Agricultural baling machines

An agricultural baling machine, comprising:

• a rotary input shaft connected by way of a baler driveline to a rotatable flywheel;
• and
• a drive converter that converts rotation of the flywheel to reciprocal rectilinear motion of a plunger in a bale-forming chamber forming part of the baling machine in a manner compressing plant matter in the bale-forming chamber, the driveline including one or more clutches for controlledly transferring rotary drive between the input shaft and the drive converter, the driveline further including a transmission having driveline components defining at least first and second selectable transmission ratios between the input shaft and the flywheel,
• wherein the baling machine includes or is operatively connected to one or more controllers that selectively engage driveline components defining the first transmission ratio or driveline components defining the second transmission ratio in dependence on conditions prevailing in the baling machine, and wherein the speed ratio of at least one of the first and second transmission ratios is less than 1,
• wherein the at least one controller of which is or includes a programmable device that is arranged and/or programmed to effect a method of operation of the agricultural baling machine in which on initiation of movement of the flywheel from rest or near rest the first transmission ratio is selected before being disengaged in favour of engagement of the second transmission ratio, engagement of the second transmission ratio depending on one or more variable parameters of the baling machine during engagement of the first transmission ratio achieving a predetermined threshold value.

A method of powering an agricultural baling machine, the agricultural baling machine having a rotary input shaft connected by way of a driveline to a rotatable flywheel, and a drive converter that converts rotation of the flywheel to reciprocal rectilinear motion of a plunger in a bale-forming chamber forming part of the baling machine in a manner of compressing plant matter in the bale-forming chamber, the driveline including one or more clutches for controlledly transferring rotary drive between the input shaft and the flywheel, wherein the driveline includes a transmission including driveline components defining at least first and second selectable transmission ratios between the input shaft and the flywheel, the baling machine including or being operatively connected to one or more controllers that selectively engage a first reduction transmission ratio the speed ratio of which is greater than 1 or a second transmission ratio the speed ratio of which is less than 1 in dependence on conditions prevailing in the baling machine, the method including the steps of:

• a. powering the input shaft to rotate, while the flywheel is substantially at rest and while the first transmission ratio is engaged;
• b. detecting slip of at least one said clutch and if the slip is less than a threshold amount;
• c. disengaging the first transmission ratio when the flywheel attains a predetermined level of kinetic energy and engaging the second transmission ratio or when the slip is greater than the threshold amount;
• and
• d. disengaging the first transmission ratio without engaging the second transmission ratio.