Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/333,669, filed Jul. 17, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present disclosure generally relates to crop harvesting systems. More particularly this disclosure relates to crop harvesting systems employing a harvester and an accumulator for accumulating crop. Specifically, the disclosure relates to such a system wherein a virtual trip line is provided for depositing crop material at predetermined location(s). 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0003]    One recognized problem with agricultural baling using round and/or square balers is that bales are typically discharged from the baler onto the field in a random fashion. This requires an operator to subsequently drive all over the field to collect the bales and relocate them to the final storage location. This approach is time consuming; it can cause additional soil compaction, potential crop damage, and excessive wear on the transport equipment. 
         [0004]    Bale accumulators have been used to gather bales together in batches. When the accumulator is full, it is common to dump the harvested crop in the location where it is full. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0005]    In one embodiment, a method for discharging a harvested crop from a crop accumulator is disclosed. At least one virtual trip line is established using a Global Positioning System (“GPS”) unit, a laser sender and receiver, a buried wire, a light beam sender and receiver, a sonar sender and receiver, or other device. A harvest operation is commenced. The harvested crop is transferred to the crop accumulator. It is communicated that at least one of the virtual trip line is being approached, the virtual trip line is being crossed, and the virtual trip line has been crossed. A discharge system of the crop accumulator is actuated in response to the communication to discharge a portion of the harvested crop or all of the harvested crop. The harvested crop is deposited on the virtual trip line, adjacent to the virtual trip line, in a zone defined by a predetermined distance from the virtual trip line, or outside of a zone defined by a predetermined distance from the virtual trip line. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment, a harvester and a crop accumulator combination is disclosed. The harvester is configured to transfer a harvested crop to the crop accumulator. The crop accumulator comprises at least one actuator to selectively discharge the harvested crops onto a field. A GPS unit is configured with at least one virtual trip line. An Electronic Control Unit (“ECU”) is in communication with the GPS unit. The ECU is configured to selectively command the actuator of the crop accumulator to discharge harvested crop onto the field when the ECU receives a signal from the GPS unit when the virtual trip line is being approached, the virtual trip line is being crossed, or the virtual trip line has been crossed. 
         [0007]    In general a virtual trip line system is provided for automatically or manually activating a bale accumulator whenever the virtual trip line is crossed. The system consists of a GPS unit and an ECU that is coupled to the actuators that are used to tilt the accumulator cradle for dumping the bales. With this system, the operator defines a virtual trip line using a GPS unit and the GPS system then generates a ‘virtual trip line’ in the field. Every time the tractor/baler/accumulator combination drives across the virtual trip line, the accumulator can be automatically actuated to dump all of the bales it has stored on it or alternatively an alarm is activated to allow the operator to manually actuate the accumulator when the virtual trip line is crossed. The end result is that the bales are deposited in a row that corresponds to the virtual trip line and yet the tractor/baler/accumulator does not have to be operated in a straight line but can follow a windrow as needed. Software can input the virtual trip line based on topography or other factors (e.g., soil compaction, predicted crop yield, actual crop yield). 
         [0008]    Virtual trip lines can be of various widths. An operator can drop harvested crop on either side of a virtual trip line in order to park a truck in the middle of the virtual trip line and load from either side. A virtual trip line width range of 0-50 feet typically works well for trucks loading hay. Ranges above 60 feet work well for larger vehicles. Virtual trip lines can also be spaced at intervals based on actual crop yields or predicted crop yields. 
         [0009]    While the embodiment described in detail below relates to a round baler and bale accumulator combination it is contemplated that the virtual trip line can be used in conjunction with other harvester and accumulator combinations. 
         [0010]    Other features and aspects will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a partial schematic side view of a tractor-baler-bale accumulator combination. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a partial schematic side view of the combination of  FIG. 1  showing enlarged detail of the baler and bale accumulator. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a crop field wherein the virtual trip lines according to the disclosure are employed. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart depicting the control logic for activating the accumulator relative to the virtual trip line. 
       
    
    
       [0015]    Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Further embodiments of the invention may include any combination of features from one or more dependent claims, and such features may be incorporated, collectively or separately, into any independent claim. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates a tractor-baler-bale accumulator combination  10  according to one embodiment. The tractor-baler-bale accumulator combination  10  includes a tractor  12 , a baler  14 , and a bale accumulator  16 . The tractor  12  has a frame  18  supported on wheels  20 , at least one of which is driven by a prime mover, such as a diesel engine, through a powertrain (not shown). The tractor  12  further includes a hitch and/or drawbar  22  and an operator station  24 . 
         [0017]    The baler  14  has a main frame  26  supported on a pair of ground wheels  28 . A draft tongue  30  has a rear end joined to the frame  26  and has a forward end defined by a clevis arrangement  32  adapted for being coupled to the drawbar  22  of the tractor  12 . A pair of upright side walls  34  are fixed to the main frame  26  and define forward regions of opposite side walls of a baling chamber. Mounted for pivoting vertically about a horizontal pivot arrangement  36  located at an upper rear location of the side walls  34  is a discharge gate  38  including opposite upright side walls  40 , which define opposite sides of a rear region of the baling chamber. A gate cylinder arrangement (not shown) is coupled between the main frame  26  and the opposite side walls  40  of the discharge gate  38  and is selectively operable for moving the discharge gate  38  between a closed baling position and an opened discharge position. Baler  14  as shown is of a variable size chamber design and thus comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending side-by-side belts  42  supported on a plurality of rollers  44  (only a few of which are shown). A bale forming chamber is defined by the sidewalls  34 ,  40 , the rollers  44  and belts  42 . 
         [0018]    At least one ECU  50  is provided for electronically controlling the functions of the baler  12  and the accumulator  16 . The ECU  50  is configured to receive signals from various sensors on the baler and accumulator (e.g., determining bale diameter, bale shape, bale weight) and for initiating various baler functions (e.g., tying or wrapping cycle, bale ejection, unloading of the accumulator). More particularly, it should be understood that the ECU is configured to provide a signal for actuation of various actuators on the accumulator to among other things discharge bales therefrom only if a bale is present. 
         [0019]    In its general operation, the baler  14  is drawn through a field by the tractor  12  attached to the tongue  30 . Crop material  52  is fed into a crop inlet  54  of the bale forming chamber from a windrow of crop on the ground by a pickup  56 . In the baler  14 , the crop material  52  is rolled in spiral fashion into a cylindrical bale B. Upon completion, the bale B is wrapped with twine or other appropriate wrapping material and is discharged by actuation of gate cylinders that open gate  38  permitting the completed cylindrical bale B to be discharged from the baler  14  onto the bale accumulator  16 . The baler  14  may further be equipped with means for determining when the bale is in an ejection cycle. Such means could be in the form of sensors  57  associated with one or more of the twine or net wrapping system of the baler  14 , the gate, the gate latch, the belt tensioning system etc. all of which could provide an indication of completion of a bale, as is well known in the art. The baler  14  illustrated is shown as an example only, it being understood that the baler  14  could be of any number of configurations including but not limited to fixed chamber round balers, small square balers, and large square balers. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the bale accumulator  16  has a main frame  58  supported on ground wheels  60 . One or more draft elements  62  are provided at an end of the main frame  58  for attaching the bale accumulator  16  to the baler  14  in a towed fashion. The bale accumulator  16  is provided with a bale cradle  64  pivotally affixed to the frame  58 . The bale cradle  64  is provided with one or more actuators  66  to raise the forward portion of the cradle  64  relative to the frame  58  to allow the bales to roll rearwardly and off the cradle  64  when the bale accumulator  16  is being unloaded. These actuators  66  may be in the form of hydraulic, electric, pneumatic or other like configurations and are selectively controlled in response to signals received from the ECU  50 . The particular round bale accumulator  16  shown receives a completed cylindrical bale B from the baler  14  at a center position  68  ( FIG. 2 ). Depending upon whether or not the other positions on the bale accumulator  16  are occupied, the bale accumulator  16 , by way of the ECU  50 , selectively utilizes actuators  70  to translate the bale from the first center position  68  to either the second  72  or third  74  positions left and right of the center position respectively. Again it should be noted that the actuators  70  could be of any known configuration (e.g., electric, hydraulic, pneumatic). Accordingly when the bale accumulator  16  is full, three bales are aligned side-by-side on the cradle  64  and can be simultaneously discharged onto the ground in the same side-by-side configuration. 
         [0021]    It is contemplated that the bale accumulator  16  could be provided with sensors  76  of various known configurations (e.g., electro-mechanical switches, non-contact sensors, load cells) for determining whether or not a bale is present on the bale accumulator  16  and at which position. The output of such sensors  76  can be connected to the ECU  50  for purposes which will become apparent as the description continues. It should also be noted that it is possible to unload the bale accumulator  16  when it has fewer than three bales on it. Likewise it would be conceivable to provide a bale accumulator  16  wherein individual bales could be discharged selectively by providing a multi-part cradle having individual actuators for each part. The bale accumulator  16  illustrated is just one example of a bale accumulator  16  capable of carrying three round bales. It is however, contemplated that the bale accumulator  16  could be of any number of shapes, sizes, capacities and configurations for accumulating a plurality of bales of various shapes and sizes such as round, small square and large square bales. 
         [0022]    The tractor-baler-bale accumulator combination  10  is further provided with a GPS receiver  78  in wired or wireless communication with the ECU  50  which is, in turn, connected to a display  80  in the operator station  24  of the tractor  12 . Alternatively a standalone GPS unit could be provided having a dedicated ECU and display or a cellular phone with GPS capabilities and/or software or a laser sender and receiver, a buried wire, a light beam sender and receiver, a sonar sender and receiver, or other device. For purposes of this disclosure such a standalone GPS unit requires at least a wired or wireless output capable of communicating with the baler  14  and bale accumulator  16  ECU  50 . 
         [0023]    The operation of the system and method of the disclosure will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Prior to commencing a baling operation an operator will determine the desired location(s) where he/she would like to deposit bales for later recovery and storage. Selection of the deposit location(s) is generally made for the convenience of the operator considering, for example, such factors as the need to reduce soil compaction by reducing traffic on the field, proximity to the storage location, and the topography of the terrain (e.g., the desirability of depositing bales at the top or bottom of a hill rather than on the side of a hill, the desirability of depositing bales at the headlands, along ditches or grass waterways). The number and frequency of deposit locations along the baling path(s) is also limited by the crop yield versus the capacity of the accumulator. In other words, if a particular field or portion of a field has a higher yield of crop material, more crop will be fed into the baler per unit traveled and thus more bales will be completed over a shorter distance, thereby necessitating the establishment of virtual trip lines that are closer together. Crop yield for a particular field and crop could be determined from historic yield data to generate a predicted crop yield or, for example, during the baling operation by monitoring the flow of crop into the baler using appropriate sensors and/or by monitoring the number of bales being produced per unit of distance an actual crop yield could be used. Once the operator has determined the desired deposit location(s) he or she will set in the GPS unit  78  a virtual trip line. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , an exemplary crop field  82  has a plurality of crop windrows  84  from which crop material will be baled. The operator has set between points  1   a  and  1   b  a first virtual trip line T 1 . Additional trip lines T 2 , T 3 , T 4 , T 5 , and T 6  are also established between points  2   a  and  2   b,    3   a  and  3   b,    4   a  and  4   b,    4   b  and  4   c,  and  4   d  and  4   e,  respectively. From the illustration it will be evident that the virtual trip lines can be established generally perpendicular to the windrows  84  as shown in the illustration of trip line T 1  or they can be established at various angles to the windrows as shown in the illustration of trip line T 3 . Further it will be noted with reference to virtual trip lines T 4 , T 5 , and T 6  that a single virtual trip line need not cross the entire field and that virtual trip lines T can be created to align with terrain topography or for other reasons. More particularly it can be seen that a virtual trip line T 4  is established between points  4   a  and  4   b,  an additional virtual trip line T 5  connects points  4   b  with  4   c,  and a further virtual trip line T 6  connects points  4   d  and  4   e  to generally form a multi-angled virtual trip line across the entire field to follow for example, a topographical contour such as a grass waterway  85 . Therefore, an operator can follow a windrow and not worry about traveling in a straight line to still cross the virtual trip lines T. 
         [0025]    With the virtual trip lines T set it should be apparent that the system can be configured, as described in further detail below, to automatically deposit onto the field any bales present on the accumulator at the time the virtual trip line is crossed. This is generally accomplished through communication of the GPS receiver  78  with the ECU  50  which in turn commands actuation of the accumulator actuators  66  to pivot the accumulator cradle  64  to discharge the bales when a signal has been received from the GPS receiver  78  that a virtual trip line T has been crossed. 
         [0026]    With reference to the flowchart of  FIG. 4  it can be seen that the logic for the virtual trip line system begins at  100  when the system is turned on. Next at  102  the operator selects whether to commence the baling operation in “auto dump” mode wherein bales will be automatically discharged or dumped from the accumulator whenever a virtual trip line is crossed. If not, the “auto dump” feature is turned off at  104 . If the answer at  102  is “yes”, then the operator establishes a first virtual trip line that is stored in memory at  110 . Next at  112  it is determined whether additional trip lines are desired. If the answer at  112  is “yes” the logic loops back to  110  wherein additional trip lines will be established and stored. If at  112  the answer is “no”, then at  114  the baling operation is commenced. At  116  the logic determines whether a completed bale is present on the accumulator. If at  116  the answer is “no” the logic loops back to  114 . If at  116  the answer is “yes” the logic proceeds to  118  wherein it is determined whether the accumulator is full. If the answer at  118  is “yes” a notification is sent at  120  to the operator by way of a visual or audible alarm so that the operator can make a decision as to whether to establish additional trip lines, to deposit the bales onto the field at the present location, or to transport the bales to another location for deposit. If however, at  118  the answer is “no” then the logic proceeds to  122  wherein it is determined whether a virtual trip line has been reached. 
         [0027]    Here it should be noted that the determination as to whether there are bales present on the accumulator and whether the accumulator is full can be made in various ways. As mentioned above, the accumulator can be configured with sensors  76  that communicate with the ECU  50  to indicate the presence of bales on the accumulator. Alternatively, it is contemplated that in lieu of or in addition to the sensors it is possible to keep in the ECU  50  a running count of total bales completed and more particularly the number of bales completed since the accumulator  16  was last dumped. 
         [0028]    If at  122  the answer is “no” the logic again loops back to  114 . If the answer at  122  is “yes” it is determined at  124  whether the baler has completed the process of ejecting a bale onto the accumulator. If the answer at  124  is “no” the system awaits the completion of the ejection cycle at  126  and then proceeds to  128 . 
         [0029]    If the answer at  124  is “yes” then the logic immediately steps to  128  wherein the bales are deposited on the field. It should be noted that steps  124  and  126  of the logic are only needed for non-continuous balers such as conventional round balers wherein the baling process is temporarily halted during the ejection cycle. In such systems it is undesirable to open the rear gate of the baler while the accumulator is being dumped and vice-versa due to possible interference of the gate with the accumulator cradle. For large and small square balers and/or continuous round balers steps  124  and  126  may not be necessary. After  128  the logic reverts to  114 . 
         [0030]    In view of the foregoing it can be seen that the disclosure provides a method and apparatus for automatically dumping accumulated bales at predetermined locations. More particularly, as the baling operation progresses up and down the windrows of crop the tractor-baler-bale accumulator combination periodically crosses the pre-set virtual trip lines at which time any bales present on the accumulator are deposited on the ground. This method results in bales being located closer together at the deposit locations of the operator&#39;s choosing resulting in more convenient and efficient retrieval of bales during the collection and storage operation. Time needed for bale collection is reduced, thus also reducing the operating time and wear and tear on equipment. Additionally soil compaction and crop damage can be reduced by utilizing the system to reduce traffic on the field during bale collection. The system is compatible with conventional baling equipment and techniques in that it allows the operator to utilize conventional balers and accumulators and to perform the baling operation without the need to deviate from the windrow during baling to deposit bales at more advantageous locations inasmuch as this is performed automatically as the pre-determined virtual trip lines are crossed. 
         [0031]    Various features are set forth in the following claims.

Technology Category: 4