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US 5,012,631 AGranted
Bale wrapper
AssigneeDewEze Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsDewey L. Hostetler, David L. Lansdowne, Delmar Hostetler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bale wrapping apparatus having an infeed conveyor, a wrapping mechanism and an outfeed conveyor synchronized to convey bales through the apparatus while continuously wrapping a bale in the wrapping mechanism and forming a continuous protective cocoon around a row of bales. The wrapping mechanism includes a rotating cage and a pair of film dispensers that cooperatively wrap layers of film in successively overlapping helically wound paths around the bale. The apparatus is self-motivated when wrapping so as to discharge a continuous row of wrapped bales.
Claims18
An apparatus for wrapping hay bales with a web of weather resistant material comprising:
- (1) an elongate frame;
- (b) infeed conveyor means mounted on said frame and adapted to receive upwrapped bales;
- (c) bale wrapping means mounted on said frame adjacent to said infeed conveyor means;
- said bale wrapping means for wrapping a continuous web in a helical path about a series of bases so as to form a row of bales in a single protective cocoon of said web material;
- said infeed conveyor means adapted to transport bales to said bale wrapping means and urge bales through said bale wrapping means;
- (d) outfeed conveyor means mounted on said frame adjacent to said wrapping means for receiving bales from said wrapping means, controlling the speed of bales being transported through said wrapping means resulting in a uniform and continuous wrapping of said web material about the bales and transporting wrapped bales to the ground;
- and
- (e) motor means for operatively motivating said infeed conveyor means, said bale wrapping means and said outfeed conveyor means;
- said motor means also operatively propelling said elongate frame during bale wrapping so as to synchronize the discharge of bales from the apparatus to place wrapped bales in generally adjacent end-to-end relationship within the cocoon of the web material;
- and
- (f) control means cooperating with said motor means for independently driving:
- (1) said infeed conveyor means;
- (2) said wrapping means;
- (3) said elongate frame;
- and
- (4) said outfeed conveyor means.
13 more elements
An apparatus for wrapping hay bales comprising:
- (a) an elongate frame adapted to hold a plurality of bales thereon;
- (b) infeed conveyor means mounted on said frame for receiving unwrapped bales and transporting therealong;
- (c) bale wrapping means adjacent to said infeed conveyor means mounted on said frame;
- said infeed conveyor means operatively urging bales therefrom into and through said bale wrapping means;
- said wrapping means being adapted to wrap a web of weather resistant material about and between adjacent bales so as to form a continuous weather resistant cocoon about adjacent bales;
- (d) outfeed conveyor means mounted on said frame adapted to receive wrapped bales from said wrapping means and to transport wrapped bales to the ground in generally end-to-end relationship;
- (e) support means located between said infeed conveyor means and said outfeed conveyor means adapted to hold a bale during wrapping of the bale;
- (f) wheel means for mobily supporting said frame;
- (g) first drive means for propelling said frame in a forward direction in front of the already wrapped bales and synchronized to the speed of said outfeed conveyor so as to be adapted to discharge bales onto the ground in generally close end-to-end relationship;
- said first drive means also propelling said outfeed conveyor;
- (h) second drive means for propelling said infeed conveyor;
- (i) third drive means for propelling said bale wrapping means;
- and
- (j) control means for independently operating said first, second and third drive means.
11 more elements
An apparatus for wrapping hay bales comprising:
- (a) an elongate vehicle having a frame adapted to hold a plurality of bales thereon;
- said frame having mounted thereon a drive axle and having wheel means connected to said axle and steering means for guiding said wheel means;
- (b) first drive means for propelling said vehicle;
- (c) an infeed conveyor mounted on said frame and adapted to receive unwrapped bales;
- said infeed conveyor having:
- (1) first and second parallel elongate rails;
- and
- (2) first and second slip chains mounted respectively on said first and second rails and adapted to rotate therearound;
- (3) second drive means to rotate said slip chains;
- and
- (4) an elongate trigger plate located between said first and second parallel rails and operably connected to said second drive means;
- said trigger plate biased upward when there are no bales thereon and urged downward by a bale when a bale is placed thereon, thereby engaging said drive means and rotating said chains;
- (c) bale wrapping means adjacent to said infeed conveyor means;
- said bale wrapping means including:
- (1) a rotatable cage having first and second circular members positioned generally perpendicular to a path of travel through said apparatus;
- (2) roller means;
- said first and second circular members mounted on said roller means so as to be rotatable thereon;
- (3) third drive means for rotating said cage on said roller means;
- (4) first and second film dispensing and stretching mechanisms oppositely mounted on said cage;
- each of said film dispensing and stretching mchanisms including:
- (i) a film dispenser roller;
- (ii) an upstream roller in spaced relation to said film dispenser;
- and
- (iii) a downstream roller in spaced relation and connected by a belt to said upstream roller;
- said upstream roller being rotated by a continuous sheet of film from a roll of film mounted on said dispenser roller being drawn over the upstream idler;
- said sheet in contact with both said upstream and downstream rollers;
- said downstream roller being driven by said belt to rotate faster than said upstream roller causing the film between said rollers to stretch prior to being wrapped on a bale;
- (d) outfeed conveyor means adjacent to said bale wrapping means adapted to transport bales from said wrapping means to a ramp pivotally connected thereto and extending to the ground;
- said first drive means propelling said outfeed conveyor means;
- (e) first and second smooth bars mounted extending from said first and second rails and generally spanning between said rails and said outfeed conveyor means;
- (f) a towing device pivotally attached to said outfeed conveyor means adapted to extend laterally from said vehicle while hay bales are being wrapped and to extend rearwardly from said apparatus during towing of said vehicle.
28 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.