A bale collection system and method for receiving and storing a bale introduced at a first location and in a first direction, the bale defining an axis therethrough. The bale collection system includes a frame defining at least one storage bay sized to store a bale therein. The bale collection system also includes an arm pivotably coupled to the frame and movable with respect to the frame between a first position and a second position, the arm having a bale contact surface configured to contact a bale at least partially received within the storage bay, and a resistance member in operable engagement with the arm and configured to resist the motion of the arm between the first and second positions.

A bale collection system and method for receiving and storing a bale. The bale collection system including a baler having a rear aperture through which a bale may be ejected, a trough defining a storage bay sized to receive one or more bales therein, where the trough is coupled to the baler and movable with respect thereto between a first position, where no bale is positioned within the storage bay, and a second position where a bale is at least partially positioned within the storage bay, and where the first position is different than the second position. The bale collection system also includes a resistance element operatively coupled to the frame and configured to at least partially control the movement of the frame between the first and second positions.

Bale handling apparatus and associated methods are described. According to one aspect, a bale handling apparatus includes a primary chassis frame, wheels coupled with the primary chassis frame, a grapple system supported by the primary chassis frame, wherein the grapple system includes a plurality of grapples which move between open and closed positions, a hoist assembly supported by the primary chassis frame, wherein the hoist assembly comprises a load bed, and a lift device configured to move the load bed between a first position and a second position, wherein the grapples are configured to move from the open position to the closed position to engage a bale of a vertically arranged stack which is adjacent to the load bed positioned in the second position, and wherein the lift device moves the load bed from the second position to the first position with the grapples engaged with the bale.

A system for controlling the speed of harvested crop as it is discharged from a crop accumulator onto a field comprising a discharge mechanism for imparting a desired rearward travel speed to the harvested crop as it is being discharged from the crop accumulator and a speed measurement device for measuring forward travel speed of the crop accumulator. A processor is in communication with the discharge mechanism and the speed measurement device and is operable to adjust the discharge mechanism for imparting the desired rearward travel speed or the forward travel speed of the crop accumulator, to discharge harvested crop with a rearward travel speed that is substantially equal to the forward travel speed such that the harvested crop has a substantially net zero speed as it contacts the ground.

A bale accumulator for grouping bales for group baling includes a platform, a depositor mounted adjacent to the platform for sequentially depositing bale sets onto the platform, each bale set when deposited onto the platform comprises a pair of bales positioned upright and side-by-side in a packing orientation so that their corresponding long sides are axially juxtaposed, and a packer apparatus mounted adjacent to the platform for packing one bale set at a time from the platform into a group baler trailing the platform each time a bale set is deposited onto the platform from the depositor without changing the packing orientation of the bales of each bale set.

A system for controlling the speed of harvested crop as it is discharged from a crop accumulator onto a field comprising a discharge mechanism for imparting a desired rearward travel speed to the harvested crop as it is being discharged from the crop accumulator and a speed measurement device for measuring forward travel speed of the crop accumulator. A processor is in communication with the discharge mechanism and the speed measurement device and is operable to adjust the discharge mechanism for imparting the desired rearward travel speed or the forward travel speed of the crop accumulator, to discharge harvested crop with a rearward travel speed that is substantially equal to the forward travel speed such that the harvested crop has a substantially net zero speed as it contacts the ground.

Bale handling apparatus and associated methods are described. According to one aspect, a bale handling apparatus includes a primary chassis frame, wheels coupled with the primary chassis frame, a grapple system supported by the primary chassis frame, wherein the grapple system includes a plurality of grapples which move between open and closed positions, a hoist assembly supported by the primary chassis frame, wherein the hoist assembly comprises a load bed, and a lift device configured to move the load bed between a first position and a second position, wherein the grapples are configured to move from the open position to the closed position to engage a bale of a vertically arranged stack which is adjacent to the load bed positioned in the second position, and wherein the lift device moves the load bed from the second position to the first position with the grapples engaged with the bale.

A bale accumulator for attaching to a round baler and for transporting a bale, with a carrying device for carrying the bale, which is adjustable into a loading position to pick up the bale, into a transport position to transport the bale, and into an unloading position to discharge the bale onto the ground, wherein the bale accumulator has two wheels, wherein the carrying device is mounted, as seen in a first spatial direction, at the height of or below a wheel axis of a wheel of the bale accumulator and/or that the carrying device is arranged between the two wheels of the bale accumulator. The present disclosure furthermore relates to a work train comprising a round baler and such a bale accumulator as well as a method for unloading a first and a second bale from a round baler of such a work train onto the ground.

A hydraulic circuit includes a control valve, a first hydraulic actuator, and a second hydraulic. The hydraulic circuit is configured such that in a first step, the first hydraulic actuator opens a product barrier in response to movement of the control valve into a first position, in a second step, the second hydraulic actuator moves a product engagement member in a first direction and the first hydraulic actuator closes the product barrier in response to movement of the control valve into a second position, in a third step, the first hydraulic actuator opens the product barrier in response to movement of the control valve into the first position, and in a fourth step, the second hydraulic actuator moves the product engagement member in a second direction and the first hydraulic actuator closes the product barrier in response to movement of the control valve into the second position.

A bale accumulator for grouping bales for group baling includes a platform, a depositor mounted adjacent to the platform for sequentially depositing bale sets onto the platform, each bale set when deposited onto the platform comprises a pair of bales positioned upright and side-by-side in a packing orientation so that their corresponding long sides are axially juxtaposed, and a packer apparatus mounted adjacent to the platform for packing one bale set at a time from the platform into a group baler trailing the platform each time a bale set is deposited onto the platform from the depositor without changing the packing orientation of the bales of each bale set.