Round bale forming machine for light crop materials

Abstract

A machine for producing large round bales passes over loose hay on the ground, picks up the hay adjacent the rear of the machine and coils the hay within a forming chamber as the bale is rolled along the ground to progressively grow in size until reaching its final dimensions, whereupon the bale is tied and the endgate of the machine is raised to discharge the finished bale. The bale forming chamber of the machine is defined by a pair of upwardly concave, front and rear forming grates that swing upwardly in opposite directions under resistance as the bale grows in size so as to apply yieldable compacting pressure to the growing bale, the front forming grate being suspended by swingable hangers that also allow it to be displaced forwardly at the same time that it swings upwardly against the action of the growing bale. Another smaller rear forming grate, also upwardly concave, is located within the forming chamber below the other rear forming grate and serves to contain, compact and initiate rolling of the hay mass that accumulates below the smaller grate at the beginning of the formation process, such lower grate being particularly beneficial in conditions of light or short crop materials. The two rear grates are provided with a spring-loaded connection therebetween so that the lower, smaller grate can swing independently of the larger rear grate during initial stages of the bale formation, and yet both rear grates can be raised to their fullest extents in unison when the endgate of the housing is raised, thereby permitting the rear grates to be moved together into positions relieving pressure on the finished bale as it is discharged from the rear of the machine.