Harvester delivery control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10111386-B2
Application number	US-201213342597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2012
Priority date	Jan 3, 2012
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus and method for distributing crop material onto a cleaning sieve of an agricultural combine. The method includes providing a sensor in connection with a controller, the sensor senses information representative of grain associated with a crop material distributor and an inclination angle associated with the crop material distributor, and outputs signals representative of grain associated with a crop material distributor and an inclination angle associated with the crop material distributor to the controller. The method provides the crop material distributor for distributing crop material from a threshing system onto a sieve. The controller determines information representative of grain associated with a crop material distributor and an inclination angle associated with at least one of the crop material distributor and the combine. The method includes outputting signals for operable control of operating parameters associated with the crop material distributor and the sieve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for distributing crop material, severed from a field on a cleaning sieve of an agricultural combine, during its forward motion, comprising:
a threshing system;
a sieve positioned and configured for receiving crop material containing grain from the threshing system and allowing the grain and smaller elements of the crop material to pass through the sieve while guiding and propelling a flow of larger elements of the crop material past an edge of the sieve;
a crop material distributor disposed between the threshing system and the sieve, configured and operable for distributing the crop material from the threshing system rearwardly onto the sieve;
a sensor configured and operable in response to sensing information representative of a quantity of grain associated with the crop material distributor and a forward-rearward inclination angle associated with the crop material distributor relative to the forward motion of said agricultural combine and outputting signals representative thereof; and,
a controller in connection with the sensor operable for receiving signals outputted thereby, the controller outputting signals to the crop material distributor and the sieve for independent operable control of operating parameters associated with the crop material distributor and the sieve in response to receiving signals representative of a quantity of grain associated with the crop material distributor and said forward-rearward inclination angle associated with the crop material distributor, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the operating parameters of the crop material distributor to control crop material flow from the crop material distributor to the sieve wherein operable control of operating parameters associated with the crop material distributor and the sieve consists of at least one of controlling rotational speed of at least one of an auger, a conveyor belt, and a raddle chain that form a portion of the crop material distributor in response to the signals from the sensor, and a variance of reciprocating movement speed of at least one of the crop material distributor and the sieve, and a variance of a reciprocating movement of at least one of the crop material distributor and the sieve in a first direction, a variance of a reciprocating movement of at least one of the crop material distributor and the sieve in a second direction, and a combination thereof.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein selective manual operation by an operator overrides operable control of the crop material distributor and the sieve by the controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system's operable control of the crop material distributor is proportionally related to the system's operable control of the sieve.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein sensing information representative of a quantity of grain includes a depth of crop material positioned on the crop material distributor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein sensing information representative of a quantity of grain includes a weight of crop material positioned on the crop material distributor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein sensing information representative of a quantity of grain includes a measurement of structural loading on a system drive component.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the crop material distributor is selected from the group consisting of an auger, a conveyor belt, a raddle chain, a grain pan and a combination thereof.

8. A method for distributing crop material, severed from a field, rearward onto a cleaning sieve of an agricultural combine, during its forward motion, comprising:
providing a crop material distributor disposed between a threshing system of the combine and the sieve, for distributing crop material from the threshing system generally evenly onto the sieve;
providing a sensor in connection with a controller,
the sensor:
sensing information representative of a quantity of grain associated with the crop material distributor and a forward-rearward inclination angle associated with the crop material distributor relative to the forward motion of said agricultural combine;
outputting signals representative of a quantity of grain associated with a crop material distributor and said forward-rearward inclination angle associated with the crop material distributor to the controller; and
the controller:
determining information representative of a quantity of grain associated with a crop material distributor and said forward-rearward inclination angle associated with the crop material distributor; and
outputting signals for independent operable control of operating parameters associated with the crop material distributor and the sieve;
wherein the controller adjusts the operating parameters of the crop material distributor to regulate the crop flow from the crop material distributor to the sieve in response to at least one of variations in the quantity of grain on the distributor and variations in said forward-rearward inclination angle of the combine, wherein operable control of operating parameters associated with the crop material distributor and the sieve consists of at least one of controlling rotational speed of at least one of an auger, a conveyor belt, and a raddle chain and a variance of reciprocating movement speed of at least one of the crop material distributor and the sieve, and a variance of a reciprocating movement of at least one of the crop material distributor and the sieve in a first direction, a variance of a reciprocating movement of at least one of the crop material distributor and the sieve in a second direction, and a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein selective manual operation by an operator overrides operable control of operating parameters associated with the crop material distributor and the sieve.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the system's operable control of the crop material distributor is proportionally related to the system's operable control of the sieve.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein sensing information representative of a quantity of grain includes a depth of crop material position de on the crop material distributor.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein sensing information representative of a quantity of grain includes a weight of crop material positioned on the crop material distributor.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein sensing information representative of a quantity of grain includes a measurement of structural loading on a system drive component.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the crop material distributor is selected from the group consisting of an auger, a conveyor belt, a raddle chain, a grain pan and a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Farley Herbert M
• Hillen Curtis F
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Farley Herbert M
• Hillen Curtis F

Classifications

• A01D75/282 Primary

  acting on the grain cleaning and separating device (grain cleaners, separators per se A01F12/44) · CPC title