An agricultural baler includes a main bale chamber; a bale length sensor that is configured to determine a length of the bale as the bale is being formed in the main bale chamber and output a bale length signal representative of the bale length; a knotter that is configured to wrap and tie twine around the bale in the main bale chamber; and a controller that is configured to output a knotter cycle initiation signal to the knotter when the length of the bale, as determined in the controller by the bale length signal, reaches a pre-determined bale length threshold value, and wherein the knotter cycle initiation signal actuates the knotter to wrap and tie twine around the bale. A remote control device, which is remote from the baler, is configured to communicate with the controller to remotely adjust the pre-determined bale length threshold value.

A high capacity square baler comprising a pickup mechanism configured to pick up a single windrow of crop material off the ground. The baler additionally comprising one or more stuffer chutes each configured to receive at least a portion of the crop material picked up by the pickup mechanism. The baler additionally comprising one or more stuffer assemblies each configured to push crop material generally upward through one or more of the stuffer chutes. The baler additionally comprising a plurality of bale-forming chambers each configured to receive crop material from one or more of the stuffer chutes. The baler further comprising a plurality of knotter assemblies each associated with one of the bales forming chambers and each configured to wrap and tie securement lines around each formed bale. The knotter assemblies are configured to operate independently of one another, such that formed bales can be tied at different times.

A baling press for baling cotton gin trash and other particulate biomass feedstock. The baling press generally includes an infeed chute assembly, a compression ram assembly, an extrusion chamber assembly, a strapping storage and dispensing assembly, and a strapping insertion assembly. The present invention also relates to methods of producing a bale with the baling press and a bale generated by the baling press and described methods.

A baling cotton gin trash and other particulate biomass feedstock. The baling press generally includes an infeed chute assembly, a compression rain assembly, an extrusion chamber assembly, a strapping storage and dispensing assembly, and a strapping insertion assembly. The present invention also relates to methods of producing a bale with the baling press and a bale generated by the press and described methods.

An agricultural baler includes a baling chamber and a pre-compression chamber. The pre-compression chamber is configured to gather crop material and to periodically form a slice of the crop material and introduce the slice into the baling chamber. The baling chamber includes a plunger provided for moving in the baling chamber thereby compressing slices of crop material into a bale. The agricultural baler further includes multiple sensors and a controller configured for controlling operation of the agricultural baler based on inputs of the multiple sensors. A first subset of the multiple sensors is directly related to bale parameters, and a second subset of the multiple sensors is indirectly related to the bale parameters. The controller is configured to control the operation of the agricultural baler and calibrate the sensors of the second subset based on outputs of sensors of the first subset.

A rectangular baler including a bale chamber having 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, and a control system configured to control the plunger to perform cyclic plunger strokes such that in each stroke the plunger force (F) exerted by the plunger on the crop material increases to reach a maximum plunger force (Fmax) to compress a newly inserted slice of crop material. The control system includes a first module to measure, at consecutive moments during a plunger stroke, a plurality of first values for the plunger force exerted by the plunger and/or for the pressure (Pd) in the actuator; and a control module to control at least one baling setting influencing the compressing of the crop material in the bale chamber as a function of the plurality of first values.

A bale chamber includes: movable density doors; at least one fluid cylinder including a fluid chamber, a piston separating the fluid chamber into a piston side and a rod side, a cylinder rod coupled to the piston on the rod side and configured to move at least one of the density doors, a piston fluid port, and a rod fluid port; and a fluid supply circuit fluidly coupled to the fluid chamber and configured to supply working fluid to the fluid chamber, the fluid supply circuit including a fluid supply controller that is selectively switchable to a first fluid supply mode and a second fluid supply mode, the fluid supply circuit being configured to supply working fluid to only the piston side when in the first fluid supply mode and to supply working fluid to both the piston side and the rod side when in the second fluid supply mode.

An agricultural baler includes a main bale chamber extending in a bale forming direction from an inlet end to an outlet end. The main bale chamber includes a plurality of stationary walls and a plurality of movable density doors positioned downstream from the stationary walls, relative to the bale forming direction. The stationary walls include a ceiling, a first side wall and a second side wall. A plunger compresses and moves the crop material from the inlet end towards the outlet end of the bale chamber. The baler is characterized in that the first side wall, the second side wall and/or the ceiling comprises a constriction surface, which constricts the main bale chamber in a direction transverse to the bale forming direction.

A hay baler includes a compression stage having a first major wall conveying means, a support surface, a first sidewall conveying means, and a second sidewall conveying means, which are arranged to form a compression chamber and each driven at compatible speeds to propel hay toward a downstream end of the compression stage. The first and second major wall conveying means are in spaced relation to each other. The first and second sidewall conveying means are transversely oriented and form first and second side walls of the compression chamber and are angled so that the compression chamber tapers from an initial width at the upstream end to a smaller final width at the downstream end.

A method for determining parameters associated with bale charges formed within agricultural balers includes transmitting microwave signals through a charge of crop material located within a pre-compression chamber of an agricultural baler or into a wall of the pre-compression chamber. Additionally, the method includes determining at least one wave-related property associated with the microwave signals as transmitted through the charge of crop material or into the wall of the pre-compression chamber, and estimating a filling degree of at least a portion of the pre-compression chamber based at least in part on the at least one wave-related property associated with the microwave signals.