Patent ID: 8516957
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: A01F,B30B

Abstract:
1. An agricultural round baler comprising: a bale forming chamber defined in a space between opposing frame-supported side walls by a plurality of side-by-side continuous belts trained around a plurality of transversely elongate guide rollers including fixed rollers and at least one moveable roller, said bale forming chamber configured to form a generally spirally wound, cylindrically shaped bale of increasing diameter by motion of said plurality of belts and rotation of said plurality of guide rollers; a tension apparatus pivotally moveable between opposing empty and full positions corresponding to the diameter of the bale within said bale-forming chamber and having a return spring to bias said tension apparatus toward said empty position, said at least one moveable roller connected thereto for movement therewith; at least one non-contact distance sensor connected to a baler frame adjacent to said tension apparatus; and a sensor target movable with said tension apparatus, wherein said at least one non-contact distance sensor and said sensor target are positioned to detect a position of said tension apparatus by non-contacting measure of distance between said at least one distance sensor and a sensing location on said tension apparatus.