Abstract: A process instrument enclosed in a hermetically sealed housing for indicating and controlling a measured variable, such as the level in a tank. The instrument includes magnetically operated electrical switches actuable between open and closed positions in response to the measured variable. The electrical switches used are capable of switching current levels on the order of 10 Amps.

Abstract: A round baler having a single bale forming chamber is provided with an electronic control circuit which makes its operation automatic except for the operator-controlled functions of starting and stopping forward motion of the baler. Under the circuit control the baler forms a bale, wraps it with twine, cuts the twine, raises the tailgate, ejects the wrapped bale and closes the tailgate. The control circuit energizes a first indicator when the tailgate closes to signal the operator to begin forward motion of the baler. When a point is reached in the bailing cycle at which the wrapping of the bale is to commence, the circuit energizes a second indicator to signal the operator to stop forward motion of the baler. The circuit also detects certain malfunctions and energizes a third indicator to signal the operator that a malfunction has occurred.

Abstract: The unpredictability of the actual characteristics of spurious sounds has resulted in the use of electronic filtering or comparator circuits being less than satisfactory in certain cases, such as for distinguishing between machinery sounds and foreign objects in the machinery. An acoustically based stone detector is provided for use on a field harvesting machine. A piezoelectric acoustic detector is attached to the central support web of a feed roll within the frame of the harvester, and a rotating transformer is used to transmit the signal from the feed roll to the frame. The air core rotating transformer is built with one coil rotating with the feed roll and the other coil stationary on the frame. Electronic circuitry is used to process the signal and control the harvester action to protect the cutter blades from damage by detected stones, either by stopping the machine or mechanically ejecting the stones.

Abstract: A bale row forming table of a three table type bale wagon has an actuating lever which cooperates in detecting the length of a bale row and in repositioning the last bale of the row when a short row is detected. The actuating lever manipulates an electrical sensor in response to the presence or absence of a bale in contact therewith and is oriented so as to be displaced in only one direction regardless of whether it is contacted by a bale from above or from the side.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to automatic bale wagons of the type adapted to pick up crop material bales in the field and automatically form stacks of these bales utilizing a variety of selected tier configurations for forming a stable, interlocked stack of bales.