Patent ID: 7140170
Filing Date: 2006-11-28
Classification: A01F

Abstract:
1. A device for determining and controlling a bale length on a pick-up baler for agricultural harvested material, the device comprising: a pick-up device; a feed channel connected to the pick-up device; a pressing channel connected to the feed channel; a conveying device arranged downstream of the pick-up device for conveying the harvested material through the feed channel into the pressing channel, wherein a conveying action for the harvested material for conveying the harvested material from the feed channel into the pressing channel is carried out by a feed stroke that is controlled based on a degree of filling of the feed channel; a pressing piston arranged within the pressing channel and movable reciprocatingly for compacting the harvested material by a pressing stroke; a tying device for tying the finished bale with tying material; at least one sensor detecting a bale growth resulting by compression of the harvested material conveyed by the feed stroke from the feed channel into the press channel and the subsequent pressing stroke, wherein the at least one sensor measures an actual length change of the bale after completion of the feed stroke and the subsequent pressing stroke of the pressing piston; an electronic evaluation device connected to the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor supplies the measured actual length change to the electronic evaluation device, wherein the measured actual length change is converted into at least one of an averaged operand and a statistical operand for determining a required number of the feed strokes for approximately reaching a preset nominal bale length, wherein, after completion of the computed nominal number of feed strokes, the binding tying device is triggered.