Round baler with improved twine wrap control

US6209450A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• New Holland North America, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Adrianus Naaktgeboren · Veldegem, BE
• Mark K. Chow · Paoli, US
• Jan C. Van Groenigen · Varsenare, BE
• Dirk Andre Rene Vandamme · Uitkerke, BE
• Johan Adolf Eric Vande Ryse · Brugge, BE
• Danny Noel Oscar Claeys · Oedelem, BE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 29, 1999
• Grant date: Apr 3, 2001
• Expiry date: Jul 29, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A01F2015/143
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A baler (10) for wrapping a rotating bale (52) of crop material (26) with strands of twine (72) has two twine tubes (68) through which the twine is fed so that ends of the strands dangle from the tubes. A bale density sensor (36) senses bale density and a controller (42) compares the sensed density with a desired density selected by an operator via an operator control panel (34). When the sensed density reaches about half the desired density the twine tubes are moved to a twine insert position so that the ends of the strands dangle adjacent the rotating bale. When a full bale has been formed, a duckbill (60) is actuated to push the ends of the strands toward the bale where they are caught up in the crop material. If either strand is not caught up in the rotating bale, the operator may abort the wrap cycle and initiate a new wrap cycle by pressing a wrap key on the control panel. The twine tubes are moved to a twine cut position, the twine is cut, the twine tubes returned to the twine insert position, and the duckbill is again actuated to push the strand ends toward the bale.