Baling Apparatus
A conveying means adapted to provide a link between a combine harvester and a processing apparatus which is towed from the combine harvester, said conveying means being supported between the combine harvester and processing apparatus, said conveying means having an inlet positioned to receive trash flowing from the trash outlet of the combine harvester and an outlet positioned to deliver trash to the processing apparatus, the conveying means including a conveyor extending between the inlet and outlet to convey the trash from the inlet to the outlet.
1 - 19 . (canceled)
20 . Apparatus comprising:
a combine harvester, the combine harvester having a trash outlet and being disposed on ground engaging wheels, the combine harvester having a front and a rear and being capable of separating grain from trash when moving in a forward direction over ground in which a crop is grown;
a towable baling: apparatus for converting trash into compacted bales, the baling apparatus having a front end and a rear end and, an inlet adjacent the front,end for receiving trash;
a conveyor having a forward end and a rearward end, a trash inlet adjacent the forward end and, a trash outlet adjacent the rearward end;
the conveyor being operatively attached to the combine harvester such that the trash outlet of the combine is disposed above the trash inlet of the conveyor;
the conveyor being operatively attached to the baling apparatus such that the trash outlet of the conveyor is disposed adjacent the inlet of the baling apparatus; and
whereby the baler is towable behind the combine harvester so that a large percentage of the trash from the combine harvester trash outlet enters the baling apparatus inlet without ever touching the ground.
21 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the conveyor is driven through a hydraulic drive and wherein the hydraulic drive is driven from the combine harvester.
22 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the baling apparatus is hydraulically driven and there is an interconnection between the combine harvester and the baling apparatus to enable the baling apparatus to be drivenf from the combine harvester.
23 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein, in an operative position, the conveyor is disposed generally parallel to the ground over which the conveyor is traveling.
24 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein, in an operative position, no portion of the conveyor is disposed above the top of the baling apparatus.
25 . The apparatus of claim 20 wherein at least a portion of the conveyor is configured so that the conveyor catches weed seeds to prevent such seeds from dropping to the ground.
26 . The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the trash outlet of the conveyor is sufficiently close to the inlet of the baling apparatus that atmospheric winds will not blow significant amounts of trash to the ground.
27 . The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the conveyor is operatively pivotally attached to the combine harvester.