Baler with automated ejection of bales

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017273248-A1
Application number	US-201515505153-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 3, 2014
Publication date	Sep 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for ejecting a bale from a baler, wherein the ejection process is controlled by a control unit with input from various sensors and from a remote operator located on a tractor. The control unit automatically positions a chute, controls a power take-off from the tractor, depressurizes and opens a chamber door, ties the bale, selects and causes ejector teeth to project into a forming chamber to engage the bale, causes the ejector teeth to move toward a discharge outlet such that the engaged bale moves with them toward and through the discharge outlet, and determines when the bale has fully ejected from the baler. The remote operator may choose to eject only the bale or to eject the entire contents of the forming chamber, and if the former, the control unit determines the bale's length and selects a subset of the ejector teeth that corresponds to that length.

First claim

Having thus described one or more embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1 . A system for ejecting a bale from a baler using a substantially automatic ejection procedure with input from a remote operator located on a tractor, wherein the baler includes a forming chamber containing the bale and having a discharge outlet, a chute located adjacent to the discharge outlet, and a plurality of ejector teeth operable to selectively retract from and project into the forming chamber, the system comprising:
an electronic control unit operable to receive input signals and send control signals and thereby control the substantially automatic ejection procedure; a bale chute sensor operable to provide a first input signal to the electronic control unit regarding a position of the chute, wherein the electronic control unit determines whether the chute is in a proper chute position, and if the chute is not in the proper chute position, the electronic control unit sends a first control signal to cause the chute to move to the proper chute position; the electronic control unit being further operable to send a second control signal to cause one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth to project into the forming chamber to engage the bale, the electronic control unit being further operable to send a third control signal to cause the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth to move from a back position toward the discharge outlet, wherein this movement of the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth engaging the bale causes the bale to move toward and through the discharge outlet and through the chute; and a drop sensor operable to provide a second input signal to the electronic control unit regarding whether the bale has been fully ejected from the chute, and if the bale has been fully ejected from the chute, the electronic control unit sends a fourth control signal to cause the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth to return to the back position and stop, and if the bale has not been fully ejected from the chute, the electronic control unit sends the fourth control signal to return the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth to the back position and then resends the third control signal.

2 . The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the tractor includes a power take-off connected to the baler, and the baler further includes a chamber door operable to selectively cover the discharge outlet, and the system further includes a power take-off speed sensor operable to provide a third input signal to the electronic control unit regarding a speed of the power take-off, wherein the electronic control unit determines whether the power take-off speed is sufficient to release a pressure on the chamber door, and if the power take-off speed is not sufficient, the electronic control unit sends a fifth control signal to the tractor to increase the power take-off speed, and when the power take-off speed is sufficient, the electronic control unit sends a sixth control signal to release the pressure on and open the chamber door.

3 . The system as set forth in claim 2 , the system further including a chamber door position sensor operable to provide a fourth input signal to the electronic control unit regarding a position of the chamber door, wherein the electronic control unit determines whether the chamber door is in a proper door position, and if the chamber door is in the proper door position, the electronic control unit sends a seventh control signal to stop the power take-off.

4 . The system as set forth in claim 1 , the electronic control unit being further operable to receive a third input signal from the remote operator regarding whether to eject only the bale or to eject an entire contents of the forming chamber, and to select the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth based on the third input signal.

5 . The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the baler further includes one or more bale length sensors located along an interior surface of the forming chamber and operable to provide a third input signal to the electronic control unit regarding a length of the bale, and wherein the electronic control unit is further operable to select the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth to project into the forming chamber to engage the bale based on the length of the bale.

6 . The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the baler further includes a tying mechanism located at least partially in the forming chamber and operable to tie the bale prior to ejection from the forming chamber, and wherein the electronic control unit is further operable to receive a third input signal from the remote operator regarding whether to tie the bale prior to ejection and to send a fifth control signal to activate the tying mechanism.

7 . A system for ejecting a bale from a baler using a substantially automatic ejection procedure with input from a remote operator located on a tractor, wherein the tractor includes a power take-off connected to the baler, and wherein the baler includes a forming chamber containing the bale and having a discharge outlet, a chute located adjacent to the discharge outlet, a chamber door operable to selectively cover the discharge outlet, and a plurality of ejector teeth operable to selectively retract from and project into the forming chamber, the system comprising:
an electronic control unit operable to receive input signals and send control signals and thereby control the substantially automatic ejection procedure; a bale chute sensor operable to provide a first input signal to the electronic control unit regarding a position of the chute, wherein the electronic control unit determines whether the chute is in a proper chute position, and if the chute is not in the proper chute position, the electronic control unit sends a first control signal to cause the chute to move to the proper chute position; a power take-off speed sensor operable to provide a second input signal to the electronic control unit regarding a speed of the power take-off, wherein the electronic control unit determines whether the power take-off speed is sufficient to release a pressure on the chamber door, and if the power take-off speed is not sufficient, the electronic control unit sends a second control signal to the tractor to increase the power take-off speed, and when the power take-off speed is sufficient, the electronic control unit sends a third control signal to release the pressure on and open the chamber door; a chamber door position sensor operable to provide a third input signal to the electronic control unit regarding a position of the chamber door, wherein the electronic control unit determines whether the chamber door is in a proper door position, and if the chamber door is in the proper door position, the electronic control unit sends a fourth control signal to stop the power take-off, the electronic control unit being further operable to receive a fourth input signal from the remote operator regarding whether to eject only the bale or to eject an entire contents of the forming chamber, and to select one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth based on the fourth input signal, and to send a fifth control signal to cause the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth to project into the forming chamber to engage the bale; the electronic control unit being further operable to send a sixth control signal to cause the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth to move from a back position toward the discharge outlet, wherein this movement of the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth engaging the bale causes the bale to move toward and through the discharge outlet and through th

Assignees

• Agco Corp

Inventors

• Retzlaff Lawrence D
• Waggoner Robert J

Classifications

• B30B9/3014

  Ejection means · CPC title

• A01F15/04

  Plunger presses · CPC title

• B30B9/3007

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• A01F15/14

  Tying devices specially adapted for baling presses · CPC title

• A01F15/0875 Primary

  Discharge devices · CPC title