Round baler for baling crop residue

1. A method of converting a conventional round baler for receiving harvested crop material directed rearward from a harvesting machine provided with a diverter which is selectively operable for diverting onto the ground crop material directed toward an accumulator, the round baler having a frame, a baling chamber mounted on the frame, a crop pickup suspended from the frame and having a tined rotor device mounted for rotation about a rotor axis for gathering crop material from the ground and being disposed underneath the baling chamber to convey the gathered crop material toward the baling chamber, a tongue removably fixed to the frame and extending forward from said frame by which the conventional round baler may be towed, the method comprising the steps of:

replacing the tongue with a replacement tongue and connecting the replacement tongue to the harvesting machine;

attaching a rear end of an endless belt conveyor to the baler at a location vertically above the tined rotor device of the crop pickup, whereby the tined rotor device is disposed to receive crop falling from the rear end of the endless belt conveyor;

locating the accumulator chamber on the replacement tongue and above the endless belt conveyor for receiving crop material directed toward the baler from the harvesting machine;

attaching a sensor disposed to sense a level of crop material in the accumulator chamber; and

operating said diverter for diverting onto the ground crop material directed toward the accumulator chamber from the harvesting machine in response to a predetermined sensed level of crop material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the replacement tongue includes two forwardly extending and laterally spaced apart tongue members, the method further comprising the step of locating the accumulator chamber between the two forwardly extending and laterally spaced apart tongue members.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the harvesting machine is an agricultural combine and the method of converting further comprises the steps of:

coupling a first ECU on the conventional round baler to a serial communications bus on the agricultural combine.

4. The method of claim 3 , further providing the step of coupling a second ECU to the serial communications bus on the agricultural combine and to the endless belt conveyor to transmit control signals to the endless belt conveyor.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of coupling a second ECU to the first ECU, whereby the serial communications bus is coupled to the first ECU to transmit control signals.

6. A method of converting a conventional round baler for receiving harvested crop material directed rearward from a harvesting machine, the round baler having a frame, a baling chamber mounted on the frame, a crop pickup suspended from the frame and having a tined rotor device mounted for rotation about a rotor axis for gathering crop material from the ground and being disposed underneath the baling chamber to convey the gathered crop material toward the baling chamber, a tongue removably fixed to the frame and extending forward from said frame by which the conventional round baler may be towed, the method comprising the steps of:

replacing the tongue with a replacement tongue and connecting the replacement tongue to the harvesting machine;

attaching a rear end of an endless belt conveyor to the baler at a location vertically above the tined rotor device of the crop pickup, whereby the tined rotor device is disposed to receive crop falling from the rear end of the endless belt conveyor;

locating an accumulator chamber on the replacement tongue and above the endless belt conveyor;

attaching an elongate trough, having an inside surface having a curvature slightly greater than that of an envelope defined by the tips of tines of the tined rotor, to the crop pickup so as to be disposed between the crop pickup and ground at a location for receiving any crop delivered by the belt conveyor which passes through the tined rotor device and would otherwise fall onto the ground.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conventional round baler comprises wheels for carrying the conventional round baler over the ground, and a wheel adjustment mechanism for raising or lowering the baler on its wheels, the method further comprising the step of raising the baler on the wheels with respect to the ground using the wheel adjustment mechanism.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conventional round baler comprises wheels for carrying the conventional round baler over the ground, the method further comprising the step of attaching a wheel adjustment mechanism between the wheels and the frame.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conventional round baler further comprises a crop pickup adjustment mechanism and the method further comprises lifting the crop pickup with respect to the ground using the crop pickup adjustment mechanism.

10. A method of converting a conventional round baler for receiving harvested crop material directed rearward from a harvesting machine, the round baler having a frame, a baling chamber mounted on the frame, a crop pickup suspended from the frame and having a tined rotor device mounted for rotation about a rotor axis for gathering crop material from the ground and being disposed underneath the baling chamber to convey the gathered crop material toward the baling chamber, a tongue removably fixed to the frame and extending forward from said frame by which the conventional round baler may be towed and a crop pickup adjustment mechanism, the method comprising the steps of:

replacing the tongue with a replacement tongue and connecting the replacement tongue to the harvesting machine;

attaching a rear end of an endless belt conveyor to the baler at a location vertically above the tined rotor device of the crop pickup, whereby the tined rotor device is disposed to receive crop falling from the rear end of the endless belt conveyor;

locating an accumulator chamber on the replacement tongue and above the endless belt conveyor;

lifting the crop pickup with respect to the ground using the crop pickup adjustment mechanism; and

attaching an elongate trough around a lower portion of the tined rotor device of the crop pickup after the step of lifting the crop pickup with respect to the ground.