Swather Baler Intake Adjustment for Uniform Bale Shape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming round bales result in uneven bale shapes due to uneven distribution of harvested crop, which is exacerbated when a round baler is connected to a tractor via an intermediate swather, leading to delayed adjustments and incomplete swath pickup.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a tractor, swather, and round baler combination where the swather forms a swath with a center and the round baler picks it up along a transverse axis, with automatic intake adjustments to ensure uniform bale shape, using actuators and sensors to adjust the position of the swather and baler relative to each other.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the round baler is connected to the tractor via an intermediate swather, then the swather can form and deposit crop into a swath, but the adjustments are delayed and the swath pickup is incomplete resulting in uneven bale shape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the swather from the traditional tractor-mounted configuration and relocates it to the rear of the baler, extracting it from the intermediate position between tractor and baler. This allows the swather to operate independently of the tractor's positioning system, eliminating the delay in adjustments and ensuring complete swath pickup for uniform bale formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new intermediary relationship where the swather is mounted on the baler rather than the tractor, creating a direct coupling between the swath formation device and the baling device. This intermediary reconfiguration ensures that the swather and baler move as a unified system, eliminating positioning delays and ensuring precise swath pickup.
2Manufacturing precision
If the tractor drives laterally offset from the center of the swath to adjust bale size, then the bale shape can be improved, but the swather and round baler follow the tractor's track with a delay and pick up the swath again in the center
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the swather from the tractor's positioning control system and mounts it on the baler, removing the source of the delay. The swather now responds directly to the baler's position and intake requirements, enabling immediate adjustment without the time lag inherent in the tractor-mounted configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the swather-baler assembly a dynamic, adjustable unit that can independently control its position relative to the swath. The swather's mounting on the baler allows real-time adjustment of the intake position to optimize bale shape, with no delay caused by tractor positioning inertia.
3Productivity
If the swather deposits crop in a swath with thicker middle portion, then the crop distribution follows natural patterns, but the bale structure becomes uneven with faster growth in the center portion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality adjustment by enabling the swather to vary its deposition pattern across different sections of the swath. By adjusting the swather's position and intake characteristics, the system can compensate for the natural thicker middle portion of the swath, ensuring uniform crop distribution to the baler and resulting in uniform bale structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the swather pre-adjust its deposition pattern before the crop enters the baler. The swather intentionally varies its deposition to compensate for the natural thickness distribution, creating a more uniform crop distribution in advance that ensures uniform bale formation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating a combination (1) with a tractor (10), a swather (20) attached thereto as the first processing device and a round baler (40) attached to the swather (20) as the second processing device, wherein the swather (20) captures crop lying on the ground by means of processing elements (23) which are arranged on a swather frame (21) and deposits it in a depositing area (35), thereby forming a swath (55) which has a swath center (56), and wherein the swath (55) is picked up by the round baler (40) with a receiving device (45) extending along a baler transverse axis (YP) and is subsequently compressed into crop bales (60).In order to combine swath formation and further processing of harvested crops into round bales in such a way that a uniform bale shape is achieved with high efficiency, the invention provides that an automatic intake adjustment is carried out by means of an actuator setting on at least one of the processing devices (20, 40), in which a intake relative position assumed by the swath center (56) and intake device (45) relative to each other with respect to the baler transverse axis (YP) is adjusted in order to achieve a uniform structure of the harvested crop bale (60) along the baler transverse axis (YP).