A crop baling implement includes a frame and a baling chamber attached to the frame. The baling chamber is configured to form crop material into a bale extending along a central longitudinal axis of the bale. An orbital support is attached to the frame rearward of the baling chamber. The orbital support is rotatable about a wrap axis and defines an open central region. The orbital support is positioned to receive the bale from the baling chamber and pass the bale through the open central region of the orbital support. A wrap roller is attached to and moveable with the orbital support. A drive is coupled to the orbital support and operable to rotate the orbital support and the wrap roller about the wrap axis to unroll wrap material around the bale as the bale moves through the open central region of the orbital support.

A large square baler includes a frame and a baling chamber for forming a bale. A support beam is attached to the frame and extends to a distal second end. A support structure is attached to the second end of the support beam. A track is attached to the support structure and includes an endless loop defining a path. A rotational drive is attached to the support structure and includes a crank rotatable about a rotation axis. An arm is coupled to the crank and includes an elongated slot. A carriage is attached to the arm and moves on the track along the path. The carriage supports a transverse face wrap roller for wrapping the transverse faces of the bale. A portion of the crank extends through and is moveable within the elongated slot such that a distance between the carriage and the rotation axis is variable.

A baler including a flywheel driven by a PTO of a tractor, an input shaft which connects to the PTO, an output shaft which connects to the flywheel, an intermediate gear mounted for rotation between the input shaft and the output shaft, the intermediate gear being parallel to the input shaft and adapted to drive the output shaft, wherein the input shaft includes a displaceable geared collar adapted to engage the intermediate gear with either a first lower gear ratio or a second higher gear ratio. This allows the tractor PTO a lower ratio (speed) range to start the flywheel and then accelerate the flywheel to an intermediate speed before shifting and accelerating to the final desired operating speed.

Systems and methods for controlling a configuration of a bale chute of a baler and, particularly, a square baler are disclosed. In some implementations, the baler includes a linkage and an actuator that is operable to move the bale chute between an extended position and a retracted position and to lock the bale chute in the retracted position. For example, the bale chute may be retracted into a retracted position when the baler is determined not to be producing bales, when a bale is not protruding from the baler, and when the baler is being transported.

A baler including a frame, a feed system coupled to the frame, a baling chamber, a plunger at least partially positioned within and reciprocally movable with respect to the baling chamber, a connecting rod coupled to the plunger, where the connecting rod defines a fluid volume therein, a sensor in fluid communication with and configured to send signals indicating the fluid pressure within the fluid volume of the connecting rod, and a controller in operable communication with the sensor and configured to determine the magnitude of a force being applied to the plunger at least partially based on a signal received from the sensor.

A baler including a frame, a feed system coupled to the frame, a baling chamber, a plunger at least partially positioned within and reciprocally movable with respect to the baling chamber, a connecting rod coupled to the plunger, where the connecting rod defines a fluid volume therein, a sensor in fluid communication with and configured to send signals indicating the fluid pressure within the fluid volume of the connecting rod, and a controller in operable communication with the sensor and configured to determine the magnitude of a force being applied to the plunger at least partially based on a signal received from the sensor.

A baler including a frame, and a compression system coupled to the frame, where the compression system at least partially defines a compression chamber. The baler also includes a feed pan at least partially defining a pre-compression chamber in operable communication with the compression chamber, where the feed pan includes an inlet defining an inlet area and an outlet defining an outlet area, and where the outlet of the pre-compression chamber is open to the compression chamber of the compression system. The baler also includes at least one actuator coupled to the feed pan, and a controller in operable communication with the at least one actuator, and where the controller is configured to adjust the inlet area and the outlet area independently.

A baler for use with a forming bale having a first bale attribute. The baler including a frame, and a compression system coupled to the frame where the compression system at least partially defines a compression chamber sized to receive at least a portion of the forming bale therein. The baler also includes a feed pan at least partially defining a pre-compression chamber, and where the shape of the pre-compression is adjustable, and where the pre-compression chamber is open to the compression chamber. The baler also includes a sensor configured to output signals representative of the first bale attribute, and a controller in operable communication with the feed pan and the sensor, and where the controller is configured to actively adjust the shape of the pre-compression chamber based at least in part upon the first bale attribute of the forming bale.

A method and system for determining bale properties of crop material bales includes transmitting a first microwave signal through a bale of crop material located within an agricultural baler at a first frequency and transmitting a second microwave signal through the bale of crop material at a different second frequency and calculating, with at least one computing device, a phase angle displacement between the first and second microwave signals and determining, with the at least one computing device, a bale property of the bale of crop material based at least in part on the calculated phase angle differential.

A baling machine includes a pre-baling chamber and a rotative packer/stuffer including at least one retractable and extendable tine including at least one stuffer tine supported on at least a first reciprocable support. The at least one stuffer tine sequentially penetrates, moves in, and retracts from the pre-baling chamber when activated by at least one stuffer activator. The packer-stuffer includes at last one sensor that senses a vector or pseudovector quantity acting on at least one rotative component. The baling machine also includes at least one processor for estimating from the sensed quantity the amount of plant matter in the pre-baling chamber or a related variable, comparing this to a threshold corresponding to desired filling of the pre-baling chamber, and causing the stuffer activator to initiate stuffing when the estimated plant matter or related variable attains or exceeds the threshold.