The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 12, 2006
Filed:
May. 27, 2005
Paul David Parker, Ottumwa, IA (US);
Darin Ledru Roth, Ottumwa, IA (US);
Timothy John Trelstad, Ottumwa, IA (US);
Paul David Parker, Ottumwa, IA (US);
Darin Ledru Roth, Ottumwa, IA (US);
Timothy John Trelstad, Ottumwa, IA (US);
Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US);
Abstract
A method is provided for determining the throughput of a parallelepiped agricultural baler. The baler has a feed duct communicating between a crop pick-up assembly and a baling chamber and the feed duct serves as a pre-compression chamber to accumulate crop to a predetermined density before the crop is transferred to the baling chamber. The transfer of the crop from the feed duct (pre-compression chamber) to the baling chamber is accomplished by a stuffer mechanism actuated in response to a crop density sensor associated with the feed duct (pre-compression chamber). The baler further has a plunger mechanism that compresses the crop into a column to form a bale in the baling chamber. The invention senses when the crop in the feed duct (pre-compression chamber) has reached a predetermined density for transfer to the baling chamber and when the plunger has attained a home position that allows for transfer of crop from the feed duct (pre-compression chamber) into the baling chamber. A wait time between when the feed duct (pre-compression chamber) has reached a predetermined density for transfer of crop to the baling chamber and the plunger is in the home position is calculated and displayed to an operator of the baler.