The bailing machine, a common sight on many farms, are coupled to the rear of the farmyard tractor. The baler collects loose straw and hay after the harvest and turns it into manageable bales for winter feed and bedding for animals.
There are commonly two types of baler in use today. The traditional baler produces rectangular bales which are easy to transport, these have been a familiar sight in rural areas for many decades. The second type is a relative newcomer and produces round or rolled bales. These newer balers allow the bales to be automatically wrapped in polythene to keep them dry.
In the rotary baler, hay or straw is gathered in by a sweep pick up of curved, closely spaced spikes called `tines.' The pickup feeds the straw onto a floor roller which passes it to a chain called the apron chain. This curves the straw upwards where it is compressed and the roll is formed. Once the preset diameter of the bale is reached it is automatically wrapped and ejected from the rear of the baler.
