System, method, and apparatus for packaging bales of hay

A system for packaging compressed bales of hay, the hay being compressed by a press from a first size to a smaller second size, the system comprising:

• a wrapping machine positioned to receive the compressed hay bales, the wrapping machine having a conduit through which the compressed hay bales are extruded along a feed-axis, the wrapping machine having a rotating wheel for wrapping material around the compressed hay bales as the hay bales are extruded through and out of the conduit, the wrapping machine applying an effective amount of material at a selected rate that the compressed hay bales are prevented from expanding back to their first size;
• the wrapping machine applying the material to successive compressed hay bales such that the material extends between adjacent wrapped hay bales;
• wherein the wrapping machine includes drive means for rotating the wheel;
• a plurality of spool shafts mounted to the wheel for supporting multiple spools of material;
• a plurality of discharging roller pairs rotatably mounted to the wheel for guiding individual sheets of material from corresponding spools toward the conduit;
• a stationary gear fixedly mounted adjacent the wheel;
• a plurality of planetary gears operatively coupled to corresponding discharging roller pairs, the planetary gears mating with and revolving around the stationary gear as the wheel rotates, the planetary gears rotating as they revolve around the stationary gear to rotate the discharging roller pairs;
• and
• the wheel dispensing the sheets of material from the spools as the wheel rotates to wrap the sheets of material around the hay bales as the hay bales are extruded through the conduit;
• and
• a cutting machine positioned downstream of the wrapping machine to receive the wrapped hay bales, the cutting machine one of (1) completely cutting the material transversely to the feed axis between adjacent wrapped hay bales to singulate the hay bales, and (2) partially cutting a series of intermittent slits through the material and transversely around the bales between adjacent wrapped hay bales to provide a detachable seam between individual hay bales.

A system for packaging bales of hay comprising:

• a press for compressing bales of hay within a chamber from a first size to a smaller second size, the compressed hay forming individual hay bales, the press having means for transferring the compressed hay bales from the chamber in a prescribed direction;
• and
• a wrapping machine positioned downstream of the press to receive the compressed hay bales, the wrapping machine having a stationary conduit having interior walls for slidably receiving bales from the press and sized to retain the size of the compressed bales, through which the compressed hay bales are extruded at a selected extruding rate under force from the press transfer means, the conduit further including stationary tapered walls with surfaces thereof converging in said prescribed direction toward the interior walls, the wrapping machine having a rotating wheel for wrapping material simultaneously around portions of the stationary tapered exterior walls and the compressed hay bales as the hay bales are extruded through and out of the conduit, the wrapping machine applying an effective amount of material at a selected wrapping rate that the compressed hay bales are prevented from expanding back to their first size;
• wherein the wrapping machine further comprises:
• drive means for rotating the wheel;
• a plurality of spool shafts mounted to the wheel for supporting multiple spools of material;
• a plurality of discharging roller pairs rotatably mounted to the wheel for guiding individual sheets of material from corresponding spools toward the conduit;
• a stationary gear fixedly mounted adjacent the wheel;
• a plurality of planetary gears operatively coupled to corresponding discharging roller pairs, the planetary gears mating with and revolving around the stationary gear as the wheel rotates, the planetary gears rotating as they revolve around the stationary gear to rotate the discharging roller pairs;
• and
• the wheel being positioned to dispense the sheets of material from the spools as the wheel rotates to wrap the sheets of material around said portions of the stationary tapered exterior walls of the conduit and the hay bales as the hay bales are extruded through the conduit.

A system for packaging bales of hay comprising:

• a press for compressing a quantity of hay within a chamber from a first size to a smaller second size, the compressed hay forming individual hay bales, the press having means for transferring the compressed hay bales from the chamber along a feed axis;
• a wrapping machine positioned downstream of the press to receive the compressed hay bales, the wrapping machine having a conduit through which the compressed hay bales are extruded at a selected extruding rate under force from the press transfer means, the wrapping machine having means for wrapping material around the compressed hay bales as the hay bales are extruded through and out of the conduit, the wrapping machine applying an effective amount of material at a selected wrapping rate that the compressed hay bales are prevented from expanding back to their first size;
• the wrapping machine applying the material to successive compressed hay bales such that the material extends between adjacent wrapped hay bales;
• a partial cutting machine positioned downstream of the wrapping machine to receive the wrapped hay bales, the partial cutting machine cutting successive slits transversely with respect to said feed axis around the wrapped hay bales through the material between adjacent wrapped hay bales to provide a detachable seam between individual wrapped hay bales;
• and
• a full cutting machine positioned downstream of the partial cutting machine, the full cutting machine completely cutting the material between selected pairs of adjacent wrapped hay bales to define sets of multiple wrapped hay bales.

An apparatus for wrapping sheets of material around bales of hay, comprising:

• a frame;
• a hollow conduit fixedly mounted to the frame, the conduit defining a passage through which hay bales are extruded along a feed axis;
• a wheel rotatably mounted to the frame to rotate about the feed axis;
• drive means for rotating the wheel;
• a plurality of spool shafts mounted to the wheel for supporting spools of material;
• a plurality of discharging roller pairs rotatably mounted to the wheel for guiding individual sheets of material from corresponding spools toward the conduit;
• a stationary gear fixedly mounted adjacent the wheel and transverse to the feed axis;
• a plurality of planetary gears operatively coupled to corresponding discharging roller pairs, the planetary gears mating with and revolving around the stationary gear as the wheel rotates, the planetary gears rotating as they revolve around the stationary gear to rotate the discharging roller pairs;
• and
• the wheel dispensing the sheets of material from the spools as the wheel rotates around the feed axis to wrap the sheets of material around the hay bales as the hay bales are extruded through the conduit.

A method for packaging bales of hay comprising the following steps:

• compressing a quantity of hay within a chamber from a first size to a smaller second size, the compressed hay forming individual hay bales;
• transferring the compressed hay bales away from the chamber to a conduit that prevents expansion of the hay bales back to their first size;
• extruding the hay bales from the conduit along a feed axis;
• rotating a wheel around the conduit at a first velocity, the wheel dispensing multiple sheets of thin material partially on the conduit and partially on the hay bales as the hay bales exit from the conduit;
• wrapping the multiple sheets of thin material around successive compressed hay bales as the hay bales are extruded through the conduit;
• forming a multi-layer packaging of the multiple sheets, having an effective strength that prevents the compressed hay bales from expanding back to their first size;
• extending the packaging between adjacent compressed hay bales to integrate multiple hay bales within a common bundle;
• transferring the wrapped hay bales to a partial cutting machine;
• partially cutting the packaging to form a line of intermittent slits transversely with respect to the feed axis around the packaging between adjacent wrapped hay bales to provide a detachable seam between adjacent ends of bales in the bundle;
• transferring the wrapped hay bales to a full cutting machine;
• and
• completely severing the packaging between selected pairs of adjacent wrapped hay bales to define sets of multiple wrapped hay bales with the detachable seam being provided between adjacent wrapped hay bales within individual sets.