Agricultural square baler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9526213-B2
Application number	US-201214113602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2012
Priority date	Apr 27, 2011
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

An agricultural baler comprising a controller, sensor and an actuator connected such that in a first position of a bale chute upon sensing of the movement of a completed bale ready to be lowered by the sensor a signal indicative of said movement is fed to the controller by the sensor upon which the controller controls an actuator such that the bale chute is pivoted to the second position which is sufficiently inclined to the horizontal such that the trailing end is sufficiently lowered to prevent a completed bale from toppling or being damaged, wherein the controller is configured to control the actuator such that the bale chute is pivoted from the first position to the second position after receiving the signal indicative of movement from the sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural square baler comprising
a baling chamber configured for compressing crop material forming a bale;
a bale chute disposed at an outlet of said baling chamber for receiving said bale and lowering the completed bale onto the field; and
wherein the bale chute has a leading end connected to the outlet of the baling chamber for pivoting movement about an axis transverse to a direction of travel of the baler between a first position in which bales from the baling chamber are received onto the bale chute and a lowered second position which is inclined to the horizontal such that a trailing end is lowered to prevent a completed bale from toppling or being damaged;
an actuator configured to pivot the bale chute between the first and the second position;
a sensor configured and positioned to sense movement on the bale chute of a completed bale and generating a signal indicative of said movement,
an electric controller configured for controlling the pivoting of the bale chute between the first and the second position by the actuator, wherein the controller, the sensor and the actuator are interconnected,
wherein the controller is configured to control the actuator such that the bale chute is pivoted from the first position to the second position after receiving the signal indicative of movement from the sensor;
wherein the bale chute in the first position slopes with respect to the horizontal such that the leading end is higher than the trailing end.

2. An agricultural square baler according to claim 1 , wherein the sloping of the bale chute is such that upon completion of a completed bale, the completed bale moves from the leading end towards the trailing end of the bale chute.

3. An agricultural square baler comprising
a baling chamber configured for compressing crop material forming a bale;
a bale chute disposed at an outlet of said baling chamber for receiving said bale and lowering the completed bale onto the field; and
wherein the bale chute has a leading end connected to the outlet of the baling chamber for pivoting movement about an axis transverse to a direction of travel of the baler between a first position in which bales from the baling chamber are received onto the bale chute and a lowered second position which is inclined to the horizontal such that a trailing end is lowered to prevent a completed bale from toppling or being damaged;
an actuator configured to pivot the bale chute between the first and the second position;
a sensor configured and positioned to sense movement on the bale chute of a completed bale and generating a signal indicative of said movement,
an electric controller configured for controlling the pivoting of the bale chute between the first and the second position by the actuator, wherein the controller, the sensor and the actuator are interconnected,
wherein the controller is configured to control the actuator such that the bale chute is pivoted from the first position to the second position after receiving the signal indicative of movement from the sensor;
wherein the bale chute comprises at least one roller positioned such that when the bale chute is in the first position, the bale moving on the bale chute rotates the roller and said sensor is configured to sense rotation of said roller.

4. An agricultural square baler comprising
a baling chamber configured for compressing crop material forming a bale;
a bale chute disposed at an outlet of said baling chamber for receiving said bale and lowering the completed bale onto the field; and
wherein the bale chute has a leading end connected to the outlet of the baling chamber for pivoting movement about an axis transverse to a direction of travel of the baler between a first position in which bales from the baling chamber are received onto the bale chute and a lowered second position which is inclined to the horizontal such that a trailing end is lowered to prevent a completed bale from to toppling or being damaged;
an actuator configured to pivot the bale chute between the first and the second position,
a sensor configured and positioned to sense movement on the bale chute of a completed bale and generating a signal indicative of said movement,
an electric controller configured for controlling the pivoting of the bale chute between the first and the second position by the actuator, wherein the controller, the sensor and the actuator are interconnected,
wherein the controller is configured to control the actuator such that the bale chute is pivoted from the first position to the second position after receiving the signal indicative of movement from the sensor;
wherein the bale chute comprises at least one roller and said sensor comprises a proximity sensor directed to a member rotated in unison with said roller, the member comprising at least one protrusion changing the distance between the proximity sensor and the surface of the member during revolution of the member in unison with said roller.

5. An agricultural square baler according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a hydraulic actuator driven by a hydraulic circuit controlled by the controller.

Assignees

• Demon Frederik
• Van Vooren Sandor
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Demon Frederik
• Van Vooren Sandor

Classifications

• A01F15/0875 Primary

  Discharge devices · CPC title