Torque smoothing apparatuses for large square balers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11700792-B2
Application number	US-201916664644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2019
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

A torque smoothing apparatus is utilized in conjunction with a large square baler (LSB), which includes a bale chamber, a plunger mounted for reciprocation within the bale chamber, and an LSB drive line. In embodiments, the torque smoothing apparatus includes a planetary gear train and a flywheel, which is mechanically coupled to the LSB drive line through the planetary gear train. An auxiliary motor having a motor output is mechanically coupled to the LSB drive line through the planetary gear train, while a controller is operably coupled to the auxiliary motor. The controller commands the auxiliary motor to selectively apply torque to the LSB drive line such that the torque applied by the auxiliary motor, taken in combination with a torque contribution of the flywheel, reduces variations in torque demands placed on a vehicle engine as the plunger reciprocates during LSB bale formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A torque smoothing apparatus utilized with a large square baler (LSB) including an LSB drive line attachable to a power takeoff (PTO) of a work vehicle, the LSB drive line connected to a plunger crank driving reciprocation of a plunger within a bale chamber, the torque smoothing apparatus comprising:
a planetary gear train including a sun gear, a ring gear, and a planetary carrier, the ring gear supported on the LSB drive line via a bearing, and the planetary carrier directly connected to the LSB drive line in a 1:1 rotational relationship;
a flywheel supported on the LSB drive line via a bearing, the flywheel directly connected to the sun gear in a 1:1 rotational relationship;
an input gear directly connected to the ring gear in a 1:1 rotational relationship;
an auxiliary motor directly engaging the input gear at a position radially inward of the ring gear; and
a controller connected to the auxiliary motor, the controller, including a processor and memory having instructions, configured to command the auxiliary motor to reverse a first direction of rotation of the ring gear to an opposing second direction of rotation during a compression phase of the plunger and then reverse the second direction of rotation of the ring gear back to the first direction of the rotation after the compression phase which maintains a substantially constant speed of the LSB drive line and a substantially constant speed of the plunger crank.

2. The torque smoothing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a brake selectively engaged to deter rotation of the ring gear and to assist increasing rotational speed of the flywheel during start-up.

3. The torque smoothing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to command the auxiliary motor to maintain a substantially constant load on an engine of the work vehicle.

4. A large square baler (LSB), comprising:
an LSB drive line attachable to a power takeoff (PTO) of a work vehicle;
a plunger crank driving reciprocation of a plunger within a bale chamber;
a planetary gear train including a sun gear, a ring gear, and a planetary carrier, the ring gear supported on the LSB drive line via a bearing, and the planetary carrier directly connected to the LSB drive line in a 1:1 rotational relationship;
a flywheel supported on the LSB drive line via a bearing, the flywheel directly connected to the sun gear in a 1:1 rotational relationship;
an input gear directly connected to the ring gear in a 1:1 rotational relationship;
an auxiliary motor directly engaging the input gear at a position radially inward of the ring gear; and
a controller connected to the auxiliary motor, the controller, including a processor and memory having instructions, configured to command the auxiliary motor to reverse a first direction of rotation of the ring gear to an opposing second direction of rotation during a compression phase of the plunger and then reverse the second direction of rotation of the ring gear back to the first direction of the rotation after the compression phase which maintains a substantially constant speed of the LSB drive line and a substantially constant speed of the plunger crank.

5. The LSB of claim 4 , further comprising:
a brake selectively engaged to deter rotation of the ring gear and to assist increasing rotational speed of the flywheel during start-up.

6. The LSB of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to command the auxiliary motor to maintain a substantially constant load on an engine of the work vehicle.

7. A large square baler (LSB), comprising:
an LSB drive line attachable to a power takeoff (PTO) of a work vehicle;
a plunger crank driving reciprocation of a plunger within a bale chamber;
a planetary gear train including a sun gear, a ring gear, and a planetary carrier, the ring gear supported on the LSB drive line via a bearing, and the planetary carrier directly connected to the LSB drive line in a 1:1 rotational relationship;
a flywheel supported on the LSB drive line via a bearing, the flywheel directly connected to the sun gear in a 1:1 rotational relationship;
an input gear directly connected to the ring gear in a 1:1 rotational relationship;
an auxiliary motor directly engaging the input gear at a position radially inward of the ring gear;
a brake selectively engaged to deter rotation of the ring gear and to assist increasing rotational speed of the flywheel during start-up; and
a controller connected to the auxiliary motor, the controller, including a processor and memory having instructions, configured to command the auxiliary motor to reverse a first direction of rotation of the ring gear to an opposing second direction of rotation during a compression phase of the plunger and then reverse the second direction of rotation of the ring gear back to the first direction of the rotation after the compression phase which maintains a substantially constant speed of the LSB drive line, a substantially constant speed of the plunger crank, and a substantially constant load on an engine of the work vehicle.

8. The torque smoothing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sun gear and the flywheel are formed as a single piece.

9. The torque smoothing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input gear and the ring gear are formed as a single piece.

10. The torque smoothing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sun gear and the flywheel are formed as a single piece, and the input gear and the ring gear are formed as a single piece.

11. The LSB of claim 4 , wherein the sun gear and the flywheel are formed as a single piece.

12. The LSB of claim 4 , wherein the input gear and the ring gear are formed as a single piece.

13. The LSB of claim 4 , wherein the sun gear and the flywheel are formed as a single piece, and the input gear and the ring gear are formed as a single piece.

14. The LSB of claim 7 , wherein the sun gear and the flywheel are formed as a single piece.

15. The LSB of claim 7 , wherein the input gear and the ring gear are formed as a single piece.

16. The LSB of claim 7 , wherein the sun gear and the flywheel are formed as a single piece, and the input gear and the ring gear are formed as a single piece.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Turner Christopher D
• Vande Haar William J
• Roth Darin L

Classifications

• A01F15/0841 Primary

  Drives for balers · CPC title

• A01F15/042

  Plungers · CPC title

• B30B9/3007

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• F16H3/66

  composed of a number of gear trains without drive passing from one train to another · CPC title

• B30B9/306 Primary

  Mechanically-driven presses · CPC title