Baler automatic stopping sequence

• US 9,526,212 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin M., Brewer, Carl M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US14/554,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20160143225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 15/07 Rotobalers, i.e. machines for forming cylindrical bales by winding and pressing
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 15/08 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 15/0875 Discharge devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 15/141 for round balers wrapping devices A01F15/071

Abstract

A system is provided that automatically stops a tractor based on position of a twine arm assembly in a round baler. A control system monitors position(s) of the twine arm assembly when an automatic twine-wrapping cycle is initiated. This may include starting a twine arm position monitoring procedure when an initial position change of the twine arms is detected. One or more sensors may be mounted on the baler to detect position characteristics of twine arm assembly, which may include presence or absence of the twine arm assembly at certain locations relative to a bale chamber of the baler and/or movement of the twine arm assembly. When the control system determines that the twine arm assembly is in an insert preparatory position, the control system sends a tractor halt command which automatically stops tractor at the same time that the wrapping procedure begins.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating stopping a tractor simultaneously with wrapping a bale with twine in a baler while operating a tractor to move the 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 twine arm assembly from a home position at which the twine arm assembly is arranged with respect to a bale chamber of the baler to allow forming of a bale within the bale chamber to an insert position at which the twine arm assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow twine to release from the twine arm assembly and apply to the bale during a bale-wrapping procedure;

detecting arrival of the twine arm assembly at an insert preparatory position prior to the twine arm assembly reaching the insert position from the home position;

sending a tractor halt command based on the detection of the arrival of the twine arm assembly at the insert preparatory position;

stopping the tractor in response to the tractor halt command, wherein the tractor stops substantially simultaneously with the arrival of the twine arm assembly at the insert position and the beginning of the bale-wrapping procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, 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, wherein the baler controller sends the tractor halt command signal to the tractor controller for decelerating to begin stopping the tractor when the baler controller detects arrival of the twine arm assembly at the insert preparatory position, and wherein while the tractor is decelerating, the control system controls speed of movement of the twine arm assembly while the twine arm assembly moves from the insert preparatory position to the insert position to synchronize arrival of the twine arm assembly at the insert position with the tractor initially reaching a complete stop.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting an initial position change of the twine arm assembly and starting a twine arm position monitoring procedure upon detection of the initial position change of the twine arm assembly, wherein the baler controller evaluates arrival of the twine arm assembly at the insert preparatory position during the twine arm position monitoring procedure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein upon detecting the initial position change of the twine arm assembly, the baler controller sends a tractor slow command signal to the tractor for slowing the tractor to a stop preparatory speed.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the baler controller detects that the twine arm assembly is between the home position and the insert preparatory position and sends a tractor slow command signal to the tractor controller for slowing the tractor to a stop preparatory speed.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the baler controller interrogates a first sensor providing a signal indicating the presence or absence of the twine arm assembly at the home position and, upon receiving a signal indicating absence of the twine arm assembly at the home position, the baler controller begins interrogating a second sensor providing a signal indicating the presence or absence of the twine arm assembly at the insert preparatory position.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the twine arm assembly includes a twine arm drive system and wherein the baler controller detects at least one of movement and position of the twine arm assembly by detecting at least one of movement and position of the twine arm drive system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the twine arm assembly includes a twine arm and the twine arm drive system includes a plate supporting the twine arm for rotation to move the twine arm during the bale-wrapping procedure and wherein the baler controller detects at least one of movement and position of the plate of the twine arm drive system.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the twine arm assembly includes a twine arm and at least one sensor is mounted on the baler for detecting a position of the twine arm and sending a corresponding signal to the control system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor is at least one of a potentiometer, hall-effect sensor, limit switch, magnetic switch, infrared sensor, and ultrasonic sensor sending a signal to the control system corresponding to the arrival of the twine arm assembly at the insert preparatory position within the bale chamber.

11. A method for coordinating stopping a tractor simultaneously with wrapping a bale with twine 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:

controlling travel speed-related operations of a tractor and bale forming and wrapping-related operations of a baler with a control system;

moving a twine arm from a home position at which the twine arm is arranged with respect to a bale chamber of the baler to allow forming of a bale within the bale chamber to a twine arm insert position allowing twine to release from the twine arm assembly and apply to the bale during a bale-wrapping procedure;

detecting when the twine arm arrives at an insert preparatory position prior to the twine arm assembly reaching the twine arm insert position; and

automatically stopping the tractor based on the detection of the arrival of the twine arm assembly at the insert preparatory position, wherein the bale-wrapping procedure begins substantially simultaneously with the stopping of the tractor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a baler controller configured for controlling bale forming and wrapping-related operations receives a signal from a sensor corresponding to the twine arm arriving at the twine arm insert preparatory position, wherein the baler controller sends a tractor halt command signal to a tractor controller configured for controlling travel speed related operations of the tractor to stop the tractor when the bale-wrapping procedure begins, and wherein the control system controls speed of movement of the twine arm assembly while the twine arm assembly moves from the insert preparatory position to the insert position to synchronize arrival of the twine arm assembly at the insert position with the tractor stopping.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the baler controller detects that the twine arm is between the home position and the insert preparatory position and sends a tractor slow command signal to the tractor controller reducing the tractor from a baling speed to a stop preparatory speed that is relatively slower than the baling speed.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the baler controller receives a signal from a sensor mounted on the baler indicating arrival of the twine arm at the twine arm insert preparatory position.

15. A baler, comprising:

a chassis configured for towing behind a tractor;

a pickup supported by the chassis and configured to deliver cut crop material into the baler;

a bale chamber configured to receive the cut crop material from the pickup for forming a bale within the bale chamber;

a twine arm assembly configured to apply twine onto a bale during a bale-wrapping procedure, the twine arm assembly movable from a home position at which the twine arm assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow forming of the bale within the bale chamber to a twine arm insert position at which the twine arm assembly is arranged with respect to the bale chamber to allow twine to release from the twine arm assembly and onto the bale during the bale-wrapping procedure;

at least one sensor arranged for detecting a position of the twine arm assembly; and

a control system receiving a signal from the at least one sensor corresponding to the detection of the twine arm assembly arriving at an insert preparatory position prior to the twine arm assembly reaching the insert position and stopping the tractor based on the detection of the arrival of the twine arm assembly at the insert preparatory position, wherein the bale-wrapping procedure begins substantially simultaneously with the stopping of the tractor.

16. The baler of claim 15, wherein the control system includes a baler controller configured for controlling bale forming and wrapping-related operations and a tractor controller configured for controlling travel speed related operations of the tractor, wherein the baler controller receives a signal from the at least one sensor corresponding to the twine arm assembly arriving at the twine arm insert preparatory position, and wherein the baler controller sends a tractor halt command signal to the tractor controller to stop the tractor when the bale-wrapping procedure begins.

17. The baler of claim 16, wherein when the baler controller detects that the twine arm assembly is between the home position and the insert preparatory position, the baler controller sends a tractor slow command signal to the tractor controller reducing the tractor from a baling speed to a stop preparatory speed that is relatively slower than the baling speed.

18. The baler of claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor includes an insert position sensor configured to send a signal indicating a presence of the twine arm assembly at the twine arm insert position.

19. The baler of claim 18, wherein the at least one sensor includes a home position sensor configured to send a signal indicating an absence of the twine arm assembly at the home position.