Bale bagging apparatus
OwnerGerald Brodrechtinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bale bagging method and apparatus are disclosed. Bales are passed through a collapsible tunnel, preferably formed of panels of flexible, yet self-supporting plastic material. A plastic film tube is supported on the tunnel as the bales are passed through. The tube has the same circumference as the bales so that the tunnel is held tightly against the bales. At the rear end of the tunnel is a retaining hoop over which the tube is stretched. Once the tube passes over the hoop, it contracts onto the bale to fit very tightly onto the bale, thus minimizing wind fatigue in the bag.
Claims12
A bale bagging apparatus for bagging end to end a plurality of preformed, round bales having a common nominal bale circumference, the apparatus comprising:
- a collapsible, annular tunnel having an inlet end and an outlet end, through which tunnel the bales are passed in sequence in a direction of bale movement from the inlet end to the outlet end, said tunnel comprising a plurality of panels arranged side-by-side in an overlapping, annular array and panel mounting means mounting each of the panels for substantially independent movement towards and away from bales passing through the tunnel;
- whereby when a shirred tube of plastic film surround the tunnel, the tube having an unstretched circumference substantially the same as the nominal bale circumference, the tube causes the tunnel to conform closely to the bales in size and shape as the bales pass through the tunnel;
- and
- a tube retainer comprising a flexible hoop surrounding the tunnel adjacent the outlet end thereof, the retainer having a fixed circumference greater than the unstretched circumference of the tube and independent of the circumference of the tunnel adjacent the outlet end thereof, whereby the tube is stretched over the tube retainer as it is drawn off the tunnel onto a bale passing therethrough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.