Baler automatic stopping sequence
First Claim
1. A method for coordinating stopping a tractor with wrapping a bale in a baler while operating a tractor to move a baler with respect to a windrow of cut crop material for picking up the cut crop material with the baler, the method comprising:
- moving a wrapper assembly from a home position at which the wrapper assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow the forming of the bale within the bale chamber to a start wrap position at which the wrapper assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow a wrapping material carried by the wrapper assembly to be applied to the bale during a bale wrapping procedure;
detecting movement of the wrapper assembly from the home position toward the start wrap position;
starting a timer at a time (Tactuator start) corresponding to a time of detected movement of the wrapper assembly from the home position toward the start wrap position;
determining a first time period value (Tuntil stop) corresponding to an amount of time required for the tractor and baler to come to a stop as a function of at least one of a tractor speed and an operator setting;
determining a second time period value (Tuntil wrap) corresponding to an amount of time that will elapse before a beginning of the bale wrapping procedure based at least in part on a value of Tactuator start;
evaluating Tuntil stop with respect to Tuntil wrap;
stopping the tractor based at least in part on the evaluation of Tuntil stop with respect to Tuntil wrap to define a time (Tstopped) at which the tractor is completely stopped; and
beginning the bale wrapping procedure at a time (Twrapping start) occurring substantially simultaneously with time Tstopped.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided that automatically stops a tractor as a function of a status of a round baler. This may include a controller such as a baler controller directly or indirectly detecting initial movement of an actuator that moves a wrapper assembly. Based on this detection, conditions for starting a wrap procedure may be determined either by actuator position or by a time period required for moving the wrapper assembly from a home position to a wrap start position. A time period required to bring the tractor to stop may be determined and compared with the time period required for the wrapper assembly to move from the home position to the wrap start position. The baler controller may send a tractor halt command signal for stopping the tractor to coordinate and synchronize bringing the tractor to a complete stop at the same time that the wrapping material is inserted and applied onto the bale at the beginning of a wrapping procedure.
25 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for coordinating stopping a tractor with wrapping a bale in a baler while operating a tractor to move a baler with respect to a windrow of cut crop material for picking up the cut crop material with the baler, the method comprising:
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moving a wrapper assembly from a home position at which the wrapper assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow the forming of the bale within the bale chamber to a start wrap position at which the wrapper assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow a wrapping material carried by the wrapper assembly to be applied to the bale during a bale wrapping procedure; detecting movement of the wrapper assembly from the home position toward the start wrap position; starting a timer at a time (Tactuator start) corresponding to a time of detected movement of the wrapper assembly from the home position toward the start wrap position; determining a first time period value (Tuntil stop) corresponding to an amount of time required for the tractor and baler to come to a stop as a function of at least one of a tractor speed and an operator setting; determining a second time period value (Tuntil wrap) corresponding to an amount of time that will elapse before a beginning of the bale wrapping procedure based at least in part on a value of Tactuator start; evaluating Tuntil stop with respect to Tuntil wrap; stopping the tractor based at least in part on the evaluation of Tuntil stop with respect to Tuntil wrap to define a time (Tstopped) at which the tractor is completely stopped; and beginning the bale wrapping procedure at a time (Twrapping start) occurring substantially simultaneously with time Tstopped. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for coordinating stopping a tractor with wrapping a bale in a baler while operating a tractor to move a baler with respect to a windrow of cut crop material for picking up the cut crop material with the baler, wherein the tractor includes a tractor controller configured for controlling travel speed-related operations of the tractor and the baler includes a baler controller configured for controlling bale forming and wrapping-related operations, the method comprising:
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moving a wrapper assembly from a home position at which the wrapper assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow the forming of the bale within the bale chamber to a start wrap position at which the wrapper assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow a wrapping material carried by the wrapper assembly to be applied to the bale during a bale wrapping procedure; detecting movement of the wrapper assembly from the home position toward the start wrap position; starting a timer at a time (Tactuator start) corresponding to a time of detected movement of the wrapper assembly from the home position toward the start wrap position for evaluating a time elapsed since Tactuator start; determining a first time period value (Tuntil stop) corresponding to an amount of time required for the tractor and baler to come to a stop as a function of at least one of a tractor speed, an operator setting, and a wrapper type; determining a second time period value (Tuntil wrap) corresponding to an amount of time that will elapse before a beginning of the bale wrapping procedure based at least in part on a value of Tactuator start; evaluating whether Tuntil stop is greater than Tuntil wrap; sending a tractor halt command signal from the baler controller to the tractor controller when Tuntil stop is greater than Tuntil wrap; and decelerating the tractor to a stop with the tractor controller based on the halt command signal from the baler controller. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A baler, comprising:
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a chassis configured for towing behind a tractor; a pickup supported by the chassis and arranged for alignment with a windrow of crop material for delivering the crop material into the baler; a bale chamber arranged with respect to the chassis and the pickup to receive the crop material delivered by the pickup for forming a bale within the bale chamber; a wrapper assembly carrying a wrapping material and arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow the wrapping material to be applied to the bale during a bale wrapping procedure, the wrapper assembly including; a cam configured for moving from a first position corresponding to a home position of the wrapper assembly at which the wrapper assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow the forming of the bale within the bale chamber to a second position corresponding to a start wrap position at which the wrapper assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow the wrapping material to be applied to the bale during a bale wrapping procedure, an actuator configured for moving the cam between the first and second positions to move the wrapper assembly from the home position to the start wrap position; and a baler controller configured for controlling bale forming and wrapping-related operations of the baler and configured to communicate with a tractor controller of the tractor configured for controlling travel speed-related operations of the tractor, and wherein the baler controller is configured for detecting movement of the actuator while the actuator begins moving the wrapper assembly from the first position toward the second position by detecting movement of the actuator and to send a tractor halt command signal to the tractor controller based at least in part on detecting movement of the actuator. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification