An agricultural baler. The agricultural bailer includes a baling chamber, a first plunger, a second surface opposing the first plunger, and a track assembly. The baling chamber includes a first wall and a second wall. Each of the first wall and the second wall includes a slot extending along a length of the baling chamber. The first plunger is moveable within the baling chamber and is configured to compress a compressible material into a bale. The second surface is configured to support the compressible material within the baling chamber. Each of the first plunger and the second surface includes a slot aligned with the slots of the first wall and the second wall. The track assembly includes a gated channel and is disposed within the slots of the first wall, the second wall, the first plunger, and the second surface such that the track assembly substantially surrounds the baling chamber.

A baler implement includes a crop sensor operable to sense data related to a quantity of the crop material accumulated within a pre-compression chamber. A baler controller is operable to execute a feeder control algorithm to receive a quantity signal from the crop sensor. When the quantity signal indicates that the quantity of the crop material accumulated within the pre-compression chamber is equal to or greater than a quantity threshold, the baler controller may then signal an actuator to release a lock, thereby allowing a feeder fork to move from a retracted position to an extended position thereof to move the crop material from the pre-compression chamber to a compression chamber for baling.

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.

An agricultural baler has a bale chamber for the compression of crop into bales with a floor, ceiling, and two walls. A plunger forces crop into the bale chamber. An actuator system presses the ceiling and walls of the bale chamber inward. At least one retractable friction block in the ceiling or walls is used to increase the compression and density of the crop. The friction blocks extend inwards as an increasing function of either decreased pressure being exerted against the ceiling or walls by the crop being baled, or inward displacement of the ceiling or walls by the actuator system.

A sensor detects a characteristic of accumulated crop material and a controller manipulates the speed of a baling chamber in response thereto. The speed of a baling chamber of a variable speed baler is manipulated in response to a characteristic of an accumulated crop material. For example, the height of accumulated crop material in an accumulation area may be detected and the speed of the baling chamber manipulated in response thereto. The rate of growth of the bale may also be determined and used in manipulating the speed of the baling chamber.

Disclosed are methods and systems for determining the amount of material contained in a windrow. In particular embodiments, the methods and systems are applicable to agricultural applications, and in particular to hay yield monitoring. Systems include a remote sensing technology to determine windrow height. Remote sensing methods can include ultrasonic sensors, optical sensors, and the like. Systems can provide real time yield data.

A method and system for operating an agricultural baler, that includes measuring at least one physical input parameter associated with a compression profile of crop material in a bale chamber of the baler; analyzing the compression profile of the crop material, dependent upon the measured at least one physical input parameter; and adjusting at least one physical output parameter of the baler which affects the compression profile of the crop material in the bale chamber.

A rectangular baler comprising a bale chamber delimited by a plurality of walls including a movable wall section, an actuator for exerting a pressure on the movable wall section, a plunger for compressing crop material in the bale chamber, and a density control system including: a position calculating module configured to calculate a new position for the movable wall section based on an input representative for bale density of compressed crop material in the bale chamber, and a position control module configured to control the actuator to position the movable wall section in the calculated position.

A bale binder including a first row of binding applicators configured to apply a first plurality of spaced apart bindings around the bale of material, and a second row of binding applicators configured to apply a second plurality of spaced apart bindings around the bale of material, wherein the first and second row of binding applicators are configured such that the plurality of bindings from the respective applicators are applied around the bale of material without crossing over or tangling.

A DEVICE AND METHOD COMPRISING A LARGE SQUARE BALER WITH A PRE-COMPRSSION CHAMBER THAT ACCUMULATES HAY AND MOVES IT INTO THE COMPRESSION CHAMBER, ONE OR MORE NEAR INFRARED SPECROCOPY (NIRS) SENSORS MOUNTED NEAR THE TOP OF THE PRE-COMPRESSION CHAMBER, A MEANS TO READ INPUTS FROM THE SENSORS ONLY WHEN THE STUFFER FORKS ARE MOVING HAYFROM THE PRE-COMPRESSION CHAMBER INTO THE MAIN CHAMBER AND A PROCESSOR TO AVERAGE MULTIPLE READINGS FROM THE NIRS SENSORS FROM THAT INTEVAL.