Abstract: A round baler is equipped with a mechanism for wrapping the bale with twine. In order to keep the end of the twine from coming loose after ejection of the bale, there is provided a pointed plunger which engages and embeds the loose twine end(s) under the surface of the bale.

Abstract: A round baler having a wrapping apparatus for wrapping bales with twine includes a twine dispenser moveable generally between the sidewalls for dispensing at least one strand of twine around the bale. The wrapping apparatus includes a retractable twine guide for spacing the twine wrapped around the bale a certain distance from one of the sidewalls. The guide is shiftable into and out of an operating position, in which the guide engages and maintains the twine the distance from the one sidewall. The wrapping apparatus further includes a twine cutter for severing the twine at the end of each wrapping cycle. Power mechanism, such as a hydraulic cylinder, is provided for simultaneously operating the twine cutter and the twine guide.

Abstract: A round baler having a pickup, a chamber for forming a cylindrical package of crop material and a generally transverse opening for feeding crop that has been picked up into the chamber. The baler includes a twine handling assembly having at least one twine arm with a twine dispensing end from which twine is dispensed in the vicinity of the transverse opening for applying a plurality of helical wraps on the cylindrical package of crop material formed in the chamber. Twine cutting apparatus is provided for cutting the twine, and a twine guide assembly is mounted to cooperate with the twine cutting apparatus to guide the twine to a cutting mechanism that is transferred to its operative position from a remote position after a predetermined amount of twine has been dispensed.

Abstract: Twine wrapping apparatus for a round baler having a bale forming chamber with a generally transverse crop infeed opening. The apparatus is mounted forward of the opening and includes a twine arm for dispensing twine into the chamber to wrap cylindrical packages of crop material formed therein. Coupling means provide for swinging movement of the arm through a predetermined path during at least a portion of which the arm dispenses twine in the vicinity of the opening. The twine arm includes a clamp having one member affixed to the outer end of the twine arm and a second member that is moveable relative to the first member and is urged thereagainst by a spring assembly to provide a clamping force for holding the twine. The spring assembly includes a spring maintained in compression.

Abstract: A round baler having a pickup, a chamber for forming a cylindrical package of crop material and a generally transverse opening for feeding crop that has been picked up into the chamber. The baler includes a twine handling assembly having at least one twine arm with a twine dispensing end from which twine is dispensed in the vicinity of the transverse opening for applying a plurality of helical wraps on the cylindrical package of crop material formed in the chamber. A twine cutting mechanism for cutting the twine, cooperates with a unique twine guide arrangement mounted to guide the twine to the cutting mechanism after a predetermined amount of twine has been dispensed.

Abstract: A tree compressing and binding apparatus has particular usefulness in handling of Christmas trees, employs a hydraulic power system which utilizes the even stroke of one or a plurality of hydraulic cylinders to drive a tree through a loader funnel. The apparatus is capable of being used in harsh weather environments and provides a low cost mechanism for packaging trees either for point of sales use or for large scale harvesting and shipping jobs.

Abstract: An automatic control device for controlling the placement of wrap material on a bale within a round baler. A pair of twine guide tubes are actuated for movement by an actuator which is energized by a controller for controlling a twine wrapping operation. Separate twine strands are fed to each of the twine guide tubes and the quantity of twine fed through the guide tubes is monitored by sensor pulleys which send a pulsed signal to the controller. The controller controls the location of the twine guide tubes in response to the sensed signal from the sensing pulleys whereby a predetermined quantity of twine is placed at predetermined locations along the bale.

Abstract: Twine wrapping apparatus for a round baler having a bale forming chamber with a generally transverse crop infeed opening. The apparatus is mounted forward of the opening and includes a twine arm for dispensing twine into the chamber to wrap bales formed therein. Coupling means provide for swinging movement of the arm through a predetermined path during at least a portion of which the arm dispenses twine in the vicinity of the opening. The twine arm includes a clamp having one member affixed to the outer end of the twine arm and a second member that is moveable relative to the first member and is urged thereagainst to provide a clamping force for holding the twine.

Abstract: Twine wrapping apparatus for a round baler having a bale forming chamber with a generally transverse crop infeed opening. The apparatus is mounted forward of the opening and includes an extendable twine arm for dispensing twine into the chamber to wrap bales formed therein. A coupling mechanism provides controlled swinging movement of the arm through a predetermined path that originates in the middle of the opening. The twine arm is in its outermost extended condition at the initiation of the twine dispensing phase and retracts as it travels along its path to a generally transverse rest position.

Abstract: Twine wrapping apparatus for a round baler having a bale forming chamber with a generally transverse crop infeed opening. The apparatus is mounted forward of the opening and includes a pair of individually extendable twine arms for dispensing twine into the chamber to wrap bales formed therein. A linkage arrangement provides for controlled swinging movement of the arms in concert through symmetrical paths that originate in the middle of the opening. The twine arms are in their outermost extended condition at the initiation of the twine dispensing phase and vary in length along their paths to a generally transverse rest position.

Abstract: The binder twine arm arrangement includes two arms having twine dispensing ends. The arms initially remain in a rest position wherein their dispensing ends are near a first end face of a bale to be bound. The arms are moved to a start position wherein the dispensing ends are located centrally between the first end face and a second end face of the bale. The arms are then actuated or controlled such that they first spread apart and then return together about a hinge joint interconnecting the two arms. Upon returning to the start position the arms are returned to the rest position. For this purpose, an actuator is provided between the two arms which becomes active to effect relative motion between the arms as soon as the arms have reached the start position.

Abstract: Apparatus for wrapping cylindrical bales of crop material with twine includes a feed roller, a knife, and a twine arm connected to an electrical actuator for dispensing twine. The electrical actuator is extendable and retractable in order to cause pivoting movement of the twine arm between a rest position, a twine dispensing position and a twine cutting position. A first link is connected between the electrical actuator and a crank lever, and a second link is connected between the crank lever and the twine arm. Extension of the electrical actuator moves the twine arm from the rest position to the dispensing position and simultaneously results in the feed roller being driven. Retraction of the electrical actuator moves the twine arm from the twine dispensing position toward the twine cutting position while the feed roller continues to be driven. When the electrical actuator is fully retracted, the twine arm is moved into the twine cutting position and the knife is actuated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for helically-shaped binding of round bales consisting of harvested agricultural crops using two cord strands, which respectively wrap around somewhat more than half of the bale for shortening the binding period, one cord strand being cut off to begin with and the other cord strand being wrapped several times around the previously cut-off strand prior to being cut-off itself. In order to avoid a mutual loosening of the severed cord ends after severing the cord strands upon termination of the binding process.

Abstract: A method of wrapping cylindrical bales of crop material with twine includes extending and retracting an electrical actuator to cause pivoting movement of a twine arm. When the electrical actuator is extended, the twine arm is moved from a rest position to a twine dispensing position and a feed roller is simultaneously driven to feed twine that is dispensed by the twine arm. Retraction of the electrical actuator moves the twine arm from the twine dispensing position toward a twine cutting position while the feed roller continues to be driven. When the electrical actuator is retracted further, the twine arm is moved into the twine cutting position and a knife is simultaneously actuated to cut the twine.

Abstract: The baler has a twine monitoring assembly which generates a pulsating signal in response to twine being dispensed during bale wrapping operations. The twine is wrapped around the periphery of a monitor wheel and, during dispensing, the twine rotationally drives the wheel. As the wheel rotates, a magnet affixed to the wheel at a location adjacent the periphery thereof, travels past a stationary, magnetically operated, normally open switch thereby briefly closing the switch and temporarily turning on an indicator light until the magnet moves sufficiently far enough away from the switch. During wrapping of the bale, twine is rapidly dispensed, causing the wheel to rapidly rotate and as a consequence, causing the light to pulsate, indicating to the operator that twine is being dispensed.

Abstract: A horizontal annular frame is provided for support immediately adjacent, but outwardly of, one side of a land vehicle with the frame mounted from a support adjustably vertically shiftable relative to the land vehicle. The frame is selectively openable to define a horizontal passageway thereinto to enable the frame to be horizontally advanced into position about a tree trunk below the branches thereof and the frame is closable after disposition about a tree trunk. When the frame is closed, it defines a circular track upon which a mount for a string canister is guidingly supported for powered movement about the track and inner peripheral portions of the frame include circumferentially spaced horizontal rollers for engaging and upwardly deflecting the limbs of a tree as the frame is elevated about the tree and the string canister is powered about the frame for spirally baling the tree limbs in their upwardly deflected positions.

Abstract: A device for controlling at least one twine guide arm 23, 24 for tying cylindrical bales in a pickup baler. The twine guide arm 23, 24 is adapted to pivot under the action of a control cable 25 close to the bale resting on the driving roller 14, while a tension arm 18 acting on shaping belts 12, 13 rests on the bale. At the end of the bale forming process, the distance between the tension arm 18 and the driving roller controls elements 33, 38 for moving the guide arm or arms 23, 24 toward a starting position corresponding to the beginning of the tying. The portion of the twine which is wound around the bale is then caught during the rotation of the bale for constituting the control parameter for controlling a cam engaging mechanism 40 adapted to engage the guide arm actuating elements 33, 38 during the tying process.

Abstract: A pair of twine arms are mounted for pivoting back and forth between first and second locations for dispensing twine into a bale chamber. The arms are oscillated by a reversible gear drive including a drive gear having a drive arm fixed thereto and coupled to an extensible and retractable hydraulic actuator through means of a resiliently extensible link which permits further extension of the actuator after the arms have engaged each other at their respective second locations. Accordingly, the arms dwell at their respective second locations, during such further extension of the actuator and then during retraction thereof until the link is restored to its normally unextended condition, thus permitting wraps of twine to be laid one on top of the other.

Abstract: A crop baler for producing rolled cylindrical bales prevents crumbling of the ends of the bale by positioning two twine guide tubes to simultaneously initiate wrapping at two positions slightly inboard of the bale ends, moving the twine guide tubes in opposite directions out to the ends, and then moving the twine guide tubes simultaneously back toward the center of the bale for completion and severance of the twine. The baler includes a positive feeding device for temporarily advancing a sufficient length of twine through the guide tubes at the beginning of the wrapping cycle to permit the rotating bale to grab the twine and pull the remainder of the twine from the tubes as the cycle continues. A control box moves the tubes along a path adjacent the periphery of the bale and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bale.

Abstract: A twine dispensing mechanism for feeding twine into the bale chamber of a large round baler includes a double twine arm assembly comprising a first twine arm driven for sweeping its twine dispensing end across the front of the bale chamber and a second twine arm pivotally mounted to the first twine arm and having a twine dispensing end which may be selectively spaced from the end of the first arm by an adjustable spring biased bar assembly.

Abstract: A portable manual control device for taping articles such as for example bunches of electrical cables with a flexible material in the shape of a tape, a band or a cord, unwound from a coil carried by the device, said device including a platen supporting a driving motor as well as control means for said motor, and formed with an opened passage for receiving the article, a rotary crown rotating on the platen being controlled in rotation by the motor via a driving means, the crown being formed with an opening in which is engaged the article to be taped when said opening is in register with the opened passage of the platen, and at least one feed coil with the flexible material in the shape of a tape, band or cord, with return and guiding means for said material, characterized in that the rotary crown includes in the bottom of its opening receiving the article a curved guide for positioning the article in the crown, a slot being provided in the guide for bringing the flexible material in contact with the article,

Abstract: In a hay baler for producing rolled bales of the type having a shaping chamber in which the hay introduced in the form of a sheet is wound on itself around a horizontal axis (XX'), a tying mechanism has two distributors for ties which are mounted to swivel under the action of a control means to perform a reciprocating movement along the shaping chamber from a rest position near one end of the chamber to an end-of-tying position near the opposite end of the chamber. The distributors are mounted to rotate around an axis (Y) fixed to one of the side walls of the baler while the control means is fixed to the other side wall. An actuator with a reciprocating movement controlled by the control means first successively drives the distributors from the rest position to the end-of-tying position in the vicinity of which a severing means interrupts the ties, then returns the distributors to the rest position.

Abstract: An automatic control device for tying large diameter cylindrical bales produced by a hay baler. A tie guiding arm has an end which can be driven back and forth over the entire width of the bale by an electric motor. A microprocessor receives inputs indicating the driving speed of the baler, the diameter of the bale and the desired number of turns of the tie. The motor driving the guiding arm is discontinuously driven by the microprocessor so that the arm is held in a stationary position for a predetermined length of time at a predetermined number of stops. The microprocessor may also operate in a learning mode where the operator sets the number of stops and the length of time.

Abstract: The invention includes a method and apparatus for baling a standing tree in situ. An adjustable tree collar is placed around the tree trunk below the tree branches. The collar is then raised along the trunk to press the branches inward toward the trunk. As the branches are pressed inward, they are bundled to the trunk. The collar is variable in size, being adapted to expand and pass downward over the tree branches to contract below the branches to encircle the tree trunk. It comprises a plurality of yoke members that are urged apart to straddle the tree and then drawn together below the extended branches to encircle the tree at the tree handle. The yoke members are mounted on a hoist which lowers them over the tree and then raises them along the trunk of the tree. A twine dispenser including a twine canister and a feed boom are rotatably mounted adjacent the yoke members to wrap twine around the pressed branches as the members are raised along the trunk to bundle the branches to the trunk.

Abstract: An automatic round or roll baler includes a microprocessor controlled signal processing circuit for controlling the wrapping of bales in a predetermined wrapping pattern. The wrapping pattern is generated by selectively actuating switches to produce a wrap sequence table containing control words. The control words are subsequently accessed in sequence to control the application of control signals to a motor which drives a twine dispensing mechanism. The last control word stored in the sequence table includes a "home" code which causes the motor to be driven in a direction toward a home position. A home position switch is provided for sensing when the twine dispensing mechanism is in the home position. In response to the home code the twine dispensing mechanism is driven toward the home position until the home switch is actuated at which time the drive to the twine dispensing mechanism is terminated. This insures that each bale wrapping sequence begins with the twine dispensing mechanism in the home position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hay baling device comprising means (13) for defining a training phase working mode and an automatic flow working mode of a previously recorded reproducible program. Means (14) are also provided, operative in the training phase for controlling the movements of the part manually by selecting parameters of successive steps comprising at least, for each step, the duration of the step and the direction of movement, selected from among a forward position, a reverse position and a stationary position. In addition, included are means (10) for then recording the parameters of the successive steps in the form of a reproducible program.

Abstract: Radial compression of a cylindrical body made of compressible material, is achieved by axially leading the body through a rotationally symmetrical space, which tapers in the transport direction and whose smallest diameter is smaller than that of the body to be compressed, the envelope of the rotationally symmetrical body being generated by roller shaped bodies which rotate in the same direction and cross the axis of rotation of the space at an angle of between 5.degree. and 45.degree. but do not intersect it. During such passage, the body performs a helical movement relative to the envelope of the rotationally symmetrical space and is compressed, the compression being made permanent by wrapping at the narrowest point of the space.

Abstract: The apparatus for binding rolled bales comprises at least one reel of twine, a twine guiding device for guiding the hank of twine along the surface of the bale to be bound and a control device for the twine guiding device, comprising a rope sheave and a set of gears. The twine guiding device comprises two spaced twine guiding arms staggered with respect to one another which may be pivoted in the opposite direction one from the other from an initial position, in which the two arms cross over one another, to a maximum position, in which the two ends of the bale are simultaneously bound, to an end position, which corresponds essentially to the initial position.

Abstract: An automatic twine-wrapping mechanism for a large round baler. The mechanism comprises a twine dispensing mechanism for dispensing twine into the bale-forming chamber of the baler, a reversible hydraulic drive means for cycling a twine arm of the dispensing mechanism back and forth in front of the chamber, a twine wrapping control mechanism for initiating a twine wrapping cycle by sensing the growth of a bale to a predetermined diameter, by automatically actuating a pump drive means for driving a hydraulic pump and by positioning a hydraulic control valve to condition the hydraulic drive means to cycle the twine arm and for terminating a twine wrapping cycle by deactivating the hydraulic drive means following the wrapping of twine around the bale. The twine is automatically severed by a twine cutter responsive to the movement of the twine arm following completion of the wrapping of the twine around the bale. The bale operator actuates a bale ejection mechanism following the cutting of the twine.

Abstract: In a baler for forming cylindrical bales, a twine wrapping apparatus comprises a pair of twine guides and a drive mechanism for simultaneously driving the guides transversely of the baler and for feeding two pieces of twine through an opening in the bale forming chamber. In accordance with the improvement, the drive means includes a drive interruption means constituted by a differential for preventing the driving of the twine guides when only one of the twine pieces is being fed into the chamber and wrapped around the bale. The differential includes two pulleys rotatably mounted on a drive input shaft to the twine guides. Each of the wrapping twines passes around one of the pulleys and entrains it for rotation when the twine is being pulled for wrapping around the bale. A planetary gear is rotatably mounted to a support fixed to the shaft and is meshed with annular gears on the inner sides of the pulleys. The twine guides are preferably constituted by a pair of arms mounted on a pivotally mounted support.

Abstract: The dispensing end of a round baler's swingable twine dispenser projects outwardly through an aperture in the baler sidewall when the dispenser is in a standby position, and a twine severing blade is mounted to the sidewall proximal to the aperture. The twine is drawn across the severing blade and is thereby severed when the dispenser is returned to the standby position after twine has been dispensed along the length of a bale formed within the round baler's baling chamber.

Abstract: A tying mechanism for a cylindrical baler is comprised of a twine guide movable across the baler chamber throat on a screw. The guide includes a pulley mounted on a screw such that the pulling of twine through the guide rotates the pulley and moves it across the chamber throat.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming roll bales of agricultural harvest material operating to helically tie the roll bales with twine is provided with a twine guide member moving along a front intake aperture of the baler and automatically controlled by a ratchet and pawl mechanism. The guide member is biased toward a lateral rest position by a spring. An actuating line is attached to the guide member to enable the guide member to be moved to an opposite lateral start position against the force of the spring. The actuating line is wound around a pulley of the ratchet and pawl mechanism. The ratchet and pawl mechanism includes a releasing disc which is driven by the twine itself during a tying operation and which carries a lifting cam which alternately disengages a pair of pawls of the ratchet and pawl mechanism.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for wrapping generally cylindrical bales of hay with twine to maintain the structural integrity thereof, in which a unique pattern of twine bindings is utilized to achieve greater strength and reliability. A related form of improved bale wrapping apparatus is also provided, in which the electrically driven twine guiding tube is electrically controlled in manner to automatically produce the pattern of bindings contemplated by the method, and which requires operator attention or control only for initiating the otherwise automatic operating cycle. The method and apparatus significantly utilize time reference techniques correlated with the known rate of rotation of the bale to produce the improved pattern of bindings and to control the production thereof automatically.

Abstract: The invention comprises a novel apparatus and process for making unitary packages. In the apparatus, a series of loads are fed into a wrapping apparatus onto a wrapping conveying assembly comprised of a plurality of conveyors. The film is wrapped around the load and the conveyor assembly with the load being carried off by the top portion of one conveyor and the wrap being carried off the bottom portion of another conveyor so that the load and wrap are carried off at the same speed onto a take-off conveyor. The stretched film web can be severed by a cutting mechanism positioned adjacent the dispensing means in the banding, full web or spiral modes of operation. In a continuous bundling mode, the wrapped bundle can be transported downstream to a cutting area where the loads are severed into individual packages which are carried off to a stacking or processing station.

Abstract: During the twine wrapping cycle after complete formation of the bale, the bale continues to sping in the baling chamber, and twine from a pair of separate dispensing tubes is wrapped around the bale in helical fashion as the tubes swing back and forth along the length of the bale. The tubes swing in mutually opposite directions during the cycle and start and finish in a crossed position, thereby each moving from one end of the bale to the opposite end thereof and then back again to complete the cycle. As the tubes cross each other near the midlength of the bale during their return strokes, the twine strands become interlaced so as to more effectively bind the bale and promote structural integrity thereof. Separate cutoffs for each tube sever the twine strands as the tubes approach their home positions.

Abstract: An automatic bale wrapping assembly for a machine that forms round bales of windrowed crop material and includes a mobile main frame with a bale forming assembly operative to continue rotating a completed bale while a wrapping twine is wound thereon, and a pickup mechanism for supplying such material to the bale forming assembly. The bale wrapping assembly has an extendible and retractable elongated twine dispensing arm having a pair of sections longitudinally movable relative to each other from one of which extends a free end section of the wrapping twine. The dispensing arm is pivotally supported on the main frame for movement between an initial bale wrapping position and a final twine cutting position.

Abstract: An automatic bale wrapping assembly for a machine that forms round bales of windrowed crop material and includes a mobile main frame with a bale forming assembly having a bale forming region defined by an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor that feeds the crop material to the bale forming region and rotates the material during and subsequent to bale formation.