Patent ID: 8935979
Filing Date: 2015-01-20
Classification: A01F

Abstract:
1. A bale compaction sensing mechanism for an agricultural round baler having a bale forming chamber defined in a space between opposing frame-supported side walls and configured to form incoming crop material into a generally spirally wound, cylindrically shaped bale of increasing diameter, the sensing mechanism comprising: an elongate, slot-like aperture having an upstream end and a downstream end separated by a pair of spaced-apart side ends, the aperture being disposed in one of the side walls; and a measuring member pivotally connected to the side wall at a point laterally outside of the bale forming chamber adjacent to said upstream end and moveable between generally opposing extended and retracted positions, said measuring member having a contact edge extending distally away from said pivotal connection and partially projecting inwardly through said aperture into the bale forming chamber for contact with the bale when in said extended position, and a blocking edge extending outwardly across the distal end of said contact edge and at least partially extending into said aperture to prevent entrapment of crop material between said contact edge and the side wall, wherein a sensor mounted outside of the baling chamber is configured to detect the position of a portion of the measuring member extending outside of the bale forming chamber.