Agricultural harvesting machine with a multiple stage compression system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11006579-B2
Application number	US-201816176989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2018
Priority date	Oct 31, 2018
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

An agricultural harvesting machine having a multiple stage compression system includes first and second compression systems. The first compression system includes a first compression mechanism which partially compresses the crop material in a compression chamber. The second compression system includes first and second compartments each having at least one open end and positioned rearward of the compression chamber. The second compression system has a first position in which the second compartment is aligned with the compression chamber and the first compartment is operatively positioned with a second compression mechanism. The second compression system has a second position in which the second compartment is operatively positioned with a third compression mechanism and the first compartment is aligned with the compression chamber. The second compression system includes a binding system operatively associated with the second compression mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural harvesting machine having a multiple stage compression system comprising:
a pickup mechanism which gathers a crop material from an associated ground surface;
a first compression system including a first compression mechanism which partially compresses a first portion of the crop material received from the pickup mechanism in a compression chamber;
a second compression system including first and second compartments each having at least one open end and positioned rearward of the compression chamber, the second compression system having a first position in which the second compartment is aligned with the compression chamber and the first compartment is operatively positioned with a second compression mechanism, the second compression system having a second position in which the second compartment is operatively positioned with a third compression mechanism and the first compartment is aligned with the compression chamber, and the second compression system including a first binding system operatively associated with the second compression mechanism; and
at least one actuator operably connected to one of the first and second compartments to move the first and second compartments perpendicular to a direction of movement of the first portion of the crop material exiting the compression chamber between the first and second positions.

2. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the first and second compartments remain adjacent to each other in both the first and second positions.

3. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the first and second compartments move independently of each other.

4. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the compression chamber and the first and second compartments are all positioned in a same plane.

5. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the second compression mechanism includes a stationary barrier and at least one actuator which moves a moveable barrier towards the stationary barrier to compress the first portion of the crop material in the first compartment.

6. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the first binding system is operable to bind the first portion of the compressed crop material in the first compartment into a first crop package with a higher density than a second portion of the crop material exiting the compression chamber.

7. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the third compression mechanism includes a stationary barrier and at least one actuator which moves a moveable barrier towards the stationary barrier to compress a second portion of the crop material in the second compartment.

8. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second binding system operable to bind the second portion of the crop material in the second compartment into a second crop package with a higher density than a third portion of the crop material exiting the compression chamber.

9. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 8 , wherein the third portion of the crop material exiting the compression chamber pushes the first crop package out of the first compartment.

10. A method of compressing crop material in an agricultural harvesting machine comprising:
gathering a first portion of crop material with a pickup mechanism from an associated ground surface;
compressing the first portion of crop material in a compression chamber received from the pickup mechanism;
transferring the first portion of crop material from the compression chamber to a first compartment;
replacing the first compartment with a second compartment by moving the compartments in a lateral direction, the first and second compartments each having at least one open end;
transferring a second portion of crop material from the compression chamber to the second compartment while concurrently further compressing the first portion of crop material in the first compartment; and
binding the first portion of crop material in the first compartment.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein replacing the first compartment with a second compartment further comprises maintaining the first and second compartments adjacent to each other.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second compartments move independently of each other.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the compression chamber and the first and second compartments are all positioned in a same plane.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein concurrently further compressing the first portion of crop material in the first compartment further comprises moving a moveable barrier towards a stationary barrier via at least one actuator to compress the first portion of crop material in the first compartment.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein replacing the first compartment with a second compartment occurs when the first compartment has attained a predetermined fill condition.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein binding the first portion of crop material in the first compartment binds the compressed first portion of crop material into a first crop package with a higher density than the second portion of the crop material exiting the compression chamber.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein replacing the first compartment with a second compartment further comprises moving the first and second compartments perpendicular to a direction of movement of the crop material exiting the compression chamber via at least one actuator.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
replacing the second compartment with the first compartment by moving the compartments in a lateral direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the crop material exiting the compression chamber after binding the first portion of crop material in the first compartment.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
pushing the first crop package out of the first compartment via a third portion of the crop material exiting the compression chamber.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Kraus Timothy J

Classifications

• A01F15/005 Primary

  for conditioning bales, e.g. rebaling · CPC title

• A01F29/10

  Feeding devices · CPC title

• A01F15/04

  Plunger presses · CPC title

• A01F15/0825

  Regulating or controlling density or shape of the bale · CPC title

• A01F15/10

  Feeding devices for the crop material {e.g. precompression devices} · CPC title