GB2189212A

GB2189212A - Bale wrapping apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2189212A
Application number: GB08609670A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alexander Adams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-04-21
Filing date: 1986-04-21
Publication date: 1987-10-21
Also published as: GB8609670D0

Abstract

A bale wrapping apparatus 1 for wrapping agricultural bales with flexible sheet material, e.g. stretch plastics, comprises a frame 2 and a bale carrier 6 rotatably mounted on the frame 2 and provided with bale- piercing tines 14 for insertion into an end of a bale to carry the bale and hold the bale fast with the bale carrier 6 on rotation of the latter. A dispenser 20 for the flexible sheet material is mounted on a side rail 8 for wrapping the sheet material around a bale rotated by the bale carrier 6. The dispenser is detachably and slidably mounted on one of two side arms which are adjustably- supported to accommodate differently sized bales. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bale wrapping apparatus This invention relates to bale wrapping apparatus for wrapping an agricultural bale with flexible sheet material, e.g. plastics stretch film. In particular, but not exclusively, the apparatus is intended for wrapping so-called "big" bales of hay, straw, grass (e.g. for si- lage) or the like which are generally cylindrical form typically having a diameter of 1.5 metres and an axial length of up to 2 metres. The invention also relates to a method of wrapping a bale with flexible sheet material.

It is already known to wrap previously formed agricultural "big" bales with flexible sheet wrapping material in strip form (e.g. 50 cm wide). The strip wrapping material typically comprises plastics stretch film material which is wound in a roll and mounted in a hand-held dispensing device which enables the material to be unwound under tension onto the agricultural bale to be wrapped. Such hand-held dispensing devices are well known in the packaging field, e.g. for wrapping articles carried on a pallet with plastics stretch film. The agricultural bale to be wrapped is suitably held in a baling winder which supports the bale substantially horizontally above the ground and enables it to be rotated about a substantially horizontal axis.In order to wrap the agricultural bale with the wrapping material, an operator attaches one end of the material to the bale, rotates the bale carried by the baling winder and moves the hand-held dispenser manually along the length of the bale, ciose to its circumferential surface, so that the wrapping material is wound in the manner of a bandage onto the bale to be covered. When the circumferential surface is fully covered the bale is removed from the baling winder and its at least partly uncovered ends manually covered with further wrapping material from the handheld dispenser. This known method of wrapping agricultural bales is not fully satisfactory, however, since it is fatiguing for an operator to hold the dispensing device during winding of the wrapping material about the circumferential surface of the bale as the latter is rotated.Furthermore, the operator has no protection from injury during the wrapping process from the rotating bale.

The present invention seeks to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages associated with known bale wrapping systems.

According to one aspect of the present invention a bale wrapping apparatus for wrapping an agricultural bale with flexible sheet material comprises a frame, a bale carrier rotata bly mounted on the frame for rotation relative to the latter about an axis, the bale carrier being provided with bale-piercing means for insertion to an end of a bale to carry the bale and hold the bale fast with the bale carrier on rotation of the latter, means enabling rotation of the bale carrier relative to the frame, at least one side rail mounted on the frame and arranged to extend lengthwise of a bale carried by the bale carrier outwardly of a surface of revolution defined when the bale is rotated, and a dispenser mounted on the, or one of the, rail(s) for enabling sheet wrapping material carried in a roll on the dispenser to be unwound from the roll and wrapped around a bale carried by the bale carrier as the latter is rotated.

Conveniently the bale-piercing means comprise at least two bale-piercing tines, typically extending substantially parallel to said axis.

Preferably the frame is provided with hitch means for hitching the apparatus to an agricultural vehicle. Preferably the hitch means are so arranged as to be detachably connected to a conventional 3-point linkage of an agricultural vehicle, e.g. a tractor. Furthermore the rotation means typically comprises connection means for enabling the bale carrier to be connected to a power take off (PTO) of an agricultural vehicle. Alternatively, however, the rotation means could comprise a motor, e.g. electric or internal combustion, mounted on the frame for rotating the bale carrier.

Preferably the at least one side rail extends substantially parallel to the said axis, which ideally is arranged to be substantially parallel to the ground during a wrapping operation.

When the apparatus is hitched to a three point linkage of a tractor it will be realised, however, that the angle of the axis can be varied.

Ideally two side rails are provided which extend lengthwise on opposite sides of a bale to be wrapped and act as guard rails for protecting an operator from the bale as it is rotated during a bale wrapping process.

Preferably the dispenser is movably, e.g. slidably, mounted on the, or one of the, rail(s).

In this case, an operator gradually moves or slides the dispenser along the rail as a bale is rotated to wrap the flexible material helically around the bale. Typically the dispenser is also detachably mounted on the rail, to enable an operator to detach the dispenser and wrap the end faces of the bale with flexible material, using the dispenser in a hand-held manner, after the bale has been released from the bale carrier. However, although preferred, it is not essential for the dispenser to be detachable from the rail since a further dispenser could be employed to wrap the ends of a cylindrically wrapped bale. Conveniently, a pair of sliding brackets, each carrying a loop, are mounted on the side rail. The dispenser conveniently includes spaced apart rod-like prongs which are received in the loops of the sliding brackets to slidably and detachably mount the dispenser on the side rail.It should also be mentioned that it is conceivable that the dispenser could extend along the entire length of the side rail so enabling a bale to be wrapped, using wide wrapping material, by rotating the bale with no lengthwise movement of the dispenser. However, this is not a preferred form of the apparatus.

In the case where the dispenser is movable, e.g. slidable, along the side rail, any convenient dispenser known in the packaging art may be employed. For dispensing stretch film, however, the dispenser must be able to apply tension to the film as it is unwound to ensure that the film is stretched onto the bale. Such dispensers are well known in the packaging field.

The or each side rail is preferably adjustably mounted on the frame to cater for different diameters of bales carried on the bale carrier.

In this latter case, the radial distance of the or each side rail from the axis is adjustable.

According to another aspect of the present invention a method of wrapping an agricultural bale with flexible sheet material wound in a roll and carried by a dispenser comprising fixing the bale to a rotatable bale carrier by drivingly impaling an end of the bale of balepiercing means of the bale carrier, attaching an end of the sheet material to the bale and rotating the bale carrier so as to wrap the rotating bale with sheet material unwound from the roll, wherein the dispenser carrying the roll of flexible material is mounted on a fixed side rail as the bale is rotated.

Conveniently the flexible sheet material comprises a plastics stretch film.

Preferably the flexible sheet material has a narrow width, e.g. 50 cm, compared with the length, e.g. 1.75 m, of the bale being wrapped. In this case the dispenser is movably, e.g. slidably, mounted on the side rail and is moved along the rail during rotation of the bale to wrap the bale in overlapping turns.

Conveniently when wrapping a generally cylindrical bale with plastics stretch film, the end faces of the bales are partly covered with the stretch film as the latter is wrapped on to the rotating bale. To completely cover the end faces, the bale may be removed from the bale carrier to enable plastics film to be wound around the exposed portions of the end faces of the bales.

Although the invention is primarily intended for wrapping generally cylindrical agricultural bales, it could be used for wrapping bales of other shapes, e.g. block shaped bales.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of bale wrapping apparatus according to the invention, Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and Figure 3 is a detail, on an enlarged scale, of wrapping apparatus according to the invention illustrating one way of detachably mounting a dispenser for wrapping material on a side rail of the apparatus.

Figs. 1 and 2 show bale wrapping apparatus, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, for hitching to a conventional three-point linkage of an agricultural vehicle, e.g. a tractor (not shown).

The apparatus 1 comprises a frame 2 provided with spaced apart lower hitch points 3 and 4 and an upper hitch point 5 and a bale carrier 6 rotatably mounted on the frame 2.

Drive to the bale carrier 6 is provided by the power take off (PTO) from the agricultural vehicle and this drive is illustrated schematically in chain lines 7 in Fig. 1. However, in alternative embodiments (not shown), drive could be provided by motor means, e.g. electric or internal combustion, mounted on the frame 2. Side rails 8 and 9 are adjustably carried by tubular supports 10 and 11, respectively, fixed on the frame 2.

The bale carrier 5 is rotatable about an axis 12 and includes a carrier member 13, perpendicular to the axis 12, and a pair of balepiercing tines 14 mounted on the carrier member 13 and extending substantially parallel to, but spaced from, the axis 12.

The side rails 8 and 9 extend substantially parallel to the axis 12 and are spaced radially therefrom. In particular each side rail 8, 9 is rigidly fixed at one end to a support member 13, 14, respectively, which is adjustably slidably received in the tubular support 10, 11, respectively, in a telescopic manner. Adjustment holes (not shown) are provided in the tubular supports 10, 11 and the support members 13, 14 and each member 13 (14) is slidably within its associated support 10 (11) into a plurality of predetermined positions in which adjustment holes therein are aligned to receive a locking pin 15. The spacing apart of the rails 8 and 9 is thus adjustable.

A dispenser 20 for plastics stretch film is detachably, slidably mounted on the side rail 8 as schematically shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The dispenser 20 carries the stretch film in a roll 21 in a frame 22 and enables the film to be unwound or dispensed under tension for wrapping purposes. Dispensers of this general type are well known in the packaging field, e.g. for wrapping articles loaded onto a pallet.

There are many ways of detachably, slidably mounting the dispenser 20 on the rail 8 and the mounting is only shown schematically in Figs. 1 and 2. For instance in Fig. 3 there is shown a method for slidably detachably mounting another dispenser 30 on the side rail 8. In this case the rail 8 has a slide rail 31 attached thereto carrying a pair of slidable brackets 32 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 3)-e.g. in the manner of curtain hooks slidably carried on a curtain rail. Each bracket 32 carries a closed loop 33 for receiving two rod-like prongs 34 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 3). However other means for movably and detachably mounting the dispenser 20 on the side rail 8 can be provided.

In use of the apparatus 1 a substantially cylindrical, agricultural "big" bale 40 (shown in chain lines in Figs. 1 and 2), up to 1.5 m diameter, is impaled on the bale carrier 6. In practice this is achieved by hitching the apparatus 1 to the three-point linkage at the rear of a tractor, slightly lowering the frame 2 by actuating the three-point linkage, reversing the tractor and apparatus 1 to impale the tines 14 in an end face of the cylindrical bale so that the bale axis is coaxial with the axis 12 of rotation and subsequently raising the three-point linkage so that the axis of the bale 40 is substantially parallel to the ground 41.

A length of plastics stretch film (typically 50 cm wide) is then unwound from the roll 21 and the end is secured to the impaled bale 40 so as to partly overlap the end face of the bale remote from the end face into which the tines 14 are inserted. The stretch film is conveniently secured to the bale 40 by tucking an end portion of the film underneath a strap (not shown) already around the preformed bale.

The PTO of the tractor is then operated to rotate both the bale carrier 6 and the impaled bale 40 in the direction shown by arrows in Fig. 2. As the bale 40 rotates, the stretch film is unwound from the roll 21 as shown in dashed lines in Figs. 1 and 2. An operator controls the tension of the plastics stretch film as it unwinds and gradually manually slides the dispenser 20, mounted on the side rail 8, back along the rail towards the carrier member 13. In this manner the stretch film is wound helically around the bale 40 in the manner of a bandage being applied thereto.

When the dispenser 20 reaches the end of the rail 8 nearest to the carrier member 13, the circumferential surface of the bale will be fully wrapped with the stretch film and the end faces of the bale will be partially covered with the stretch film. The rotation of the bale carrier 6 is then stopped and the plastics stretch film cut from the roll 21. The stretch film is suitably self sealing and the cut end therefore requires no tape or glue to seal it to the partly wrapped bale.

The bale 40, with its end faces still at least partly uncovered, may be left in this state.

However, it is preferred to fully cover the end faces of the bale 40 as well and, to this end, the bale is conveniently lowered onto a bale cradle 45 and the tractor moved forward to withdraw the inserted tines from the cradle supported bale. The operator then lifts the dispenser 20 from its detachable mounting on the side rail 8 and, using the dispenser, manually applies the stretch plastics film around the partly exposed end faces of the bale 40 to fully wrap the latter.

It will be appreciated that the side rails 8 and 9, positioned on either side of an impaled bale 40 during rotation of the latter, act as guard rails for protecting personnel during a bale wrapping operation. The side rail 9, as well as side rail 8, may be adapted to detachably and movably mount the dispenser 20 thereon.

Other flexible sheet wrapping materials could be employed to wrap the agricultural bales, although plastics stretch film is the preferred wrapping material.

The invention thus provides an apparatus and method for using a hand-held type of dispenser to semi-automatically wrap agricultural bales.

Claims

1. A bale wrapping apparatus for wrapping an agricultural bale with flexible sheet material comprising a frame, a bale carrier rotatably mounted on the frame for rotation relative to the latter about an axis, the bale carrier being provided with bale-piercing means for insertion into an end of a bale to carry the bale and hold the bale fast with the bale carrier on rotation of the latter, means enabling rotation of the bale carrier relative to the frame, at least one side rail mounted on the frame and arranged to extend lengthwise of a bale carried by the bale carrier outwardly of a surface of revolution defined when the bale is rotated, and a dispenser mounted on the, or one of the, rail(s) for enabling sheet wrapping material carried in a roll on the dispenser to be unwound from the roll and wrapped around a bale carried by the bale carrier as the latter is rotated.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the bale-piercing means comprise at least two bale-piercing tines.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the bale piercing tines extend substantially parallel to the said axis.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the frame is provided with hitch means for hitching the apparatus to an agricultural vehicle.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which the said hitch means are arranged to be detachably connected to a conventional 3-point linkage.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the rotation means comprises connection means for enabling the bale carrier to be connected to a power take off of an agricultural vehicle.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said at least one side rail extends substantially parallel to the said axis.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the dispenser is slidably mounted on the, or one of the, rail(s).

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which the dispenser is detachably mounted on the rail.

10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the or each side rail is adjustably mounted on the frame to cater for different diameters of bales carried on the bale carrier.

11. A method of wrapping an agricultural bale with flexible sheet material wound in a roll and carried by a dispenser, comprising fixing the bale to a rotatable bale carrier by drivingly impaling an end of the bale on balepiercing means of the bale carrier, attaching an end of the sheet material to the bale and rotating the bale carrier so as to wrap the rotating bale with sheet material unwound from the roll, wherein the dispenser carrying the roll of flexible material is mounted on a fixed side rail as the bale is rotated.

12. A method acording to claim 11, in which the flexible sheet material comprises plastics stretch film.

13. A method according to claim 11 or 12, in which the dispenser is movably mounted on the side rail and is moved along the side rail during rotation of the bale to wrap the bale in overlapping turns.

14. A bale wrapping apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawing.

15. A method of wrapping an agricultural bale with flexible sheet material substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawing.