Wheel position control system for an agricultural implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10117377-B2
Application number	US-201615213003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2016
Priority date	Jul 18, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

An agricultural implement system includes a wheel position control system configured to control respective positions of an aligned wheel and an offset wheel of the agricultural implement system. The aligned wheel is configured to be substantially laterally aligned with a corresponding vehicle wheel/track, and the offset wheel is configured to be laterally offset from the corresponding vehicle wheel/track. The wheel position control system is configured to instruct lowering of the aligned wheel and the offset wheel to transition a toolbar assembly to a non-working position, the wheel position control system is configured to instruct raising of the aligned and offset wheels to transition the toolbar assembly to a working position, and the wheel position control system is configured to instruct raising of the offset wheel above the aligned wheel while the toolbar assembly is in the working position such that the offset wheel is disengaged from the soil surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural implement system, comprising:
a toolbar assembly configured to support at least one row unit;
a plurality of wheels configured to support the toolbar assembly above a soil surface, wherein the plurality of wheels comprises an aligned wheel and an offset wheel, a centerline of the aligned wheel is configured to be substantially laterally aligned with a centerline of a corresponding wheel or track of a tow vehicle, a centerline of the offset wheel is configured to be laterally offset from the centerline of the corresponding wheel or track of the tow vehicle, and the tow vehicle is configured to tow the agricultural implement system; and
a wheel position control system configured to control movement of each wheel of the plurality of wheels relative to the toolbar assembly, wherein the wheel position control system is configured to instruct an aligned actuator and an offset actuator to lower the aligned wheel and the offset wheel, respectively, relative to the toolbar assembly to transition the toolbar assembly to a non-working position, in which the aligned and offset wheels engage the soil surface and the at least one row unit is disengaged from the soil surface, the wheel position control system is configured to instruct the aligned actuator and the offset actuator to raise the aligned wheel and the offset wheel, respectively, relative to the toolbar assembly to transition the toolbar assembly to a working position, in which the aligned wheel engages the soil surface and the at least one row unit engages the soil surface, and the wheel position control system is configured to instruct the offset actuator to raise the offset wheel above the aligned wheel relative to the toolbar assembly while the toolbar assembly is in the working position such that the offset wheel is disengaged from the soil surface.

2. The agricultural implement system of claim 1 , wherein the wheel position control system is configured to selectively instruct the offset actuator to lower the offset wheel into engagement with the soil surface while the toolbar assembly is in the working position and a soil softness exceeds a soil softness threshold value.

3. The agricultural implement system of claim 2 , comprising an angle sensor configured to output a signal indicative of an angle of an aligned wheel frame relative to the toolbar assembly, wherein the aligned wheel frame is rotatable relative to the toolbar assembly and configured to support the aligned wheel, and the wheel position control system is configured to determine the soil softness based at least in part on the signal.

4. The agricultural implement system of claim 2 , comprising a load sensor configured to output a signal indicative of a load on the aligned wheel, wherein the wheel position control system is configured to determine the soil softness based at least in part on the signal.

5. The agricultural implement system of claim 2 , comprising a soil sensor configured to output a signal indicative of the soil softness to the wheel position control system.

6. The agricultural implement system of claim 2 , wherein the wheel position control system is configured to determine the soil softness based at least in part on a position of the agricultural implement system and a field condition map.

7. The agricultural implement system of claim 2 , wherein the wheel position control system is configured to instruct the offset actuator to control a down force on the offset wheel based at least in part on the soil softness while the soil softness exceeds the soil softness threshold value.

8. The agricultural implement system of claim 1 , wherein the offset wheel is positioned closer to a centerline of the agricultural implement system than the aligned wheel, and the centerline of the agricultural implement system extends along a direction of travel of the agricultural implement system between left and right lateral portions of the agricultural implement system.

9. The agricultural implement system of claim 1 , wherein the wheel position control system is configured to selectively instruct the offset actuator to lower the offset wheel while the toolbar assembly is in the working position in response to a manual input.

10. The agricultural implement system of claim 1 , comprising a tow bar assembly configured to be coupled to the tow vehicle via a hitch assembly;
wherein the toolbar assembly comprises a central toolbar rigidly coupled to the tow bar assembly, and at least one wing toolbar rotatable relative to the tow bar assembly, and wherein the aligned wheel and the offset wheel are coupled to the central toolbar by respective wheel frames.

11. An agricultural implement system, comprising:
a wheel position control system configured to control respective positions of an aligned wheel and an offset wheel of the agricultural implement system, wherein a centerline of the aligned wheel is configured to be substantially laterally aligned with a centerline of a corresponding wheel or track of a tow vehicle, a centerline of the offset wheel is configured to be laterally offset from the centerline of the corresponding wheel or track of the tow vehicle, the aligned and offset wheels are configured to support a toolbar assembly, the toolbar assembly is configured to support at least one row unit, and the tow vehicle is configured to tow the agricultural implement system;
wherein the wheel position control system comprises an electronic controller having a processor and a memory, the electronic controller is configured to instruct an aligned actuator and an offset actuator to lower the aligned wheel and the offset wheel, respectively, to transition the toolbar assembly to a non-working position, in which the aligned and offset wheels engage a soil surface and the at least one row unit is disengaged from the soil surface, the electronic controller is configured to instruct the aligned and offset actuators to raise the aligned and offset wheels, respectively, to transition the toolbar assembly to a working position, in which the aligned wheel engages the soil surface and the at least one row unit engages the soil surface, and the electronic controller is configured to instruct the offset actuator to raise the offset wheel above the aligned wheel while the toolbar assembly is in the working position such that the offset wheel is disengaged from the soil surface; and
wherein the electronic controller is configured to instruct the offset actuator to lower the offset wheel into engagement with the soil surface while the toolbar assembly is in the working position and a soil softness exceeds a soil softness threshold value.

12. The agricultural implement system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of the soil softness.

13. The agricultural implement system of claim 12 , wherein the aligned wheel frame is rotatable relative to the toolbar assembly and configured to support the aligned wheel; and
wherein the signal indicative of the soil softness is received from an angle sensor configured to monitor an angle of an aligned wheel frame relative to the toolbar assembly, from a load sensor configured to monitor a load on the aligned wheel, from a soil sensor, or a combination thereof.

14. The agricultural implement system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic controller is configured to instruct the offset actuator to control a down force on the offset wheel based at least in part on the soil softness while the soil softness exceeds the soil softness threshold value.

15. The agricultural implement system of claim 11 , wherein the el

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Dienst Johnathon R
• Connors Michael J

Classifications

• A01C21/002 Primary

  Apparatus for sowing fertiliser; Fertiliser drill · CPC title

• A01B63/22

  operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means · CPC title

• A01C7/00

  Sowing · CPC title

• A01C7/12 Primary

  Seeders with feeding wheels · CPC title

• A01C19/04

  by a ground-engaging wheel · CPC title