REDUCING TWINE WRAP ON BALE PROCESSOR SHAFTS

摘要

Wrapping of twine on a chain and slat conveyor in a bale processor is reduced. The bale processor has a bale chamber, a chain bed forming a bottom of the bale chamber and a disintegrator roller mounted along one side. Driven and idler shafts extend adjacent to opposite first and second sides of the chain bed. Front, middle, and rear sprockets are mounted to front, middle, and rear portions of the shafts, and corresponding front, middle, and rear conveyor chains engage corresponding sprockets. Conveyor slats are attached to the chains. Wrapping of twine is reduced by supporting the shafts only at front and rear ends thereof such that the sprockets and shafts rotate unsupported between front and rear bearings on walls of the bale chamber. Scraper devices can be mounted adjacent to front and rear sprockets to prevent the build-up of twine on the shafts.

主权项

1. A bale processor apparatus comprising:
a bale chamber, and a chain bed forming a bottom of the bale chamber; a disintegrator roller rotatably mounted along a length of one side of the bale chamber; a driven shaft extending adjacent to a first side edge of the chain bed; front, middle, and rear drive sprockets mounted to front, middle, and rear portions of the driven shaft; an idler shaft extending adjacent to a second side edge of the chain bed; front, middle, and rear idler sprockets mounted to front, middle, and rear portions of the idler shaft; wherein the driven and idler shafts are supported only at front and rear ends thereof by corresponding front and rear bearings such that the sprockets and shafts rotate unsupported between the front and rear bearings such that twine wrapping on middle portions of the driven and idler shafts is reduced; front, middle, and rear conveyor chains, each chain engaging corresponding front, middle, and rear drive and idler sprockets such that a top run of each chain extends along a top surface of the chain bed and a return run of each chain extends under the chain bed; a plurality of conveyor slats oriented substantially parallel to the driven and idler shafts and attached to the front, middle, and rear chains.