Hydraulic cotton unit drum drive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10462971-B2
Application number	US-201715689320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A cotton harvester with a hydraulic manifold and at least one hydraulic motor mechanically coupled to a drum and fluidly coupled to the hydraulic manifold, the hydraulic motor configured to selectively rotate the drum. Wherein, the hydraulic manifold is configured to selectively provide any one of a braking force and a torque to the drum through the at least one hydraulic motor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cotton harvester, comprising:
a hydraulic manifold;
at least one hydraulic motor mechanically coupled to a drum and fluidly coupled to the hydraulic manifold, the hydraulic motor configured to selectively rotate the drum; and
at least one doffer;
wherein, the hydraulic manifold selectively provides any one of a braking force and a torque to the drum through the at least one hydraulic motor independently from the at least one doffer.

2. The cotton harvester of claim 1 , further wherein the at least one hydraulic motor comprises more than one hydraulic motor fluidly coupled to the hydraulic manifold in a series configuration.

3. The cotton harvester of claim 1 , further wherein the hydraulic manifold comprises a reversing valve to selectively reverse a rotation direction of the drum with the hydraulic motor.

4. The cotton harvester of claim 1 , further wherein the hydraulic manifold comprises a proportional valve to selectively control the rotational speed of the hydraulic motor both when the hydraulic motor is providing a braking force on the drum and when the hydraulic motor is providing a torque on the drum.

5. The cotton harvester of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydraulic pump providing hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic manifold at a system pressure;
an oil return line fluidly coupled to the hydraulic manifold to return hydraulic fluid to a source; and
a boost valve fluidly coupled to the hydraulic manifold and having a first position and a second position;
wherein, when the boost valve is in the first position, the boost valve provides a fluid path through the boost valve between the hydraulic pump and the oil return line;
further wherein, when the boost valve is in the second position, the boost valve does not provide a fluid path through the boost valve between the hydraulic pump and the oil return line.

6. The cotton harvester of claim 5 , wherein a controller sends a signal to the boost valve to position the boost valve in either the first position or the second position.

7. The cotton harvester of claim 5 , wherein the position of the boost valve is determined mechanically based on a return line pressure.

8. The cotton harvester of claim 1 , further wherein the at least one hydraulic motor comprises:
an inlet port and an outlet port; and
a relief valve configured to selectively fluidly couple the inlet port to the outlet port;
wherein, the relief valve bypasses the at least one hydraulic motor by fluidly coupling the inlet port to the outlet port when a fluid pressure at one of the inlet port or the outlet port is greater than a pressure threshold.

9. A hydraulic system for a row unit on a cotton harvester, comprising:
a pump providing a hydraulic fluid at a system pressure and having an oil return line;
a hydraulic manifold fluidly coupled to the pump and the oil return line;
a first hydraulic motor coupled to a first drum assembly, the first hydraulic motor fluidly coupled to the hydraulic manifold; and
a second hydraulic motor coupled to a second drum assembly, the second hydraulic motor fluidly coupled to the hydraulic manifold;
wherein the first and second hydraulic motors are fluidly coupled to the hydraulic manifold in series;
further wherein, the hydraulic manifold is configured to rotate the first and second drum assemblies in a first direction and a second direction.

10. The hydraulic system of claim 9 , further wherein the hydraulic manifold comprises a proportional valve that selectively alters the rotational speed of the first and second drum assembly.

11. The hydraulic system of claim 10 , further wherein the proportional valve selectively varies the rotational speed of the first and second drum assembly based on a ground speed of the cotton harvester.

12. The hydraulic system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a reversing valve in the hydraulic manifold having a first position and a second position;
wherein, when the reversing valve is in the first position, the first and second drum assembly rotate in the first direction;
further wherein, when the reversing valve is in the second position, the first and second drum assembly rotate in the second direction.

13. The hydraulic system of claim 12 , wherein a user input transitions the reversing valve between the first position and the second position.

14. The hydraulic system of claim 9 , wherein the hydraulic manifold further comprises:
a boost valve having a first position and a second position;
wherein, when the boost valve is in the first position, the pump is fluidly coupled to the oil return line through the boost valve;
further wherein, when the boost valve is in the second position, the pump is fluidly isolated from the oil return line through the boost valve and hydraulic fluid is routed through the first and second hydraulic motor at the system pressure.

15. A cotton harvester system, comprising:
a cotton harvester having a prime mover and a drive system;
a harvesting system having a first side and a second side;
a first hydraulic manifold fluidly coupled to a first hydraulic motor, the first hydraulic motor configured to rotate a first drum positioned on the first side;
a second hydraulic manifold fluidly coupled to a second hydraulic motor, the second hydraulic motor configured to rotate a second drum positioned on the second side;
a first spindle assembly on the first side; and
a second spindle assembly on the second side;
wherein, the first hydraulic motor and the second hydraulic motor selectively rotate the corresponding first and second drums at different speeds relative to one another;
further wherein, the first and second spindle assembly rotate independently from the first and second hydraulic motor.

16. The cotton harvester system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a first proportional valve in the first hydraulic manifold; and
a second proportional valve in the second hydraulic manifold;
wherein the first proportional valve is configured to alter the rotational speed of the first hydraulic motor and the second proportional valve is configured to alter the rotational speed of the second hydraulic motor.

17. The cotton harvester system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a first in-line hydraulic motor fluidly coupled to the first hydraulic manifold in series with the first hydraulic motor; and
a second in-line hydraulic motor fluidly coupled to the second hydraulic manifold in series with the second hydraulic motor.

18. The cotton harvester system of claim 15 , further wherein, the first hydraulic manifold comprises a first reversing valve configured to selectively rotate the first hydraulic motor in a first direction or a second direction;
further wherein, the second hydraulic manifold comprises a second reversing valve configured to selectively rotate the second hydraulic motor in the first direction or the second direction;
further wherein, the position of the first reversing valve is controlled independently of the position of the second reversing valve.

19. The cotton harvester system of claim 15 , further wherein the drive system provides an input to the first and second hydraulic manifold during a turn condition;
further wherein, the first hydraulic manifold is configured to rotate the first hydraulic motor at a different speed than the second hydraulic motor during the turn condition.

20. The cotton harvester system of claim 15 , further wherein the cotton harvester further comprises a pump providing hydraulic fluid at a system pre

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Wallestad Steven D
• Noonan James T
• Ostermeier Charles F

Classifications

• A01D69/03 Primary

  fluid · CPC title

• A01D46/14

  using lint-from-plant pickers · CPC title

• A01D46/085 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for cotton harvesters · CPC title

• A01D46/16

  using rotary or oscillating spindles · CPC title