VOLUMETRIC BALING RATE MONITOR FOR ROUND BALER

A round baler for use in baling crops has a bale forming mechanism that forms a bale in a baling chamber of the round baler and a volumetric baling rate monitor that measures and displays the amount of crop material taken in by the round baler. The volumetric baling rate monitor includes a bale size sensor that generates a signal representative of a measured size of the bale in the baling chamber and a controller that receives the bale size signal from the bale size sensor over a desired period of time and calculates a volumetric baling rate from an increase in the measured size of the bale in the baling chamber over the period of time. The volumetric baling rate monitor also includes a user interface that displays the volumetric baling rate of the baler.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Turning to the figures,FIG. 1shows a round baler20for use in baling crops. The baler20may include a chassis22that is supported for travel by a pair of ground engaging wheels24(only one wheel being shown in the drawing figures). A tongue26projects forwardly from the chassis22for connection with a towing vehicle (not shown). It is noted that directional references, such as up/down, front/rear or left/right orientation, are for informational purposes with reference to the particular figures in the disclosure and are not meant as limitations on the invention. The directional references of the baler20and the baler components ofFIG. 1are made from the reference point of standing behind the baler20and looking forward in the direction of travel. The chassis22may carry a pair of upright, laterally spaced sidewalls30(only one wall being shown in the drawing figures) that cooperate to define a space within which bale-forming and bale wrapping operations may be carried out as the baler20is advanced across a field.

The sidewalls30may present stationary forward portions fixed to the chassis22and rearward portions swingably attached to forward portions at an elevated pivot31as is customary in the art. Rearward portions of the sidewalls30may cooperatively define a tailgate32that is swingable between an open discharge position (not shown), in which the tailgate32is sufficiently raised to allow a completely formed bale to be discharged from the baler20, and a closed baling position (FIG. 1), in which the bale-forming and wrapping operations are performed.

As is known in the art, the baler20includes a bale-forming mechanism34that comprises a number of rolls and belts that cooperate with the sidewalls30to define an internal baling chamber36that assumes different shapes and sizes throughout the bale-forming cycle. In one embodiment of bale-forming mechanism34as illustrated inFIG. 1, baler20comprises a plurality of laterally extending, stationary rolls, including a lower drive roll38, an upper drive roll40, and a plurality of idler rolls42,44,46,48,50,52,54,56,58,60,62, and64. It is noted that a subset of the idler rolls42-56are stationary with respect to their position relative to the baler chassis22, while another subset of the idler rolls58-64may be mounted to a swingable structure. Stationary rolls42-56are arranged between the sidewalls30in a generally circular pattern (when viewed from the left side shown inFIG. 1) for guiding a plurality of laterally spaced continuous belts66as the belts66are driven linearly during bale formation and wrapping. While the bale-forming mechanism34of the depicted embodiment is made up of idler rolls42-64and a plurality of belts66, alternative baling forming mechanisms with a single belt or different idler roll configurations could alternatively be used in a baler as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Additionally, it is contemplated that the belts66may be formed using a roller chain with slats. It is also noted that additional rolls, such as trash clearing rolls or offsetting rolls could be incorporated into the bale-forming mechanism34without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bale-forming mechanism34further includes a belt guiding or retaining assembly68having a pair of vertically swingable tensioning arms70(with only the right arm being shown inFIG. 1) located inside the baler20adjacent the sidewalls30. The tensioning arms70support a pair of idler rolls62,64in a position to directly overlie the bale during its formation within baling chamber36. In addition, the tensioning arms70are yieldably biased downwardly so that rolls62,64exert pressure against the top of the bale as it is being formed. It will be noted that belts66wrap under lower drive roll38, over relatively large idler roll56, and under idler roll54to present a pair of opposed, front and rear belt stretches72,74that cooperate with sidewalls30to define the baling chamber36.

The belts66are confined between retaining idler rolls62,64, and extend upwardly therefrom to wrap around relatively large idler roll56, whereby vertical belt stretches72,74converge toward one another as idler rolls62,64are approached. Although not illustrated in detail, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the baling chamber36consequently initially assumes a generally vertical, triangular configuration when baling chamber36is empty and tensioning arms70are in their lowermost position. When drive rolls38and40are rotated in a clockwise direction (as oriented in the illustration ofFIG. 1), front belt stretch72moves in a downward direction, while rear belt stretch74moves in an upward direction, when baling chamber36is empty at the beginning of a new bale-forming cycle.

A slack control arm assembly76located in the upper front portion of baler20includes a pair of vertically swingable arms78(with only the right arm being shown inFIG. 1). Arms78support the other pair of movable idler rolls58,60. As will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure, slack control assembly76controls the amount of slack paid out to belts66as the bale grows within baling chamber36.

Baling chamber36is open at the bottom to present a baling chamber inlet80defined generally between a starter roll82and idler roll54. Although not illustrated in detail, it will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the baler20preferably includes a pickup assembly86having a standard resilient rotary rake tine assembly for picking material10up off of the ground as the baler20moves across the field and for delivering the crop material10into the baling chamber36. Power for operating the pickup assembly86and other components of the baler20can be delivered by a drive line (not shown) associated with the tongue26. A front end of such a drive line can be adapted for connection to a power takeoff shaft (not shown) of the towing vehicle with a gearbox (not shown) coupled with the various drives for the baler components in a conventional manner, as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. Additionally, the round baler20also includes a bale wrapping mechanism which dispenses twine or other wrapping material for wrapping bales formed in the bale forming chamber as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Thus, windrowed crop material10may be fed into the baler20by the pickup assembly86and moved to the chamber inlet80by augers22or other means and fed into the bottom of the open throat bale chamber36. When in the bale chamber36, the crop material10contacts the surface of the belt stretch74which is moving upward. The forming belts66may be driven by the upper40and lower38drive rolls so that the forming belts66,74carry the crop material10to the top of the chamber36and the motion of the forming belts66,72turns the crop material10downward against the starter roll82so that a core is started and begins to roll. The crop material10may be initially formed into a small bale90(shown in dashed lines inFIG. 1) within the baling chamber36and the process continued to form an enlarged bale90′ of a desired size.

Turning also now toFIG. 2, according to the invention the bale forming mechanism34includes a volumetric baling rate monitor100that measures and displays the amount of crop material taken in by the round baler20. The volumetric baling rate monitor100includes a bale size sensor102that measures information related to the size of the bale90as it is being formed in the baling chamber36. A controller104receives this bale size information from the bale size sensor102and calculates the volumetric increase of the bale90in the baling chamber36over a desired period of time. The volumetric increase of the bale over the monitored time period is used to calculate a volumetric baling rate which is displayed on a user interface106which may be positioned in a cab of a vehicle (not shown) towing the baler20. In one embodiment, the bale size sensor102is a rotation element coaxially mounted to one end of a mounting shaft107of one of the belt tensioning arms70. The bale size sensor102produces output signals108corresponding to the rotational position of the belt tensioning arm70, which position is representative of the size of the bale90being formed within the baling chamber36. In one embodiment, the bale size sensor is a rotary hall-effect sensor and has a voltage output proportional to the radius of the bale. For example, the output signal108of the bale size sensor102has a range of 1-4V depending on the position of the belt tensioning arm70. However, one skilled in the art will understand that other bale size measuring mechanisms, such as one measuring the take up of belt66, may be used for the bale size sensors102or that the bale size sensor102may be mounted in other locations of the bale-forming mechanism34without departing from the scope of the invention.

The controller104receives output signals108from the bale size sensor102over a monitored period of time. A change in the output signals, representative of a change in the size of the bale90over the monitored period of time, is used to calculate a change in bale volume over that period of time. With the change in bale volume, the controller generates a signal110representative of the volumetric baling rate of the baler20. The controller104may be any known processor or other control device and is programmed with a computer program comprising an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions of the controller104that would be known in the art. The computer program can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, and execute the instructions. In the context of this application, a “computer-readable medium” can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer-readable medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electro-magnetic, infrared, or semi-conductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. As suitable controllers104are well known in the art, the controller104need not be described in further detail herein.

The user interface106receives the volumetric baling rate signals110from the controller104and displays a baling rate111in display112. The bale diameter113may also be displayed on the user interface106. One skilled in the art will understand that the display112can be a numerical representation in any units of volume per time, such as cubic feet per minute, or can be converted to an arbitrary scale, such as a number range from 1-10, a color scale, a bar scale or other scale, and shown as a graphical representation in display114. Alternately, the display112may display an icon when the baling rate is above or below desired maximum or minimum values. In one embodiment, warning limits could be set that would warn the operator if the volumetric baling rate was above or below certain values. In one preferred embodiment, the user interface106includes a plurality of function keys116or other inputs that permit the operator to scroll through different functions to be shown on the user interface106. The particular operation or function of each function key116may be determined by software and may be changed by the operator. For example, if the operator of the baler20desires that the maximum volumetric baling rate be 100 cfm based on the capacity of the baler20and the type and condition of crop, he could set that value in using the function keys116on the user interface106. Then if the volumetric baling rate rose above100, the user interface106would display an icon, sound a beep, change the color of a bar graph or numerical display or other warning signal to alert the operator.

By way of explanation, in one example the bale size sensor102sends output signals108to the controller104that show that the diameter of the bale90being formed in the baling chamber36grows from 55.0 inches (139.7 cm) to 56.0 inches (142.2 cm) over a two-second time interval. For a baling chamber36that is 5.0 feet (1.52 m) wide, the controller104calculates that the bale90increased in volume by 3.02 cubic feet (0.35 cubic meters) with a baling rate of 90.8 ft3/minute (CFM) (2.6 m3/minute). The volumetric rate signal110is sent to the user interface106to provide baling rate information to the operator of the baler20. However, if the amount of cut crop in the windrow gets lighter in a portion of the field and the bale grows from 55.0 to 55.4 inches in two seconds, the controller104calculates that the baling rate is 36.1 CFM (1.02 m3/minute). Of course, the values and the size of the baling chamber36are for example purposes only and are not meant to be limiting. The operator of the baler20can use the baling rate information provided in display112and/or114and the feeding capacity of the baler20for the field conditions to adjust the speed of the vehicle towing the baler20to improve baling efficiency.

The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more pertinent aspects and features of the present invention. These should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.