Agricultural rectangular baler and method for use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9609808-B2
Application number	US-201414909420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	Aug 1, 2013
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

Agricultural baler with feeder system arranged for repeatedly feeding crop material towards a baling chamber, the feeder system includes a feeding chamber and a stuffer. The feeder system is arranged for collecting a crop material. The stuffer is arranged for repeatedly carrying out a stuffing cycle and varying an entry position and/or an exit position and/or a stroke depth. The feeder system further includes a sensor arranged for generating a signal indicative of the accumulated crop material in the feeding chamber. A controller that is arranged for triggering the stuffer to start a stuffing cycle wherein the entry position, the exit position, and/or the stroke depth, is adjusted in response to an indication by the sensor signal of the accumulated crop material in the feeding chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural rectangular baler comprising:
a feeder system for feeding a quantity of crop material towards a baling chamber of the baler,
the feeder system comprising a feeding chamber and a stuffer comprising a pushing element,
wherein the stuffer is arranged for carrying out a stuffing cycle that comprises moving the pushing element at least partly into the feeding chamber at an entry position positioned along the feeding chamber, moving the pushing element through the feeding chamber for carrying out a stuffing stroke having a stroke depth into the feeding chamber, and moving the pushing element out of the feeding chamber at an exit position positioned along the feeding chamber, the stuffer arranged for varying at least one of the entry position, the exit position, and the stroke depth,
wherein the feeder system further comprises at least one sensor arranged for generating a sensor signal that is indicative of an amount of accumulated crop material in the feeding chamber, a controller coupled to the at least one sensor and the stuffer, the controller configured for triggering the stuffer to start a stuffing cycle wherein at least one of the entry position, the exit position, and the stroke depth is adjusted in response to the sensor signal,
wherein the controller is further arranged for triggering the stuffer to start a modified stuffing cycle wherein a distance between the entry position and the exit position is increased compared to the normal stuffing cycle in response to an indication, by the sensor signal, of the amount of the accumulated crop material in the feeding chamber being less than a lower amount value.

2. The agricultural baler according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further arranged for triggering the stuffer to start a stuffing cycle wherein the stroke depth is increased in response to an indication by the sensor signal of the amount of the accumulated crop material in the feeding chamber being less than a lower amount value.

3. The agricultural baler according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further arranged for triggering the stuffer to start a stuffing cycle wherein at least one of a distance between the entry position and the exit position is decreased and the stroke depth is decreased, in response to an indication by the sensor signal of the amount of the accumulated crop material in the feeding chamber exceeding an upper amount value.

4. The agricultural baler according to claim 1 , further comprising an adjustable barrier positioned at or adjacent to an outlet of the feeding chamber and that is arranged for selectively enabling transport of crop material through the outlet, the barrier arranged for enabling feeding of crop material into the baling chamber when a plunger of the baling chamber is in a feeding position and for substantially blocking feeding of crop material into the baling chamber at least when the plunger is in a pressing position.

5. The agricultural baler according to claim 4 , wherein the feeder is arranged for collecting a crop material and forcing the collected crop material into the feeding chamber via an inlet of the feeding chamber so that the crop material accumulates in the feeding chamber, wherein the barrier is arranged for substantially blocking feeding of crop material into the baling chamber at least when the plunger is in a pressing position.

6. The agricultural baler according to claim 4 , wherein the baling chamber and the outlet of the feeding chamber are positioned in the agricultural baler such that the plunger forms the adjustable barrier.

7. The agricultural baler according to claim 1 , comprising a collector arranged for collecting a crop material and forcing the collected crop material into the feeding chamber via an inlet of the feeding chamber.

8. The agricultural baler according to claim 4 , further comprising a drive for driving the plunger with a plunger driving frequency and driving the pushing element of the stuffer with a stuffer driving frequency that can be set equal to or different from the plunger driving frequency.

9. The agricultural baler according to claim 8 , wherein said drive comprises a pin, wherein the pushing element is arranged pivotably around said pin and slidingly along said pin, and wherein a position of said pin in the feeder system is adjustable, so that the stuffer is arranged for varying at least one of the entry position, the exit position, and the stroke depth.

10. The agricultural baler according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is a mechanical sensor arranged for generating a sensor signal that is indicative for a weight of the accumulated crop material in the feeding chamber.

11. The agricultural baler according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of an optical, acoustical, and electrical sensor arranged for generating a sensor signal indicative for a presence of the accumulated crop material in the feeding chamber at or adjacent to a position along the feeding chamber.

12. The agricultural baler according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is a distributed sensor having sensor elements that are distributed along the feeding chamber for generating sensor signals that are indicative of an amount of the accumulated crop material at different positions along the feeding chamber.

13. Method for using an agricultural rectangular baler, the baler comprising a feeder system for feeding a quantity of crop material towards a baling chamber of the baler, the feeder system comprising a feeding chamber and a stuffer comprising a pushing element, the method comprising the steps of:
collecting a crop material and forcing the collected crop material into the feeding chamber via an inlet of the feeding chamber;
repeatedly carrying out a stuffing cycle that comprises moving the pushing element at least partly into the feeding chamber at an entry position positioned along the feeding chamber, moving the pushing element through the feeding chamber for carrying out a stuffing stroke having a stroke depth into the feeding chamber, and moving the pushing element out of the feeding chamber at an exit position positioned along the feeding chamber, so that, after carrying out a stuffing cycle, crop material that has accumulated in the feeding chamber is transported through the outlet and fed to the baling chamber as a result of the stuffing stroke;
generating, by at least one sensor of the feeder system, a sensor signal that is indicative for an amount of the accumulated crop material in the feeding chamber,
triggering, by a controller that is coupled to the sensor and the stuffer, the stuffer to start a stuffing cycle; and
the stuffer adjusting, in said started stuffing cycle, at least one of the entry position, and the exit position, in response to the at least one sensor signal, such that the distance between the entry position and the exit position is increased.

14. Method according to claim 13 , wherein the stuffer adjusting step further comprises increasing the stroke depth in response to the sensor signal.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Dumarey Robrecht M K
• Van Vooren Sandor
• Vandevelde Pieter
• Vanhercke Olivier Arnel

Classifications

• A01F15/046

  with press-boxes · CPC title

• A01F2015/102

  the pressing chamber is fed from the bottom side · CPC title

• A01F15/101 Primary

  Feeding at right angles to the compression stroke (A01F15/106 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01F15/042 Primary

  Plungers · CPC title