Electronic bale density controller

Apparatus for controlling the density of bales of crop material discharged from an agricultural baling machine, said apparatus comprising:

• a bale case into which crop material is introduced;
• a plunger assembly disposed for reciprocating movement in said bale case;
• means for reciprocably driving said plunger assembly in a manner whereby said plunger assembly applies a compactive force to crop material introduced into said bale case;
• sensing means comprising at least two sensors mounted in spaced apart relation with respect to said plunger assembly, said sensors being adapted to sense the stress experienced at two spaced-apart locations on said plunger assembly including stress experienced during the application of said compactive force applied by said plunger assembly;
• means connected to said sensing means for determining the differential in stress experienced at said spaced apart locations;
• and,
• means connected to said differential determination means for providing an indication facilitating the potential equalizing of stress on said spaced-apart plunger assembly locations.

A method for controlling the density of bales of crop material discharged from a bale case of an agricultural baling machine, said method comprising the steps of:

• introducing crop material into said bale case;
• reciprocably driving a plunger assembly in a manner whereby said plunger means applies a compactive force to crop material introduced into said bale case and thereby facilitates movement of said crop material through said bale case;
• providing resistance to the movement of crop material introduced into said bale case;
• sensing the stress experienced by said plunger assembly including stress experienced during the application of said compactive force applied by said plunger assembly and for producing a signal in accordance with said sensed stress;
• obtaining an indication of the quantity of crop material being introduced into said bale case;
• and,
• controlling the degree of resistance to the movement of crop material introduced into said bale case in accordance with said indication of said crop introduction quantity and said signal.

A method for controlling the density of bales of crop material discharged from a bale case of an agricultural baling machine, said method comprising the steps of:

• introducing crop material into said bale case;
• reciprocably driving a plunger assembly in a manner whereby said plunger assembly applies a compactive force to crop material introduced into said bale case;
• using sensing means comprising at least two sensors mounted in spaced apart relation with respect to said plunger assembly, said sensors being adapted to sense the stress experienced at two spaced-apart locations on said plunger assembly including stress experienced during the application of said compactive force applied by said plunger assembly;
• determining the differential in stress experienced at said spaced apart locations;
• and,
• providing an indication facilitating the potential equalizing of stress on said spaced-apart plunger assembly locations.

Apparatus for providing an indication of the quantity of crop material being fed into a bale case of an agricultural baling machine, said apparatus comprising:

• a bale case into which crop material is introduced;
• a plunger assembly disposed for reciprocating movement in said bale case;
• means for reciprocably driving said plunger assembly in a manner whereby said plunger means applies a compactive force to crop material introduced into said bale case and thereby facilitates movement of said crop material through said bale case;
• means for sensing the stress experienced by said plunger assembly including stress experienced during the application of said compactive force applied by said plunger assembly and for producing a signal in accordance with said sensed stress, the magnitude of said signal varying from peak value to peak value in accordance with corresponding applications of compactive force by said plunger assembly;
• and,
• means for processing said signal in a manner whereby said signal peak values are detected and for using time period required for said signal to drop to a predetermined percentage of one of said peak values as an indication of the quantity of crop material being introduced into said bale case.

A method of providing an indication of the quantity of crop material being fed into a bale case of an agricultural baling machine, said method comprising the steps of:

• introducing crop material into a bale case;
• reciprocably driving a plunger assembly in a manner whereby said plunger means applies a compactive force to crop material introduced into said bale case and thereby facilitates movement of said crop material through said bale case;
• sensing the stress experienced by said plunger assembly including stress experienced during the application of said compactive force applied by said plunger assembly and for producing a signal in accordance with said sensed stress, the magnitude of said signal varying from peak value to peak value in accordance with corresponding applications of compactive force by said plunger assembly;
• and,
• processing said signal in a manner whereby said signal peak values are detected and whereby a time period required for said signal to drop to a predetermined percentage of one of said peak values is used as an indication of the quantity of crop material being introduced into said bale case.