power;
• electrical drive means activatable for rotating said cam relative to said cam follower for effectuating disposal of said cam follower successively at each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam;
• and
• electro-mechanical means including
• circuitry interconnecting said electrical power source and said drive means for transmitting electrical energy from the former to the latter to activate the latter;
• first means for opening said circuitry in response to disposal of said cam follower at said predetermined one of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam;
• and
• second means for selectively closing said circuitry so as to allow the transmission of electrical energy to said drive means to activate the same until said first means opens said circuitry when said cam follower is disposed at said predetermined one of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam.

In a bale wagon having operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns, a memory element for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said memory element defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns and being comprised by a rotatable cam having a peripheral arrangement of lobes which define said plurality of successive positions, and means coupled to said operable means and associated with said rotatable cam, said coupled and associated means including a cam follower disposed adjacent said cam and engaged with one of said lobes thereof and being responsive to each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam to cause said operable means to form the bales into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said cam positions, the improvement which comprises:

• a source of electrical power;
• electrical drive means activatable for rotating said cam relative to said cam follower for effectuating disposal of said cam follower successively at each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam;
• and
• electro-mechanical means including
• a rotatably-mounted drive transmission member operatively interconnecting said drive means with said cam and which upon activation of said drive means will rotate and, in turn, cause rotation of said cam and thereby effectuate disposal of said cam follower successively at each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam, said transmission member having a first element which moves in a predetermined path as said transmission member rotates;
• circuitry interconnecting said electrical power source and said drive means which when closed transmits electrical energy from the former to the latter to activate the latter;
• control means selectively operable for electrically opening and closing said circuitry;
• and
• switch means mounted adjacent said drive transmission member and including a second element disposed in said path of said first element of said transmission member and movable from a first position to a second position by said first element such that when said circuitry is closed by said control means and said drive means is thereby activated and rotates said transmission member which rotates said cam, said switch means causes opening of said circuitry and thereby de-activation of said drive means and termination of rotation of said transmission member and said cam when said second element is moved to said second position by said first element, said movement of said second element to said second position occurring concurrently as said drive transmission member effectuates disposal of said cam follower at said predetermined one of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam.

In a bale wagon having operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns, a memory element for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said memory element defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns and being comprised by a rotatable cam having a peripheral arrangement of lobes which define said plurality of successive positions, and means coupled to said operable means and associated with said rotatable cam, said coupled and associated means including a cam follower disposed adjacent said cam and engaged with one of said lobes thereof and being responsive to each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam to cause said operable means to form the bales into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said cam positions, the improvement which comprises:

• a source of electrical power;
• electrical drive means activatable for rotating said cam relative to said cam follower for effectuating disposal of said cam follower successively at each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam;
• and
• electro-mechanical means including
• a series of first elements on said cam successively displaced one from the next in proportion to said successive displacements between said positions defined by said lobes of said cam and which move in a predetermined path as said cam rotates;
• circuitry interconnecting said electrical power source and said drive means which when closed transmits electrical energy from the former to the latter to activate the latter;
• control means selectively operable for electrically opening and closing said circuitry;
• and
• switch means mounted adjacent said cam and including a second element disposed in said path of said first elements on said cam and movable from a first position to a second position by each of said first elements such that when said circuitry is closed by said control means and said drive means is thereby activated and rotates said cam, said switch means causes opening of said circuitry and thereby de-activation of said drive means and termination of rotation of said cam each time said second element is moved to said second position by one of said first elements, said movement of said second element to said second position occurring concurrently as said rotation of said cam effectuates disposal of said cam follower at a respective one of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam.

In a bale wagon having means for accumulating tiers, operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns and for adding each tier to said tier-accumulating means, a memory element for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said memory element defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns and being comprised by a rotatable cam having a peripheral arrangement of lobes which define said plurality of successive positions, and means coupled to said operable means and associated with said rotatable cam, said coupled and associated means including a cam follower disposed adjacent said cam and engaged with one of said lobes thereof and being responsive to each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam to cause said operable means to form the bales into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said cam positions, the improvement which comprises:

• a source of electrical power;
• electrical drive means activatable for rotating said cam relative to said cam follower for effectuating disposal of said cam follower successively at each of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam;
• and
• electro-mechanical means including
• circuitry interconnecting said electrical power source and said drive means for transmitting electrical energy from the former to the latter to activate the latter;
• first means for opening said circuitry in response to the disposal of said cam follower at each of said successive positions defined by said lobes of said cam so as to prevent the transmission of electrical energy to said drive means;
• and
• second means for closing said circuitry in response to the addition of each of said tiers of bales to said tier-accumulating means so as to allow the transmission of electrical energy to said drive means to activate the same until said first means again opens said circuitry when said cam follower is disposed at said next successive one of said positions defined by said lobes of said cam.

In a bale wagon having means for accumulating tiers of bales into a stack, means for accumulating bales into a tier and being movable through a predetermined cycle for delivering said tier to said tier-accumulating means, operable means for forming bales into a plurality of different tier patterns on said bale-accumulating means and for delivering each tier to tier-accumulating means, means for storing a predetermined sequence of said plurality of tier patterns, said storing means defining a plurality of successive-displaced positions which each represent one of said tier patterns, and means coupled to said operable means and associated with said storing means, said coupled and associated means responsive to each of said storing means positions to cause said operable means to form the bales into the one of said tier patterns corresponding to each of said storing means positions and to deliver said tier to said tier-accumulating means, the improvement which comprises:

• a source of electrical power;
• electrical drive means activatable for effectuating disposal of said coupled and associated means successively at each of said storing means positions;
• and
• electro-mechanical means including
• circuitry interconnecting said electrical power source and said drive means for transmitting electrical energy from the former to the latter to activate the latter;
• first means for opening said circuitry in response to the disposal of said coupled and associated means at each of said successive storing means positions so as to prevent the transmission of electrical energy to said drive means;
• and
• second means for closing said circuitry in response to said bale-accumulating means being moved through its predetermined cycle so as to allow the transmission of electrical energy to said drive means to activate the same until said first means again opens said circuitry when said coupled and associated means is disposed at said next successive one of said storing means positions.