Patent ID: 8112202

Claim:
A control system for managing movement of a bale loading apparatus on an agricultural bale wagon through a bale loading cycle, the loading apparatus having a bale lifting arm connected at one end to a rotatable shaft and having a bale grasping mechanism connected to an opposing end of the lifting arm, the bale lifting arm angularly rotatable about an axis in a generally vertical plane between opposing first and second angular positions and having an intermediate transition angular position disposed therebetween, the grasping mechanism having a grasping position and a release position, the control system comprising: an actuator for moving the lifting arm between the first and second angular positions, said first actuator movable in opposing first and second directions, movement of said actuator in said first direction causing movement of the lifting arm toward the intermediate transition angular position, movement of said actuator in said second direction causing movement of the lifting arm away from said intermediate transition angular position; a target connected to the shaft for rotation in unison therewith; a first position sensor for detecting the rotational proximity of said target and initiating a first position signal, said first position signal having a binary first or second value, said first value occurring when said target is detected; a second position sensor angularly spaced apart in the plane of rotation from said first position sensor for detecting the rotational proximity of said target and initiating a second position signal, said second position signal having a binary first or second value, said first value occurring when said target is detected; a first actuator reversal position angularly disposed between the first lifting arm position and the intermediate transitional position; a second actuator reversal position angularly disposed between the second lifting arm position and the intermediate transitional position; and a controller programmed and configured to receive said first and second position signals and generates an actuator reversal output signal that causes the direction of movement of said actuator to be reversed when said first and said second signal values change from said first or said second position sensor detecting said target to said first and said second position sensor detecting said target thereby enabling movement of the bale lifting arm to continue in the same direction through the intermediate transition position, whereby said first and second position sensors are located relative to said target such that initiation of said actuator reversal output signal occurs in a time sufficient for said actuator movement direction to be reversed and enable uninterrupted rotation of the bale lifting arm through the intermediate transition position.