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.

An agricultural baler includes a plunger reciprocally movable within a main bale chamber during a compression stroke and a return stroke, a flywheel associated with the plunger, and a driveline associated with the flywheel and couplable with a power take-off (PTO) of a traction unit. The baler further includes an APS coupled with the driveline and configured for receiving power from the driveline and storing the power. A PTO indicator provides an output signal indicative of an engagement of the PTO. An electrical processing circuit is coupled with the APS and the PTO indicator, and controls operation of the APS, dependent on the output signal from the PTO indicator.

A bale drop detection mechanism for use with a baler having a rear aperture. The bale drop detection mechanism including a bale chute coupled to the rear aperture of the baler, where the bale chute includes an upper surface configured to support a bale ejected from the rear aperture thereon. The bale drop detection mechanism also including a bracket coupled to the rear aperture of the baler, a support member extending between and coupled to both the bale chute and the bracket, and a controller in operable communication with the bale chute and configured to detect a bale drop event based at least in part on the level of force being applied to the upper surface of the bale chute.

A system for ejecting a bale from a baler, wherein the ejection process is controlled by a control unit with input from various sensors and from a remote operator located on a tractor. The control unit automatically positions a chute, controls a power take-off from the tractor, depressurizes and opens a chamber door, ties the bale, selects and causes ejector teeth to project into a forming chamber to engage the bale, causes the ejector teeth to move toward a discharge outlet such that the engaged bale moves with them toward and through the discharge outlet, and determines when the bale has fully ejected from the baler. The remote operator may choose to eject only the bale or to eject the entire contents of the forming chamber, and if the former, the control unit determines the bale's length and selects a subset of the ejector teeth that corresponds to that length.

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 baling system acts at shut-down to automatically pre-position a plunger so that it is just past a rear-dead-center position when the baler is restarted, thereby minimizing the load on a power take-off during the next restart. In particular, when the power take-off is deactivated, a control unit automatically brakes the power take-off so that the plunger stops in the desired position. Alternatively, the baling system acts at restart-up to automatically repeatedly activate and deactivate the power take-off in order to accelerate the plunger to a predetermined minimum operating speed before activating the power take-off for continuous operation, thereby maximizing a flywheel's momentum during the restart.

A baling system acts at shut-down to automatically pre-position a plunger so that it is just past a rear-dead-center position when the baler is restarted, thereby minimizing the load on a power take-off during the next restart. In particular, when the power take-off is deactivated, a control unit automatically brakes the power take-off so that the plunger stops in the desired position. Alternatively, the baling system acts at restart-up to automatically repeatedly activate and deactivate the power take-off in order to accelerate the plunger to a predetermined minimum operating speed before activating the power take-off for continuous operation, thereby maximizing a flywheel's momentum during the restart.

Baling apparatus including a baling chamber having a stationary splitting knife disposed therein for dividing crop material picked up from a field to discharge divided bales simultaneously. Bale depth control allows production of bales of predetermined selected depths (or widths) by repositioning the roof of the baling chamber, using extensions to alter the crop-engaging surface of a plunger movable in the baling chamber and repositioning the splitting knife.

A bale wrap mechanism for use with a roll of wrap material, the bale wrap mechanism including a frame including a wrap chute formed from one or more perimeter walls, where the wrap chute defines a wrap axis extending longitudinally therethrough, and where the one or more perimeter walls at least partially define a passageway, a wrap arm coupled to the frame, the wrap arm having a mounting point movable with respect to the frame, and a shaft coupled to the mounting point and configured to support the roll of wrap material thereon, where the shaft is configured to travel along a wrap path during a wrapping process, where the wrap path surrounds the passageway, and where the wrap path is non-circular in shape.

A bale wrap mechanism including a frame including a wrap chute formed from one or more perimeter walls, where the wrap chute includes a wrap axis extending longitudinally therethrough, and where the one or more perimeter walls at least partially define a passageway, a first rail fixedly coupled to the frame, a first shuttle movable along the length of the first rail, where the first shuttle includes a second rail that is transverse to the first rail, a second shuttle movable along the length of the second rail, wherein the second shuttle includes a mounting point, and a shaft coupled to the mounting point, where the shaft is configured to rotatably support the roll of wrap material thereon, and where the shaft is configured to travel along a wrap path during a wrapping process, where the wrap path surrounds the passageway, and where the wrap path is non-circular in shape.