Large square bale wagon

{
  "publication_number": "US10231382B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Large square bale wagon",
  "abstract": "A method of grasping a bale of crop material and placing the bale in a bale wagon, the method comprising the steps of sensing, grasping and evaluating. The sensing step includes sensing a presence of a bale between grasping arms of a bale grasping mechanism. The grasping step includes grasping the bale with the grasping arms. The evaluating step includes evaluating a size of the bale that has been grasped.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An agricultural bale wagon, comprising: a chassis; an articulating mechanism coupled to the chassis; a bale grasping mechanism having a set of grasping arms, the grasping mechanism being coupled to the articulating mechanism; a hydraulic actuator coupled to the grasping arms so as to effect movement of the grasping arms; and a controller configured to control the grasping arms and the articulating mechanism by carrying out the steps of: sensing a presence of a bale between the grasping arms of the bale grasping mechanism; grasping the bale with the grasping arms; and evaluating a size of the bale that has been grasped once a pressure of a fluid in the hydraulic actuator exceeds a predetermined value.",
    "2. The agricultural bale wagon of claim 1, wherein the controller further carries out the step of determining a bale stack pattern dependent upon the size of the bale as determined in the evaluating step.",
    "3. The agricultural bale wagon of claim 1, wherein the controller further carries out the step of determining whether the bale size will fit a current stack pattern in the bale wagon.",
    "4. The agricultural bale wagon of claim 3, wherein the controller further carries out the step of disengaging the bale dependent upon the bale being a wrong size to fit the current stack pattern.",
    "5. The agricultural bale wagon of claim 3, wherein the controller further carries out the step of loading the bale into the current stack pattern.",
    "6. The agricultural bale wagon of claim 3, wherein the evaluating step further determines whether the bale has evaded the grasping arms in the grasping step or has disintegrated.",
    "7. The agricultural bale wagon of claim 6, wherein if the bale has evaded the grasping arms or disintegrated then wherein the controller further carries out the step of not reserving a place in the current stack pattern.",
    "8. The agricultural bale wagon of claim 1, further comprising at least two sensors, the evaluating step using the at least two sensors to detect two different size bales.",
    "9. The agricultural bale wagon of claim 8, further comprising a third sensor, the controller further carries out the evaluating step using the third sensor to determine that no bale is present between the grasping arms.",
    "10. The agricultural bale wagon of claim 1, further comprising: a biased bumper coupled to the grasping mechanism; and a sensor associated with the bumper, the controller carrying out the sensing step using the sensor that is triggered by the bale pushing against the biased bumper."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates generally to self-propelled agricultural bale wagons and, more particularly to 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 stacking patterns to form a stable, interlocked stack of bales.\n\n2. Description of the Related Art\n\nA bale wagon by G. E. Grey is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,127, and is principally adapted for stacking bales and is basically comprised of three tandomly arranged cooperating tables. In operation, the basic Grey wagon functions to pick up bales, form them into a composite stack, and subsequently discharge the entire stack in a storage area.\n\nPresent day practices in crop harvesting involve the formation of bales of crop material such as hay or other crops into stacks for storage by using an automatic bale wagon. One type of bale wagon that has achieved wide spread commercial acceptance is the automatic bale wagon which uses three tables as illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,695 issued to Edward J. Wynn et al.\n\nSuch bale wagons include a first table which receives bales from a bale loader or pick up device mounted on the bale wagon. The first table accumulates a predetermined number of bales with the bales being arranged in a row in a pattern determined by a computer on board the bale wagon. A second table receives the rows of bales from the first table and accumulates several such rows. This group of rows is commonly referred to as a “tier”.",
  "cpc": [
    "A01D 90/08",
    "A01D 2085/007",
    "A01D 85/005",
    "A01D 87/122",
    "A01F 15/08",
    "B65G 43/08",
    "B65G 57/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A01D 85/00",
    "A01F 15/08",
    "B65G 43/08",
    "B65G 57/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "CNH Industrial America LLC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Nathaniel Kip Totten",
    "II Jeffrey B. Fay"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-03-24",
  "publication_date": "2019-03-19",
  "grant_date": "2019-03-19",
  "priority_date": "2016-03-24",
  "application_number": "US-201615079223-A",
  "family_id": "59896212",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
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}