Apparatus and method for forming and ejecting a bale depending on a ramp sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10617062-B2
Application number	US-201716333372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A bale forming device forms a bale in a bale forming chamber surrounded by a casing. A discharge gate actuator moves a discharge gate from a closed position into an opened position. The formed bale is ejected out of the casing and drops onto a ramp. A ramp sensor detects the bale dropping onto the ramp and triggers the discharge gate actuator to stop opening the discharge gate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bale forming apparatus comprising
a bale forming device providing a bale forming chamber,
a casing comprising a discharge gate; and
a discharge gate actuator,

wherein the discharge gate is moveable between
a closed position and
a fully opened position,

wherein the casing with the discharge gate being in the closed position surrounds the provided bale forming chamber,
wherein the bale forming device is arranged to form a bale in the provided bale forming chamber while the discharge gate is in the closed position,
wherein the discharge gate actuator is arranged to move the discharge gate from the closed position into an opened position which is taken from a set of different possible opened positions,
wherein each opened position is
either the fully opened position or
an intermediate position between the fully opened position and the closed position, and

wherein the bale forming apparatus is arranged to eject a formed bale out of the casing while or after the discharge gate is moved into the opened position,
wherein the bale forming apparatus further comprises
a ramp and
a ramp sensor,

wherein the ramp is positioned vertically or angularly below the discharge gate at least when the discharge gate is in the opened position,
wherein the bale forming apparatus is arranged such that an ejected bale drops onto the ramp,
wherein when the ramp sensor is arranged to detect a dropping event that a bale drops onto the ramp, the discharge gate actuator is arranged to automatically terminate the movement of the discharge gate away from the closed position, thereby stopping the movement of the discharge gate when it has reached the opened position, triggered by the ramp sensor having detected the dropping event.

2. The bale forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the bale forming apparatus is arranged to terminate the discharge gate movement triggered
by detecting the dropping event or
by detecting an event that the discharge gate approaches or reaches the fully opened position

depending on which event occurs earlier.

3. The bale forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the bale forming apparatus comprises a biasing member and
the ramp comprises a pivotal ramp part which is pivotal between a raised position and a lower position,

wherein the biasing member tends to pivot the ramp part into the raised position, and
wherein an ejected and dropped bale pivots the ramp part into the lower position against a force of the biasing member, and
wherein the ramp sensor is arranged to detect whether the ramp part is in the lowered position or in the raised position.

4. The bale forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the bale forming apparatus comprises a scale,
wherein the scale is arranged to measure a value indicative of a weight of a bale on the ramp and
wherein the scale further serves as the ramp sensor.

5. The bale forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the bale forming apparatus comprises a decelerating device arranged to decelerate the movement of the discharge gate
when the discharge gate approaches the fully opened position.

6. The bale forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the bale forming apparatus comprises a gate position sensor arranged to detect that the discharge gate approaches the fully opened position,
wherein the discharge gate actuator is arranged to decelerate the movement of the discharge gate
depending on at least one signal from the gate position sensor.

7. The bale forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the discharge gate actuator is arranged to terminate the discharge gate movement when
the ramp sensor has detected the dropping event and
a time span has passed after the dropping event is detected.

8. The bale forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the discharge gate actuator is arranged to move the discharge gate according to a time-based scheme until
the ramp sensor detects the dropping event or
the discharge gate approaches or reaches the fully opened position.

9. The bale forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the bale forming apparatus comprises an inclination sensor which is arranged to measure a value indicative of a current inclination of the bale forming apparatus,
wherein the discharge gate actuator is arranged to terminate the discharge gate movement depending on signals
from the ramp sensor and
from the inclination sensor.

10. A vehicle arranged for being moved over ground and comprising a bale forming apparatus, the bale forming apparatus comprising:
a bale forming device providing a bale forming chamber,
a casing comprising a discharge gate; and
a discharge gate actuator, wherein the discharge gate is moveable between a closed position and a fully opened position,
wherein the casing with the discharge gate being in the closed position surrounds the provided bale forming chamber,
wherein the bale forming device is arranged to form a bale in the provided bale forming chamber while the discharge gate is in the closed position, wherein the discharge gate actuator is arranged to move the discharge gate from the closed position into an opened position which is taken from a set of different possible opened positions,
wherein each opened position is either the fully opened position or an intermediate position between the fully opened position and the closed position, and
wherein the bale forming apparatus is arranged to eject a formed bale out of the casing while or after the discharge gate is moved into the opened position,
wherein the bale forming apparatus further comprises a ramp and a ramp sensor,
wherein the ramp is positioned vertically or angularly below the discharge gate at least when the discharge gate is in the opened position, wherein the bale forming apparatus is arranged such that an ejected bale drops onto the ramp,
wherein when the ramp sensor is arranged to detect a dropping event that a bale drops onto the ramp, the discharge gate actuator is arranged to automatically terminate the movement of the discharge gate away from the closed position, thereby stopping the movement of the discharge gate when it has reached the opened position, triggered by the ramp sensor having detected the dropping event.

11. A method for forming a bale by using a bale forming apparatus comprising
a bale forming device providing a bale forming chamber,
a casing comprising a discharge gate which is moveable between a closed position and a fully opened position,
a discharge gate actuator,
a ramp, and
a ramp sensor,

wherein the casing with the discharge gate being in the closed position surrounds the provided bale forming chamber and
wherein the method comprises the steps that
the bale forming device forming a bale in the provided bale forming chamber while the discharge gate is in the closed position,
the discharge gate actuator moving the discharge gate from the closed position into an opened position which is taken from a set of different possible opened positions,
wherein each opened position is either the fully opened position or an intermediate position between the fully opened position and the closed position, and
ejecting the formed bale out of the casing while and/or after the discharge gate is moved into the opened position,

wherein the method comprises the further steps that
dropping the ejected bale onto the ramp,
the ramp sensor automatically detecting the dropping event that the ejected bale drops onto the ramp, and
when the ramp sensor detects the dropping event au

Assignees

• Lely Patent Nv

Inventors

• Reijersen Van Buuren Willem Jacobus

Classifications

• A01F15/0883 Primary

  for round balers · CPC title

• A01F15/0705

  Arrangements for continuous operation · CPC title

• A01F15/0875

  Discharge devices · CPC title