Abstract:
A conveyor device for crops is presented. The conveyor device has a conveyor rotor, a conveyor channel, and a conveyor channel floor. The conveyor rotor and the conveyor channel floor are arranged at a distance to one another in such a way that the distance can be changed and that they delimit, at least partially, the conveyor channel. The distance between the conveyor channel floor and the conveyor rotor can be changed by at least one adjusting device, radial to the rotation axis of the conveyor rotor. In order to improve the quality of the flow of crops, the conveyor channel floor can be subdivided, in the direction of the rotation axis, into at least two floor segments, the distance of which to the conveyor rotor can be changed separately from one another by an adjusting device. Furthermore, a baling press with a conveyor device is disclosed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to German patent application DE 102012212846.8, filed Jul. 23, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0003]    This disclosure relates to baling presses for forming agricultural material into bales, and in particular to conveyors therefor. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0004]    Conveyor devices, in particular for crops, are used, for example, on harvesting machines, such as baling presses, and are known. With harvesting machines, such as baling presses, in particular, round baling presses, compressed agricultural material or crops are conducted from a crop pick-up device to a conveyor device that comprises a conveyor rotor, in the form of a conveyor roller, which together with a conveyor channel floor, forms a conveyor channel by means of which the crops are conveyed to a pressing chamber. The conveyor channel floor can be designed so it can be adjusted in such a way that the distance to the conveyor rotor can be decreased or increased. In this way, the conveyor channel cross section can be changed so as to avoid or prevent overload situations, which can arise by picking up too large an amount of crops on the conveyor rotor or in the conveyor device. The overload is thereby often detected on the conveyor rotor itself, by, for example, torque sensors, or also by force or pressure sensors on the conveyor channel floor or on adjustment components and used to influence or control the cross section of the conveyor channel. 
         [0005]    Such a conveyor device is disclosed, for example, in DE 198 41 598 A1, wherein the conveyor channel floor can be lowered in order to avoid overloads of the conveyor rotor and, in particular, clogging, as early as possible. To this end, torque sensors, electronically controllable means, and an electronic control unit are used to lower the conveyor channel floor as a function of a drive torque acting on the conveyor motor. A maximum drive torque, at which the control begins to intervene, so as to lower the conveyor channel floor, can be prespecified thereby by the operator. This can be disadvantageous in that upon lowering the conveyor channel s floor, the entire width of the conveyor rotor is affected so that the crops conveyed into the compressing chamber are affected over the entire width of the conveyor. A reaction to the accumulating crops, partially directed over the width of the conveyor rotor, is not possible. This can lead to density and compression differences in the flow of crops. Furthermore, the conveyance of the crops can be interrupted over a part of or the entire width if the conveyor channel floor should be lowered beyond a certain extent over the entire width. In this way, the compressing operation of the crops would be interrupted or delayed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0006]    The disclosure provides a conveyor device for a baling press which overcomes the aforementioned problems. More specifically, the disclosure concerns a conveyor device with a conveyor rotor, a conveyor channel, and a conveyor channel floor, wherein the conveyor rotor and the conveyor channel floor are arranged at a distance from one another in such a way that the distance can be changed and delimit the conveyor channel, at least to some extent, wherein the conveyor channel floor can be changed by at least one adjusting device, radial to the rotation axis of the conveyor rotor, at a distance to the conveyor rotor. 
         [0007]    In accordance with the disclosure, a conveyor device is constructed in such a manner that the conveyor channel floor is subdivided, in the direction of the axis of rotation, into at least two floor segments, which can be changed, separately from one another, by an adjusting device, at a distance from the conveyor rotor. By a subdivision of the conveyor channel floor into several floor segments, it is possible to open the conveyor channel partially, without influencing the flow of the crops over the entire width of the conveyor rotor. Thus, interruptions in the flow of crops can be avoided. Furthermore, density and compression differences in the flow of crops are minimized, both in the flow direction of crops as well as the transverse direction to it. The subdivision of the conveyor channel floor can be done in two or also in three or more floor segments, wherein, with an increasing number of floor segments, the precision of influencing a flow of crops or a flow of compressed material is increased and thus the quality of the compressing operation, in particular, in a baling press, is optimized. The conveyor channel floor and the floor segments are supported such they can move, so that a distance can be changed relative to the conveyor rotor in the radial direction. A movable support can take place, for example, via an articulation or swivel arrangement, wherein an actuation can take place, in a motor-driven manner, by any adjusting devices or actuators. To this effect, actuation devices with electrical, hydraulic, or also pneumatic actuators or adjusting elements are conceivable. 
         [0008]    The conveyor device can comprise sensors with which a load acting on the floor segments or on the conveyor motor can be detected. The sensors can thereby be designed and constructed in such a way that a load acting on the conveyor rotor or on one or more of the floor segments is detected in the form of a torque, a force or a pressure, and processed. 
         [0009]    The conveyor device can comprise sensors with which, on the one hand, a load acting on the conveyor rotor can be detected and, on the other hand, the distance of one or more floor segments to the conveyor rotor can be detected. The sensors can thereby be designed and constructed in such a way that a load acting on the conveyor rotor is detected in the form of a torque, a force or a pressure, and processed. 
         [0010]    An electronic control unit processes the load signal delivered by the sensors, evaluates it, and generates a corresponding control signal, as a function of the load signal. By means of the control signal, the actuators or adjusting elements can be correspondingly controlled and the bottom segments can be adjusted, wherein with an increasing load signal or when a prespecifiable load signal threshold is exceeded, the corresponding floor segment is opened or removed from the conveyor rotor. Conversely, the floor segment is correspondingly moved so as to be set against it and closed, or is correspondingly moved to the conveyor rotor. 
         [0011]    For each floor segment, a separate sensor can be provided. Thus, the sensor can be placed directly on the floor segment and makes possible a direct correlation via changing load conditions. Also, the combination of a load sensor on the conveyor rotor (for example, a torque sensor) with other sensors on the floor segments (for example, distance sensor) is possible and practicable. 
         [0012]    Furthermore, for each floor segment, a separate electronic control unit can be provided. The complexity of an electronic control can be kept low in this way. 
         [0013]    The actuators can be constructed as hydraulic cylinders, which can be controlled via electromagnetic control valves. However, it is also conceivable to provide electromotor adjusting means, for example, stepping motors, which are controlled directly via the electric control units. Furthermore, the actuators can also be constructed as pneumatic adjustment elements and be controlled via corresponding electromagnetic control valves. 
         [0014]    The sensors can be constructed as pressure sensors or torque sensors, so that a pressure acting on the floor segments or a load acting on the floor segments is detected. For example, a pressure sensor can detect the pressure in a hydraulic cylinder connected with the floor segment for its adjustment, which can make an immediate conclusion regarding the force bearing down on the floor segment or regarding the load condition prevailing on the floor segment. Furthermore, a torque detection is also possible with a corresponding sensor on, for example, a swivel joint of a floor segment. By the detection of the torque on the swivel joint, it is likewise possible to detect a load acting on the floor segment. 
         [0015]    Another possibility is also produced by the detection of a load acting on the conveyor rotor, for example, by a torque measurement on the conveyor rotor, in combination with distance sensors on the floor segments or the adjusting elements. Upon exceeding a preset limiting load for the conveyor rotor, the closest floor segment(s) found by the distance sensors is/are detected and correspondingly removed from the conveyor rotor until a preset load level has again been set on the conveyor rotor. Upon falling short of the aforementioned limiting load, the floor segments can again be approximated to the conveyor rotor. 
         [0016]    The number of floor segments can, of course, be increased so that three or more floor segments can also be placed. The more floor segments provided, the more precise and purposeful it becomes to detect the load conditions being established on the conveyor rotor or on the floor segments and to correspondingly react to them. 
         [0017]    A conveyor device in accordance with the type described above can, for example, be used in a baling press to convey and compress agricultural compressed material. This enables as uniform as possible a density and thus form of a bale to be compressed without, for example, the compressing operation having to be interrupted with excessively high load peaks. Furthermore, such a conveyor device can also be provided on, for example, forage harvesters or other equipment or agricultural machines that are provided with a crop pick-up device. 
         [0018]    With the aid of the drawing, which shows an example embodiment of the disclosure, the disclosure and additional advantages and advantageous refinements and developments of the disclosure are described below and explained in more detail. 
         [0019]    Still other features of the conveyor device and baling press will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a baling press with a conveyor device in accordance with the disclosure, in a side view and schematic representation, with a conveyor channel floor in a position superior to a conveyor rotor and with a hydraulic cylinder for an adjusting device; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  shows the conveyor device from  FIG. 1 , with a conveyor channel floor in a position swiveled away, in part, from the conveyor rotor; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  shows the conveyor device from  FIG. 1 , with a conveyor channel floor in a position completely swiveled away from the conveyor rotor; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a schematic representation of a hydraulic circulation for an electrohydraulically controllable adjusting device with hydraulic cylinders from  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    The following describes one or more example constructions of a baling press  10 , as shown in the accompanying figures of the drawings described briefly above. Various modifications to the example construction(s) may be contemplated by one of skill in the art. 
         [0025]    A baling press  10 , shown in  FIG. 1 , is of the usual design—that is, it has a structure  12 , a carriage  14 , a drawbar  16 , a crop pick-up device  18 , a compressing space  20 , and a conveyor device  22 . The baling press  10  is represented as a drawn baling press  10  with a compressing space  20 , which can be changed in size; it could also be a self-propelled baling press  10  and/or a compressing space  20  that is constant in size, wherein the type of compressing elements, which are not designated in more detail, is not important. The structure  12  is supported on the carriage  14  and carries the crop pick-up device  18  and the conveyor device  22  and forms the compressing space  20  between side walls, which are not designated in more detail. The carriage  14  contains a rigidly or elastically placed axle and wheels. The drawbar  16  is connected to the structure  12  so it is rigid or can swivel vertically, and is used for the connection with a towing vehicle, for example, a tractor, which is not depicted. The crop pick-up device  18  is also designated as a pick-up and is connected on the structure  12  in a height-adjustable manner, as is likewise known. The compressing space  20  has an inlet  24  for the crops on a front lower area, which connects directly to the conveyor device  22 . 
         [0026]    The conveyor device  22  can be connected rigidly or in a movable manner with the crop pick-up device  18  or the structure  12  and contains, among other things, a conveyor rotor  26 , a conveyor channel floor  28 , adjusting devices  30 , and, in this example embodiment, a hydraulic arrangement  32  for the adjusting devices  30  (see  FIG. 4 ) and a cutting device  34 . The conveyor device  22  has the task of picking up crops brought by the crop pick-up device  18  and to convey them, cut or uncut, to the compressing space  20 . Depending on the nature of the crops themselves or the density of the crop flow, there is always the danger of clogging, which is preceded by an increased pressure on the conveyor channel floor  28 . The area between the crop pick-up device  18 , the inlet  24 , the conveyor channel floor  28 , the conveyor rotor  26 , and the nondepicted side walls shows a conveyor channel  36 . 
         [0027]    The conveyor rotor  26  can be driven in both directions and has entrainers  38 , which convey the crops and press them onto blades  40  of the cutting device  34 , if such are present. In the position of the conveyor channel floor  24 , in accordance with  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the entrainers  38  extend up to close to them. 
         [0028]    The conveyor channel floor  28  extends between the crop pick-up device  18  and the inlet  24  and essentially follows the circumference of the conveyor rotor  26  to approximately one-fourth of its circumference. Whereas the drawing shows an undershot conveyor device  22 , the disclosure could be used just as well on an overshot conveyor device  22 . The conveyor channel floor  28  is subdivided, in the transverse direction to the baling press  10  or in the longitudinal direction to the conveyor rotor  26  (in the direction of the axis of rotation of the conveyor rotor  26 ), into three floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″, wherein a swivel bearing  42  is located on the floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″, each on the side of the conveyor channel floor  28 , remote from the conveyor rotor  26 , on the end area facing the crop pick-up device  18  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0029]    In this example embodiment, one finds the swivel bearing  42  on a carrier  44 . The swivel bearing  42  is used as a swiveling suspension of the individual floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ of the conveyor channel floor  28 , wherein each floor segment  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ is supported such that it can swivel around a swiveling axis  45 , located on the swivel bearing  42  (see  FIG. 4 ). Furthermore, the adjusting devices  30 , in the form of hydraulic cylinders  46 ′,  46 ″,  46 ′″, are located downstream from the swivel bearing  42 , wherein each point of articulation  48 ′,  48 ″,  48 ′″, located downstream from the swivel bearing  42 , is connected with the individual floor segment  28 ′,  28 ″  28 ′″ of the conveyor channel floor  28 . By adjusting the adjusting devices  30 , the conveyor channel bottom  28  or the floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ of the conveyor channel floor  28  can swivel on the swivel bearing  42  or rotate around the swivel axis  45 , and the conveyor channel floor  28  is thus changed in distance, essentially radial to the conveyor rotor  26 . 
         [0030]    The conveyor channel floor  28  or the floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ can be provided with slots, which are not depicted, through which the blades  40  can be extended. 
         [0031]    The adjusting devices  30  in this example embodiment are constructed with double-acting hydraulic cylinders  46 ′,  46 ″,  46 ′″, whose piston rod-side ends act on the individual points of articulation  48 ′,  48 ″,  48 ′″, whereas the piston bottom-side ends are connected to the structure  12 . The adjusting devices  30  essentially extend in a perpendicular manner and are connected to the hydraulic arrangement  32 . The hydraulic circle  32  is shown only in  FIG. 4 , solely for the sake of simplicity, but, otherwise, is always contained in this example. 
         [0032]    The hydraulic arrangement  32  is constructed in accordance with  FIG. 4 . In addition to the aforementioned hydraulic cylinders  46 ′,  46 ″,  46 ′″, it comprises a hydraulic pump  50 , a hydraulic tank  52  and control valves  54 ′,  54 ″,  54 ′″. Furthermore, the control valves  54 ′,  54 ″,  54 ′″ are connected with the hydraulic pump  50  via first hydraulic supply conduits  56 ′,  56 ″,  56 ′″ and with the hydraulic tank  52 , via second hydraulic supply conduits  58 ′,  58 ″,  58 ′″. Moreover, the hydraulic cylinders  46 ′,  46 ″,  46 ′″ are connected with the control valves  54 ′,  54 ″,  54 ′″ via a piston rod-side hydraulic conduit  60 ′,  60 ″,  60 ′″ and via a piston bottom-side hydraulic conduit  62 ′,  62 ′,  62 ′″. As control valves  54 ′,  54 ″,  54 ′″, it is possible to use electromagnetically controllable valves (for example, 2/2-control valves), wherein the use of control valves with intermediate positions or proportional valves is advantageous (but not obligatory). Pressure sensors  64 ,  64 ″,  64 ′″, which signal a pressure prevailing in the piston bottom chamber of the individual hydraulic cylinder  46 ′,  46 ″,  46 ′″, are located on the piston bottom-side hydraulic conduits  62 ′,  62 ″,  62 ′″. Moreover, the hydraulic arrangement  32  comprises an electronic control unit  66 , which is used to control the control valves  54 ′,  54 ″,  54 ′″ or to detect sensor signals and a corresponding generation of control signals. The electronic control unit  66  is connected both with the control valves  54 ′,  54 ″,  54 ′″ and also with the pressure sensors  64 ′,  64 ″,  64 ′″, via electric control conduits  68 . Furthermore, the electronic control unit  66  has a data storage unit in which corresponding control data are deposited in the form of threshold values or limiting values and control algorithms, so that a closed control loop can be implemented, which enables a regulation or control of the load conditions on the conveyor rotor  26  or on the floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″. 
         [0033]    In view of the foregoing, the result is the following function, proceeding from a normal operational state, as is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0034]    In accordance with  FIG. 1 , the conveyor channel floor  28  is in a position superior to the conveyor rotor  26 . In a case in which such a large amount of crops arrives at the conveyor channel  36  and is compressed by the conveyor rotor  26  against the conveyor channel floor that the load conditions on the conveyor rotor or on the conveyor channel floor exceed a permissible limiting load, this is pressed out by a corresponding rise in pressure in one or more of the hydraulic cylinders  46 ′,  46 ″,  46 ′″. The pressure in the hydraulic cylinders  46 ′,  46 ″,  46 ′″ is signaled by corresponding pressure signals of the pressure sensors  62 ′,  62 ″,  62 ′″. If the pressure should exceed a prespecified limiting pressure stored in the electronic control unit, then a control signal is generated, which causes a corresponding control of the control valves  54 ′,  54 ″,  54 ′″ and a readjustment of the hydraulic cylinders  46 ′,  46 ″,  46 ′″ until the aforementioned limiting pressure is again reached or until it falls short of that limiting pressure. The affected floor segment  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ (under certain circumstances, all floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″) is correspondingly moved away from the conveyor rotor  26  and moved to a position that is swiveled away or partially swiveled away, in accordance with  FIG. 2  or  3 . Depending on the crop flow, there may be an exceeding of the limiting load on the conveyor rotor  26  by a partial accumulation along a rotation axis  45 , wherein, then, a readjustment can partially take place by a corresponding control of only the floor segment  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ affected by the accumulation, so that the nonaffected area in the crop flow remains uninfluenced and, nevertheless, the load on the conveyor rotor  26  is reduced. By the control of individual floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ as a reaction to exceeding the load on the conveyor rotor  26 , density or compression differences in the crop flow are minimized. Also, an interruption and delay of the crop flow is prevented and, ultimately, the compression quality and compression performance of the baling press is improved. A corresponding increase in the number of floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ (for example, to 4, 5, or more floor segments) is likewise conceivable, wherein this effect can be reinforced even more. 
         [0035]    In another example embodiment, it is also possible to provide, for example, a torque sensor  70  (or another suitable load sensor) on the conveyor rotor  26 , in combination with distance sensors  72 ′,  72 ″,  72 ′″, instead of the pressure sensors  64 ′,  64 ″,  64 ′″ on the hydraulic conduits  62 ′,  62 ″,  62 ′″. The distance sensor  72 ′,  72 ″,  72 ′″ can be located on the floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ or on other components that are connected with them and can deliver a corresponding distance signal, for example, to the adjusting devices  30 . In this embodiment, a load signal can, via the torque sensor  70 , detect the load on the conveyor rotor and signal. The control unit  66  simultaneously detects the distances of the individual floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″. Upon exceeding the permissible limiting load, the floor segment  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ″, closest to the conveyor rotor is correspondingly controlled and removed from the conveyor rotor  26  until the load again falls short of the limiting load. Under certain circumstances, several or all of the floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ are readjusted or controlled. 
         [0036]    For both example embodiments, it is possible that when a minimal load, minimum load, or reference load on the conveyor rotor  26  (the aforementioned load sizes are correspondingly deposited in the electronic control unit) is exceeded, the floor segments  28 ′,  28 ″,  28 ′″ are also correspondingly readjusted or controlled and are moved to the conveyor rotor  26 . In this way, by regulating the load lying close to or acting on the conveyor rotor  26 , a performance optimization of the baling press can be attained, so that a maximum utilization of the baling press  10  is attained and the load on the conveyor rotor is always maintained and regulated between a minimal load and a limiting load. 
         [0037]    The foregoing detailed description describes the subject of this disclosure in one or more examples. A skilled person in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains will recognize many alternatives, modifications and variations to the described example(s). The scope of the invention is thus defined not by the detailed description, but rather by the following claims.