Hydraulic feed roll adjustment system

1. A system comprising:

a feed roll system comprising:

(i) a crop feed roll positioned transversely between at least two sidewalls and configured for feeding crop to a bale chamber, the crop feed roll capable of rotation about a feed roll axis;

(ii) a motor, operably connected to the feed roll and in fluid communication with a hydraulic circuit, the motor capable of rotating the feed roll about the axis; and

(iii) a control valve, operably connected to and capable of controlling the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit;

a power take off (PTO) system comprising a PTO shaft capable of rotation about a PTO axis, and

at least a first controller, in electronic communication with the control valve, capable of adjusting the rotational speed of the feed roll about the feed roll axis;

wherein the at least two sidewalls are configured for attachment to a frame of a harvester;

wherein the PTO system further comprises a speed sensor capable of determining the real-time rotational speed of the PTO shaft; and wherein the at least a first controller is in electronic communication with the control valve and the speed sensor,

a feed roll sensor in electronic communication with the at least a first controller, the feed roll sensor capable of determining the rotational speed of the feed roll about the axis,

wherein the at least a first controller is capable of determining the rotational speed of the feed roll by the feed roll sensor, and wherein the at least a first controller is capable of adjusting the position of the control valve based on input from the feed roll sensor and the PTO speed sensor such that the ratio of the rotational speed of the PTO shaft to the rotational speed of the feed roll is maintained or approximately maintained during the operation of the system;

and

wherein the control valve has:

a first position, wherein the control valve is maximally open, and the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit is unrestricted;

a second position, wherein the control valve is maximally closed, and the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit is zero or is approximately zero; and

a plurality of positions between the first position and the second position, wherein the control valve is from about maximally open to about maximally closed, and the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit is proportional to the open percentage of the control valve.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the motor increases the rotational speed of the feed roll about the axis as the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit increases; and wherein the motor decreases the rotational speed of the feed roll about the axis as the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit decreases.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the speed sensor is located on the PTO shaft.

4. A harvester comprising:

a bale chamber;

a feed roll system comprising:

(i) a crop feed roll configured for feeding crop to the bale chamber, positioned transversely between at least two sidewalls, capable of rotation about a feed roll axis;

(ii) a motor, operably connected to the feed roll and in fluid communication with a hydraulic circuit, the motor capable of rotating the feed roll about the axis; and

(iii) a control valve, operably connected to and capable of controlling the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit;

a power take off (PTO) system comprising a PTO shaft capable of rotation about a PTO axis,

a speed sensor capable of determining the real-time rotational speed of the PTO shaft;

a feed roll sensor capable of determining the rotational speed of the feed roll about the axis; and

at least a first controller, in electronic communication with the control valve, the speed sensor and the feed roll sensor, the first controller capable of adjusting the rotational speed of the feed roll about the feed roll axis;

wherein the at least a first controller is capable of determining the rotational speed of the feed roll by the feed roll sensor, and wherein the at least a first controller is capable of adjusting the position of the control valve based on input from the PTO speed sensor and the feed roll sensor such that the ratio of the rotational speed of the PTO shaft to the rotational speed of the feed roll is maintained or approximately maintained during the operation of the feed roll system;

wherein the at least two sidewalls are configured for attachment to a frame of the harvester;

wherein the motor increases the rotational speed of the feed roll about the axis as the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit increases; and wherein the motor decreases the rotational speed of the feed roll about the axis as the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit decreases; and

wherein the control valve has:

(i) a first position, wherein the control valve is maximally open, and the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit is unrestricted;

(ii) a second position, wherein the control valve is maximally closed, and the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit is zero or is approximately zero; and

(iii) a plurality of positions between the first position and the second position, wherein the control valve is from about maximally open to about maximally closed, and the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit is proportional to the open percentage of the control valve the rate of fluid flow through the hydraulic circuit is proportional to the open percentage of the control valve.

5. The harvester of claim 4 , further comprising:

(i) the speed sensor capable of determining the real-time rotational speed of the PTO shaft;

(ii) the feed roll sensor capable of determining the rotational speed of the feed roll about the axis; and

(iii) at least a second controller;

wherein the at least a first controller is in electronic communication with the control valve, the speed sensor, and the at least second controller;

wherein the at least a second controller is in electronic communication with the feed roll sensor, and the at least first controller;

wherein the at least a second controller is capable of determining the rotational speed of the feed roll by the feed roll sensor, and

wherein the at least a first controller is capable of adjusting the position of the control valve such that the ratio of the rotational speed of the PTO shaft to the rotational speed of the feed roll is maintained or approximately maintained during the operation of the feed roll system.

6. A method of controlling the rotational speed of a feed roll comprising:

determining, by a speed sensor, the rotational speed of a PTO shaft;

determining the rotational speed of a feed roll by a feed roll sensor;

calculating, by at least a first controller, the ratio of the rotational speed of the PTO shaft to the rotational speed of the feed roll;

adjusting, by a control valve, the rotational speed of the feed roll wherein the rotational speed of the feed roll is adjusted such that the ratio of the rotational speed of the PTO shaft to the rotational speed of the feed roll is maintained or approximately maintained of the feed roll system.