System and method for wrapping an agricultural bale

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12446492-B2
Application number	US-202418636083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2024
Priority date	Apr 14, 2023
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A bale wrap for an agricultural bale includes a wrapping layer having a center section, a first shoulder section, and a second shoulder section. The first shoulder section extends laterally outwardly from a first lateral side of the center section, the second shoulder section extends laterally outwardly from a second lateral side of the center section, the center section is configured to cover a circumferential side of the agricultural bale, the first shoulder section is configured to cover at least 5 percent of a first axial side of the agricultural bale, the second shoulder section is configured to cover at least 5 percent of a second axial side of the agricultural bale, and a center stretchability of the center section with respect to a longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer is greater than a shoulder stretchability of the first and second shoulder sections with respect to the longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bale wrap for an agricultural bale, comprising:
a wrapping layer having a center section, a first shoulder section, and a second shoulder section, wherein the first shoulder section extends laterally outwardly from a first lateral side of the center section, the second shoulder section extends laterally outwardly from a second lateral side of the center section, the center section is configured to cover a circumferential side of the agricultural bale, the first shoulder section is configured to cover at least 5 percent of a first axial side of the agricultural bale, the second shoulder section is configured to cover at least 5 percent of a second axial side of the agricultural bale, and a center stretchability of the center section with respect to a longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer is greater than a shoulder stretchability of the first and second shoulder sections with respect to the longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer.

2. The bale wrap of claim 1 , wherein the wrapping layer is formed from one or more natural materials.

3. The bale wrap of claim 2 , wherein the wrapping layer is formed entirely from cotton, hemp, or flax.

4. The bale wrap of claim 1 , wherein the center stretchability of the center section enables the center section to stretch at least 10 percent with respect to the longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer.

5. The bale wrap of claim 1 , wherein a lateral extent of the first shoulder section is at least 10 cm, and a lateral extent of the second shoulder section is at least 10 cm.

6. The bale wrap of claim 1 , comprising a water-resistant membrane coupled to the wrapping layer, wherein the water-resistant membrane is configured to block water penetration into the agricultural bale.

7. The bale wrap of claim 6 , comprising a second wrapping layer coupled to the water-resistant membrane.

8. The bale wrap of claim 1 , comprising a particulate treatment within the wrapping layer, wherein the particulate treatment is configured to be activated by a fluid activator, and the activated particulate treatment is configured to block water penetration into the agricultural bale.

9. A method for wrapping an agricultural bale, comprising:
disposing a bale wrap about the agricultural bale, wherein the bale wrap comprises a wrapping layer having a center section, a first shoulder section, and a second shoulder section, the first shoulder section extends laterally outwardly from a first lateral side of the center section, the second shoulder section extends laterally outwardly from a second lateral side of the center section, the center section is configured to cover a circumferential side of the agricultural bale, the first shoulder section is configured to cover at least 5 percent of a first axial side of the agricultural bale, the second shoulder section is configured to cover at least 5 percent of a second axial side of the agricultural bale, and a center stretchability of the center section with respect to a longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer is greater than a shoulder stretchability of the first and second shoulder sections with respect to the longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer;
wherein disposing the bale wrap about the agricultural bale comprises stretching the center section of the wrapping layer as the bale wrap is disposed about the agricultural bale.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising applying a fluid treatment or a fluid activator to the wrapping layer after the bale wrap is disposed about the agricultural bale, wherein the fluid treatment is configured to block water penetration into the agricultural bale, the fluid activator is configured to activate a particulate treatment within the wrapping layer, and the activated particulate treatment is configured to block water penetration into the agricultural bale.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the center stretchability of the center section enables the center section to stretch at least 10 percent with respect to the longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein a lateral extent of the first shoulder section is at least 10 cm, and a lateral extent of the second shoulder section is at least 10 cm.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the bale wrap comprises a water-resistant membrane coupled to the wrapping layer, and the water-resistant membrane is configured to block water penetration into the agricultural bale.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising a second wrapping layer coupled to the water-resistant membrane.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the wrapping layer is formed from one or more natural materials.

16. A baler, comprising:
a belt configured to rotate within a bale chamber to form an agricultural bale within the bale chamber; and
a bale wrapping system configured to wrap the agricultural bale with a bale wrap, wherein the bale wrapping system comprises a bale wrap assembly configured to feed the bale wrap between the agricultural bale and the belt after the agricultural bale is formed,
wherein the bale wrap comprises a wrapping layer having a center section, a first shoulder section, and a second shoulder section, wherein the first shoulder section extends laterally outwardly from a first lateral side of the center section, the second shoulder section extends laterally outwardly from a second lateral side of the center section, the center section is configured to cover a circumferential side of the agricultural bale, the first shoulder section is configured to cover at least 5 percent of a first axial side of the agricultural bale, the second shoulder section is configured to cover at least 5 percent of a second axial side of the agricultural bale, and a center stretchability of the center section with respect to a longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer is greater than a shoulder stretchability of the first and second shoulder sections with respect to the longitudinal extent of the wrapping layer.

17. The baler of claim 16 , comprising a controller having a memory and a processor, wherein the belt is configured to drive the agricultural bale to rotate while the bale wrap assembly is feeding the bale wrap, and the controller is configured to control a belt speed of the belt and a roll speed of a shaft of the bale wrap assembly to stretch the center section of the wrapping layer while the bale wrap assembly is feeding the bale wrap.

18. The baler of claim 16 , wherein the bale wrapping system comprises a fluid applicator configured to apply a fluid treatment or a fluid activator to the wrapping layer after the bale wrap is disposed about the agricultural bale, the fluid treatment is configured to block water penetration into the agricultural bale, the fluid activator is configured to activate a particulate treatment within the wrapping layer, and the activated particulate treatment is configured to block water penetration into the agricultural bale.

19. The baler of claim 16 , wherein the wrapping layer is formed from one or more natural materials.

20. The baler of claim 16 , wherein a lateral extent of the first shoulder is at least 10 cm, and a lateral extent of the second shoulder is at least 10 cm.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Roberge Martin J
• Ricketts Jonathan E

Classifications

• A01F2015/0745

  Special features of the wrapping material for wrapping the bale · CPC title

• A01F15/071

  Wrapping devices (tying devices A01F15/141) · CPC title

• A01F15/0715 Primary

  Wrapping the bale in the press chamber before opening said chamber · CPC title

• A01D59/02 Primary

  Packers · CPC title