Apparatus and method for electrically weighing bales in a mobile crop baler

The method of electronically weighing bales in a field on a mobile crop baler which produces bales at its rear end comprising the steps of:

• affixing a first pair of load cells to the rear end of the baler mounted in spaced apart relation transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the baler;
• pivotably coupling one end of a bale-receiving-platform to the pair of load cells;
• extending a portion of the baler rearwardly and tethering the other end of the bale-receiving-structure from another third load cell affixed to the extended baler portion;
• discharging a bale from the baler onto the bale-receiving-structure;
• weighing the bale by detecting deflections of the bale-receiving-structure with the load cells to produce bale-weight-indicative output signals from each cell;
• and
• electrically reading out the outputs of the load cells.

An electronic scale for weighing bales wherein the scale is adapted to attach to a mobile crop baler which produces crop bales at a rear end of the baler as it advances across a field of a crop to be baled and has a longitudinal support member extending rearwardly from the rear end thereof and wherein the scale comprises:

• a pair of load cells adapted to be fixedly mounted in spaced relation to each other to the rear end and transversely the longitudinal axis of the baler,
• a bale-receiving-structure, having first and second ends, the first end pivotably connected to the pair of load cells,
• a third load cell adapted to be fixedly mounted to the longitudinal support member,
• the second end of the bale-receiving-structure adapted to be supported by a tether attached to the third load cell when the scale is attached to the rear end of the baler,
• a display means adapted to be mounted on the baler in a manner visible to the operator of the baler, and
• the load cells having outputs coupled to the display means for displaying a bale-weight-indicative signal.