Agricultural baler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9743590-B2
Application number	US-201615296861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A baler including a feeder duct and a feeder operable within the feeder duct. The feeder includes a tine bar holding member having rotatably mounted thereon at least one tine bar having mounted thereon a set of tines. The tine bar is rotatable about its own axis relative to the tine bar holding member and is rotatable together with the tine bar holding member about an offset axis. The feeder further includes a sun gear co-axial with and rotatable about the offset axis relative to the tine bar holding member; a mechanical coupling the tine bar to the sun gear; and an adjustment system configured for active adjustment of the angular position of the sun gear about the offset axis as the tine bar is rotated about the offset axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural baler, comprising:
a bale chamber having an inlet opening formed therein;
a feeder duct communicating with the bale chamber through the inlet opening for charges of crop material to be transferred from the feeder duct into the bale chamber;
a plunger reciprocable within the bale chamber to compress successive charges of crop material received from the feeder duct to form a bale; and
a feeder operable within the feeder duct to accumulate a charge of crop material therein and then stuff that accumulated charge into the bale chamber, the feeder comprising:
a tine bar holding member having rotatably mounted thereon at least one tine bar having mounted thereon a set of tines, the tine bar being rotatable about its own axis relative to the tine bar holding member and being rotatable together with the tine holding member about an offset axis;
a sun gear co-axial with and rotatable about the offset axis relative to the tine bar holding member;
a mechanical coupling drivingly coupling the tine bar to the sun gear, such that as the tine bar is rotated about the offset axis and the sun gear co-axially therewith is held stationary, the mechanical coupling drivingly coupling the tine bar to the sun gear causes the tine bar to rotate about its own axis relative to the tine bar holding member, and outer ends of the set of tines to follow a path of movement; and
an adjustment system configured for active adjustment of an angular position of the sun gear about the offset axis as the tine bar is rotated about the offset axis.

2. The baler according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment system comprises a mechanical linkage coupling angular positions of the sun gear relative to the offset axis to angular positions of the tine bar relative to the offset axis, and wherein the mechanical linkage is configured for transforming angular motion of the tine bar about the offset axis into angular motion of the sun gear about the offset axis.

3. The baler according to claim 2 , wherein the mechanical coupling is adapted to cause the tine bar to rotate about its own axis relative to the tine holding member in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the tine bar about the offset axis as the tine bar is rotated about the offset axis and the sun gear is held stationary, wherein an absolute angular speed of the tine bar about its own axis is the same as an absolute angular speed of the tine bar about the offset axis; and
wherein the mechanical linkage is further configured for transforming a rotational motion of the tine bar about the offset axis into an oscillating motion of the sun gear about the offset axis.

4. The baler according to claim 3 , wherein the mechanical linkage comprises an arrangement for additionally adjusting the angular position of the sun gear relative to the offset axis.

5. The baler according to claim 4 , wherein the arrangement for additionally adjusting the angular position of the sun gear relative to the offset axis is adapted to additionally adjust the angular position of the sun gear relative to the offset axis based on at least one operational parameter of the baler.

6. The baler according to claim 4 , wherein the arrangement for additionally adjusting the angular position of the sun gear relative to the offset axis comprises an arrangement for amplifying the oscillating motion of the sun gear based on the position of the plunger in the bale chamber.

7. The baler according to claim 6 , wherein the mechanical linkage coupling angular positions of the sun gear relative to the offset axis to angular positions of the tine bar relative to the offset axis comprises a plurality of links mutually coupled at joints, wherein the plurality of links comprises a link having a first joint and a second joint, the link being pivotable about a pivot axis offset from the joints thereby providing transformation of a motion of the first joint into a motion of the second joint, wherein the motion of the second joint results in an angular displacement of the sun gear about the offset axis; and
wherein the arrangement for amplifying the oscillating motion of the sun gear is configured for moving the pivot axis in a direction opposite to a direction of motion of the first joint along a path for amplification of the angular displacement of the sun gear.

8. The baler according to claim 7 , further comprising a crank mechanism for driving the plunger, the crank mechanism comprising a crank rotatable about a crank axis and a linkage for transforming a rotational motion of the crank into the reciprocating motion of the plunger in the bale chamber,
wherein the arrangement for amplifying the oscillating motion of the sun gear comprises a mechanical linkage adapted for transforming the rotational motion of the crank into an oscillating motion of the link about the pivot axis.

9. The baler according to claim 4 , wherein the mechanical linkage comprises at least one link comprising a length adjustor for adjusting a length of the link.

10. The baler according to claim 9 , wherein the length adjustor comprises resilient means urging the link into a first length and permitting changing the length in response to a load on the link.

11. The baler according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment system comprises:
an actuator arranged for angular displacement of the sun gear about the offset axis as the tine bar is rotated about the offset axis;
a sensor for sensing at least one operational parameter of the baler; and
a controller connected to the actuator for controlling the actuator and connected to the sensor for receiving the operational parameter, wherein the controller is adapted for controlling the actuator on the basis of the operational parameter received from the sensor.

12. The baler according to claim 11 , wherein the actuator is arranged for direct angular displacement of the sun gear, in order to engage the sun gear or couple to the sun gear by a transmission.

13. The baler according to claim 12 , wherein the actuator is a linear actuator, and the mechanical coupling is adapted to cause the tine bar to rotate about its own axis in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the tine bar about the offset axis as the tine bar is rotated about the offset axis and the sun gear is held stationary, wherein an absolute angular speed of the tine bar about its own axis is the same as an absolute angular speed of the tine bar about the offset axis.

14. The baler according claim 11 , wherein the actuator is a rotary actuator.

15. The baler according to claim 9 , wherein the length adjustor comprises an actuator arranged for angular displacement of the sun gear about the offset axis as the tine bar is rotated about the offset axis, and wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.

16. The baler according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one operational parameter of the baler includes an angular position of the tine bar relative to the offset axis.

17. The baler according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one operational parameter of the baler includes the load on the set of tines, wherein the sensor comprises at least one sensor for sensing the load.

18. The baler according to claim 17 , wherein the controller is further adapted to control the actuator to adjust the angular position of the sun gear such that the tine bar is rotated about its own axis in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the tine bar about the offset axis in case the load on the set of tines exceeds a predetermined value as the tine bar is rotated about t

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Rosseel Bram
• Devroe Jeroen
• Liefooghe Dries
• Kindt Dieter
• Cappelle Jonas

Classifications

• 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

• A01D90/02

  Loading means · CPC title

• A01F15/042

  Plungers · CPC title

• A01F15/10

  Feeding devices for the crop material {e.g. precompression devices} · CPC title