Patent ID: 8924091

Claim:
An apparatus for actuating a stuffer of a stuffer chute to sweep a charge of hay into a baling chamber of a hay baler, the apparatus comprising: a sensor configured to determine a pressure characteristic of a charge within a stuffer chute representative of an amount of hay in the charge; a user interface configured to receive a predetermined scheme for actuating a stuffer associated with the stuffer chute; and a controller configured to actuate the stuffer in accordance with the predetermined scheme, wherein the controller receives a present value of the pressure characteristic of the charge in the stuffer chute from the sensor and calculates an expected future value of the pressure characteristic of the charge and then determines whether the expected future value of the pressure characteristic of the charge in the stuffer exceeds a desired maximum value and actuates the stuffer to sweep the charge into the baling chamber when the expected future value of the pressure characteristic exceeds the desired maximum value and before the present value of the pressure characteristic exceeds the desired maximum value.