WEIGHING DEVICE AND HARVESTING EQUIPMENT

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a wrapping device with a weighing device for detecting the weight force of a compressed bale on a roller.

[0002] Weighing devices for measuring the weight of a compressed bale are known. Such weighing devices are complex, require additional components, and / or are exposed to environmental influences or must be protected from environmental influences by protective devices. For example, DE-A1-10241215 discloses a round baler with a weighing device for measuring the weight of compressed round bales, which is configured to measure the force exerted by a round bale on a support element located in the baling chamber of the round baler. For this purpose, the weighing device comprises a measuring cell arranged between the support element and a frame of the round baler.EP 3 106 020 A1 discloses a round baler with a baling chamber, a roller rotatably supported on the frame of the round baler and otherwise essentially immobile during bale formation, which interacts directly or indirectly with the bale, and a sensor for detecting the size of a bale formed in the baling chamber. The sensor is configured to detect the supporting force with which the roller rests against the frame.

[0003] The object underlying the invention is seen as being to provide an enclosure device by which the aforementioned disadvantages are overcome.

[0004] The problem is solved according to the invention by the teaching of claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

[0005] According to the invention, a wrapping device for encasing a compressed bale with a wrapping material, for example, in the form of a net or a film, is proposed. The wrapping device comprises at least one roller for supporting a compressed bale and a weighing device for detecting the weight force of the compressed bale on the roller, and with at least one weighing element, wherein the weighing element is integrated into a bearing arrangement of the roller. The weighing element extends from the support flange into a hollow interior of the roller and is received inside the roller by a bearing that supports the roller.

[0006] If the weighing device is integrated into a bearing unit of the roller, this allows for a compact design. The roller can be, for example, a support roller, a bearing roller, and / or a drive roller, which may be designed, for instance, to support, hold, move, and / or drive the compressed bale on the wrapping device for encasing a compressed bale with a covering material, such as netting or film, or on a combination device consisting of a baler and a wrapping device, as used, for example, in agricultural and industrial applications. The compressed bale can be in direct contact with the roller or interact with it indirectly, for example, by resting on one or more belts and / or chains that encircle the roller or two or more such rollers.The weighing device can be mounted on or interact with one or more rollers. Likewise, one or more storage devices and / or weighing instruments can be provided.

[0007] If the weighing device has a bearing pin and / or is designed as a bearing pin, this contributes to a compact design. The weight of the compressed bale can thus be measured as directly as possible at a component subjected to the load of that weight. Preferably, the weighing device or the bearing pin has at least one sensor, in particular a Hall sensor, or is designed as such. This can also reduce the number of components, promote a compact design, and / or enable direct measurement of the weight. Alternatively to the design as a bearing pin, it is also conceivable that the weighing device has an axle or shaft and / or is designed as an axle or shaft, which preferably supports the roller or around which the roller is rotatably arranged.In particular, the use and / or design as a Hall sensor simplifies the combination of a bearing function with a measuring or sensor function. A Hall sensor utilizes the Hall effect to measure magnetic fields. For this purpose, the Hall sensor can have at least one magnet that moves depending on the load state of the weighing device or the bearing pin. This can change the magnetic flux density, resulting in an electrical signal that can be transmitted, for example, to a control or regulating device for evaluation and / or to control or regulate one or more functions of the harvesting equipment accordingly.

[0008] Preferably, the weighing device is mounted at one end in a support flange that can be connected to a frame of the casing device, thus ensuring a secure connection between the weighing device and the frame, which contributes to stable mounting of the roll. The weighing device is therefore housed and mounted inside the roll, protecting it and its mounting from environmental influences such as moisture, dust, or crop material.

[0009] It is conceivable to mount the roller in a fixed position. However, particularly for receiving and / or driving a rotating bale, or to adapt to the circumference of the bale, the roller can be designed to rotate around the bearing and / or the weighing device.

[0010] In some applications it may be advantageous to provide a sleeve which is preferably mounted to the support flange in a rotationally fixed manner together with the weighing device, and through which the weighing device can extend.

[0011] An overload protection device can help protect the weighing device or the bearing pin from excessive loads, such as those caused by particularly heavy bales. Such an overload protection device can be designed, in particular, to connect the roller to the support flange, at least temporarily and / or partially, in the event of an overload, so that the weighing device or the bearing pin bears no load or only a portion of it.

[0012] For this purpose, a gap can be provided between the bearing pin and the sleeve, which is reduced in the event of an overload so that the weighing device comes into contact with the sleeve, particularly with frictional engagement. This can be particularly advantageous in applications where rotation of the roller should be possible, at least substantially, even in the event of an overload, for example, a roller in or on the compression chamber of a baler. Alternatively or additionally, a gap can be provided between the roller and the support flange, which is reduced in the event of an overload so that the roller comes into contact with the support flange directly or indirectly, particularly with frictional engagement. Such a design can be advantageous if rotation of the roller cannot be guaranteed in the event of an overload, for example, because this does not restrict, or only slightly restricts, the function of the harvesting device.

[0013] In particular, the roller is suitable for supporting a compressed bale, especially in or on a harvesting device.

[0014] The harvesting device may have one or more weighing devices. The weighing device may be designed to determine the weight of a compressed bale held on the wrapping device. For this purpose, the weighing device may be arranged, for example, on or adjacent to a receiving device or on a transport device for transferring a compressed bale from a first position, such as the pressing chamber of a baler, to a second position, such as on or in a wrapping device. In the case of a combined device comprising a pressing chamber and a wrapping device, it is conceivable that a weighing device is provided both in or on the pressing chamber and in or on the wrapping device. Alternatively, it may be provided that a weighing device is located either in or on the pressing chamber or in or on the wrapping device.A pressed bale can be, in particular, a bale made of harvested crops. However, it is also conceivable that the pressed bale consists of waste, paper, fabric, cotton, tobacco, etc.

[0015] It is particularly advantageous if the compressed bale is supported, at least approximately, exclusively on the roller at the time a weight force of the compressed bale is measured.

[0016] Based on the drawing, which shows three embodiments of the invention, the invention as well as further advantages and advantageous developments of the invention and embodiments of the invention are described and explained in more detail below.

[0017] It shows: Fig. 1 a schematic side view of a harvesting device designed in the manner of a baler with a wrapping device, Fig. 2 an enlarged view of a roller of a receiving device of the wrapping device, Fig. 2a an enlarged view of area A from Figure 2 ,

[0018] In the Figure 1 A harvesting device 10 in the form of an agricultural baler for pressing a round cylindrical bale 12 is shown, which has a frame 14 that is supported on a base 18 by means of wheels 16 and which can be connected to a towing vehicle not shown, e.g. a farm tractor, by means of a drawbar 20.

[0019] On a lower side of the frame 14, at the front in a forward direction of travel, there is a receiving device 22 for receiving and feeding harvested material, which conveys cut harvested material via an inlet 24 into a pressing chamber 26.

[0020] Additionally, the harvesting device 10 has a wrapping device 28 for wrapping a compressed bale 12 formed in the baler with a wrapping material 30, for example, a film. The wrapping device 28 has a frame 32, a wrapping table or receiving device 34 for receiving the bale 16 to be wrapped, and wrapping arms 36 which can be set in motion by means of a suitable drive (not shown) to wrap the compressed bale 12 with the wrapping material 30.

[0021] The receiving device 34 in turn has two rollers 38, one of which is in the Figure 2The enlarged figure shows the components that support the press bale 12 during its transfer from the press chamber 26 to its wrapping position on the wrapping device 28 and / or during the wrapping of the bale 12 with wrapping material 30, or that interact with a belt 44 wound around the rollers 38 or around a hollow cylinder 42 which at least substantially defines a lateral surface 40 of the rollers 38. The hollow cylinder 42 can be made in a known manner from a metallic material, for example, a sheet metal material, or from another suitable material, for example, a plastic.

[0022] It will now also be applied to the Figure 2a Referring to, in which a in the Figure 3 The left-hand area, designated A, of one of the rollers 38 is shown enlarged. In the following, only this area is referred to, while a right-hand area, in Figure 2The area also shown is designed accordingly according to the present embodiment. As shown in the illustration, the roller 38 is attached at its left-hand end 46 to the frame 32 of the enclosure 28 via a bearing assembly 48 with a support flange 50 and a bearing pin 52. The bearing assembly 48 also includes a weighing device 54a, which is described in more detail below. According to the illustrated embodiment, a weighing device 54a is also provided in the right-hand area, as is the second roller 38. However, it is entirely conceivable that only one of the rollers 38 interacts with a weighing device 54a, either on one side or on both sides.

[0023] Inside 56 of the hollow cylinder 42, two essentially disc-shaped webs 58, 60, each with a central circular opening 62, 64, are firmly connected to the hollow cylinder 42, wherein the web arranged in the end region 46 of the roller 38 or of the hollow cylinder 42 is hereinafter referred to as the limiting web 58 and the web arranged further inside 56 of the hollow cylinder 46 with respect to the limiting web 58 is referred to as the bearing web 60.

[0024] The bearing pin 52, which is fixedly mounted in the support flange 50, extends from the support flange 50 into the interior 56 of the hollow cylinder 42. The support flange 50, in turn, extends through the opening 62 in the limiting web 58 such that a gap 66 is provided between the bearing pin 52 and the limiting web 58 at least when no press bale 12 is being picked up by the rollers 38. An end region 68 of the bearing pin 52 opposite the support flange 50 carries a bearing 70 in the form of a rolling or ball bearing, which is received by the opening 64 in the bearing web 60 such that the hollow cylinder 42 or the roller 38 can rotate about the bearing pin 52 and the roller 38 is supported on the bearing pin 52 via the bearing 70.

[0025] To determine the weight force of a press ball 12 received or supported by the roller 38 or by the belt 44 wound around it, the bearing pin 52 is designed as a weighing device 72, which is suitable for determining a weight force or load acting on the bearing pin 52. For this purpose, the bearing pin 52 has a sensor 74, which is preferably designed in the form of a known Hall sensor. A transducer 78 is provided in a head region 76 of the bearing pin 52, which transmits values ​​received by the sensor 70 to a control unit (ECU), which is only shown in outline.

[0026] In normal operation, the weight of a bale 12 supported directly or indirectly on the rollers 40 is absorbed via the hollow cylinders 42, the bearing blocks 60, and the bearings 70 around which the rollers 38 rotate. The bearings 70, in turn, transmit the forces to the bearing pin 52, where the sensor(s) 74 detect the corresponding load. The limiting blocks 58 are not in contact with the bearing pin 52. If an overload situation occurs, for example, if the bale 12 being supported exceeds a permissible weight, which can happen, for instance, with very moist crops, the bearing pin 52 deforms in such a way that it eventually comes into partial or complete contact with the limiting block 58. As a result, the weight is no longer fully supported by the bearing pin(s) 52, but is at least partially transmitted via the limiting blocks 58 to the support flange 50.If the bearing bolt 52 rests against the support flange 50, rotation of the roller 38 is limited and, if necessary, prevented.

Claims

1. Wrapping device for wrapping a pressed bale with a wrapping material (30), for example of the net or film type, having at least one roller (38, 86, 94) for supporting a pressed bale, and one weighing device (54a, 54b, 54c) for detecting the weight force of the pressed bale (12) on the roller (38, 86, 94), having at least one weighing means (72), wherein the weighing means (72) is integrated into a bearing device (48) of the roller (38, 86, 94), characterized in that the weighing means (72) extends from a supporting flange (50) into a hollow interior (56) of the roller (38, 86, 94) and is received in the interior (56) of the roller (38, 86, 94) by a bearing (70) supporting the roller (38, 96, 94).

2. Wrapping device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the weighing means (72) has a bearing pin (52) and / or is configured as such, and / or the weighing means (72), or the bearing pin (52), has at least one sensor (74), which is in particular a Hall sensor.

3. Wrapping device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the weighing means (72) is received at one end in a rotationally fixed manner in the supporting flange (50), which is connectable to a frame (14, 30) of the wrapping device.

4. Wrapping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller (38, 96, 94) is provided to be rotatable about the bearing device (48) and / or the weighing means (72).

5. Wrapping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a sleeve (88) is provided, which, together with the weighing means (72), is received in a rotationally fixed manner by the supporting flange (50), and through which the weighing means (72) extends.

6. Wrapping device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that means are provided, which, at least in the case of an overload, connect the roller (38, 96, 94) directly or indirectly to the supporting flange (50) at least temporarily and / or regionally, in particular in a force-fitting manner.

7. Wrapping device according to Claim 6, characterized in that, between the bearing pin (52) and the sleeve (88), a gap (90) is provided, which is reduced in the case of an overload such that the weighing means (72) comes to bear in particular in a force-fitting manner on the sleeve (88), or in that, between the roller (38, 86, 94) and the supporting flange (50), a gap (66) is provided, which is reduced in the case of an overload such that the roller (38, 86, 94) comes to bear directly or indirectly on the supporting flange (50), in particular in a force-fitting manner.

8. Wrapping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller (38, 86, 94) is suitable for supporting a pressed bale (12) in or on a harvesting appliance (10).

9. Wrapping device according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the pressed bale (12) is supported at least approximately only on the roller (38, 86, 94) at least at the time at which a weight force of the pressed bale (12) is sensed.