Baling apparatus

Abstract

A baler is disclosed for baling cut crop, the baler comprising a pick up apparatus to collect cut crop from a ground surface, a baling chamber, a feeding channel for delivering cut crop from the pick apparatus to the baling chamber, a reciprocating plunger for forming successive flakes of compacted cut crop in the baling chamber to generate a forming bale, a tying apparatus for tying together a number of the successive flakes to create a formed bale, and a motion sensor. The motion sensor generates a first signal indicative of a movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger, a second signal indicative of the speed of movement of the compacted crop caused by the reciprocating plunger and a third signal indicative of the amount of movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger. An electronic control unit receives the first, second and third signals and determines a beginning and an end of a formation of each individual flake.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not applicable. FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to an improved method of monitoring bale size in balers of the kind in which harvested crop is compacted in flakes within a baling chamber under the action of a reciprocating plunger in order to generate bales of the kind known as square bales. BACKGROUND

[0003] It is known to utilise a rotary detection apparatus of the kind known as a star or thumb wheel to engage with a forming bale as it is being generated. As the successive flakes of crop material are added to the forming bale, the forming bale is advanced within the baling chamber. The star wheel is mounted for rotation about an axis. The axis is mounted in a known relationship to the baling chamber, such that teeth of the star wheel extend into the baling chamber and engage with the forming bale, such that as the forming bale advances within the baling chamber the star wheel is caused to rotate.

[0004] Since the star wheel is of known circumference, detecting and measuring the amount of each partial rotation of the wheel allows a processor to sum these measurementsand generate a cumulative figure representative of the size of the forming bale. Once the cumulative figure has reached a predetermined value, a tying mechanism is actuated to secure the flakes of compacted crop material together within the baling chamber and create a formed bale. Once the tying mechanism has been actuated, the processor starts calculating afresh the cumulative figure for the bale size of a subsequently forming bale.

[0005] As the subsequent bale is formed, the tied bale is further advanced within the baling chamber to a chute, from where the tied bale is deposited from the baler to the ground. BRIEF SUMMARY

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a baler for baling cut crop comprises a pick up apparatus to collect cut crop from a ground surface, a baling chamber, a feeding channel for delivering cut crop from the pick apparatus to the baling chamber, a reciprocating plunger for forming successive flakes of compacted cut crop in the baling chamber to generate a forming bale, a tying apparatus for tying together a number of the successive flakes to create a formed bale, a motion sensor generating a first signal indicative of a movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger, a second signal indicative of the speed of movement of the compacted crop caused by the reciprocating plunger and a third signal indicative of the amount of movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger, and an electronic control unit receiving the first, second and third signals to determine the beginning and end of formation of an individual flake.

[0007] It is an advantage that a single sensor is used to determine the beginning and end of flake formation.

[0008] Preferably, the motion sensor is an angular rotation sensor.

[0009] Preferably, the motion sensor is a star wheel, the teeth of which extend into the baling chamber to engage with the forming bale.

[0010] Preferably, the motion sensor is an optical sensor.

[0011] Preferably, the motion sensor is a camera.

[0012] Preferably, the electronic control unit generates a control signal for the display unit of the user terminal to communicate to an operator the number of strokes per minute of the reciprocating plunger.

[0013] Preferably, the electronic control unit generates a control signal for a display unit of a user terminal to communicate to an operator a progress made in creation of the forming bale.

[0014] Preferably, the electronic control unit generates a control signal to the display unit of the user terminal to communicate to an operator the cumulative flake count of the forming bale.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the invention, a method of operation of a baler for baling cut crop in which the baler comprises a pick up apparatus to collect cut crop from a ground surface, a baling chamber, a feeding channel for delivering cut crop from the pick apparatus to the baling chamber, a reciprocating plunger for forming successive flakes of compacted cut crop in the baling chamber to generate a forming bale, a tying apparatus for tying together a number of the successive flakes to create a formed bale, a motion sensor, an electronic control unit and a user terminal having a display unit, the method comprising the steps of collecting cut crop from a ground surface, delivering the cut crop to the baling chamber, forming successive flakes of compacted cut crop under the action of the reciprocating plunger, the motion sensor generating a first signal indicative of a movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger, the motion sensor generating a second signal indicative of the speed of movement of the compacted crop caused by the reciprocating plunger and the motion sensor generating a third signal indicative of the amount of movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger, the electronic control unit receiving the first, second and third signals and determining the beginning and end of formation of an individual flake.

[0016] Preferably, the method further comprises the step of the electronic control unit generating a control signal for a display unit of a user terminal to communicate to an operator a progress made in creation of the forming bale.

[0017] Preferably, the method further comprises the step of the electronic control unit generating a value of a length of a forming bale and generating a tying signal to actuate the tying apparatus when the value of the length of the forming bale is of a predetermined size. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] FIG 1 shows a side view of an example agricultural square baler;

[0020] FIG 2 shows a perspective side section of elements of the agricultural square baler of FIG 1;

[0021] FIG 3 shows a schematic side view of a baling chamber of an agricultural square baler;

[0022] FIG 4 shows a schematic diagram of a tractor-baler combination;

[0023] FIG 5 shows a detail of elements of the agricultural square baler shown in FIG 2;

[0024] FIG 6 shows a perspective view of elements of the agricultural square baler shown in FIG 5;

[0025] FIG 7 shows a diagrammatic representation of elements of a control system for the example agricultural square baler;

[0026] FIG 8 shows a flow chart illustrating a first aspect of the operation of an example control system for an agricultural square baler; and

[0027] FIG 9 shows a flow chart illustrating a second aspect of the operation of an example control system for an agricultural square baler. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The invention will now be described in the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein preferred embodiments are described in detail to enable practice of the invention. Although the invention is described with reference to these specific preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these preferred embodiments. But to the contrary, the invention includes numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents as will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description.

[0029] Relative terms such as forward, rearward, transverse, lateral, longitudinal and sideways will be made with reference to the normal forward direction of travel of the baler. The terms vertical and horizontal will be made with reference to level ground upon which the baler is disposed. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" are made with reference to the general direction of crop flow along the material conveyance systems described.

[0030] Referring first to FIGS 1 and 2, an agricultural baler of the kind known as a small square baler is shown. The baler 2 is shown on flat ground 4. The baler 2 includes a pick up unit 6 to gather cut crop from a windrow of cut crop lying on the ground 4. A stuffer unit 8 directs the crop into a precompression chamber 10 to form a charge of cut crop.

[0031] Moving in a forwards direction, the baler 2 is operable to gather loose cut crop material, form it into an individual charge 12 of cut crop, and following introduction of the charge 12 of cut crop through an opening in a bottom wall of the baling chamber 18, compress the individual charge into a flake and together with successive flakes create a forming bale 14 (FIG 3). A baling system may broadly comprise a towing agricultural vehicle 16, such as a tractor, and the baler 2 (FIG 4). The tractor may include a cab wherein an operator may located; an engine operable to move the towing agricultural vehicle; a steering mechanism to control the direction of travel of the towing vehicle and a Power Take Off arrangement (PTO) operable to transfer mechanical power from the engine to the baler or other connected machinery. The baler 2 may broadly comprise a frame mechanically coupled with the towing agricultural vehicle 16; a loose crop material receiving and stuffing component as noted above; a baling chamber 18; and a reciprocating plunger 20 having a plunger face 22.

[0032] The plunger 20 moves in a reciprocating manner within the baling chamber 18 from a front-dead-center position in which the plunger face 22 of the plunger 20 is furthest from the forming bale to a rear-dead-center position in which the plunger face 22 is compressing the forming bale. More specifically, the plunger 20 repeatedly extends into the baling chamber 18 such that the plunger face 22 contacts and compresses the charge 12 and the flakes that are already present therein, and retracts to allow the next charge 12 to enter the baling chamber 18 from the precompression chamber 10.

[0033] The baling chamber 18 of the baler 2 is adapted to receive the charge 12 of cut crop through the bottom wall of the baling chamber 18 when the plunger face 22 is travelling forwards (towards the towing agricultural vehicle 14) so that the charge of cut crop is in position to be compressed by the plunger face 22 into a flake on the return stroke of the plunger 20. By generating successive flakes in this way a forming bale 14 is generated.

[0034] As the plunger 20 is travelling forwards (towards the towing agricultural vehicle 14) the flake may, in the absence of the compressive force, expand within the baling chamber toward the receding plunger 20.

[0035] The baling chamber 18 is conveniently substantially rectangular in shape in order to facilitate the compression and forming process. The plunger 20 is operable to compress the charge 12 into the forming bale by moving within the baling chamber 18. Once the forming bale has reached a desired size, a tying mechanism 24 is operated to encircle the successive flakes making up the bale with strands of binding material and to knot the strands to form a finished formed bale which is subsequently ejected from the baler by way of a chute 26 at a rear end of the baling chamber 18. The tying mechanism 24 may be of the known kind comprising displaceable needles delivering twine from twine boxes to knotter mechanisms located above the baling chamber 18.

[0036] It will be understood that while a baler is being towed around a headland no cut crop will be collected by the pickup unit 6 and no additional flakes formed. Nevertheless, the reciprocating plunger will continue to cycle and impact the face of the most recently formed flake of the forming bale 14.

[0037] The baling system may further comprise one or more electronic control units or processors 50. Typically, the baling system comprises a processor associated with the baler 2 and a processor associated with the towing agricultural vehicle 14. However, a single processor may be used. The electronic control unit 50 is provided with a memory unit 52 and is in electrical communication with a variety of sensors 54.

[0038] The electronic control unit 50 is operative to receive signals from the sensors 54, process these signals in accordance with instructions provided in the memory unit 52 and issue control signals to a user terminal 58 in accordance with those instructions. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic control unit 50 is operative to receive operator instructions input into a suitable machine user interface such as a touchscreen of the user terminal 56 as user terminal signals and process these signals in accordance with instructions provided in the memory unit 52 and issue control signals to a display unit of the user terminal 58 in accordance with those instructions. The processors communicate with one another and other electrical components, as will be described below, by way of any suitable communications network 59.

[0039] A motion sensor 30 is located adjacent the bale forming chamber to detect each movement of the forming bale in the baling chamber (FIG 3). In the example of FIGS 5 and 6 an angular rotation sensor 32 is used. Alternatively, an optical sensor 34 may be used. In a further alternative, a camera 36 may be used together with image processing software executing in the processor 50.

[0040] As may best be seen in FIGs 5 and 6, an angular rotation sensor 32 in the form of a toothed star wheel 40 is arranged with an axis of rotation above the baling chamber such that teeth 42 of the star wheel extend through an opening or channel 44 in an upper plane of the baling chamber 18, so as, in use, to engage with a forming bale 14.

[0041] The star wheel 40 incorporates sensors in electronic communication with the electronic control unit 50. The sensors are used to send first, second and third signals to the electronic control unit 50 indicative of a movement of the compressed crop within the baling chamber occurring, a speed or velocity of each movement, and an amount of angular rotation (indicative of the amount of that movement) (step 100, FIG 8). Suitable sensors include a magnetic impulse ring, Hall element sensors or optical beam sensor.

[0042] On receiving the signal indicative of the movement of the compressed crop within the baling chamber, the electronic control unit 50 compares the signals received indicative of the speed of and the amount of that movement with values stored in the memory 52, if the speed of movement detected and the angular rotation detected meet predetermined parameters stored in the memory the beginning and end of each successful flake formation can be detected (step 102). In other words, the second signal (velocity / speed) indicates that a stroke of the reciprocating plunger 20 has occurred and the third signal (amount of movement) determines whether a successful flake creation operation has occurred (due to sufficient crop material being added ahead of the reciprocating plunger 20).

[0043] In this way, for example, if the baler is traversing a headland and no crop is being introduced ahead of the reciprocating plunger, while a movement may be detected (due to the reciprocating plunger bumping against a rear surface of the forming bale) it can be determined that the forming bale has moved insufficiently within the baling chamber to register the forming of an additional flake of compacted crop material.

[0044] A flake count and / or bale size value stored in the memory 52 can be incremented if formation of an additional flake of compacted crop material has been detected (steps 104,106).

[0045] The electronic control unit 50 may also generate a control signal to the display unit of the user terminal 58 to communicate to the operator each successful flake creation, for example by displaying the number of strokes per minute of the reciprocating plunger resulting in successful formation of a flake of compressed crop material.

[0046] A control signal could also, or alternatively, be generated by the electronic control unit 50 to cause the user terminal 58 to communicate to the operator a progress made in creation of a forming bale, (perhaps against a predetermined flake count to achieve a desired bale size) or the cumulative size of the forming bale (perhaps against a predetermined desired bale size) or both (step 108).

[0047] If the signals from the motion sensor 30 detected do not meet the predetermined parameters, for example because the baler is traversing a headland, the flake count and / or forming bale size values are not incremented as the signals are not considered indicative of a successful creation of a flake. Further, the electronic control unit 50 will not generate a control signal to cause the display unit of the user terminal to update the operator in relation to bale formation.

[0048] The electronic control unit 50 may note each increment in the forming bale size value, whether calculated as a number of formed flakes or as a bale length (step 110, FIG 9), and compare this against a predetermined bale size value stored in the memory unit 52 (step 112). Once the forming bale size value has reached the predetermined bale size value, the electronic control unit 50 generates a tying control signal to cause the tying mechanism 24 to actuate and bind the successively formed flakes of the forming bale 14 into a bound formed bale (step 114).

[0049] All references cited herein are incorporated herein in their entireties. If there is a conflict between definitions herein and in an incorporated reference, the definition herein shall control.

[0050] From reading the present disclosure, other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such modifications may involve other features which are already known in the field of square balers and component parts therefore and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein.

Claims

1 A baler for baling cut crop comprising a pick up apparatus to collect cut crop from a ground surface, a baling chamber, a feeding channel for delivering cut crop from the pick apparatus to the baling chamber, a reciprocating plunger for forming successive flakes of compacted cut crop in the baling chamber to generate a forming bale, a tying apparatus for tying together a number of the successive flakes to create a formed bale, a motion sensor generating a first signal indicative of a movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger, a second signal indicative of the speed of movement of the compacted crop caused by the reciprocating plunger and a third signal indicative of the amount of movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger, and an electronic control unit receiving the first, second and third signals to determine a beginning and an end of a formation of an individual flake.2 A baler according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is an angular rotation sensor.3 A baler according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is a star wheel, the teeth of which extend into the baling chamber to engage with the forming bale.4      A baler according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is an optical sensor.5     A baler according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is a camera.6      A baler according to any of claim 1 to claim 5, wherein the electronic control unitgenerates a control signal for the display unit of the user terminal to communicate to an operatorthe number of strokes per minute of the reciprocating plunger.7 A baler according to any of claim 1 to claim 7, wherein the electronic control unit generates a control signal for a display unit of a user terminal to communicate to an operator a progress made in creation of the forming bale.8A baler according to any of claim 7, wherein the electronic control unit generates a control signal to the display unit of the user terminal to communicate to an operator the cumulative flake count of the forming bale.9 A method of operation of a baler for baling cut crop, the baler comprising a pick up apparatus to collect cut crop from a ground surface, a baling chamber, a feeding channel for delivering cut crop from the pick apparatus to the baling chamber, a reciprocating plunger for forming successive flakes of compacted cut crop in the baling chamber to generate a forming bale, a tying apparatus for tying together a number of the successive flakes to create a formed bale, a motion sensor, an electronic control unit and a user terminal having a display unit, the method comprising the steps of collecting cut crop from a ground surface, delivering the cut crop to the baling chamber, forming successive flakes of compacted cut crop under the action of the reciprocating plunger, the motion sensor generating a first signal indicative of a movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger, the motion sensor generating a second signal indicative of the speed of movement of the compacted crop caused by the reciprocating plunger and the motion sensor generating a third signal indicative of the amount of movement of the compacted cut crop caused by the reciprocating plunger, the electronic control unit receiving the first, second and third signals and determining a beginning and an end of a formation of an individual bale.10 The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of the electronic control unit generating a control signal for a display unit of a user terminal to communicate to an operator a progress made in creation of the forming bale.

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