Baler Eject System Coupled Plunger Cycle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural balers face inefficiencies in ejecting heavy bales at the end of a harvesting run, as existing bale-eject systems often require manual operation or wait until the next run, leading to lost time and operator discomfort.
Innovation Solution
An automatic coupling between the bale-eject system and the stuffing mechanism, where activating the bale-eject system triggers a synchronized plunger cycle to initiate bale movement, using either a mechanical cable or movement detection sensors to actuate the stuffing mechanism, ensuring bales are moved out of the chamber efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the bale-eject system is manually activated or waits until the next run to evacuate heavy bales, then the system structure remains simple, but time is lost and operator comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bale-eject system with the stuffing mechanism by coupling the shuttle assembly to the plunger mechanism. When the shuttle moves forward to eject bales, it automatically triggers the plunger to perform a stuffing cycle, creating a synergistic relationship where one mechanism assists the other without requiring separate control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables automatic bale evacuation by utilizing the existing plunger mechanism to assist the bale-eject system. The plunger automatically performs a stuffing cycle when triggered by the shuttle movement, providing self-service functionality that eliminates manual intervention and reduces operator workload.
2Reliability
If the bale-eject tines push heavy bales directly without additional assistance, then the mechanism remains simple, but the bales may not be set in motion under heavy weight conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary stuffing action by the plunger before the bale-eject tines attempt to move the bales. This preliminary action compresses the crop material and creates force that assists the tines in setting heavy bales in motion, ensuring reliable ejection even under challenging conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger performs a reverse action (stuffing movement) that counteracts the weight of heavy bales before the ejection tines engage. This preliminary anti-action prepares the crop material to provide the necessary force to overcome the inertia of heavy bales, ensuring they can be moved reliably.
3Productivity
If the plunger remains inactive during bale ejection, then energy consumption is reduced, but heavy bales cannot be evacuated at the end of a harvesting run
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger operates periodically only when needed - specifically when the shuttle assembly moves forward to eject bles at the end of a harvesting run. This periodic activation ensures high productivity during critical ejection moments while minimizing energy consumption during normal baling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts plunger operation based on the harvesting cycle phase. The plunger transitions from an inactive state during normal baling to an active state during bale ejection, optimizing energy usage by activating the mechanism only when productivity requirements demand it.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is related to an agricultural baler for producing rectangular bales, provided with a baling chamber (1) and reciprocating plunger (4), configured to move back and forth in the baling chamber (1), thereby compressing crop material and forming rectangular bales. The baler is further equipped with a stuffing mechanism (20, 20') for stuffing pre-compressed crops from a pre-compression chamber (2, 2') into the baling chamber (1), the stuffing action of said mechanism (20, 20') being synchronized with the plunger action, a bale length control system for producing bales of substantially equal length, and a bale-eject system (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) for evacuating the last bales from the chamber (1) at the end of a harvesting run. The baler of the invention is further equipped with a means (25, 30) for activating said stuffer mechanism (20, 20') automatically when the bale eject system (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) is set in motion, thereby actuating at least one cycle of the plunger action. In this way, the evacuation of the bales from the chamber (1) is initiated by said plunger action cycle, facilitating the further transport of the bales by the bale eject system (10, 11, 12, 13, 14).