In a method for providing a bale of crop material that is only partially wrapped in a film, a bale of crop material is wrapped in a film with an automatic bale wrapping apparatus. Subsequently the film is provided with a plurality of perforations, and it is ensured that the perforations are present/positioned in an upper half of the bale. This ensures that there is good moisture control of the bale, with moist air able to escape, while stopping ingress of rain water. The bales are mostly dry hay or the like, and favourable perforations are radial slits. There is also provided a system for providing such bales with position controlled perforations.

A method and a bale wrapping device for wrapping a bale. The method includes receiving a bale at a bale moving ramp device of the bale wrapping device. The bale on the bale moving ramp device is moved through a bale wrapping frame. The breathable sheet of wrapping material is applied on the bale to wrap the bale as the bale passes through the bale wrapping frame, and a roller on the bale wrapping frame holds a roll of the breathable sheet of wrapping material.

An apparatus for the automated loading of wrapping material in an agricultural baling apparatus is disclosed. A reservoir houses at least two rolls of differing wrapping material, each roll of wrapping material having a leading end forming a gathered string, the gathering string being located in an associated retention notch. A pair of opposing feed rollers are provided for feeding the wrapping material into a baling chamber. A displacement apparatus is configured to move the gathered string between a first position in which the gathered string is located at least in part within the associated retention notch and a second position in which the gathered string is located at least in part in contact with the feed rollers.

The invention uses a new system which cuts and unlocks a wrapping material (PE film) for cotton in a continuous manner in cotton harvesting, and a new method in production of such film. The film consists of many segments that make many bales of cotton. The film is separated with perforation by laser or other methods. A double sided adhesive is used to glue the bale at the end of it, which is covered by a folded bridge. The bridge connects both ends of the segments of the film. When perforated film is torn at a signal by the harvest machine, the bridge is unfolded as a leading edge for the next segment after a brief bridge linkage of both segments. The way of folding the bridge is key part of the invention, which accurately uncovers the end adhesive for the new bale and reduces the problem of tangling of the film at the time of separation.

A baler for forming a bale of crop material includes a plurality of walls defining a bale chamber. A drive roller and a plurality of idler rollers are disposed in the bale chamber. At least one baling belt contacts the drive roller and the plurality of idler rollers. A bale engagement roller is rotatable about a bale engagement roller axis. The bale engagement roller is positioned to directly engage crop material in the bale chamber. An actuator is coupled to the bale engagement roller. The actuator translates the bale engagement roller in a direction perpendicular to the bale engagement roller axis.

A continuous round baler forms a cylindrically-shaped bale by spiral, coiled layers created by a conical portion of a bale-forming chamber and protruded upwardly from a cylindrical portion of the bale-forming chamber. The bale is circumferentially supported by netting applied to the bale in the cylindrical portion. A rotary feed table receives crop from the field and feeds the crop into the conical portion. The bale forming process can be interrupted if an insufficient volume of crop is collected on the rotary feed table. The netting material is provided on short rolls to facilitate loading onto the machine. A cutoff mechanism is coupled to the growth of the bale from the cylindrical portion to sever the bale at a predetermined length with end surfaces that are perpendicular to the axis of the bale. A bale density mechanism supports the distal end of the bale as the bale protrudes upwardly.

An agricultural baler includes: a frame; a bale chamber coupled with the frame; and a control system including: at least one sensor coupled with the frame, positioned circumferentially relative to the bale chamber, and configured for sensing an operative parameter of a crop material in the bale chamber.

A continuous baler having a movable section having an open mode and a closed mode. In the closed mode, the movable section is joined to a baling half chamber and a tying half chamber to form a baling chamber and a tying chamber, respectively. In the open mode, the movable section is moved away from the baling half chamber and tying half chamber, in order to allow passage of a bale formed in the baling chamber from the baling half chamber to the tying half chamber.

A method for storing information corresponding to a baled crop during a baling process includes providing a harvesting machine including a control unit, a sensor, and a bale tag reader. The method also includes forming the baled crop with a bale tag by the harvesting machine, identifying the baled crop by the control unit with a bale identifier, and sensing a characteristic of the baled crop by the sensor. The method further includes detecting a bale tag identifier associated with the bale tag by the bale tag reader, communicating the characteristic and bale tag identifier to the control unit, corresponding the characteristic, bale tag identifier and bale identifier of the baled crop to one another, and storing the characteristic, bale tag identifier and bale identifier in an electronic storage unit that is in electrical communication with the control unit.

One embodiment of the present invention includes an apparatus for securing a wrapping material around an item, such as a baled agricultural item, the apparatus including a main plate and at least one projection, the projection including a heating element and a height adjustment mechanism, wherein the height adjustment mechanism controls a force applied to the wrapping material by the projection and provides a force for moving the projection.