Retractable blocks in the doors of a large square baler
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorSven Monbaliu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An agricultural baler has a bale chamber for the compression of crop into bales with a floor, ceiling, and two walls. A plunger forces crop into the bale chamber. An actuator system presses the ceiling and walls of the bale chamber inward. At least one retractable friction block in the ceiling or walls is used to increase the compression and density of the crop. The friction blocks extend inwards as an increasing function of either decreased pressure being exerted against the ceiling or walls by the crop being baled, or inward displacement of the ceiling or walls by the actuator system.
Claims15
An agricultural baler, comprising:
- a bale chamber for compressing crop material into bales, the bale chamber having an inlet end, a floor, a ceiling, and two walls;
- a plunger adjoining the bale chamber for forcing the crop material into the bale chamber;
- an actuator system operable to press the ceiling and the two walls inward against the crop material being baled;
- at least one retractable friction block located in the ceiling or one of the two walls for increasing compression and density of the crop material at the inlet end of the bale chamber, the at least one retractable friction block being operable to extend inwards to increase an inward pressure resulting from inward displacement of the ceiling or walls by the actuator system;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the actuator system, the controller being configured to determine the inward displacement of the ceiling or the two walls, and to increase an inward pressure or an inward rotation of the at least one retractable friction block on a basis of the inward displacement of the ceiling or the two walls.
A method of operating an agricultural baler, the agricultural bailer having a bale chamber and a plunger, the bale chamber having an inlet end, a floor, a ceiling, and two walls, the plunger adjoining the bale chamber for forcing the crop material into the bale chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
- inwardly displacing the ceiling or the two walls of the bale chamber
- determining the inward displacement of the ceiling or the two walls;
- and
- increasing an inward pressure or an inward rotation of at least one retractable friction block on a basis of the inward displacement of the ceiling or the two walls, the at least one retractable friction block being located in the ceiling or either of the two walls for increasing compression and density of the crop material at the inlet of the bale chamber, the at least one retractable friction block being operable to extend inwards to increase an inward pressure resulting from inward displacement of the ceiling or walls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.