Method and apparatus for determining the weight of bales issuing from a crop baler
AssigneeHesston Corporation
InventorsThomas G. Schrag, Charles F. Hood, Scott A. Morton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Bales emanating from the discharge end of a baler are received on an accumulating trailer provided with a weighing scale that, in combination with an electrical system, automatically determines the weight of certain of the successively issuing bales and conveniently displays such weight to the operator in the cab of the towing vehicle so that the operator can monitor the quality and condition of bales prepared by the machine on an ongoing, non-stop basis. An onboard computer preferably forming a part of the electronic system controls the process and assures its accuracy, while also providing information such as the average weight of bales weighed since last resetting the system.
Claims10
A method of automatically weighing crop bales produced by a mobile crop baler, said method comprising the steps of:
- discharging a bale from the baler onto a bale-receiving structure coupled with the baler, said structure including an electronic, bale-weighing scale;
- positioning said bale on said scale;
- producing a bale-weight indicating, scale signal with said scale when said bale is present thereon;
- transmitting said scale signal from said scale to a computer;
- processing said scale signal in said computer;
- producing a bale-weight indicating display signal with said computer in response to said scale signal;
- transmitting said display signal from said computer to a display panel;
- and
- displaying a visual representation of the weight of said bale on said display panel in response to said display signal.
In combination with a mobile crop baler which produces crop bales as it advances across a field of crops, a system for weighing bales produced by said baler comprising:
- a bale-receiving structure coupled with said baler for receiving bales discharged from said baler, said structure including
- an electronic scale for receiving a bale thereon and for producing and transmitting a scale signal indicative of the weight of said bale, and
- means for positioning said bale on said scale;
- a computer operably coupled with said scale for receiving and processing said scale signal and for producing and transmitting a display signal indicative of said bale weight;
- and
- a display panel operably coupled with said computer for receiving said display signal and for producing a visual representation indicative of said bale weight in response to reception of said display signal.
A method of automatically weighing crop bales produced by a mobile crop baler, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a bale produced by said baler on to an electronic scale;
- producing a bale-weight indicative, scale signal with said scale when said bale is present thereon;
- transmitting said scale signal to a computer;
- processing said scale signal with said computer;
- verifying the presence of said bale on said scale by determining whether said bale has been present on said scale for a predetermined period of time;
- determining whether the apparent weight of said bale as indicated by said scale signal exceeds a predetermined weight minimum;
- producing a bale-weight indicative, display signal with said computer in response to said scale signal;
- transmitting said display signal to a display panel;
- and
- displaying on said display panel a visual representation indicative of the weight of said bale in response to said dispaly signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.