Method and apparatus for forming and wrapping round bales

Abstract

An improved method and apparatus are provided for forming and individually wrapping round bales of high moisture forage within a bale forming chamber of a round baler. The bales are wrapped to cover their side surfaces and an outer peripheral portion of the ends of the bale with plastic, leaving an unwrapped central portion of the bale ends. The individually wrapped bales are placed adjacent each other end-to-end, such that the wrapped end surfaces of the individually wrapped bales are adjacent each other. By slamming the wrapped bales together end-to-end, the O-ring of plastic on each end of the bales will cooperate to form an air tight seal with an adjacent bale. In one embodiment, a baler is provided with a mechanism for altering the profile of the ends of the bale as it is being formed within the baler. The purpose of the altered profile is to let a wrapping material be brought down over the ends of the bale while the bale is rotating within the baler. In another embodiment, a baler is provided with retracting side walls to provide a space in which the wrapping material can be brought down over the ends of the bale within the bale forming chamber. The invention results in a high quality, inexpensive, convenient feed package for livestock.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of forming and wrapping cylindrical bales in a baler, the baler including a main frame and a cover, the main frame having side walls, the main frame and cover defining a bale chamber, the method comprising: 
 forming a bale in the bale chamber, the bale having end surfaces;    operating the baler such that at least a portion of the end surfaces are spaced from the main frame side walls; and    wrapping the bale within the bale chamber with an airtight material such that the material covers the side surface of the bale and at least an outer peripheral portion of the end surfaces of the bale.    
     
     
         2 . The method of forming and wrapping cylindrical bales as set forth in    claim 1   , wherein said operating step comprises operating the baler to form a step-in profile on the end surfaces of the bale within the bale chamber.  
     
     
         3 . The method of forming and wrapping cylindrical bales as set forth in    claim 1   , wherein the baler includes a profiling plate which is selectively movable between a retracted position in which the profiling plate is substantially adjacent the main frame side wall and an extended position in which the profiling plate extends into the bale chamber; and wherein said operating step comprises moving the profiling plate from its retracted position to its extended position when the bale reaches a desired size.  
     
     
         4 . The method of forming and wrapping cylindrical bales as set forth in    claim 1   , wherein said operating step comprises moving at least a portion of the main frame side walls away from the ends of the bale before wrapping the bale to facilitate bringing the airtight material down over the ends of the bale.  
     
     
         5 . The method of forming and wrapping cylindrical bales as set forth in    claim 1   , wherein the baler main frame side walls each include a central area and a surrounding area, the surrounding area being movable axially relative to the central area between a first portion in which the surrounding area is substantially flush and coplanar with the central area and a second position in which the surrounding area is spaced axially outwardly of the central area; and said operating step comprises moving the surrounding area of each side wall from the first position to the second position after the bale is formed and before wrapping the bale.  
     
     
         6 . The method of forming and wrapping cylindrical bales as set forth in    claim 1   , further comprising the steps of forming and wrapping a plurality of said cylindrical bales, and placing said plurality of bales end-to-end in a row such that a seal is formed between adjacent bales by the airtight material brought down over the ends of the bales.  
     
     
         7 . The method of forming and wrapping cylindrical bales as set forth in    claim 6   , wherein said step of placing said bales comprises forcefully slamming one bale into a previously positioned bale.  
     
     
         8 . The method of forming and wrapping cylindrical bales as set forth in    claim 6   , further comprising the step of applying wrapping material to the outer end surfaces of the bales on opposite ends of the row.  
     
     
         9 . A method of forming a row of wrapped cylindrical bales, the bales having a side surface and opposed end surfaces, the method comprising: 
 individually wrapping formed bales with an airtight material to fully cover the side surface of the bale and at least an outer peripheral portion of the opposed end surfaces of the bale;    positioning a first wrapped bale on the ground; and    placing a second wrapped bale adjacent to the first bale to form a row of bales, the second bale being positioned such that the end surfaces of the two bales are adjacent each other and form a substantially airtight seal between the two bales.    
     
     
         10 . The method of forming a row of wrapped cylindrical bales as set forth in    claim 9   , wherein central portions of the end surfaces of the bale are not covered by wrapping material when the bale is wrapped.  
     
     
         11 . The method of forming a row of wrapped cylindrical bales as set forth in    claim 10   , further comprising the step of applying a wrapping material to outer end surfaces of end bales of the row of bales after the row has been completed.  
     
     
         12 . A baler for forming bales, the bales having a side surface and opposed end surfaces, the baler comprising: 
 a main frame having side walls;    a cover, the main frame and cover together defining a bale chamber; and    an operating mechanism that creates a space between said side walls and at least an outer peripheral portion of each opposed end surface of a bale within the bale chamber.    
     
     
         13 . The baler according to    claim 12   , further comprising a wrapping mechanism that wraps a bale within the bale chamber with an airtight wrapping material and brings the wrapping material down over the ends of the bale while the bale is rotating within the baler.  
     
     
         14 . The baler according to    claim 13   , wherein said wrapping mechanism comprises a means for moving a roll of wrapping material from side-to-side across a width of the baler for wrapping a bale being rotated within the bale chamber.  
     
     
         15 . The baler according to    claim 12   , wherein said operating mechanism comprises a profiling plate which is selectively movable between a retracted position in which the profiling plate is substantially adjacent the main frame side wall and an extended position in which the profiling plate extends into the bale chamber.  
     
     
         16 . The baler according to    claim 12   , wherein said operating mechanism comprises a central area and a surrounding area provided on each of said main frame side walls, said surrounding area being movable axially relative to said central area between a first position in which the surrounding area is substantially flush and coplanar with the central area and a second position in which the surrounding area is spaced axially outwardly of the central area.  
     
     
         17 . The baler according to    claim 16   , wherein said central area is movable axially between a first position in which the central area is substantially flush and coplanar with the surrounding area and a second position in which the central area is retracted axially outwardly from the bale chamber.