Non-Powered Roller for Assisting Crop Pick-Up With a Baler

Abstract

A non-powered rotor windguard improves the baling of stiff crop material such as cornstalks. The windguard comprises plastic teeth spaced evenly along a rotatable shaft. The teeth are generally three-pointed. The engagement of the teeth to the crop material provides the force to rotate the roller windguard.

1 . A method of configuring a non-powered roller windguard for an agricultural implement, said non-powered roller windguard comprising a shaft, a plurality of teeth, and an axis of rotation, the method comprising:
 (a) operatively engaging the plurality of teeth to the shaft;   (b) spacing the plurality of teeth longitudinally along a length of the non-powered roller windguard shaft;   (c) disposing the plurality of teeth to engage crop material as the crop material passes the non-powered roller windguard; and   (d) permitting the shaft to rotate about the axis of rotation due to the engagement of the plurality of teeth to the crop material.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the agricultural implement additionally comprises a crop pickup comprising tines, the method additionally comprising:
 (a) defining a plurality of vertical planes in which the pickup tines reside; and   (b) spacing the plurality of teeth such that none of said plurality of teeth reside in any of the plurality of vertical planes.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein operatively engaging the plurality of teeth to the shaft comprises:
 (a) forming a drive hub at a centroid of each of the plurality of teeth; and   (b) disposing the shaft into the drive hub.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the drive hub comprises an eight-point drive hub. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising forming each of the plurality of teeth to comprise a three-point tooth. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the three-point tooth comprises a substantially equilateral triangular tooth. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the three-point tooth comprises a tooth having a convex curvature on a leading edge to each of the three points. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the three-point tooth comprises a tooth having a convex curvature on a trailing edge to each of the three points. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the three-point tooth additionally comprises a short tine operatively affixed to each of said three points, each of said tines having a curvature away from a direction of rotation. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 5  wherein operatively engaging the plurality of teeth to the shaft comprises orienting each of the plurality of teeth in one of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the shaft. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 5  wherein operatively engaging the plurality of teeth to the shaft comprises:
 (a) engaging a first of the plurality of teeth to the shaft in a first orientation;   (b) engaging a second of the plurality of teeth to the shaft adjacent to the first of the plurality of teeth in a second orientation incremented angularly from the first orientation by a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction; and   (c) engaging each of the plurality of teeth remaining incremented from a last engaged of the plurality of teeth engaged in a last orientation in an orientation incremented angularly from a last orientation by the predetermined angle in the predetermined direction.   
   
   
       12 . A non-powered roller windguard for an agricultural implement comprising:
 (a) a shaft;   (b) an axis of rotation about which the shaft rotates;   (c) a plurality of teeth engaged to said shaft and spaced longitudinally along a length of the non-powered roller windguard shaft; and   (d) link arms to which the shaft is operatively, rotatably attached, said links oriented to dispose the plurality of teeth to engage crop material as the crop material passes the non-powered roller windguard.   
   
   
       13 . The non-powered roller windguard of  claim 12  wherein the agricultural implement additionally comprises a crop pickup comprising a plurality of sets of tines residing in a plurality of vertical planes, the non-powered roller windguard additionally comprising sleeves to space the plurality of teeth such that none of said plurality of teeth reside in any of the plurality of vertical planes. 
   
   
       14 . The non-powered roller windguard of  claim 12  wherein each of the plurality of teeth comprises a centroid and a drive hub located at the centroid, said shaft being disposed into the drive hub. 
   
   
       15 . The non-powered roller windguard of  claim 14  wherein the drive hub comprises an eight-point drive hub. 
   
   
       16 . The non-powered roller windguard of  claim 12  wherein each of the plurality of teeth comprises a three-point tooth. 
   
   
       17 . The non-powered roller windguard of  claim 16  wherein the three-point tooth comprises a tooth having a convex curvature on a leading edge to each of the three points. 
   
   
       18 . The non-powered roller windguard of  claim 17  wherein the three-point tooth comprises a tooth having a convex curvature on a trailing edge to each of the three points. 
   
   
       19 . The non-powered roller windguard of  claim 16  wherein the three-point tooth additionally comprises a short tine operatively affixed to each of said three points, each of said tines having a curvature away from a direction of rotation. 
   
   
       20 . The non-powered roller windguard of  claim 14  wherein the drive hub is shaped to permit each of the plurality of teeth to be oriented to the shaft in one of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the shaft.