Baler rotor reverser

In a baler of a type having a frame and a rotor operatively rotatably attached to said frame for moving a windrow of crop material into a baling chamber and a rotor sprocket operatively attached to said rotor for turning the rotor in a first rotary direction to move the crop material toward the baling chamber, a shaft disposed for rotation about a first axis, and a driver sprocket operatively connected to said shaft and to a primary source of rotary power for selectively rotating said rotor sprocket and thereby rotating said rotor in the first rotary direction to move crop toward said baling chamber, said driver sprocket being rotatably disposed about the first axis;

• the improvement comprising:
• a hub operatively attached to said frame and being rotatably and slidably operably disposed on said shaft;
• a reverser driven sprocket operatively attached to said hub for rotation about the first axis with said hub;
• a spring for biasing said hub to a first lateral position along said shaft for operably engaging said driver sprocket whereby said hub will rotate with said reverser driver sprocket, thereby causing the driven sprocket to rotate with said hub;
• a spreader having a first and a second position for selectively moving the hub to a second lateral position when the spreader is in the second position thereof whereby the hub is not in operative engagement with said driver sprocket and whereby the hub can rotate on said shaft about said first axis, said hub being engaged for rotary movement with said driver sprocket when said spreader is in the first position thereof;
• and
• driver frame means operatively attached to said spreader for selectively causing the hub and reverser driven sprocket to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said driver sprocket at a time when said hub is not in operative engagement with said driver sprocket, whereby the rotor will be turned in a direction opposite to said first rotary direction to thereby move crop material away from said baling chamber.

A bale forming machine for baling agricultural crops of a type having a frame and a rotor operatively rotatably attached to said frame for moving a windrow of crop material into a baling chamber comprising:

• a power train operatively connected to a portion of the bale forming machine that forms a bale in the baling chamber, said power train also being operatively attached to a rotor which moves a crop material toward the baling chamber;
• a clutch selectively operatively attached to the power train and the rotor for selectively attaching or detaching said power train to said rotor;
• a reversing mechanism operatively attached to said frame for selectively reversing the direction of rotation of said rotor between said first rotary direction and a second rotary direction for causing crop to move away from said baling chamber;
• an actuator operatively attached to said clutch and to said reversing mechanism for operating both (a) said clutch to selectively connect or disconnect the rotor from the power train and (b) said reversing mechanism to selectively reverse the rotor without disconnecting the power train from the portion of the bale forming machine that forms a bale in the baling chamber;
• and
• wherein said clutch comprises:
• a hub operatively attached to said frame and being rotatably and slidably operably disposed on said shaft;
• a reverser driven sprocket operatively attached to said hub for rotation about the first axis with said hub;
• a spring for biasing said hub to a first lateral position along a shaft for operably engaging a driver sprocket whereby said hub will rotate with said driver sprocket, thereby causing the driven sprocket to rotate with said hub;
• and
• a spreader having a first and a second position for selectively moving the hub to a second lateral position when the spreader is in the second position thereof whereby the hub is not in operative engagement with said driver sprocket and whereby the hub can rotate on said shaft about said first axis, said hub being engaged for rotary movement with said driver sprocket when said spreader in the first position thereof.

A method of using a bale forming machine comprising:

• using a power train on the bale forming machine to operate a part of a bale forming machine which forms a bale in a bale forming chamber and to rotate a rotor during a normal operation of said bale forming machine for moving a crop into the bale forming chamber;
• using an actuator to cause a clutch to detach said power train from said rotor if said bale forming machine becomes plugged with crop material without detaching the power train from that part of a bale forming machine which forms a bale in a bale forming chamber;
• also using said actuator to cause a reversing mechanism to reverse the rotary direction of said rotor to a second rotary direction to cause crop material to move away from said baling chamber;
• and
• operating said bale forming machine to complete a bale and then eject the bale from the baling chamber while said clutch is detached from the power train.

A method of using a bale forming machine comprising:

• using a power train on the bale forming machine to operate a part of a bale forming machine which forms a bale in a bale forming chamber and to rotate a rotor during a normal operation of said bale forming machine for moving a crop into the bale forming chamber;
• using an actuator to cause a clutch to detach said power train from said rotor if said bale forming machine becomes plugged with crop material without detaching the power train from that part of a bale forming machine which forms a bale in a bale forming chamber;
• also using said actuator to cause a reversing mechanism to reverse the rotary direction of said rotor to a second rotary direction to cause crop material to move away from said baling chamber;
• and
• wherein said reversing is done in steps of less than 360 degrees rotation of the rotor.

A method of using a bale forming machine of a type for baling agricultural crops having a frame and a rotor operatively rotatably attached to said frame for moving a windrow of crop material into a baling chamber and a power train to operate a part of the bale forming machine which forms a bale in the baling chamber and to provide power to rotate said rotor in a first rotary direction to move the crop material toward the baling chamber and a clutch selectively operatively attached to the power train for selectively attaching or detaching said power train to said rotor with an actuator,

• said method comprising:
• using said actuator to cause said clutch to attach the power train to operate the bale forming machine to pick up a windrow of crop;
• whenever said rotor becomes plugged with excess crop material, using said actuator to cause said clutch to disconnect the power train from that part of the bale forming apparatus which rotates the rotor without disconnecting the power train from that part of the bale forming machine which forms a bale in the baling chamber;
• using said actuator to reverse the direction of rotation of said rotor between said first rotary direction and a second rotary direction for causing crop to move away from said baling chamber;
• and
• using the power train to complete and eject the bale from the baling chamber after the clutch is used to disconnect the power train from that part of the bale forming apparatus which rotates the rotor in a first rotary direction but before the rotor is reversed to the second rotary position.

A method of using a bale forming machine of a type for baling agricultural crops having a frame and a rotor operatively rotatably attached to said frame for moving a windrow of crop material into a baling chamber and a power train to operate a part of the bale forming machine which forms a bale in the baling chamber and to provide power to rotate said rotor in a first rotary direction to move the crop material toward the baling chamber and a clutch selectively operatively attached to the power train for selectively attaching or detaching said power train to said rotor with an actuator,

• said method comprising:
• using said actuator to cause said clutch to attach the power train to operate the bale forming machine to pick up a windrow of crop;
• whenever said rotor becomes plugged with excess crop material, using said actuator to cause said clutch to disconnect the power train from that part of the bale forming apparatus which rotates the rotor without disconnecting the power train from that part of the bale forming machine which forms a bale in the baling chamber;
• using said actuator to reverse the direction of rotation of said rotor between said first rotary direction and a second rotary direction for causing crop to move away from said baling chamber;
• and
• wherein said reversing is done in steps of less than 360 degrees turning of the rotor.

A method of using a bale forming machine comprising:

• using a power train on the bale forming machine to rotate a rotor during a normal operation of said bale forming machine for moving a crop into a bale forming chamber;
• using an actuator to cause a clutch to detach said power train from said rotor if said bale forming machine becomes plugged with crop material;
• also using said actuator to cause a reversing mechanism to reverse the rotary direction of said rotor to a second rotary direction to cause crop material to move away from said baling chamber;
• and
• operating said bale forming machine to complete a bale and then eject the bale from the baling chamber while said clutch is detached from the power train.