A baling system operable to receive loose material, form the loose material into an individual charge, and compress the individual charge with one or more other charges to form a bale. The baling system includes a forming chamber and a plunger operable to move in a reciprocating manner within the forming chamber from a front-dead-center position in which a plunger face is furthest re) from the bale to a rear-dead-center position in which the plunger face contacts and compresses the bale. The system includes a feeder el component operable to pre-compress the loose material to form the individual charge and then move the individual charge into the forming chamber, the feeder component including a feeder chute having a feeder chute outlet connected to the forming chamber. The feeder component is operable to pre-compress the loose material into the individual charge and then move the individual charge into the forming chamber for compression by the plunger into the bale. The system includes a moisture sensor operable to determine a moisture content of the individual charge in the feeder chute, wherein at least a portion of the moisture sensor is positioned in the plunger face. In one embodiment, the moisture sensor is a near infra-red sensor operable to use near infra-red radiation to determine the moisture content.

A device and method for tracking and marking bailed forage material is provided. Predetermined parameters are measured as the forage material enters the intake of a processing machine and prior to the forage material being transferred to a baling chamber of the machine. As the forage material passes through the machine, the locations of discrete portions or flakes of the forage material are linearly tracked so that each portion may receive pre-selected markings indicative of measured parameters of each portion. A plurality of sensor stations is incorporated within the machine to track the locations of the portions of material. After the forage material is baled, a marking station generates markings applied to each bale which corresponds to the measured parameters for the corresponding discrete portions. Observed parameters may include moisture content, volume, density, temperature, nutritional content, an amount and type of conditioning inoculant applied to each flake, among others. Multiple markings can be applied to each bale to indicate moisture content for selected portions of the bale since moisture content may differ between flakes in the bale.

A system and related method of applying forage treatment material to harvested forage. The method can include harvesting forage, rotating an auger in a bin to convey a granular treatment material toward a tube, moving the material through the tube with a vacuum toward harvested forage moving in a chute to mix the material with the harvested forage, sensing rotation of the auger; displaying an RPM associated with the sensed auger rotation; displaying a measured harvested forage rate; adjusting the actuator to change the RPM to match the applied material amount to the harvested forage based on the measured harvested forage rate. The system can include a bin having an auger, a sensor that measures auger RPM, a tube, a display that displays the RPM in the cab, and an actuator to adjust applied material by changing the RPM based on a measured harvested forage rate.

A system and related method of applying forage treatment material to harvested forage is provided. The method can include harvesting forage, rotating an auger in a bin to convey a granular treatment material toward a tube, moving the material through the tube with a vacuum toward harvested forage moving in a chute to mix the material with the harvested forage, sensing rotation of the auger; displaying an RPM associated with the sensed auger rotation; displaying a measured harvested forage rate; adjusting the actuator to change the RPM to match the applied material amount to the harvested forage based on the measured harvested forage rate. The system can include a bin having an auger, a sensor that measures auger RPM, a tube, a display that displays the RPM in the cab, and an actuator to adjust applied material by changing the RPM based on a measured harvested forage rate.

A bale wrapping system that includes a belt that rotates to form and drive rotation of a bale of an agricultural product. The bale is configured to be wrapped with a wrapping layer of a bale wrap while rotating on the belt. A first portion of the wrapping layer overlaps a second portion of the wrapping layer while disposed on the belt. A glue system sprays a layer of glue onto the wrapping layer. The layer of glue enables the first portion of the wrapping layer to couple to the second portion of the wrapping layer.

A nozzle evaluation system is provided for an agricultural baler with a nozzle apparatus having at least one nozzle. The system includes a sensor associated with the at least one nozzle and configured to collect vibration patterns of sound emanating from the at least one nozzle of the nozzle apparatus during application of a fluid upon a respective bale; and a controller configured to: receive the vibration patterns collected by the sensor during application of the fluid upon the respective bale; evaluate the vibration patterns for the at least one nozzle for a clog condition; and record, upon detecting the clog condition based on the vibration patterns, information associated with clog condition.

The present invention inter alia discloses an environmentally friendly, and optionally either edible or allowed to be in contact with food, baling materials, methods of its production and use, and a baler utilizing environmentally friendly binding materials for baling. The invention defines the baling materials in both chemical and physical manners. The present invention further discloses means and method for protecting the environment.

A square or rectangular hay baler (10) comprises a fore and aft hay bale forming zone, and a cut vegetation pick up and delivery arrangement for delivering cut vegetation to the hay bale forming zone. A compression plunger (19) of the hay baler (10) is movable in the fore and aft direction for compressing cut vegetation into a bale in the hay bale forming zone. A reservoir (23) retains a supply of non-toxic liquid surfactant or lubricant, and a pump (25) is provided for pumping the nontoxic liquid surfactant or lubricant from the reservoir (23) at a supply pressure to one or more discharge outlets (32) in the hay baler (10). Thereby, inwardly facing surfaces in the fore and aft hay bale forming zone are at least partially coated with the non-toxic liquid surfactant or lubricant.

A conveying device of an agricultural processing machine conveys loose material along a window which is inserted into a wall. A sensor measures in a contactless manner a characteristic of the conveyed loose material. A fluid ejector ejects a fluid jet onto a surface formed in the interior of the processing machine. The fluid is thereby provided in a space between the window and the conveyed loose material.

A device and method for tracking and marking bailed forage material is provided. Predetermined parameters are measured as the forage material enters the intake of a processing machine and prior to the forage material being transferred to a baling chamber of the machine. As the forage material passes through the machine, the locations of discrete portions or flakes of the forage material are linearly tracked so that each portion may receive pre-selected markings indicative of measured parameters of each portion. A plurality of sensor stations is incorporated within the machine to track the locations of the portions of material. After the forage material is baled, a marking station generates markings applied to each bale which corresponds to the measured parameters for the corresponding discrete portions. Observed parameters may include moisture content, volume, density, temperature, nutritional content, an amount and type of conditioning inoculant applied to each flake, among others. Multiple markings can be applied to each bale to indicate moisture content for selected portions of the bale since moisture content may differ between flakes in the bale.