US 6,647,706 B2Granted

Two-cylinder mechanism for operating baling chamber stuffer

AssigneeDeere & Company

InventorsJames Lee Vogt, Henry William Suechting, Jr.

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A large rectangular baler is provided with a crop material feeding arrangement including curved duct defining a pre-compression chamber from which a pre-compressed crop material charge is ejected, through an inlet of a baling chamber, by a stuffer arrangement. The duct includes a rear section curved about a horizontal, transverse axis and a stuffer frame, that carries a reciprocable tine arrangement, is mounted for rotation about this axis. A double acting injection cylinder reciprocates the tine arrangement between retracted and extended positions, respectively, wherein transversely spaced tines are withdrawn from, and extended into, slots provided in a top wall of the duct rear section. A double-acting hydraulic lift cylinder is provided for controlling the pivoting of the frame for effecting lifting of a pre-compressed charge of crop material and ejecting it through the baling chamber inlet.

Claims9

Dependent claims

In a large rectangular baler including an elevated baling chamber having a floor provided with a crop material inlet, an upwardly and rearwardly curved duct defining a pre-compression chamber having an upper rear end located at said inlet, and a lower front end located for receiving crop material, and a stuffer arrangement including a tine assembly including a plurality of transversely spaced tines movable into said duct through slits provided in an upper rear wall section of said duct for lifting a pre-compressed charge of crop material, contained in said duct between said lower front and upper rear ends, and ejecting it through said inlet of said baling chamber, the improvement comprising:

said duct including a rear section formed at least approximately at a radius about a horizontal transverse axis;
said stuffer arrangement further including a frame mounted for pivoting about said horizontal, transverse axis;
said tine assembly of said stuffer arrangement being mounted to said frame for reciprocation relative to said frame in a direction substantially crosswise to said duct between a retracted position wherein said tines are withdrawn from said duct and an extended position wherein said tines respectively project through said slits and into said duct;
an extensible and retractable injector actuator being coupled to said tine assembly for selectively moving it between said retracted and extended positions;
and an extensible and retractable lift actuator coupled to said frame and being selectively operable for pivoting said frame about said horizontal axis so as to sweep said tines through said duct for lifting said charge of crop material and discharging it through said inlet.

2 more elements

In a crop material feeding arrangement for feeding pre-compressed crop material charges into a baling chamber by way of a baling chamber inlet provided at a floor of said baling chamber, said crop feeding arrangement including:

a duct having a rear section communicating with said inlet and defining a pre-compression chamber curved about a horizontal transverse axis and adapted for receiving and accumulating crop material until it forms a charge having a pre-selected density;
said rear section of said duct having an upper wall defining a plurality of longitudinal slots extending substantially an entire length of said rear section of said duct;
a stuffer arrangement for moving a given pre-compressed crop material charge from said rear section of said duct and including a frame;
said stuffer arrangement further including a tine assembly including a plurality of transversely spaced tines;
a mounting arrangement coupling said tines to said frame for at least approximate reciprocable movement, relative to said frame, between a retracted position, wherein said tines are located outside said duct, and an extended position, wherein said tines respectively project through said slots into said duct;
said frame being mounted for pivoting about said horizontal transverse axis for moving said tine assembly so as to sweep along substantially said entire length of said rear section of said duct while said tines are located within said duct an injector actuator coupled between said frame and said tine assembly for moving the latter between said extended and retracted positions;
and a lift actuator coupled to said frame for pivoting it so as to cause said tines of said tine assembly to be swept along said rear section of said duct.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.