Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention is a novel tie table control system 300 for controlling a rotatable and tiltable tie table 10 that replaces a preexisting non-rotatable and non-tiltable receiving table of a bale stack wagon 8 (such as a second table 210 of a New Holland™ bale wagon 208).
After a manual input into the control system by a vehicle operator, the tie table control system controls, monitors, and directs movement of the tie table throughout a complete tie cycle process that tilts and rotates a layer of bales generally 90 degrees relative to a preceding bale layer on a stack load table 14 of the bale stack wagon 8 to tie a stack load of bales together in an agricultural setting. Preferably, the bale transport vehicle is a mid-size or big bale stack wagon having a Mil-Stak® bale loader 12 previously installed or concurrently being installed.
The tie table control system also allows the operator to make manual inputs to the system to control distinct and selected movement (tilting and rotating) of the tie table.
The invention enables selective control of a hydraulic system 216 of the vehicle 8 in a lifting, tilting, rotating, and depositing of one mid-size or big bale or a plurality of mid-size or big bales from a bale tie table 10 of the bale stack wagon onto a rear-hinged stack load table 14 for consolation into a stack load with other layers of bales (commonly four or five layers) for transport from the field or for stacking in the field of the stack load for later transport by a stack load retriever vehicle. The invention allows selective control of a tie process by which the tie table performs a manipulation of a layer of bales (a generally 90 degree rotation of a layer of bales relative to a preceding layer of bales on the stack load table.
The invention serves as a useful control system for use with a rotatable and tiltable tie table modification to an existing bale stack wagon or bale transport vehicle such as a New Holland™ bale wagon vehicle series and other bale retrieval vehicles that incorporate a non-rotating, non-tilting bale receiving table proximate and forward of a rear-hinged stack load table.
The invention in its preferred embodiment provides a semi-automatic tie table control system that allows operator control of a tie table after conversion of a New Holland™ bale wagon or other bale retrieval or transport vehicle from a non-rotating, non-tilting receiving table bale retrieval or transport vehicle to a rotatable and tiltable tie table bale retrieval or transport vehicle.
A principal objective of this invention is to provide a novel tie table control system for controlling a rotatable and tiltable tie table for a mid-size or big bale stack wagon (such as a New Holland™ bale wagon) or other bale transport vehicle that is lightweight, compact, simple, low-maintenance, and reliable that allows a farmer, operator, or other user to control effectively a rotatable and tiltable tie table proximate and forward of a rear-hinged stack load table after modification from a non-rotating and non-tilting receiving table bale transport vehicle.
A further object of this invention involves a method of converting a bale wagon such as manufactured by New Holland North America, Inc. (New Holland) with a non-rotating, non-tilting receiving table that cannot rotate a bale layer to tie a plurality of stack load layers together into a bale transport vehicle capable of selectively rotating a bale layer generally 90 degrees relative to a preceding bale layer to tie a stack load of a plurality of mid-size or big bales into a more cohesive and stable group.
Additional and various other objects and advantages attained by the invention will become more apparent as the specification is read and the accompanying figures are reviewed.
In the preferred embodiment, a tie table control system is attached to a bale wagon that has been modified by removal and replacement of a non-rotating and non-tilting receiving table (such as a New Holland™ second table) with a rotatable and tiltable tie table to control the tie table. The tie table and the tie table control system are attached to the modified bale wagon by a plurality of conventional pins and clips, by bolts and nuts, and by easy connection of a plurality of hydraulic lines of a plurality of hydraulic tie table actuators of the tie table to the hydraulic system of the bale wagon and the tie table control system controls the rotatable and tiltable tie table and modifies a bale wagon control system.
The tie table control system in the preferred embodiment provides semi-automatic control of six hydraulic actuators of a rotatable and tiltable tie table that preferably include two tilting actuators 62, two rotation actuators 120, a table lifting actuator 58 of the preexisting non-rotating, non-tilting receiving table, and a booster strut actuator. In the preferred embodiment, the tie table and the semi-automatic tie table control system modify a preexisting New Holland™ hydraulic system 216 bale wagon control system to power and control the tie table actuators that actuate the tie table.
The semi-automatic tie table control system comprises a tie table programmable logic controller 302, a plurality of input and output signal lines attached between the logic controller and a preexisting bale wagon controller and a preexisting hydraulic system of the bale wagon, a plurality of input and output signal lines attached between the logic controller and the plurality of hydraulic valves that control movement of the plurality of actuators associated with movement of the tie table during use, a plurality of input and output signal lines attached between the logic controller and a tie table rotate and tilt valve block 354, a plurality of input and output signal lines attached between the logic controller and a tie table control sensor array 320 (the sensor array comprising a plurality of proximity sensors 322, 328, 334, 338, 346, 350 mounted to the tie table and the stack wagon or bale wagon or other bale transport vehicle, a plurality of sensor targets 324, 330, 340 mounted to the tie table and a sensor target that is a sensor target portion of a lower pivot frame 20 (preferably said sensor target portion is a generally vertical surface of a pivot plate 28 of the lower pivot frame), a plurality of input and output signal lines attached between the logic controller and a tie table operator control interface box 304, and a plurality of input and output signal lines attached between the logic controller and a bale wagon valve block. After the modification as taught herein, subsequent conversion to or from one configuration to the other can be rapidly and easily accomplished.
In the preferred embodiment, the tie table control system and the tie table are mounted to and from a preexisting New Holland™ bale wagon 208. When a New Holland™ bale wagon bale transport vehicle 208 already having a Mil-Stak™ bale loader 12 is modified, its preexisting non-rotating, non-tilting receiving table 210 is unmounted from the vehicle's main receiving table mounts before a tie table 10 is mounted to the same main receiving table mounts used with the removed table by use of the same main pivot bolts 44 and jam nuts 45. The replacing tie table can use the same table lifting actuator 58 previously used with the replaced table. Preferably, a booster strut assembly 180 having a table booster strut 182 powered by a hydraulic actuator on the same hydraulic circuit as the lifting actuator is attached to the bale stack wagon vehicle preferably using nuts and bolts and pins and retaining clips. The preferred embodiment uses hydraulic actuators, but other comparable devices including pneumatic actuators could be used.
The components of the semi-automatic tie table control system are attached to selected portions of the tie table 10 and to selected portions of the bale stack wagon vehicle 8.
The Mil-Stak™ rotatable and tiltable tie table replaces an OEM non-rotating and non-tiltable receiving table of a bale transport vehicle having a rear-hinged stack load table such as a second table of a New Holland™ bale wagon and allows a selective bale layer to be selectively rotated generally 90 degrees relative to a preceding bale layer to form a cross-tie layer in a load stack on a stack load table of the bale wagon.
The Mil-Stak™ tie table control system has utility and allows effective control of the rotatable and tiltable tie table and a tie cycle process performed using the tie table.
Operating the Mil-Stak™ tie table manually requires an operator to raise a tie table 10 up approximately 45 degrees from a home position (generally a horizontal position), lower the tie table proximate to the home position, tilt up portions of the tie table so an upper rotating table frame 130 of the tie table when subsequently rotated will physically clear a rear-hinged stack load table 14 of the bale wagon, rotate the upper rotating table frame generally 90 degrees from a home rotational position, tilt down portions of the tie table towards the home position, raise the tie table up approximately 90 degrees from the home position, tilt up the upper portions of the tie table to push a bale layer on the tie table backwards onto the stack load table, lower the tie table down to approximately 30 degrees above the home position, rotate the upper rotating table frame back to the home rotational position, then lower the tie table to the home position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semi-automatic tie table control system 300 for a tie table 10 on a bale stack wagon 8 that allows an operator to selectively initiate the control system to subsequently control the lifting, tilting, and rotation of a tie table throughout a tie cycle process.
It is another object of the tie table control system to provide a control system having a position sensing mechanism that will handle an interruption of an initiated tie cycle process without requiring the tie table to be moved to a known initial position.
It is yet another object of the tie table control system to provide a control system for a tie table that operationally couples discrete action initiation signals and corresponding actions into a unified, controlled operational tie cycle process requiring minimal operator input.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing device for monitoring the position of the tie table as the control system controls the raising and lowering of the tie table to and from a slide bale position.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing device for monitoring the position of the tie table as the rear portions of the tie table tilt up to a fully tilted up position.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing device for monitoring the position of the tie table as an upper rotating table frame 130 rotates generally 90 degrees to a fully rotated clockwise position.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing device for monitoring the position of the tie table as the control system tilts the rear portions of the tie table down to a home tilted down position.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing device for monitoring the position of the tie table as the tie table raises to deliver a bale layer to the stack load table 14.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing device for monitoring the position of the tie table as the control system tilts the rear portions of the tie table up to a fully tilted up position to push a bale layer rearward onto the stack load table.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing device for monitoring the position of the tie table as the tie table lowers into a rotational position before an upper rotating table frame 130 rotates generally 90 degrees to a fully rotated counter-clockwise position.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing device for monitoring the position of an upper rotating table frame as the upper rotating table frame rotates generally 90 degrees to the fully rotated counter-clockwise position.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing device for monitoring the position of the tie table as the control system lowers the tie table down to the home position.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a control mechanism to reset the tie table control system to a neutral state after an initiated tie cycle process has completed.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a control mechanism to reset the tie table control system to a neutral state if the operator wishes to cancel an initiated tie cycle process.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing and control system for a tie table that is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, care free of maintenance, easily assembled, and simple and effective to use.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing and control system to control and manipulate a replacing, rotatable and tiltable tie table that integrates with a preexisting control and sensing system of a bale stack wagon (such as a New Holland™ bale wagon) that was previously equipped with a non-rotatable and non-tiltable receiving table and to modify and/or take control of part or all of a bale wagon's existing hydraulic system regarding operation of the tie table.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing and control system for a tie table that will ascertain the position of the tie table and determine if raising or lowering the stack load table might cause a collision between the two tables.
It is a still further object of the tie table control system to provide a sensing and control system for a tie table that will prevent (not allow) the stack load table from being raised or lowered if the sensing and control system determines that said raising or lowering of the stack load table might cause a collision between the two tables.
These and other objects are reached by providing a tie table control system having a tie table programmable logic controller for controlling and monitoring a tie cycle process and the lifting, tilting, and rotating of a tie table in which a plurality of sensors combined with a plurality of sensor targets enable the lifting (raising and lowering), tilting, and rotating of a tie table with minimal operator inputs.
a through 7e are various views of a tie tale operator control interface box 304;
Referring to
A method of using the rotatable and tiltable tie table includes the tie table control system to monitor and to control movement of the tie table for selective lifting, selective tilting, selective rotating, and selective depositing of a bale layer from the tie table onto a rear-hinged stack load table the bale wagon.
The semi-automatic tie table control system 300 in its preferred embodiment is attached to a bale wagon to monitor and control a tie table 10 that has replaced a previously mounted non-rotatable, non-tiltable bale receiving table.
Referring to
The semi-automatic tie table control system 300 attached to a bale wagon equipped with a rotatable and tiltable tie table comprises: a tie table programmable logic controller 302 attached to the bale wagon and electrically interconnected (see
The tie table programmable logic controller 302 (see
The operator control interface box 304 preferably has six manually activated switches and two status indicator lights: a switch that may initiate an operator manual tilt up signal 304a, a switch that may initiate an operator manual tilt down signal 304b, a switch that may initiate an operator manual rotate left signal 304c, a switch that may initiate an operator manual rotate right signal 304d, a switch that may initiate an automatic mode control signal 304e, and a switch that may initiate a tie cycle control signal 304f and an automatic mode active light 304g, and a tie cycle active light 304h.
The bale wagon controller 306 attached to the bale wagon selectively provides: a bale wagon second table up signal 308, a bale wagon second table down fast signal 310, a bale wagon stack load table up signal 312, a bale wagon load sense signal 314, and/or a bale wagon second table down slow signal 316.
The tie table control sensor array 320 (six electrical inductive proximity sensors) attached to the bale wagon comprises:
A tie table tilt and rotate valve block 354 is attached to the bale wagon and powers two tilting actuators 62 and two rotation actuators 120 in response to signals from the logic controller.
The bale wagon hydraulic system 216 powers a lifting actuator 58 that raises and lowers the tie table under the control of the logic controller and supplies hydraulic power to the tilting actuators, the rotation actuators, and the booster strut actuator.
Preferably, when operating a bale wagon equipped with a tie table and a tie table control system to retrieve bales, a bale wagon operator chooses to operate the bale wagon with the tie table control system in an automatic mode chosen by activating an automatic mode switch on the interface box once or twice until an automatic mode active light of the interface box illuminates (the light indicates the automatic mode is active) as opposed to operating the bale wagon in a manual mode. The selection of the automatic mode by the operator enables a subsequent selection by the operator of a tie mode by activation of a manual switch on the interface box.
The Automatic Mode:
If a tie table programmable logic controller automatic mode control (input) signal 304e transitions from an inactive state to an active state and the tie table programmable logic controller 302 is not in the automatic mode, the tie table programmable logic controller will switch to the automatic mode.
If the tie table programmable logic controller automatic mode control (input) signal 304e transitions from an inactive state to an active state and the tie table programmable logic controller 302 is in the automatic mode, the tie table programmable logic controller will switch to the manual mode.
The Tie Mode:
If the tie table programmable logic controller 302 is in the automatic mode and the tie table programmable logic controller tie cycle control (input) signal 304f transitions from an inactive state to an active state, the tie table programmable logic controller will switch to the tie cycle mode.
If the tie table programmable logic controller 302 is in the automatic mode and the tie table programmable logic controller is in the tie cycle mode, and the tie table programmable logic controller tie cycle control (input) signal 304f transitions from an inactive state to an active state, the tie table programmable logic controller will deactivate the tie cycle mode.
If the tie table programmable logic controller 302 is in the tie cycle mode and the tie table programmable logic controller switches from the automatic mode to manual mode, the tie table programmable logic controller will deactivate the tie cycle mode.
The Tie Cycle Process:
A tie table is controlled by a tie table control system to perform a tie cycle process.
Preferably, a tie cycle process is performed semi-automatically as follows: provide a bale wagon equipped with a tie table monitored and controlled by a tie table control system; preliminary to initiating a tie cycle process, a bale stack wagon operator places a tie table programmable logic controller 302 in an automatic mode by pressing an “Auto” button on an operator control interface box 304 and an automatic mode active light 304g illuminates;
the operator loads a first bale of a tier of bales (a two bale layer of bales on a rotatable and tiltable tie table 10) with the tie table in a home position, see
the tie table programmable logic controller 302 receives a bale wagon second table up signal 308 and a bale wagon second table down signal 310 and passes these signals directly to a hydraulic system 216 of the bale wagon activating a lifting actuator 58 to raise the tie table to a slide bale position and lower the tie table to a home position to slide the first bale to a rearward portion of the tie table to open a place at the front of table to receive a second bale;
the operator begins to load the second bale and while the second bale is being loaded, the operator presses a “Tie” button on the interface box to initiate a tie cycle process comprising ten operations (
First Operation (raising the tie table to a slide bale position) if the logic controller is in the automatic mode, if the logic controller is in the tie cycle mode, if the bale wagon second table up signal 308 is received, if the tie table table down sensor signal 352 is active, if the tie table rotate left sensor signal 332 is active, and the tie table first operation has not been completed previously in the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller initiates a first operation of the tie cycle process (the tying sequence) by activating a second table up signal 360 and a tilt down signal 302b simultaneously with both signals remaining active until the first operation is complete;
if the second table up signal 360 is active, if the tilt down signal 302b is active, if the bale wagon second table up signal 308 is active, if the tie table table up sensor signal 348 is inactive, and if the first operation has not been completed previously in the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller 302 deactivates the second table up signal and the tilt down signal and the first operation is said to be complete (
as a safety measure, both signals of the first operation will be temporarily deactivated if the bale wagon controller deactivates the bale wagon second table up signal 308 (alternatively, the operator may cancel the tie cycle process by pressing the Auto button or the Tie button on the control interface box; once cancelled, all controller logic states in the logic controller are reset to a neutral and deactivated state);
Second Operation (lowering the tie table from the slide bale position to a position proximate and above the home position) if the first operation has completed during the current tie cycle process, if the logic controller is in the automatic mode, if the tie table table up sensor signal 348 is inactive, if the bale wagon second table up signal 308 is active, and if the tie table second operation has not been completed previously in the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller activates a second table down slow signal 368 and the logic controller is said to be in the second operation of the tie cycle process, the second table down slow signal 368 remains active until the second operation of the tie cycle process is complete;
if the first operation of the current tie cycle process is complete, if the tie table table down sensor 350 is active, and if the second operation of the tie cycle process has not been completed previously in the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller deactivates the second table down slow signal 368 and the second operation is said to be complete (see
as a safety measure, the signal of the second operation will be temporarily deactivated if the bale wagon controller deactivates the bale wagon second table up signal 308 (alternatively, the operator may cancel the tie cycle process by pressing the Auto button or the Tie button on the control interface box; once cancelled, all controller logic states in the logic controller are reset to a neutral and deactivated state);
Third Operation (tilting up of the tie table) if the second operation has completed during the current tie cycle process, if the logic controller is in the automatic mode, if the bale wagon second table up signal 308 is active, if the tie table table down sensor signal 352 is active, and if the third operation has not been completed previously during the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller activates the tie table tilt up signal 302a and the tie table programmable logic controller is said to be in the third operation of the tie cycle process, the tie table tilt up signal 302a remains active until the third operation of the tie cycle process is complete;
if the second operation of the current tie cycle process is complete, if the tie table table down sensor signal 352 is active, if the tie table tilt up sensor signal 326 is active, and if the tie table third operation has not been completed previously during the current tie cycle process, the logic controller deactivates the tie table tilt up signal 302a and the third operation is said to be complete (see
as a safety measure, the signal of the third operation will be temporarily deactivated if the bale wagon controller deactivates the bale wagon second table up signal 308 (alternatively, the operator may cancel the tie cycle process by pressing the Auto button or the Tie button on the control interface box; once cancelled, all controller logic states in the logic controller are reset to a neutral and deactivated state);
Fourth Operation (rotate upper rotating table frame 130 right (clockwise) generally 90 degrees) if the third operation has completed during the current tie cycle process, if the logic controller 302 is in the automatic mode, if the tie table table sensor down signal 352 is active, if the second operation of the current tie cycle process is complete, if the tie table tilt up sensor signal 326 is active, and if the fourth operation of the current tie cycle process has not been completed during the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller activates the tie table rotate right signal 302d and the logic controller is said to be in the fourth operation of the tie cycle process (
if the third operation of the current tie cycle process is complete, if the tie table rotate right sensor signal 336 is active, and if the fourth operation has not been completed previously during the current tie cycle process; the logic controller 302 deactivates the tie table rotate right signal 302d and the fourth operation is said to be complete (see
as a safety measure, the signal of the fourth operation will be temporarily deactivated if the bale wagon controller deactivates the bale wagon second table up signal 308 (alternatively, the operator may cancel the tie cycle process by pressing the Auto button or the Tie button on the control interface box; once cancelled, all controller logic states in the logic controller are reset to a neutral and deactivated state);
Fifth Operation (transfer of bale layer from the tie table to a rear-hinged stack load table) if the fourth operation has completed during the current tie cycle process and if the fifth operation has not been previously completed during the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller activates the tie table tilt down signal 302b and then after a delay of approximately one second, see
if the fourth operation of the current tie cycle process is complete, if the bale wagon second table up signal 308 is deactivated, if the bale wagon second table down fast signal 310 is activated, and if the fifth operation has not been completed previously during the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller 302 deactivates the tilt down signal 302b and the second table up signal 360 and the fifth operation of the current tie cycle process is said to be complete (see
as a safety measure, the signal of the fifth operation will be temporarily deactivated if the bale wagon controller deactivates the bale wagon second table up signal 308 (alternatively, the operator may cancel the tie cycle process by pressing the Auto button or the Tie button on the control interface box; once cancelled, all controller logic states in the logic controller are reset to a neutral and deactivated state);
Sixth Operation (shove bales rearward on the stack load table) if the fifth operation has completed during the current tie cycle process and if the sixth operation has not been previously completed during the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller 302 activates the tie table tilt up signal 302a and the logic controller is said to be in the sixth operation; the tie table tilt up signal 302a remains active until the sixth operation has been completed;
if the fifth operation of the current tie cycle process is complete, if the tie table tilt up sensor 346 is active, and if the sixth operation of the current tie cycle process has not been completed previously during the current tie cycle process; then the tie table tilt up signal 302a is deactivated and the sixth operation of the current tie cycle process is said to be complete;
as a safety measure, the signal of the sixth operation will be temporarily deactivated if the bale wagon controller deactivates the bale wagon second table down signal 310 (alternatively, the operator may cancel the tie cycle process by pressing the Auto button or the Tie button on the control interface box; once cancelled, all controller logic states in the logic controller are reset to a neutral and deactivated state);
Seventh Operation (lower the tie table to an intermediate position towards the home position) if the fifth operation has completed during the current tie cycle process and if the seventh operation has not been previously completed during the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller 302 activates the second table down fast signal 362 after approximately a one second delay (see
if the sixth operation of the current tie cycle process is complete, if the second table table up sensor signal 348 changes from the inactive state to the active state, and if the seventh operation has not previously completed during the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller 302 deactivates the second table down fast signal 362 after approximately a 100 millisecond delay and the seventh operation of the current tie cycle process is said to be complete (see
as a safety measure, the signal of the seventh operation will be temporarily deactivated if the bale wagon controller deactivates the bale wagon second table down signal 310 (alternatively, the operator may cancel the tie cycle process by pressing the Auto button or the Tie button on the control interface box; once cancelled, all controller logic states in the logic controller are reset to a neutral and deactivated state);
Eighth Operation (rotate the upper rotating table frame 130 back to the home rotational position) if the seventh operation has completed during the current tie cycle process, if the eighth operation has not completed during the current tie cycle process, if the tie table tilt up sensor signal 326 is active, and if the tie table second table table sensor up signal 348 is active; then the logic controller 302 activates the rotate left signal 302c after approximately a delay of 750 milliseconds and the logic controller is said to be in the eighth operation of the current tie cycle process; the tie table rotate left signal 302c remains active throughout the duration of the eighth operation of the current tie cycle process;
if the logic controller 302 is said to be in the eighth operation, if the tie table rotate left signal 302c is active, and if the tie table rotate left sensor signal 332 is not active; then the logic controller will activate the bale wagon second table down slow signal 316 (see
if the eighth operation of the current tie cycle process has not been completed during the current tie cycle process and if the tie table rotate left sensor signal 332 is in the active state, the logic controller 302 deactivates the rotate left signal 302c and the eighth operation is said to be complete (see
as a safety measure, the signal of the eighth operation will be temporarily deactivated if the bale wagon controller deactivates the bale wagon second table down signal 310 (alternatively, the operator may cancel the tie cycle process by pressing the Auto button or the Tie button on the control interface box; once cancelled, all controller logic states in the logic controller are reset to a neutral and deactivated state);
Ninth Operation (tilting down for additional 1.5 seconds after tilt down sensor target 340 is observed by tilt down sensor 338) if the eighth operation of the current tie cycle process has completed, if the ninth operation of the current tie cycle process has not been completed during the current tie cycle process, and if the tie table tilt down sensor signal 342 is not active; then the logic controller 302 activates the tie table tilt down signal 302b and the logic controller is said to be in the ninth operation; the second table down signal remains active for the duration of the ninth operation of the current tie cycle process;
if the eighth operation of the current tie cycle process has been completed during the current tie cycle process, if the tie table tilt down sensor signal 342 is active, and if the ninth operation of the current tie cycle process has not been completed previously during the current tie cycle process; then the logic controller 302 deactivates the tie table tilt down signal 302b after a delay of approximately 1500 milliseconds and the ninth operation of the current tie cycle process is said to be complete (see
as a safety measure, the signal of the ninth operation will be temporarily deactivated if the bale wagon controller deactivates the bale wagon second table down signal 310 (alternatively, the operator may cancel the tie cycle process by pressing the Auto button or the Tie button on the control interface box; once cancelled, all controller logic states in the logic controller are reset to a neutral and deactivated state);
Tenth Operation (places the tie table 10 in the home position) if the eighth operation of the current tie cycle process is complete and if the tenth operation of the current tie cycle process is not complete; then the tie table programmable logic controller 302 activates the bale wagon second table down slow signal 316 (via signal 368) and the logic controller is said to be in the tenth operation; the second table down slow signal 316 (via signal 368) remains active for the duration of the tenth operation of the current tie cycle process;
if the eighth operation of the current tie cycle process is complete, if the tenth operation of the current cycle has not previously been completed during the current tie cycle process, and if the bale wagon second table down signal 316 transitions from an active state to an inactive state; then the tie table programmable logic controller 302 deactivates the bale wagon second table down slow signal 316 (via signal 368) and the tenth operation of the current tie cycle process is said to be complete (see
when the tenth operation of the current tie cycle process is complete, the logic controller 302 sets all signals to an inactive state, resets all internal logic to an inactive state, and the current tie cycle process is said to be complete.
Steps carried out during a tie cycle process comprise:
1. a tie table programmable logic controller 302 is placed in an automatic mode by a bale wagon operator by pressing an Auto button on an operator interface box 304 before a bale loading process begins;
2. an operator initiates an automatic tie sequence by pressing a Tie button on the operator interface box while a second or a third bale is placed on a tie table 10 by a bale loader 12;
3. once the bale loader delivers the second or the third bale to the tie table and the logic controller receives a bale wagon second table up signal 308 from a bale wagon controller 306, the logic controller begins a tie cycle process;
4. the logic controller raises the tie table to approximately 45 degrees to a slide bale position to slide the bales on the tie table towards the rear portion of the tie table;
5. after reaching the slide bale position as determined by a tie table table up sensor 346 monitoring a main cross rail pivot plate 28 of the lower pivot frame 20 of the tie table as a sensor target, the logic controller lowers the tie table down to a rotate position determined by a tie table table down sensor 350 monitoring said main cross rail pivot plate 28;
6. once the tie table is in the rotate position, the logic controller tilts a rearward portion of the tie table up to a fully tilted up position as determined by a table tilt up sensor 322 mounted on the lower pivot frame monitoring a tilt up sensor target 324 mounted on an intermediate tilting table frame 70 of the tie table that generates a tilt up sensor signal 326;
7. after reaching the fully tilted up position, the logic controller rotates an upper rotating table frame 130 of the tie table clockwise generally 90 degrees (the specific degree of rotation is determined by a rotate right sensor 334 mounted on the intermediate tilting table frame 70 monitoring a rotation left and right sensor target 330 attached to an upper rotating table frame 130 that generates a rotate right sensor signal 336);
8. after rotating the upper rotating table frame generally 90 degrees, the logic controller tilts the tie table down for approximately one second before raising the tie table up to generally 90 degrees from the home position to transfer the bale layer from the tie table onto the stack load table;
9. once the tie table has transferred the bale layer to the stack load table, the bale wagon controller turns off a table up signal 308 and turns on a second signal (a table down fast signal 310)(the second signal is interpreted by the logic controller as a successful transfer of bales from the tie table to the stack load table);
10. once the table down fast signal is received by the logic controller, the logic controller tilts the rear portions of the tie table up for approximately one second to push rearward the bale layer onto the stack load table;
11. after approximately one second of tilting the rear portions of the tie table up, the logic controller begins to lower the tie table down towards the home position while continuing to tilt the rear portions of the tie table up;
12. as the tie table lowers towards the home position and the tie table table up sensor 346 transitions from an off state to an on state, the logic controller slows the descent of the tie table and rotates the upper rotating table frame counter-clockwise about its rotational axis to the home rotational position;
13. once the tie table is in its home rotational position, the logic controller tilts the rear portions of the tie table down to a home tilt position while continuing to lower the entire tie table to the tie table home position; and
14. once all the elements of the tie table are observed to be in their respective home positions, the tie table programmable logic controller resets itself to an idle state and waits for the next selected tie cycle process to begin.
Manual operation of each of the tie table movements is also allowed by the tie table control system by using the manual switches on the operator control interface box 304 that input into the logic controller.
The six actuators (the lifting actuator 58, two tilting actuators 62, two rotation actuators 120, and the booster strut actuator) controlled by the tie table control system and the tie table rotate and tilt valve block 354 are powered by a hydraulic system 216 of the bale wagon. In the figures, the hydraulic lines and the wiring harnesses are not shown except as depicted in
A majority of the structural components of the tie table are preferably made from sheet steel stock, round or square steel tubing stock, or suitable materials used in making the preexisting receiving table. Means of joining of elements of the invention one to another preferably may include welding. The UHMW plastic ring is a high strength, durable plastic material that provides a slippery surface on which the slider ring may slide coaxially.
From the preceding, it should be apparent that the present invention a tie table control system has utility and provides a novel control system for a rotatable and tiltable tie table and methods that allow for convenient, easy modification of a bale transport vehicle to permit the lifting, tilting, rotating, and depositing of a bale layer from the tie table to a rear-hinged stack load table of a bale transport vehicle.
The preceding description and exposition of a preferred embodiment of the invention is presented for purposes of illustration and enabling disclosure. It is neither intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications or variations in the invention in light of the above teachings that are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted to the breath to which they are fairly, legitimately and equitably entitled.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/598,319, filed Feb. 13, 2012.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61598319 | Feb 2012 | US |