Method of tagging square bales

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9622418-B2
Application number	US-201313949857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2013
Priority date	Aug 30, 2010
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for inserting a tag into a bale of agricultural material during bale production is configured such that the tag is inserted within the bale material within reading distance of an outer surface of the final bale. In square bales, the tag is placed in either the first or last slice of the bale. In round bales, the tag is place in the outer circumferential layer of the bale as it is formed. The tag may be gravity fed or forcibly fed into the stream of crop material as it passes from the baling apparatus pick-up to the baling chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural square baling apparatus for forming a square bale, the apparatus comprising:
a baling chamber;
a feeding mechanism configured for conveying crop material from a pickup to the baling chamber, the feeding mechanism comprising a pre-chamber;
a tag dispenser positioned adjacent the feeding mechanism, the tag dispenser located outside the flow of the crop material in the pre-chamber, such that a single tag is dispensed into the flow of crop material prior to reaching the baling chamber, wherein said tag dispenser is operatively coupled to a controller for controlling the dispensing of the single tag from the tag dispenser;
said controller is activated either through electrical or mechanical mechanism to dispense the single tag into the crop material, wherein said controller is activated for dispensing said single tag in either or both the first or last slice of crop material in the pre-chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said dispenser is substantially above the flow of crop material such that the tag is dispensed into the flow via gravity.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said dispenser is a hopper for holding a plurality of tags and adapted for dispensing a single tag at a time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said dispenser is laterally disposed from the flow of crop material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said single tag is inserted during formation of at least one slice.

Assignees

• Cnh America Llc
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Smith Kevin M
• Foster Christopher A

Classifications

• A01F15/101

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

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• A01F15/08 Primary

  Details · CPC title