Combination overload and overfill protection system for a round baler

A round baler for forming round bales of agricultural crop material, wherein the round baler includes a powered rotary member, comprising:

• a bale-forming chamber;
• a pickup arrangement for supplying crop material from the ground to the bale-forming chamber;
• a pickup drive system for supplying power to the pickup arrangement, wherein the pickup drive system includes a drive member which is selectively engageable with the powered rotary member of the baler;
• a movable member associated with the baler which moves in response to growth of the bale within the bale-forming chamber, wherein the movable member is movable from an initial position to a full bale position when the bale has attained a predetermined maximum size within the bale-forming chamber;
• wherein the pickup drive system is selectively engageable with the powered rotary member of the baler via an overfill protection mechanism interposed between the rotary member and the pickup drive system, wherein the overfill protection mechanism includes a selectively engageable drive arrangement which is operable to disengage the selectively engageable drive member of the pickup drive system in response to movement of the movable member to the full bale position to disable the pickup drive system and prevent the supply of additional crop material to the bale-forming chamber, wherein the selectively engageable drive arrangement includes a shiftable engagement member that is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein the shiftable engagement member in its engaged position engages the drive member for transferring power to the pickup drive system from the powered rotary member of the baler, and wherein the shiftable engagement member in its disengaged position is disengaged from the drive member for preventing the transfer of power to the pickup drive system from the powered rotary member of the baler, and wherein the shiftable engagement member is movable from its engaged position to its disengaged position in response to movement of the movable member associated with the baler to its full bale position;
• wherein the pickup drive system includes a pickup drive input member located adjacent the rotary member, and wherein the drive member and the shiftable member are interposed between the pickup drive input member and the rotary member, wherein a flexible power transfer arrangement is interconnected between the pickup drive input member and the pickup arrangement for supplying power to the pickup arrangement;
• and
• wherein the drive member is secured to one of the rotary member and the pickup drive input member, and wherein the shiftable engagement member is secured to the other of the pickup drive input member and the rotary member, wherein the drive member comprises a shearable member, wherein application of an overload force to the pickup arrangement results in application of a shearing force on the shearable member by the shiftable engagement member to shear the shearable member and to prevent the supply of power to the pickup drive input member.

A round baler for forming round bales of agricultural crop material, wherein the round baler includes a powered rotary member, comprising:

• a bale-forming chamber;
• a pickup arrangement for supplying crop material from the ground to the bale-forming chamber;
• a pickup drive system for supplying power to the pickup arrangement, wherein the pickup drive system includes a drive member which is selectively engageable with the powered rotary member of the baler;
• a movable member associated with the baler which moves in response to growth of the bale within the bale-forming chamber, wherein the movable member is movable from an initial position to a full bale position when the bale has attained a predetermined maximum size within the bale-forming chamber;
• wherein the pickup drive system is selectively engageable with the powered rotary member of the baler via an overfill protection mechanism interposed between the rotary member and the pickup drive system, wherein the overfill protection mechanism includes a selectively engageable drive arrangement which is operable to disengage the selectively engageable drive member of the pickup drive system in response to movement of the movable member to the full bale position to disable the pickup drive system and prevent the supply of additional crop material to the bale-forming chamber, wherein the selectively engageable drive arrangement includes a shiftable engagement member that is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein the shiftable engagement member in its engaged position engages the drive member for transferring power to the pickup drive system from the powered rotary member of the baler, and wherein the shiftable engagement member in its disengaged position is disengaged from the drive member for preventing the transfer of power to the pickup drive system from the powered rotary member of the baler, and wherein the shiftable engagement member is movable from its engaged position to its disengaged position in response to movement of the movable member associated with the baler to its full bale position;
• wherein the pickup drive system includes a pickup drive input member located adjacent the rotary member, and wherein the drive member and the shiftable member are interposed between the pickup drive input member and the rotary member, wherein a flexible power transfer arrangement is interconnected between the pickup drive input member and the pickup arrangement for supplying power to the pickup arrangement;
• wherein the drive member is secured to one of the rotary member and the pickup drive input member, and wherein the shiftable engagement member is secured to the other of the pickup drive input member and the rotary member;
• and
• wherein the overfill protection mechanism includes a movable trip member interconnected with an actuator mechanism with which the movable member of the baler is engageable when the movable member is in its full bale position, and a biased lever interconnected with the shiftable engagement member, wherein the actuator mechanism is operable to move the trip member to an operative position when the movable member of the baler is in its full bale position, wherein the trip member in its operative position engages the lever to move the shiftable engagement member to its disengaged position to prevent the transfer of power to the pickup drive input member and to thereby stop operation of the pickup arrangement, wherein the trip member is movable by means of the actuator mechanism to an inoperative position in which the trip member allows the biased lever to return the shiftable engagement member to its engaged position when the movable member of the baler is moved away from its full bale position.

An overload and overfill protection system for a round baler having a bale-forming chamber and a pickup arrangement for supplying crop material from the ground to the bale-forming chamber, wherein the pickup arrangement includes a rotatable power input member and wherein the baler includes a rotatable drive member, comprising:

• a shearable member secured to one of the rotatable power input member and the rotatable drive member;
• a shiftable engagement member secured to the other of the rotatable power input member and the rotatable drive member, wherein the shiftable engagement member is movable between an engaged position in which the engagement member engages the shearable member to impart rotation to the rotatable power input member in response to rotation of the rotatable drive member, and a disengaged position in which the engagement member is moved out of engagement with the shearable member to prevent rotation of the rotatable power input member;
• and
• an actuator mechanism interconnected with the shiftable engagement member, wherein the actuator mechanism is operable to move the shiftable engagement member from its engaged position to its disengaged position in response to the bale attaining a predetermined maximum size within the bale-forming chamber, for preventing operation of the pickup arrangement to prevent the supply of additional crop material to the bale-forming chamber;
• wherein the shiftable engagement member is operable to shear off the shearable member when the shiftable engagement member is in its engaged position in response to an overload force applied to the engagement member from the pickup arrangement, for preventing operation of the pickup arrangement and to prevent the supply of additional crop material to the bale-forming chamber.

A clutch arrangement for a pickup mechanism associated with a round baler having a rotatable drive member, wherein the round baler includes a bale-forming chamber for receiving crop material from the pickup mechanism and for forming the crop material into a round bale, comprising:

• a pickup drive member located adjacent the rotatable drive member;
• a power transfer member engaged between the pickup mechanism and the pickup drive member for transferring power from the pickup drive member to the pickup mechanism;
• a selective engagement arrangement interposed between the rotatable drive member of the round baler and the pickup drive member, wherein the selective engagement arrangement includes a shearable member secured to one of the rotatable drive member and the pickup drive member, and a shiftable engagement member secured to the other of the rotatable drive member and the pickup drive member, wherein the shiftable engagement member is normally in engagement with the shearable member to rotate the power transfer member in response to rotation of the rotatable drive member of the baler, and wherein the selective engagement arrangement is movable to a disengaged position in which the shiftable member is moved out of engagement with the shearable member so that power from the rotatable drive member is not transferred to the pickup drive member to prevent the transfer of power to the pickup mechanism;
• and
• an actuator interconnected with the selective engagement arrangement for moving the selective engagement arrangement to the disengaged position in response to the bale attaining a predetermined maximum size within the bale-forming chamber of the baler, for preventing the transfer of power to the pickup mechanism and thereby preventing the supply of additional crop material to the bale-forming chamber;
• wherein the shiftable engagement member is operable to shear off the shearable member when the shiftable engagement member is in engagement with the shearable member in response to an overload force applied to the shiftable engagement member from the pickup mechanism, for preventing operation of the pickup mechanism and to prevent the supply of additional crop material to the bale-forming chamber.

A clutch arrangement for a pickup mechanism associated with a round baler having a rotatable drive member, wherein the round baler includes a bale-forming chamber for receiving crop material from the pickup mechanism and for forming the crop material into a round bale, comprising:

• a pickup drive member located adjacent the rotatable drive member;
• a power transfer member engaged between the pickup mechanism and the pickup drive member for transferring power from the pickup drive member to the pickup mechanism;
• a selective engagement arrangement interposed between the rotatable drive member of the round baler and the pickup drive member, wherein the selective engagement arrangement is normally in an engaged position to rotate the power transfer member in response to rotation of the rotatable drive member of the baler, and wherein the selective engagement arrangement is movable to a disengaged position in which power from the rotatable drive member is not transferred to the pickup drive member to prevent the transfer of power to the pickup mechanism;
• and
• an actuator interconnected with the selective engagement arrangement for moving the selective engagement arrangement to the disengaged position in response to the bale attaining a predetermined maximum size within the bale-forming chamber of the baler, for preventing the transfer of power to the pickup mechanism and thereby preventing the supply of additional crop material to the bale-forming chamber;
• wherein the pickup drive member comprises a pickup drive sprocket and wherein the power transfer member comprises a pickup drive chain engaged with the pickup drive sprocket;
• wherein the selective engagement arrangement comprises a fixed drive member secured to one of the pickup drive sprocket and the rotatable drive member, and a movable engagement member secured to the other of the pickup drive sprocket and the rotatable drive member, and wherein the actuator comprises a movable actuator mechanism which is movable from an inoperative position to an operative position when the bale attains the predetermined maximum size within the bale-forming chamber, wherein the movable actuator mechanism in its operative position functions to move the movable engagement member to the disengaged position to disengage the movable engagement member from the fixed drive member and to prevent the transfer of power from the rotatable drive member to the pickup drive member.

A method of operating a pickup mechanism of a round baler having a bale-forming chamber, wherein the pickup mechanism includes a rotatable power input member and wherein the round baler includes a rotating drive member, comprising the steps of:

• interposing a selectively engageable shearable power transfer mechanism between the rotating drive member of the baler and the power input of the pickup mechanism, wherein the power transfer mechanism includes a fixed shearable drive member and a movable engagement member;
• normally engaging the fixed shearable drive member and the movable engagement member of the power transfer mechanism to operate the pickup mechanism to supply crop material to the bale-forming chamber;
• disengaging the power transfer mechanism by moving the movable engagement member out of engagement with the fixed shearable drive member when the bale attains a predetermined maximum size within the bale-forming chamber to stop operation of the pickup mechanism and cut off the supply of crop material to the bale-forming chamber;
• wherein the movable engagement member of the power transfer mechanism is operable to shear the fixed shearable drive member in response to an overload force applied to the pickup mechanism, to disable the power transfer mechanism and to prevent the supply of additional crop material to the bale-forming chamber.