US 6,272,825 B1Granted

Round baler having hydraulically sequenced clutch and tailgate cylinders

AssigneeHay & Forage Industries

InventorsJ. Dale Anderson, Ferol S. Fell, Craig Pecenka

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A round baler includes bale forming mechanism and a crop delivery apparatus for delivering crop material to the bale forming mechanism. A clutch is provided for drivingly disconnecting the bale forming mechanism and delivery apparatus from the driveline while the tailgate is raised to discharge a wrapped bale. Engagement and disengagement of the clutch is controlled by a piston and cylinder assembly, and raising and lowering of the tailgate is controlled by a pair of piston and cylinder units. The baler is provided with a hydraulic sequencing circuit that connects the clutch assembly and the tailgate units to a common source of pressurized fluid. Moreover, the sequencing circuit controls fluid flow to the assembly and the units so that the clutch is disengaged before the tailgate is raised and the clutch is not re-engaged until the tailgate has been closed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In a round baler including driveable baler components, an openable tailgate that is disposed in a closed position during bale formation, and a clutch operable to drivingly connect the components to a power source when engaged and drivingly disconnect the components from the power source when disengaged, the improvement comprising:

a fluid piston and cylinder unit operably connected to the tailgate to control movement of the tailgate into and out of the closed position;
a fluid piston and cylinder assembly operably connected to the clutch to control engagement and disengagement of the clutch;
and
a sequencing circuit fluidly connecting the unit and the assembly to a common pressurized fluid source,
said sequencing circuit controlling fluid flow to the unit and the assembly so that the clutch is disengaged before any substantial movement of the tailgate out of the closed position,
said sequencing circuit controlling fluid flow to the unit and the assembly so that the clutch is not engaged until at least substantially all movement of the tailgate toward the closed position has been effected.

3 more elements

A round baler comprising:

bale forming mechanism operable to form a bale within a chamber that is at least in part defined by the mechanism;
a material delivery apparatus configured to deliver material to the chamber;
a clutch operable to drivingly connect the bale forming mechanism and crop delivery apparatus to a power source when engaged and drivingly disconnect the bale forming mechanism and crop delivery apparatus from the power source when disengaged;
a piston and cylinder assembly operably connected to the clutch to control engagement and disengagement of the clutch;
a tailgate that is disposed in a closed position during bale formation and is openable to permit discharge of the bale from the baling chamber;
a pair of fluid piston and cylinder units operably connected to the tailgate to control movement of the tailgate into and out of the closed position;
and
a sequencing circuit fluidly connecting the units and the assembly to a common pressurized fluid source,
said sequencing circuit controlling fluid flow to the units and the assembly so that the clutch is disengaged before the tailgate is moved out of the closed position and the clutch is not re-engaged until the tailgate has been returned to the closed position,
said clutch including a pair of outer compression plate assemblies, an inner friction disk located between the plate assemblies, and an input shaft connected between the friction disk and the power source,
said compression plate assemblies being drivingly connected to the bale forming mechanism and the crop delivery apparatus,
said compression plate assemblies being yieldably biased toward one another and into driving engagement with the friction disc wherein driving power is supplied to the bale forming mechanism and the crop delivery apparatus,
at least one roller connected to the assembly and configured to progressively move the plate assemblies from one another to drivingly disconnect the plate assemblies from the friction disc as the assembly is retracted.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.