Abstract:
A system for ejecting a bale from a baler, wherein the ejection process is controlled by a control unit with input from various sensors and from a remote operator located on a tractor. The control unit automatically positions a chute, controls a power take-off from the tractor, depressurizes and opens a chamber door, ties the bale, selects and causes ejector teeth to project into a forming chamber to engage the bale, causes the ejector teeth to move toward a discharge outlet such that the engaged bale moves with them toward and through the discharge outlet, and determines when the bale has fully ejected from the baler. The remote operator may choose to eject only the bale or to eject the entire contents of the forming chamber, and if the former, the control unit determines the bale&#39;s length and selects a subset of the ejector teeth that corresponds to that length.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/045,291, filed Sep. 3, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to systems and methods for controlling the operation of balers. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Large square balers are used in the agricultural industry to create large substantially rectangular bales of crop material by moving over crop windrows to collect loose crop material, compress it, and form it into bales that are then tied and ejected. To that end, a baler is typically mechanically coupled with a tractor, and a power take-off (PTO) mechanism transfers power from the tractor&#39;s engine to drive the baler&#39;s operation. A rotary pick-up at the front of the baler picks up the loose crop material and moves it into a stuffer chamber. Once the stuffer chamber is full, its contents are moved through a stuffer chute into a forming chamber. A reciprocating plunger compresses the crop material in the forming chamber into a growing bale. Once the bale reaches a predetermined length, which could be eight feet, it is tied and ejected through a discharge outlet to fall onto the ground behind the baler. The process then continues to create the next bale. 
         [0004]    In some balers, the forming chamber may contain both a finished bale awaiting ejection and an unfinished bale growing adjacent to it. The growth of the unfinished bale provides a force that pushes the finished bale toward the discharge outlet. An ejector system may also be used to eject the finished bale. The ejector system includes ejector teeth that can be manually selected to project into the forming chamber to engage the finished bale. In some balers, there may be a total of sixteen teeth, each spaced eighteen inches apart from the next. The ejector teeth are secured to a carriage that is moveable in both the forward direction (i.e., away from the discharge outlet) and the rearward direction (i.e., toward the discharge outlet) within the forming chamber by a hydraulic cylinder. One or more of the ejector teeth can be manually selected to remain retracted so that they do not engage the unfinished bale. The carriage may move rearwardly and forwardly several times while pulling the finished bale out, wherein the ejector teeth are projected to engage the finished bale when the carriage is moving rearwardly and retracted when the carriage is moving forwardly to reset for another pulling stroke. 
         [0005]    When preparing to eject a bale, it is necessary to perform several operations in the proper sequence. The operator must exit the tractor and physically perform these steps, which may include manually placing a bale chute in a full-down position, manually decompressing the forming chamber, manually operating the PTO at sufficient speed to open the forming chamber to eject the bales, manually stopping the PTO, physically examining the forming chamber to determine which ejector teeth are needed to engage the finished bale but not the unfinished bale adjacent to it, manually selecting the corresponding ejector teeth, manually activating the hydraulic cylinder to move the carriage rearwardly, physically examining the discharge outlet to determine whether the bale has been ejected, and if it has not, repeatedly manually activating the hydraulic cylinder to move the carriage forwardly and then rearwardly until it has been ejected. 
         [0006]    Requiring operators to exit their tractors to perform these steps can be both inconvenient and inefficient. Furthermore, substantial time and expense are required to train operators to perform this sequence of steps correctly. For example, operators must know and remember which of the tractor&#39;s hydraulic auxiliary ports are connected to which of the baler&#39;s components, and must activate the ports and the PTO in the correct sequence to correctly position multiple baler components for ejecting the bale. Untrained, inexperienced, or inattentive operators may make mistakes during the procedure, which can result in confusion, reduced efficiency, and possible damage to the tractor, the baler, or the finished bale. For example, an operator might forget the correct sequence of steps or execute the steps slowly, or the operator might select the wrong number of ejector teeth and thereby damage the finished bale or inadvertently eject all or part of the unfinished bale. 
         [0007]    This background discussion is intended to provide information related to the present invention which is not necessarily prior art. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    Embodiments of the present invention solve the above-described and other problems and limitations by providing for the improved ejection of bales by a remote operator by substantially automating the ejection procedure based on input from various sensors and the remote operator, thereby avoiding the time required to properly train the operator in the more complex manual process, avoiding the inconvenience and inefficiency of requiring the operator to exit a tractor to physically inspect a baler and manually perform ejection procedure steps, and avoiding damage or injury that might result from performing the procedure incorrectly. The substantially automated procedure includes determining a finished bale&#39;s length and selecting the correct ejector teeth to engage the finished bale while not engaging an adjacent unfinished bale, thereby avoiding the inconvenience and inefficiency of requiring the operator to physically inspect the forming chamber and manually select the correct ejector teeth and avoiding the risks, if the operator fails to select the correct ejector teeth, of damage to the finished bale and inadvertent ejection of the unfinished bale. 
         [0009]    An embodiment of the invention is a baling system for ejecting a bale from a baler using a substantially automatic ejection procedure with input from a remote operator located on a tractor. The baler includes a forming chamber containing the bale and having a discharge outlet, a chute located adjacent to the discharge outlet, and a plurality of ejector teeth operable to selectively retract from and project into the forming chamber. The baling system may comprise the following elements. An electronic control unit is operable to receive input signals and send control signals and thereby control the ejection procedure. A bale chute sensor is operable to provide a first input signal to the control unit regarding a position of the chute, wherein the control unit determines whether the chute is in a proper chute position, and if the chute is not in the proper chute position, the control unit sends a first control signal to cause the chute to move to the proper chute position. The control unit is further operable to send a second control signal to cause one or more of the ejector teeth to project into the forming chamber to engage the bale. The control unit is further operable to send a third control signal to cause the one or more of the ejector teeth to move from a back position toward the discharge outlet, wherein this movement of the one or more of the ejector teeth engaging the bale causes the bale to move toward and through the discharge outlet and through the chute. A drop sensor is operable to provide a second input signal to the control unit regarding whether the bale has been fully ejected from the chute, and if the bale has been fully ejected from the chute, the control unit sends a fourth control signal to cause the one or more of the ejector teeth to return to the back position and stop, and if the bale has not been fully ejected from the chute, the control unit sends the fourth control signal to return the one or more of the ejector teeth to the back position and then resends the third control signal. 
         [0010]    In various implementations of this embodiment, the baling system may further include any one or more of the following additional features. The tractor may include a power take-off connected to the baler, and the baler may further include a chamber door operable to selectively cover the discharge outlet, and the system may further include a power take-off speed sensor operable to provide a third input signal to the control unit regarding a speed of the power take-off, wherein the control unit determines whether the power take-off speed is sufficient to release a pressure on the chamber door, and if the power take-off speed is not sufficient, the control unit sends a fifth control signal to the tractor to increase the power take-off speed, and when the power take-off speed is sufficient, the control unit sends a sixth control signal to release the pressure on and open the chamber door. The baling system may further include a chamber door position sensor operable to provide a fourth input signal to the control unit regarding a position of the chamber door, wherein the control unit determines whether the chamber door is in a proper door position, and if the chamber door is in the proper door position, the control unit sends a seventh control signal to stop the power take-off. The control unit may be further operable to receive a third input signal from the remote operator regarding whether to eject only the bale or to eject an entire contents of the forming chamber, and to select the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth based on the third input signal. The baler may further include one or more bale length sensors located along an interior surface of the forming chamber and operable to provide a third input signal to the control unit regarding a length of the bale, and wherein the control unit is further operable to select the one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth to project into the forming chamber to engage the bale based on the length of the bale. The baler may further include a tying mechanism located at least partially in the forming chamber and operable to tie the bale prior to ejection, and the control unit is further operable to receive a third input signal from the remote operator regarding whether to tie the bale prior to ejection and to send a fifth control signal to activate the tying mechanism. 
         [0011]    Additionally, each of these implementations and embodiments may be alternatively characterized as methods based on their functionalities. 
         [0012]    This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the present invention, and is not intended to be used to limit the scope of the claims. These and other aspects of the present invention are described below in greater detail. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional elevation view of a baling system constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional elevation view of the baling system of  FIG. 1  showing components engaged in a first stage of a bale-forming process; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is cross-sectional elevation view of the components of  FIG. 2  engaged in a second stage of the bale-forming process; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional elevation view of the components of  FIG. 2  engaged in a third stage of the bale-forming process; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional elevation view of the components of  FIG. 2  engaged in a fourth stage of the bale-forming process in which a bale is ejected from the baler; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional plan view of an implementation of a bale length sensor component of the baling system of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of method steps performed by the baling system of  FIG. 1  in ejecting the bale; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a flow diagram of substeps included in one of the steps of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
       [0022]    The figures are not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments they depict. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention references the accompanying figures. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those with ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. The following description is, therefore, not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0024]    In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are not mutually exclusive unless so stated. Specifically, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, particular implementations of the present invention can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein. 
         [0025]    Broadly characterized, the present invention provides for the improved ejection of bales by a remote operator by substantially automating the ejection procedure based on input from various sensors and the remote operator, thereby avoiding the time required to properly train the operator in the more complex manual process, avoiding the inconvenience and inefficiency of requiring the operator to exit a tractor to physically inspect a baler and manually perform the ejection procedure steps, and avoiding damage or injury that might result from performing the procedure incorrectly. The substantially automated procedure includes determining a finished bale&#39;s length and selecting the correct ejector teeth to engage the finished bale while not engaging an adjacent unfinished bale, thereby avoiding the inconvenience and inefficiency of requiring the operator to physically inspect the forming chamber and manually select the correct ejector teeth and avoiding the risks, if the operator fails to select the correct ejector teeth, of damage to the finished bale and inadvertent ejection of the unfinished bale. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , an embodiment of the baling system  10  is operable to receive loose crop material  12  and form it into a substantially rectangular finished bale  14 . The baling system  10  may broadly comprise a tractor  16  and a baler  18 . The tractor  16  may include a cab  20  wherein the remote operator of the baler  18  is located; an electronic display  22  located in the cab  20  and operable to display information to and receive input from the remote operator; an engine  24  operable to move the tractor  16 ; a PTO  26  operable to transfer mechanical power from the engine  24  to the baler  18  or other connected machinery; first and second hydraulic auxiliary ports  28   a ,  28   b  operable to transfer hydraulic power to the baler  18  or other connected machinery. The baler  18  may broadly comprise a frame  32  mechanically coupled with the tractor  16 ; a loose crop material receiving component  34 ; a forming chamber  36 ; a plunger  38 ; a plurality of ejector teeth  40 ; an ejector carriage  42 ; a bale chute  44 ; a bale chute position sensor  46 ; a PTO speed sensor  48 ; a chamber door sensor  50 ; one or more bale length sensors  52 ; a bale drop sensor  54 ; an ejection position sensor  56 ; and an electronic control unit (ECU)  58 . 
         [0027]    The loose crop material receiving component  34  may include an arbor component operable to pick up the loose crop material  12  from the ground, a cutter component operable to cut the collected loose crop material  12 , and a feeder component operable to feed the loose crop material  12  into a stuffer chute  62  connected to the forming chamber  36 . 
         [0028]    The forming chamber  36  is operable to receive loose crop material  12  from the stuffer chute  62  via a stuffer chute inlet  64 , and hold the loose crop material  12  as it is compressed into a growing unfinished bale  66  located adjacent to the finished bale  14 . The forming chamber  36  may be substantially rectangular in shape to facilitate the compression and forming process. The forming chamber  36  may include a discharge outlet  70  through which the finished bale  14  is ejected, and a chamber door  72  which selectively covers the discharge outlet  70  and against which the loose crop material  12  is compressed during the formation of the bale  14 . 
         [0029]    The plunger  38  is operable to compress the loose crop material  12  into the unfinished bale  66  by moving within the forming chamber  36  in a reciprocating manner. More specifically, the plunger  38  repeatedly extends into the forming chamber  36  to compress the loose crop material already present therein, and retracts to allow additional loose crop material to enter via the stuffer chute inlet  64 . 
         [0030]    In one implementation, a tying mechanism  74  extends at least partially into the forming chamber  36  and is operable to tie the finished bale  14  prior to ejection from the forming chamber  36  so that it retains its substantially rectangular shape after ejection. 
         [0031]    The plurality of ejector teeth  40  are each operable to selectively project into the forming chamber  36  to engage both the finished and the unfinished bales  14 ,  66  or to engage only the finished bale  14 , and to selectively retract from the forming chamber  36  so as not to engage the finished and the unfinished bales  14 ,  66  or so as not to engage only the unfinished bale  66 . The initial locations of the ejector teeth  40  may be fixed relative to the position of the bale  14  and preprogrammed into a non-volatile memory that is accessible by the ECU  58 , or may be variable relative to the position of the bale  14  and determined by, e.g., one or more tooth-locating sensors. 
         [0032]    The ejector carriage  42  is operable to support the ejector teeth  40  and to move forwardly and rearwardly within the forming chamber  36 , wherein the ejector carriage  42  moves rearwardly to an eject position with one or more of the ejector teeth  42  projecting into the forming chamber  36  to pull the bale  14  toward the discharge outlet  70  for ejection, and moves forwardly to a rest or back position with all of the ejector teeth  40  retracted to reset before moving rearwardly again with the one or more of the ejector teeth  40  projecting. A hydraulic cylinder  76  coupled with the tractor&#39;s first hydraulic auxiliary port  28   a  may drive the movement of the ejector carriage  42 . 
         [0033]    The bale chute  44  may be located behind the discharge outlet  70  and operable to guide the ejecting bale  14  out of the forming chamber  36 . The bale chute  44  may be selectively moveable between a down position during the ejection procedure and an up position for stowage, and this movement may be driven by a hydraulic mechanism coupled with the tractor&#39;s second hydraulic auxiliary port  28   b.    
         [0034]    The bale chute position sensor  46  may be located near or on the bale chute  44  and operable to determine or provide information to the ECU  58  for determining the position of the bale chute  44 , including whether the bale chute  44  is in proper position to receive the bale  14 . The PTO speed sensor  48  may be located near or on the PTO  26  and operable to determine or provide information to the ECU  58  for determining the speed of the PTO  26 , including whether the PTO speed is sufficient to accomplish certain actions and whether the PTO  26  has stopped. The chamber door sensor  50  may be located near or on the chamber door  72  and operable to determine or provide information to the ECU  58  for determining the position of the chamber door  72  including whether the chamber door  72  is sufficiently open to eject the bale  14 . 
         [0035]    The one or more bale length sensors  52  are located along an interior surface of the forming chamber  36  and operable to determine or provide information to the ECU  58  for determining the length of the bale  14  and, in particular, to determine the position of a forward face of the bale  14 , i.e., the face that is opposite the discharge outlet  70  and adjacent to the unfinished bale  66  and that therefore marks the end of the bale  14  and the approximate beginning of the unfinished bale  66 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , in one implementation each sensor bale length sensor  40  may include an encoder  78  attached to a wheel  80  having multiple projections  82  around its periphery. The projections  82  engage the bale  14  and turn the wheel  80  as the bale  14  moves through the forming chamber  36 , and the encoder  78  translates this turning motion into electronic signals that can be used to determine the position of the bale  14 . The encoder  78  may be, for example, a quadrature encoder or an optical encoder having dual rotating discs and a photo receiver. If the encoder  78  is a quadrature encoder, then, for example, there may be 1000 pulses per one turn of the wheel  80 . In this way, the length of the bale  14  is known, including where it starts and where it ends within the forming chamber  36 . In one implementation, when the bale  14  is tied by the tying mechanism  74 , the encoder  78  is reset to zero. 
         [0036]    The bale drop sensor  54  may be located on or near the rear of the baler  18  and operable to determine or provide information to the ECU  58  for determining whether the ejecting bale  14  has fully exited the baler  18 . The ejection position sensor  56  may be located on or near the ejector carriage  42  and operable to determining or provide information to the ECU  58  for determining the position of the ejector carriage  42 . 
         [0037]    The ECU  58  may be operable to receive input signals from the remote operator via the tractor&#39;s electronic display  22  and from the various sensors  46 ,  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and provide output signals to the electronic display  22  and various components of the bale ejection system  10  to substantially automatically control the bale ejection procedure. To that end, the electronic display  22  may be in bi-directional communication with the ECU  58 , and a graphical user interface (GUI) may be presented on the electronic display  22  to facilitate providing output to and receiving input from the remote operator located in or on the tractor  16 . 
         [0038]    In operation, the baling system  10  may function as follows to eject the bale  14 . Throughout this procedure, the operator of the tractor  16  is able to remain in or on the tractor  16  and is therefore considered a remote operator of the baler  18 . The bale ejection procedure begins with the forming chamber  36  containing the finished bale  14 , which is ready for ejection, and the adjacent unfinished bale  66 , and the remote operator uses the GUI presented on the electronic display  22  to provide input to the ECU  58  to initiate ejecting the bale  14 . The remote operator may also choose whether to tie the bale  14  prior to its ejection. Upon receipt of the initiation signal, the ECU  58  checks the bale chute position sensor  46  to determine whether the bale chute  44  is in the proper down position to receive the bale  14 , as shown in step  100 . If the bale chute sensor  46  indicates that the bale chute  44  is not in the proper down position, then the ECU  58  sends a signal to the tractor  16  to activate the second hydraulic auxiliary port  28   b  to move the bale chute  44  into the proper down position, shown in step  102 . Once the bale chute position sensor  46  indicates that the bale chute  44  is in the down position, the ECU  58  sends a signal to the tractor  16  to deactivate the second hydraulic auxiliary port  28 b and thereby halt the movement of the bale chute  44 . If the remote operator selected that the bale  14  be tied, then the ECU  58  sends a signal to the tying mechanism  74  to tie the bale  14 , as shown in step  104 . 
         [0039]    In one implementation, the ECU  58  sends a signal to the tractor  16  to control the PTO speed for opening the forming chamber  36 . More specifically, the ECU  58  checks the PTO speed sensor  48  to determine whether the PTO speed is sufficient to release the pressure on the chamber door  72 , as shown in step  106 . If the PTO speed is not sufficient, the ECU  58  sends a signal to the tractor  16  to set the PTO speed at a sufficient level, as shown in step  108 . When the PTO speed is sufficient, the ECU  58  sends a signal to release the pressure on and open the chamber door  72 , as shown in step  110 . The ECU  58  checks the chamber door sensor  50  to determine whether the chamber door  72  is sufficiently open, as shown in step  112 . If the chamber door is  72  not sufficiently open, the ECU  58  sends a signal to continue opening the door chamber  72 , as shown in step  114 . Once the chamber door  72  is sufficiently open, the ECU  58  sends a signal to the tractor  16  to stop the PTO  26 . In a second implementation, the ECU  58  does not control the PTO speed, but rather proceeds to the next step in the procedure. 
         [0040]    At this stage, all of the ejector teeth  40  are in their retracted states. The ECU  58  causes one or more of the plurality of ejector teeth  40  to project into the forming chamber  36 , as shown in step  116 . Referring also to  FIG. 8  which shows this process in more detail, the remote operator provides input to the ECU  58  regarding a preferred ejection mode: A first mode in which all of the contents of the forming chamber  36  are ejected or a second mode in which only the finished bale  14  nearest to the discharge outlet  70  is ejected, as shown in step  200 . If the remote operator selects the first mode, then the ECU  58  sends a control signal to cause all of the ejector teeth  40  to project into the forming chamber  36  so as to engage all of its contents, as shown in step  202 . If the remote operator selects the second mode, the ECU  58  uses data provide by the bale length sensors  52  to determine which subset of the ejector teeth  40  correspond to the position of the finished bale  14 , as shown in step  204 , and sends a signal to cause only those ejector teeth  40  to project into the forming chamber  36  and engage only the finished bale  14 , as shown in step  206  (and also illustrated in  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0041]    Referring again to  FIG. 7 , the ECU  58  sends a signal to the tractor  16  to activate the first hydraulic auxiliary port  28   a  to cause the hydraulic cylinder  76  to extend the ejection carriage  42 , as shown in step  118 . As the ejector carriage  42  extends, the ejector teeth  40  pull the bale  14  toward and through the discharge outlet  70  and onto the bale chute  44 . When the ejector carriage  42  reaches its fully extended position, the ECU  58  sends a signal to cause the ejector teeth  40  to retract, and then sends a signal to the tractor  16  to activate the first hydraulic auxiliary port  28   a  to retract the ejector carriage  42  to its back position, as shown in step  120 . The ECU  58  checks the bale drop sensor  54  to determine when the bale  14  has fully exited the baler  18 , as shown in step  122 , and, if it has not, the ECU  58  causes the ejector teeth  40  to again project into the forming chamber  36  and returns to step  118 . When the ECU  58  determines that the bale  14  has been fully ejected, and when the ejector position sensor  56  indicates that the ejector carriage  42  is at the fully retracted position, the ECU  58  sends a signal to the tractor  16  to deactivate the first hydraulic auxiliary port  28   a.    
         [0042]    Throughout the ejection procedure, the ECU  58  may set time limits for receiving expected sensor inputs which trigger the next step in the sequence. If an expected sensor input is not received within the given time limit for that sensor, then the ECU  58  may communicate a warning signal to the tractor&#39;s electronic display  22  and may exit the procedure. The ECU  58  may pause at one or more points in the procedure and wait for input from the remote operator via the electronic display  22  before proceeding to the next step in the sequence. 
         [0043]    Thus, the present invention provides advantages over the prior art, including that it provides for the improved ejection of bales by the remote operator by substantially automating the ejection procedure based on input from sensors and the remote operator, thereby avoiding the time required to properly train the operator in the more complex manual process, avoiding the inconvenience and inefficiency of requiring the operator to exit a tractor to physically inspect a baler and manually perform ejection procedure steps, and avoiding damage or injury that might result from performing the procedure incorrectly. The substantially automated procedure includes determining a finished bale&#39;s length and selecting the correct ejector teeth to engage the finished bale while not engaging an adjacent unfinished bale, thereby avoiding the inconvenience and inefficiency of requiring the operator to physically inspect the forming chamber and manually select the correct ejector teeth and avoiding the risks, if the operator fails to select the correct ejector teeth, of damage to the finished bale and inadvertent ejection of the unfinished bale. 
         [0044]    Although the invention has been described with reference to the one or more embodiments illustrated in the figures, it is understood that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.