Device for measuring the weight of a load

The subject of the invention is a machine in the form of a bale press, with a chassis, press and a device for measuring the weight of the bale in the machine, the bale being movable in the machine between the first position and the second position and a meter connected to the measuring device for measuring the measurement quantity is provided, which is affected by the weight of the bale, as for example in EP-A-1029440.

In the state of the art, various devices for measuring the weight of a bale made of pressed agricultural crop material are known.

It was proposed at^YKLad (D^{E 44 36 128} A., D^{E 198}35 163 A, DE 199 10 555 A^, US 4 742 880 A^, US 5 384 436 A and US 5 742 010 A) taking the finished bale out of the baling chamber, placing it on the support surface and determining the weight of the bale being at rest or moving there by registering the force that the bale exerts on the support surface. Because bales have a relatively large weight, holding them is difficult, while measuring the weight of a moving bale is burdened with a large measuring error.

In DE 195 43 343 A it is proposed to register weights acting on the axles and drawbar of a baling press. The weight of the prepared bale is calculated based on the change in forces when the bale is thrown out. A larger number of sensors and a sophisticated computational technique are needed to obtain useful measurement values.

The problem underlying the invention should be seen in the creation of a simple and reliable meter for recording the weight of the bale, which does not have the disadvantages described above or only slightly.

This problem is solved according to the invention by means of the content of claims 1 and 6, the features of the following claims which develop this solution in a favorable manner.

In the baling press, the bale is movable between the first and second positions. The first position of the bale corresponds in particular to the baling chamber, in which the bale is made of harvesting material or any other material, e.g. waste, while the second position can be the winding position if the machine is a combination of winding and winding. It is proposed to place the meter in such a way that it registers the measuring quantity, which (among other things) is dependent on the weight of the bale when the bale is in the first position, and provides the corresponding first signal. Then the bale moves to the second position. The (same) meter then registers again the measuring quantity, which (among other things) depends on the weight of the bale and provides the second signal assigned to it. The processing device receives the first signal and the second signal. The processing device calculates the bale weight based on both signals.

In this way a bale weight measuring instrument is obtained. The impact of the bale position on the measured quantity recorded by the meter is recorded and used to determine the weight of the bale.

The issuing of information by the processing device for calculating the weight of the bale is based, in addition to the meter signals, on the known mechanical properties of the machine, for example the distances of the first and second position of the bale from the center of gravity or rotation of the machine and other mechanical machine data. In addition, information about the current position of the bale is supplied to the processing device. Computing processes in the processing device can be based on physical machine models. Alternatively or additionally, the measured values ​​obtained on real bales that can be stored in the database or as calibration curves are taken into account. Such measurement values ​​can also be included as machine-specific quantities in computational processes based on physical models.

The meter can be placed between the machine frame or chassis and the wheels supporting the frame or chassis. There, it registers the force depending on the weight of the bale with which the frame or chassis acts on the wheels or, especially when using the tandem axle, the right moment of rotation. The meter could alternatively or additionally be placed between the frame or the chassis and the eye of the coupling. There he registers the force with which the machine rests on the tractor or with which he tries to pull the coupling up.

Based on the analysis of the meter signals according to the invention, when the bale is in different positions, one meter is sufficient. However, in order to create excess information in the event of failure of one meter or to produce more accurate measurement values, one could use several meters of the type described, which can be placed in different positions.

The drawing shows a more detailed embodiment of the invention, where:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine for forming and winding bales of agricultural crop in the form of a combination of a press, winding device and chassis, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram for illustrating the principle of the machine tool according to Fig. 1 for measuring the weight of the bale .

The machine 10 for forming and winding bales of agricultural crop material shown in FIG. 1 essentially comprises a press 12, a winding device 14 and a chassis 16. The machine 10 is also called a pressing and winding combination.

The chassis 16 has a tandem axle with two wheels 18. It includes a frame 20, at the front of which, in the forward direction, a drawbar 22 is located, in front of which the coupling eye 24 is attached. The coupling eye 24 is for connecting a tractor, for example an agricultural tractor.

The frame 20 houses the press 12 in its forward direction in the forward direction. In the embodiment shown, this press has the form of a round baler, which is not necessary. Instead, a rectangular baler or a high baler could also be used.

At the rear, in the forward direction of the end of the frame 20, a winding device 14 is mounted. It has essentially two components, namely a winding arm 26 and a winding table 28. Winding devices 14 of the type described are widely known on the market and are intended to wrap the film formed in the press 12 tightly with respect to air, which makes it possible to obtain ensiled fodder.

During operation, the machine 10 is moved by the tractor in a field where the harvesting material lies. With the help of the (not marked) pick-up, the harvesting material is picked up from the ground and pressed in a press 12 to form a bale. After the bale has been made, the rear part 30 of the press 12 tilts back and up as shown in Fig. 1. Under the influence of gravity, the bale, after releasing it, penetrates through the rear part 30 onto the not shown sleigh, which grips it approximately over the rear wheels 18 and moves it to the winding device 14, in which it is wrapped in air-tight foil. Any other driven conveyor that could, for example, be equipped with grippers, a conveyor belt or conveyor rollers could be used to transport the bale between the press 12 and the winding device 14. The bale could also only get under the influence of gravity to the winding device 145. The bale in the press 12 is provided with reference number 32, while the reference number 32 'has the bale placed in the winding device 14. As a rule, however, the machine 10 only has one full bale at a time.

The various driven components of the machine 10 are electrohydraulically or electromotorically controlled by the electronic control unit 40. The machine 10 and its principle of operation are disclosed in detail in DE 100 44 166 A1 and references therein, the scope of which is disclosed by reference to this documentation.

The machine 10 comprises a device according to the invention for measuring the weight of the bale 32. It consists of a meter 34 and a processing device 36. The meter 34 comprises a dynamometer (dynamometer) inserted between the drawbar 22 and the coupling eye 24, adapted to measure the vertical force with which the drawbar 22 rests. on the coupling eye 24 and (via coupling eye 24) on the tractor. The meter 34 is connected by a wire or rail to a processing device 36 which is also connected to the control unit 40. The processing device 36 is further connected by rail or wirelessly to an indicator and memory device 42 which is placed in the tractor operator's cabin. The indicator-memory device 42 comprises an indicator unit 46, on which, inter alia, the weights of the bales 32 determined by the processing device 36 can be shown, and the memory device 44 in the form of a removable memory card. The latter allows you to remember the recorded weight data and later process it, for example for calculation purposes. The indicator and memory device 42 can be built into the tractor rail system. It would also be possible to place the processing device 36 on the tractor, and especially to incorporate it into the indicator and memory device 42.

The operating principle of the bale weight measuring instrument 32 is explained below based on Fig. 2. When the processing device 36 is informed by the signal from the control unit 40 that the press 12 has started forming the bale 32, the procedure in step 100 is started. In the next step 102, the processing device 36 checks whether information is coming from the control unit 40, indicating that the bale has been made. If this information is not present, then step 102 is repeated. Otherwise, step 104 follows, in which the output of the meter 34 is recorded and placed in the memory of the processing device 36.

Step 106 follows, in which the processing device 36 checks whether the bale 32 'has already reached the winding device 14. This check is also based on the signal from the control unit 40. The latter can obtain information about the position of the bale 32 or 32' on the basis of separate sensors , for example, photocells located in the right place. Alternatively or additionally, the position of the bales 32 or 32 'can be derived from the setting signals that are fed to the machine actuators 10. It can therefore be assumed that the bales 32' are in the winding device 14 if the rear part 30 of the press 12 is raised and the specified interval. If the query in step 106 indicates that the bale 32 is not yet in the winding device 14, then this step 106 is repeated. Otherwise, step 108 occurs in which the output of the meter 34 is recorded and stored in the memory of the processing device 36.

Step 108 is followed by step 110, in which the processing device 36 determines the weight and / or the known mass gravity constant - bales 32, 32 'based on the meter 34 output signals recorded in steps 104 and 108. Changing the position of the 32 or 32 'bale causes different weights, recorded by the meter 34. Both output signals of the meter 34, which can also be recorded and averaged over a longer period of time, for example to alleviate the distorting effect of soil unevenness, depend on the weight of the bales 32, 32 'and the known mechanical properties of the machine 10.

Using a suitable calculation method, bales 32, 32 'are calculated from known and measured quantities. It is also possible to use calibrated values ​​obtained from comparative measurements. The determined weight is indicated on the indicator-memory device 42 and stored for later use on the removable memory device 44. Step 112 follows, in which the procedure is completed. The processing device 36 is then ready to measure the weight of the next bale.

DEERE & COMPANY

Proxy:

83P23863PL00

EP 1 480 024