Abstract: An agricultural baler includes a main bale chamber, a plunger reciprocally movable within the main bale chamber through a compression cycle, a flywheel associated with the movement of the plunger, and a driveline associated with the flywheel and couplable with a power take-off of a traction unit. The baler has an auxiliary power system coupled with the driveline. The auxiliary power system includes a power indicator providing an output signal representing a parameter associated with power usage during the compression cycle of the plunger, a power device for at least one of receiving power from and transferring power to the driveline, and an electrical processing circuit coupled with the power indicator and the power device. The electrical processing circuit is operable for receiving the output signal(s) and controlling operation of the power device, dependent upon the output signal(s).

Abstract: A bale measuring method for a rectangular baler having a bale chamber in which bales are formed. The bale measuring method includes steps of measuring a movement of crop material downstream of the bale chamber as the crop material moves backward in the baler, using the measured movement of the crop material downstream of the bale chamber to calibrate a measurement and calculation tool for measuring a movement of crop material in the bale chamber and for calculating a length of a bale being formed in the bale chamber based on the measurement, and determining the length of the bale being formed in the bale chamber using the calibrated measurement and calculation tool as the bale moves backward in the baler.

Abstract: A square baler has a baling chamber, a plunger reciprocable at one end of the baling chamber, a pre-compression chamber within which charges of crop are amassed and pre-compressed by a rotor prior to transfer into the baling chamber, and a pickup roller having radially projecting tines for picking up crop from the ground and advancing the crop to the rotor. A torque sensor is connected to at least one tine of the pickup roller to produce an electrical output signal indicative of the torque experienced by the pickup roller, and a processing circuit is operative to estimate the rate of crop flow into the chute by analysing the electrical output of the torque sensor only at times when the position of the tine lies within a predetermined angular position of the pickup roller.

Abstract: An agricultural baler system has a plunger, a bale chamber, a pre-compression chamber and a stuffer unit, for moving crop from the pre-compression chamber to the bale chamber. The stuffer unit includes a stuffer fork trigger mechanism, an actuator and a controller. The actuator is coupled to the stuffer fork trigger mechanism. The controller is in controlling connection with the actuator. The actuator is configured to arm the stuffer fork trigger mechanism by moving the actuator between a first position and a second position. The actuator is further configured to be held in the first position and/or the second position with substantially no energy use.

Abstract: A method and system for operating an agricultural baler, that includes measuring at least one physical input parameter associated with a compression profile of crop material in a bale chamber of the baler; analyzing the compression profile of the crop material, dependent upon the measured at least one physical input parameter; and adjusting at least one physical output parameter of the baler which affects the compression profile of the crop material in the bale chamber.

Abstract: An agricultural baler system includes a bale chamber, a compressing device and at least one sensor. The compressing device is coupled to the bale chamber and periodically compresses gathered crop material in the bale chamber. The sensor is coupled to the bale chamber and it produces a signal. The signal contains information that includes the load on at least one of the compressing device and the density of the forming bale.

Abstract: A signal processing method of a baler system includes the steps of receiving a signal, determining a steady state level and relating the steady state level to a characteristic of a forming bale. A signal is received from at least one sensor associated with a bale chamber of the baler system and a steady state level is determined from the signal. The steady state level of the signal is related to a characteristic of the forming bale in the bale chamber.

Abstract: A method and adapted electronic systems for determining a value representative for or an estimate of the load on a plunger of a baler for harvested agricultural material includes obtaining the speed of movement of a drive element for the plunger, followed by determining the estimate of or value representative for the load on the plunger based upon the obtained speed of movement of the drive element.

Abstract: An agricultural baler has a baling chamber with a plunger that is provided to reciprocally move in the baling chamber, the baling chamber walls separating the baling chamber from the environment, wherein the baling chamber walls include fluid channels formed at the environment side of the wall and directly adjacent to the baling chamber in such a manner that, during operation of the agricultural baler, heat is transferred from the baling chamber wall to fluid in the fluid channels, and the fluid is moved along said fluid channels during operation of the agricultural baler.

Abstract: Bale measuring method for a rectangular baler includes the steps of: measuring a movement of a binding material that is being tied around a bale; using the measured movement of the binding material to calibrate a measurement and calculation tool for measuring a movement of the bale in the baler and for calculating a length of the bale based on said measurement; determining the length of the bale using the calibrated measurement and calculation tool as the bale moves backward in the baler.

Abstract: A square baler having a baling chamber, a plunger reciprocable at one end of the baling chamber, a pre-compression chamber where charges of crop are amassed and pre-compressed by a rotor prior to transfer into the baling chamber. A transducer is provided for producing an electrical output signal indicative of the load on the rotor and a processing circuit is operative to estimate the rate of crop flow into the pre-compression chamber by analysing the output signal of the transducer over a complete filling and emptying cycle of the pre-compression chamber.

Abstract: An agricultural baler having a baling chamber and a pre-compression chamber, wherein the pre-compression chamber is adapted to periodically form a slice of crop material and push the slice towards the baling chamber into a first segment of the baling chamber, the baling chamber has a plunger provided for reciprocally moving in the baling chamber thereby compressing slices of crop material into a bale, wherein at least one optical bale length sensor is provided in the baling chamber for measuring the length of the bale.

Abstract: A method for controlling an agricultural vehicle system when moving along a course of travel over a field providing a field model correlating a field characteristic, e.g. a farmland condition such as farmland slope, or a crop condition such as crop density or moisture, to a specific location in the field, from the field model and at least one previously obtained value for the field characteristic, predicting a value for the field characteristic in front of the agricultural vehicle system thus obtaining an anticipated field characteristic, and; controlling the agricultural vehicle system at least partly in response to the anticipated field characteristic.

Abstract: A square baler comprising a controller for controlling the operation of the baler in dependence on the first, second and third signals representing the mass of a bale, the force of the piston of the baler, the energization of the actuator respectively and an input target value for the mass of the bale wherein the first signal is fed back in a first control loop and compared with the target weight to generate a target force, the second signal is fed in a second control loop and compared with the target force to generate a target energization, the third signal is fed in a third control loop and compared with the target energization to control the energization of the actuator.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for controlling an agricultural vehicle system when moving along a course of travel over a field. The method comprises: providing (190) a field model correlating a field characteristic, e.g. a farmland condition such as farmland slope, or a crop condition such as crop density or moisture, to a specific location in the field, for example indicated by x and y coordinates; from the field model and at least one previously obtained value for the field characteristic, predicting (191) a value for the field characteristic in front of the agricultural vehicle system thus obtaining an anticipated field characteristic, and; controlling (192) the agricultural vehicle system at least partly in response to the anticipated field characteristic. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, providing (190) a field model correlating a field characteristic to a specific location in the field includes assuming that the field characteristic varies in a continuous manner.

Abstract: A square baler comprising a controller for controlling the operation of the baler in dependence on the first, second and third signals representing the mass of a bale, the force of the piston of the baler, the energization of the actuator respectively and an input target value for the mass of the bale wherein the first signal is fed back in a first control loop and compared with the target weight to generate a target force, the second signal is fed in a second control loop and compared with the target force to generate a target energization, the third signal is fed in a third control loop and compared with the target energization to control the energization of the actuator.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the speed of a combine harvester (10) includes one or more sensors (48) each generating one or more signals that correspond during use of the combine harvester to variables of a harvesting process. The apparatus further includes a processor and one or more control devices operatively connected in a feedback arrangement including two loops. In a first loop, a first signal (28) corresponding to the ground speed of the combine harvester (10) is fed back as an input to a first control device (42) that is capable of adjusting the ground speed relative to a set value. In a second loop, the first signal (28) is fed together with a second signal (34) indicative of the flow rate of crop through the combine harvester to a second control device (32) that generates as a third signal (31) the set value, the third signal being input to the first control device (42).

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the speed of a combine harvester (10) comprises one or more sensors (48) each generating one or more signals that correspond during use of the combine harvester to variables of a harvesting process; a processor; and one or more control devices operatively connected in a feedback arrangement comprising two loops in a first of which a first said signal (28) corresponding to the ground speed of the combine harvester (10) is fed back as an input to a first said control device (42) that is capable of adjusting the said ground speed relative to a set value; and in a second of which the said first signal (28) is fed together with a second said signal (34) indicative of the flow rate of crop through the combine harvester to a second said control device (32) that generates as a third signal (31) the said set value, the third signal being input to the first said control device (42).