CPC A01F 15/0715 (2013.01) [B30B 9/3007 (2013.01); A01F 2015/076 (2013.01); A01F 2015/077 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
1. A baling machine comprising:
a bale-forming chamber for receiving plant matter and forming it into a bale, the bale-forming chamber including one or more rotatable, bale-forming rollers and one or more bale-forming belts;
a feed mechanism for feeding a flexible wrapping material into the bale-forming chamber for wrapping the bale therein; and
an acoustic or vibration sensor configured for:
generating an output indicating one or more of whether the wrapping material (i) is being wrapped onto the bale and (ii) is the subject of a wrapping failure; and
sensing a waveform while the wrapping material is being fed into the bale-forming chamber;
wherein one or more of the one or more bale-forming rollers and the one or more baling-forming belts includes a series of plant-matter-engaging external protrusions supported at regular intervals about an external periphery;
wherein the acoustic or vibration sensor is configured for sensing a waveform generated using the external protrusions at a frequency or in a frequency range or at an amplitude or in an amplitude range that is characteristic of acceptable wrapping of the wrapping material onto the bale; and
wherein the acoustic or vibration sensor (a) is not positioned adjacent the feed mechanism and (b) is positioned remotely from a point at which the wrapping material is dispensed into the bale-forming chamber.
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