METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR METHOD FOR PROVIDING A BALE OF CROP MATERIAL

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. Method for providing a bale of crop material that is only partially wrapped in a film which is provided with a plurality of perforations, the method comprising the steps of wrapping a bale of crop material in a film with an automatic bale wrapping apparatus, subsequently providing the film with said plurality of perforations, and ensuring that the perforations are present/positioned in an upper half of the bale.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the providing step and the ensuring step are performed automatically.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the bale is a round bale with a longitudinal axis and with a cylindrical surface and two flat side surfaces, wherein the perforations are in majority or only provided on the cylindrical surface, and wherein the step of ensuring comprises ensuring that the perforations are provided in the top half of the bale, in particular in the topmost 60°, more in particular in the topmost 45°.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the perforations are provided in at least one row.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the perforations are provided in a plurality of, preferably two or three, more preferably substantially parallel, rows.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein a distance between rows is about 0.1 m.

7. Method according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of perforations is provided over at least half of a length of the bale, as seen along the longitudinal axis.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least a majority, and preferably all, of the perforations comprise each at least three, and preferably four radial slits.

9. System for automatically providing a round bale of crop material that is only partially wrapped in a film, the film of the wrapped bale being provided with a plurality of perforations, the system comprising: a round bale wrapper that wraps a bale of crop material partially in a film, a perforator that provides the film with said plurality of perforations, wherein the system is arranged such that said plurality of perforations, after having been provided in the film, are present/positioned in an upper half of the bale, in particular in the topmost 60°, more in particular in the topmost 45°.

10. System according to claim 9, comprising an orienting device arranged to ensure that said plurality of perforations, after having been provided in the film, are present/positioned in the upper half of the bale, in particular in the topmost 60°, more in particular in the topmost 45°.

11. System according to claim 9, wherein the perforator comprises projections that provide, either singly or in combination with at least one other of the projections, a perforation each in the form of at least three, and preferably four, radial slits.

12. System according to claim 9, wherein the perforator and the orienting device are combined into one machine.

13. System according to claim 9, wherein the round bale wrapper is combined with a round baler that forms a round bale, wherein the round bale wrapper is provided inside the round baler and is arranged to wrap the bale while inside the round baler, or wherein round bale wrapper is arranged behind the round baler and the round baler is arranged to transfer the formed bale to the round bale wrapper for wrapping the bale.

14. System according to claim 13, wherein the round baler comprises a bale unloading ramp that unloads the bale formed in the round baler, and a bale catcher that holds the unloaded bale in a first position, in particular resting on the ground, in particular the round baler also comprising the perforator.

15. System according to claim 14, wherein the perforator is arranged to provide the perforations in the film when the bale is in the first position, in particular the perforator being provided on a tailgate of the round baler, the tailgate being arranged to press the perforator onto the film for providing the perforations.

16. System according to claim 14, wherein the perforator comprises a set of teeth arranged on the unloading ramp.

17. System according to claim 9, wherein the orienting device comprises a round bale handler that is arranged to rotate the round bale around a longitudinal axis of the bale and over such an angle that said plurality of perforations, that have been provided in the film, are present/positioned in said upper half of the bale, in particular in the topmost 60°, more in particular in the topmost 45°.

18. System according to claim 9, wherein the orienting device comprises a bale spear, preferably a single tined bale spear that is arranged to penetrate the round bale excentrically and to thereby rotate the round bale around a longitudinal axis of the bale and over such an angle that said plurality of perforations, that have been provided in the film, are present/positioned in said upper half of the bale, in particular in the topmost 60°, more in particular in the topmost 45°.

19. System according to claim 9, wherein the orienting device comprises an optical detection system that detects at least one of said perforations and that is operatively connected to the orienting device, the orienting device orienting the round bale on the basis of the at least one detected perforation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The invention will now be elucidated in the form of a number of non-limiting exemplary embodiments, shown in the drawing, in which:

[0033] FIG. 1a shows a prior art round bale with film with holes,

[0034] FIG. 1b shows a round bale provided according to the present invention,

[0035] FIG. 1c shows a square bale provided according to the present invention,

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a bale according to the invention, in diagrammatic top view,

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic view of a bale spear of a system according to the invention, and

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic view of a system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1a shows a prior art round bale 1′ with a perforated film, in a diagrammatic perspective view. The baled crop is e.g. dry hay or the like. Herein, the bale 1 has side surfaces 2 and a cylindrical surface 3 that is wrapped in, or covered with, a film 4 that is provided with perforations 5. In this prior art bale, the perforations 5 are provided either regularly or irregularly, but always all around the bale 1′. This entails moisture at ground level to ingress into the bale, which is undesirable. Furthermore, the holes are here circular, and this may also allow ingress of rain water from above, although it is acceptable in some circumstances.

[0040] FIGS. 1b and 1c show a round bale 1, and a square bale 7, provided according to the present invention. Similar to bale 1′, the round bale 1 is provided with a film around its cylindrical surface, while the flat side surfaces are substantially wrap free. For this bale, the perforations are provided in the topmost 45°, measured in a vertical plane, i.e. perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 6 of the bale 1. Similarly, the perforations 5 are provided in the top surface of the square bale 7. Having the perforations in the top part of the bale 1, in the top surface 7, respectively, allows the film to remain watertight with respect to moisture at ground level, while allowing vapour to escape. This ensures a better quality in the long term, in particular more freedom from moulds and the like. The angle with respect to the top of the bale, under which the perforations may be provided may also be smaller or larger, up to 90°. All such bales allow the escape of moisture that collected at the higher parts of the bale, due to condensation of evaporated water during lower temperatures at night etc.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a bale 1 according to the invention, in a diagrammatic top view. Here it is visible that there are two rows of perforations 5. The rows are substantially parallel, and are spaced apart by about 10 cm. Similarly, within a row, the perforations are spaced by about 10 cm from their neighbours. Other distances are possible, such as between about 5 and 15 cm.

[0042] The perforations 5 are shown as four radial slits each, which can in this case be equalled to two crossed slits. An important advantage thereof is that the resulting ‘flaps’ close off the perforations during rain or the like, while vapour (moist air etcetera) may still escape easily. This gives better moisture control of the bale. Other slit configurations for the perforations are possible, such as three or four, or even more radial slits.

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic view of a bale spear 10 of a system according to the invention. The bale spear 10 comprises a camera 11, a spear or spike 12 and an actuator 13. The bale spear is arranged to ensure that the perforations 5 of the film of a bale 1 are positioned correctly, i.e. at the top of the bale. Thereto, the camera 11, combined with a non-shown image processing device, images the bale 1 and recognizes its perforations 5. It can then rotate the bale 1 such that the perforations are positioned on top, by positioning its spear 12, with the help of the camera 11 and a lifting actuator 13, between the center 14 of the bale and the middle of the detected perforations 5, that is, somewhere on the dashed line in the Figure, such as on the indicated aim 15. When the bale 1 is now lifted, again by means of the actuator 13, gravity will automatically ensure that the perforations 5 are positioned correctly on top. The bale spear 10 may then retract the spear 12 from the bale, and move to another bale.

[0044] Alternatively, it is possible for the bale spear, or any other vehicle, autonomous or not, to position the perforations correctly by pushing the bale 1 such that it rolls and rotates over a sufficient angle. This may be monitored by the camera 11.

[0045] In this system, the bale spear 10 is only a part, as it handles a wrapped bale 1. This bale may be received from any source, such as a suitable bale wrapper that in turn receives a bale to be wrapped from a baler or picks up a bale from a field, or receives a bale directly from a (round) baler that provides a wrapped bale. The whole of these machines, in any form mentioned, is then an exemplary system according to the invention.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic view of a system according to the invention. The system 20 comprises a round baler 21, that comprises a first baler half 22 and a tailgate 23, that is pivotable about a pivot 24, all being provided on a frame 25 with wheels 26. A pick-up device is indicated with 27, and an unloading ramp with 28. A bale catcher 29 with stops 30 that are swivellable about a joint 31 is also provided. A perforator 32 with retractable teeth 33 is provided on the tailgate, as well as in the form of teeth 34 on the ramp 28.

[0047] The system 20 according to the invention is arranged to pick up a crop (not shown) with the pick-up device 27, that is led into the round baler 21, that bales the crop into a bale inside the bale chamber, formed by the first baler half 22 and the tailgate 23. Herein, parts such as baler belts and an internal wrapping device are not shown. Details thereof are not relevant for the invention per se, and may be supplied by any skilled person. It is alternatively also possible to provide a separate bale wrapper, that either receives a bale to be wrapped from a round baler, or is a separate vehicle that is arranged to pick up a bale itself or be provided with a bale by a bale handler, and subsequently wraps a received bale. In all these cases, the bale wrapper is arranged to wrap the bale automatically, and substantially along a cylindrical surface of a round bale or four faces of a square bale. Again, details of such bale wrappers are readily available in the prior art and need not be elucidated here.

[0048] When baling and wrapping the bale is finished, it is ejected from the baler 21 by opening the tailgate 23, and unloading the bale 1 via the unloading ramp 28. There may be provided a bale catcher, comprising one or two arms 29 with a stop 30 and that can swivel about a joint 31. The bale catcher can catch the unloading bale, in a fixed position in which it e.g. touches the ground. There is furthermore provided a perforator 32 on the tailgate 23. The tailgate 23 may be moved downward, along the dashed line in the direction of the arrow, which may move the perforator 32 onto the upper side of the bale 1, such that it drives the teeth 33 of the perforator, that have now been extended, through the film of the bale 1. This makes perforations in the bale's film. After that, the bale catcher arm(s) 29 is swivelled out of the way about the joint 31, which fully releases the bale 1. Note, however, that the bale will not move further since it already lay on the ground. Thus there is full control over the position of the perforations. Finally, the teeth 33 may be retracted, and the tailgate 23 may close the round baler 21.

[0049] Alternatively, there are provided teeth on the ramp 28, retractable or not. When a bale is unloaded via the ramp, the teeth will be pressed through the film of a bale due to the bale's weight. By positioning the teeth 33 such that the bale will rotate the perforations to an upper position, sufficient control over the perforations' position is also achieved.