Abstract: An improved roller assembly for use in machinery such as round balers is disclosed. The roller assembly of the present invention reduces sensitivity to varying dimensional tolerances on the roller assembly and the structure to which the roller assembly is mounted. At least one elastic member is used to permit the axial position of at least one of the bearings on the roller assembly shaft to vary. Spring washers provide a predetermined, axial force to at least one of the bearings.

Abstract: Large cylindrical bales of hay, straw, or other forage or fodder are usually wrapped with a filament-type product, typically twine, or a sheet-type product, typically netwrap material, after a bale has reached a predetermined size. A method and apparatus are disclosed that permits the bale to continue to form during part of the wrapping process. A delay occurs between the initiation of the wrapping step and the alarm for the operator to stop the forward movement of the baler. By inserting the wrap material to an entry throat of the baler, new crop material may be added to the bale while the leading edge of the wrap material travels around the bale. The operator is notified only when the feed of additional crop material needs to be stopped for the wrapping operation to conclude. The present invention is applicable to the use of sheet or filament wrapping materials for binding round bales.

Abstract: Menstrual fluid simulants may consistently emulate the physical characteristics of real menstrual fluid, including but not limited to, viscosity, stringiness, surface tension and size and concentration of particulate matter. In addition, the constituents comprising the menstrual fluid simulants may be changed in order to mimic the variations in real menstrual fluid observed from woman to woman and from an individual woman over time. The menstrual fluid simulants are of use in the testing of personal care absorbent products.

Abstract: A baler having an inlet area for receiving netwrap wherein it is a short distance between the drum roller and the closest belt roller. The netwrap guide at bottom of baler includes a feed pan having flexible net guides that are narrower than the bale forming belts. This netwrap guide has supporting cross members underneath it but there are no cross members in close vicinity to the lower belt roller to keep excess crop from accumulating there. There is also a netwrap guide at front of the baler for feeding netwrap material into contact with the periphery of a formed bale, including a guide positioned generally above the pickup for directing crop material previously inserted into the bale formation chamber and the netwrap material away from the pickup. The baler also has a novel netwrap feeding and cutting mechanism.

Abstract: A baler having an inlet area for receiving netwrap wherein it is a short distance between the drum roller and the closest belt roller. The netwrap guide at bottom of baler includes a feed pan having flexible net guides that are narrower than the bale forming belts. This netwrap guide has supporting cross members underneath it but there are no cross members in close vicinity to the lower belt roller to keep excess crop from accumulating there. There is also a netwrap guide at front of the baler for feeding netwrap material into contact with the periphery of a formed bale, including a guide positioned generally above the pickup for directing crop material previously inserted into the bale formation chamber and the netwrap material away from the pickup. The baler also has a novel netwrap feeding and cutting mechanism.

Abstract: An improved roller assembly for use in machinery such as round balers is disclosed. The roller assembly of the present invention reduces sensitivity to varying dimensional tolerances on the roller assembly and the structure to which the roller assembly is mounted. At least one elastic member is used to permit the axial position of at least one of the bearings on the roller assembly shaft to vary. Spring washers provide a predetermined, axial force to at least one of the bearings.

Abstract: Large cylindrical bales of hay, straw, or other forage or fodder are usually wrapped with a filament-type product, typically twine, or a sheet-type product, typically netwrap material, after a bale has reached a predetermined size. A method and apparatus are disclosed that permits the bale to continue to form during part of the wrapping process. A delay occurs between the initiation of the wrapping step and the alarm for the operator to stop the forward movement of the baler. By inserting the wrap material to an entry throat of the baler, new crop material may be added to the bale while the leading edge of the wrap material travels around the bale. The operator is notified only when the feed of additional crop material needs to be stopped for the wrapping operation to conclude. The present invention is applicable to the use of sheet or filament wrapping materials for binding round bales.

Abstract: A reverser which, in a preferred embodiment, has a hydraulic cylinder supported by a chopper baler frame. The opposite end of the hydraulic cylinder is attached to the reverser driver. When activated by hydraulics on a tractor, the hydraulics will extend the cylinder, causing the sprockets to be disengaged. Further extension of the cylinder will cause the reverser driver to engage the reverser sprocket and turn the rotor backwards slightly. After full extension, the cylinder will then be retracted. This process can be repeated a couple of times in order to remove the blockage. The reverser enables the operator to restore the baler to its working condition from the tractor seat. Being able to disengage the rotor from the rest of the machine enables the bale to be wrapped if a major blockage occurs. Also a controlled reversing motion is beneficial, so over-reversing does not occur.

Abstract: A baler having an inlet area for receiving netwrap wherein it is a short distance between the drum roller and the closest belt roller. The netwrap guide at bottom of baler includes a feed pan having flexible net guides that are narrower than the bale forming belts. This netwrap guide has supporting cross members underneath it but there are no cross members in close vicinity to the lower belt roller to keep excess crop from accumulating there. There is also a netwrap guide at front of the baler for feeding netwrap material into contact with the periphery of a formed bale, including a guide positioned generally above the pickup for directing crop material previously inserted into the bale formation chamber and the netwrap material away from the pickup. The baler also has a novel netwrap feeding and cutting mechanism.

Abstract: A reverser which, in a preferred embodiment, has a hydraulic cylinder supported by a chopper baler frame. The opposite end of the hydraulic cylinder is attached to the reverser driver. When activated by hydraulics on a tractor, the hydraulics will extend the cylinder, causing the sprockets to be disengaged. Further extension of the cylinder will cause the reverser driver to engage the reverser sprocket and turn the rotor backwards slightly. After full extension, the cylinder will then be retracted. This process can be repeated a couple of times in order to remove the blockage. The reverser enables the operator to restore the baler to its working condition from the tractor seat. Being able to disengage the rotor from the rest of the machine enables the bale to be wrapped if a major blockage occurs. Also a controlled reversing motion is beneficial, so over-reversing does not occur.

Abstract: A reverser which, in a preferred embodiment, has a hydraulic cylinder supported by a chopper baler frame. The opposite end of the hydraulic cylinder is attached to the reverser driver. When activated by hydraulics on a tractor, the hydraulics will extend the cylinder, causing the sprockets to be disengaged. Further extension of the cylinder will cause the reverser driver to engage the reverser sprocket and turn the rotor backwards slightly. After full extension, the cylinder will then be retracted. This process can be repeated a couple of times in order to remove the blockage. The reverser enables the operator to restore the baler to its working condition from the tractor seat. Being able to disengage the rotor from the rest of the machine enables the bale to be wrapped if a major blockage occurs. Also a controlled reversing motion is beneficial, so over-reversing does not occur.

Abstract: A composite rotor is provided having a main body portion and a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades extending radially from the body portion. The rotor also includes a plurality of recessed radial splines in the body portion thereof. The splines are adapted for engaging a coupler, such as a gearwheel, and transmitting torque thereto. The amount of shear area provided by the recessed splines for transmitting torque from the rotor to the coupler is significantly increased over conventional designs because the shear area includes not only area in the inter-laminar plane, but also in the cross-laminar plane.

Abstract: A reverser which, in a preferred embodiment, has a hydraulic cylinder supported by a chopper baler frame. The opposite end of the hydraulic cylinder is attached to the reverser driver. When activated by hydraulics on a tractor, the hydraulics will extend the cylinder, causing the sprockets to be disengaged. Further extension of the cylinder will cause the reverser driver to engage the reverser sprocket and turn the rotor backwards slightly. After full extension, the cylinder will then be retracted. This process can be repeated a couple of times in order to remove the blockage. The reverser enables the operator to restore the baler to its working condition from the tractor seat. Being able to disengage the rotor from the rest of the machine enables the bale to be wrapped if a major blockage occurs. Also a controlled reversing motion is beneficial, so over-reversing does not occur.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming and wrapping round bales includes a baler, arm structure, a cradle, and moving structure. The baler is for taking in a crop material, forming the crop material into a bale, and ejecting the bale. The arm structure is connected to the baler. The cradle is pivotably supported by the arm structure and is for holding the ejected bale. The cradle includes rotating structure for rotating the bale about a central axis of the bale. Moving structure is for providing relative movement between the baler and the cradle. Wrapping structure is supported by the baler and is adapted for holding wrapping material. The wrapping structure is movable around the bale and cooperates with the rotating structure to be capable of wrapping the bale with the wrapping material.

Abstract: A rotatable anvil is capable of being rotated from a rest position to engage the interior of each empty box moved on a conveyor in sequence adjacent a blank area on a selected side panel of the empty box adjacent a leading side panel perpendicular to the selected side panel to place the anvil and the empty boxes in a printing position. A printer is disposed at the printing position and adjacent the exterior of the empty boxes moved into the printing position. A control arrangement is provided to control the rotation of the anvil from the rest position to the printing position and back to the rest position and to actuate the printer when the anvil is in the printing position to print the unit price, date, total price and the like in the blank area of the empty boxes moved into the printing position.