Guided bale wrapper
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorJason C. Eubanks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for controlling a path of a bale wrapping machine are disclosed. The systems and methods encompass automatically controlling a path traveled by a bale wrapping machine along a selected route as wrapped bales are deposited on the ground. The bale wrapping machine may use geospatial positioning information to control a steering system of the bale wrapping machine in order to track the selected route.
Claims21
A guided wrapping machine operable to wrap bales and deposit the wrapped bales along a defined path, the guided wrapping machine comprising:
- a platform configured to receive a bale;
- a wrapping assembly coupled to the platform and configured to wrap the received bale, the wrapping assembly comprising:
- an inner hoop;
- and
- an outer hoop rotatable on and about the inner hoop;
- a wheel coupled to the platform;
- an actuator coupled to the wheel, the wheel moveable in response to the actuator to change a direction of travel of the guided wrapping machine;
- a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver that receives global positioning information;
- and
- a controller communicably coupled to the GNSS receiver and the steering system, the steering system controlled by the controller to alter a direction traveled by the guided wrapping machine in response to the received global positioning information and a selected route received by the controller.
A method for arranging a series of wrapped bales in a desired configuration, the method comprising:
- wrapping a series of bales using a bale wrapping machine, the bale wrapping machine comprising an extendable ram;
- extending the ram to advance the bale wrapping machine along a selected route while depositing the series of wrapped bales onto a surface;
- and
- controlling an actuator of a steering system of the bale wrapping machine to cause the wrapping machine to follow the selected route using received geospatial positioning information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.