Agco Corporation

Kevin J Hamilton

Daniel J Soldan

Robert L Figger

Emmanuel Regis Magisson

Shane A Bollinger

Grant Lewis Good

Patrick Kendrick

Darren J Nelson

Friedrich Robert Honeyman

Brian Busenitz

Daniel Soldan

Emmanuel Magisson

A system and method for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the plant material incorporated into the bale. A baler receives, compresses, shapes, and secures material into the bale. A cutter mechanism cuts a portion of the material in the bale into similarly-sized particles. A mixer mechanism mixes the particles into a homogenous aggregate. A compression mechanism compresses the homogenous aggregate into the bale. An NIR testing system receives and analyzes near-infrared radiation reflected by the homogenous aggregate, and generates evaluation data reflecting properties of the material. The cutter may include knives mounted in a compression chamber of the baler. The mixer may be a relief feature on a center rail, the compressor may be a projecting feature on the center rail, and an NIR sensor may be mounted to the center rail so as to press against the surface of the bale.

System and method for more accurately determining overall quality of baled plant material

A system and method for evaluating individual subunits of material incorporated into a bale and, based thereon, assigning a weighted average quality value to the overall bale. A baler receives, aggregates, compresses, shapes, and secures subunits of a plant material into a bale. An NIR testing system receives and analyzes near-infrared radiation reflected by the plant material, and generates subunit evaluation data reflecting properties of the material in the subunits. A computer receives and combines the subunit evaluation data to produce overall evaluation data reflecting properties of the bale, and assigns the overall evaluation data to the bale. Combining the subunit evaluation data includes assigning weights to the subunit evaluation data and then averaging the weighted subunit property values. Weighting may be based on the amount of time the NIR testing system is exposed to the material in each subunit, and the amount of time may be mechanically determined.

System and method for assigning weighted average quality value to baled plant material

A seed filling system is mounted to a trailing implement that is towed by an agricultural machine. The seed filling system has a reduced-volume receptacle for receiving seed and a metering assembly that causes the distribution of the seed through a manifold to respective storage containers of plural row units before the seed is dispensed to soil.

Central filling system and method for an agricultural application implement

A baler includes a near-infrared testing system configured to receive near-infrared radiation reflected by plant material in a bale and to analyze the near-infrared radiation and generate evaluation data reflecting one or more properties of the plant material. The near-infrared testing system is calibrated using a calibration sample at a calibration temperature. A temperature sensor measures a sample temperature of a crop sample of the plant material. A computer receives and combines the evaluation data of the plant material and a temperature-difference offset based on the difference in the sample temperature of the crop sample and the calibration temperature to produce overall temperature-compensated evaluation data reflecting one or more overall property values for the bale, and assign the overall temperature-compensated evaluation data to the at least one bale of the plurality of bales.

Temperature compensation system and method for NIR sample on baler

A method of measuring a harvested crop includes measuring a first attribute of a first electric field in a first volume containing crop material, measuring a second attribute of a second electric field in a second volume containing crop material, and determining at least two different properties of the crop material based at least in part on the first attribute and the second attribute.

Methods of measuring harvested crop material

A baler includes a near-infrared testing system configured to receive near-infrared radiation reflected by plant material in a bale and to analyze the near-infrared radiation and generate evaluation data reflecting one or more properties of the plant material. The near-infrared testing system is calibrated using a calibration sample at a calibration temperature. A temperature sensor measures a sample temperature of a crop sample of the plant material and a temperature alteration mechanism adjusts the sample temperature of the crop sample so that the sample temperature matches the calibration temperature of the calibration sample before the near-infrared testing system receives the near-infrared radiation reflected by the plant material. A computer receives and combine the evaluation data of the plant material to produce overall evaluation data reflecting one or more overall properties for the at least one bale of the plurality of bales, and assign the overall evaluation data to the bale.

System and method for preparing nir sample on baler

In one embodiment, a skid plate comprising an upper surface and an opposing ground engaging surface, the ground engaging surface comprising one or more optical windows flush or extending beyond a plane of the ground engaging surface, each of the optical windows comprising an optically transparent material.

Skid plate for sensor integration

A bale identification assembly for use with an agricultural baler () includes a first supply roll mounted on the baler providing a binding material () used by the knotter system to bind the formed bale, the binding material () on the first supply roll comprising identification tags () at spaced intervals along the binding material. The bale identification assembly includes a second supply roll mounted on the baler () providing a binding material without identification tags, wherein the knotter system combines the binding material with identification tags () from the first supply roll with the binding material without identification tags from the second supply roll to bind the formed bale. The bale identification assembly includes a read module with one or more antennas configured to transmit interrogator signals and also receive authentication replies from the identification tags ().

Assigning an identifying element to a bale

In one embodiment, a row unit, comprising an upright frame portion comprising front and rear-facing sides, the front facing side configured to be coupled to a tool bar; a fore and aft extending frame coupled on one end to the rear-facing side, the fore and aft extending frame operably coupled to one or more disc openers and plural gauge wheels; a pair of arms pivotably and independently coupled to the fore and aft extending frame; a pair of closing wheels, each operably coupled to one of the pair of arms; and a pair of down force components, each coupled between the upright frame and the one of the pair of arms.

Independent planter closing system

A row unit has a frame with an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion has a parallel linkage and the lower portion is coupled to plural gauge wheels. A first sensor is configured to provide an output signal and a controllable device is coupled to the upper portion and configured to provide an adjustable down force. A dampening device is coupled to the upper portion and configured to provide adjustable dampening of the row unit based on the output signal.

Adjustable dampening for planter row unit

A baling system operable to receive loose material, form the loose material into an individual charge, and compress the individual charge with one or more other charges to form a bale. The baling system includes a forming chamber and a plunger operable to move in a reciprocating manner within the forming chamber from a front-dead-center position in which a plunger face is furthest re) from the bale to a rear-dead-center position in which the plunger face contacts and compresses the bale. The system includes a feeder component operable to pre-compress the loose material to form the individual charge and then move the individual charge into the forming chamber, the feeder component including a feeder chute having a feeder chute outlet connected to the forming chamber. The feeder component is operable to pre-compress the loose material into the individual charge and then move the individual charge into the forming chamber for compression by the plunger into the bale. The system includes a moisture sensor operable to determine a moisture content of the individual charge in the feeder chute, wherein at least a portion of the moisture sensor is positioned in the plunger face. In one embodiment, the moisture sensor is a near infra-red sensor operable to use near infra-red radiation to determine the moisture content.

Baler with NIR sensor in plunger face

A binding material for binding a bale of crop material has bale identification tags used to identify properties of the bale that is bound by the binding material. The binding material includes at least one strand of a non-identifying filament and one strand of an identifying filament incorporating the identification tags, wherein the identifying filament is formed as a continuous identification element comprising a resonant material incorporated into the identifying filament during a production process.

Identification filament with baler binding material

A baler () has a stuffer chute assembly () with upper and lower curved walls () forming a stuffer chamber (). A rear portion () of the upper wall () extends downwardly and forwardly from a baling chamber () and a forward portion () extends above an inlet opening to the stuffer chamber (). The upper wall () has a plurality of laterally spaced-apart wrappers (), with adjacent wrappers forming slots () extending generally from said crop receiving inlet opening to an outlet opening () for cooperation with tines () of a feeding mechanism (). The wrappers () are movable relative to the lower wall () at a forward end () and at a rearward end () of the upper wall () so as to change a cross-sectional dimension of the stuffer chamber (). The baler () has a forward wall adjusting mechanism () for setting a forward end () of the upper wall () in a predetermined position, and a rear wall adjusting mechanism () for setting a rear end () of the upper wall ().

Adjustable stuffer chute

A seed tube guard for a row unit has a body having a first portion and a second portion. The second portion carries an audible alert material that is configured to produce an audible sound when scraped across rotating metal. The audible alert material has a material composition distinct from a material composition of the body carrying the audible alert material.

Audible alarm for seed tube guard wear

A bale identification assembly includes binding material used by a knotter system to bind a formed bale, the binding material including identification tags at spaced intervals along the binding material. A read module transmits interrogator signals and also receives authentication replies from the identification tags. A position sensor is used to predict passage of identification tags through the knotter mechanism and a bale length sensor provides a signal representing bale length. A controller receives signals from the bale length sensor and the position sensor and generates a signal to alter the length of the bale by causing an additional flake to be added to the bale by the plunger or the bale to be finished with fewer flakes to prevent the knotter system from tying a knot in the binding material such that the identification tag is positioned in a portion of the binding material used to form the knot.

Growing community of inventors

Hesston, KS, United States of America

Kevin J Hamilton