Patent ID: 7404280

Claim:
A bagging machine for bagging agricultural, compost, or other materials into an elongate bag for storage and/or composting, the elongate bag having an open end and a closed end, the bagging machine comprising: a mobile frame having a forward end and a rearward end; a material forming enclosure operatively coupled to the mobile frame adjacent the rearward end thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom, wherein the material forming enclosure is adapted to receive an open end of an elongate bag; a material packing apparatus adapted to move loose material into the material forming enclosure and into the elongate bag; wherein the bagging machine is adapted to move forward as the loose material is packed into the bag against the closed end thereof; a hopper adapted to receive loose material and direct the loose material to the material packing apparatus; and a packing density measurement system including an anchor assembly and a force measurement assembly; wherein the anchor assembly includes at least one drag member adapted to be operatively coupled to the bagging machine and to extend rearwardly beneath at least a portion of the bag to frictionally engage a ground surface over which the bagging machine moves during operation and to resist forward movement of the bagging machine; and wherein the force measurement assembly is operatively coupled to the anchor assembly and adapted to measure the anchoring force applied to the bagging machine.