Apparatus and method for monitoring grain content within a tailings system of an agricultural harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11375662-B2
Application number	US-201916439004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2019
Priority date	Jun 12, 2019
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A cleaning and tailings system of an agricultural harvester including an upper sieve and a lower sieve spaced from the upper sieve. A clean grain sheet is disposed below the lower sieve, and a tailings sheet is disposed below the clean grain sheet for receiving grain from the lower sieve and upper sieve. A tailings auger is disposed about a forward end of the tailings sheet, and a sensor is disposed about an inlet of the tailings auger for sensing impact of grain received by the tailings sheet. A controller is in communication with the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to determine an amount of grain received by the tailings sheet.

First claim

We claim:

1. A cleaning and tailings system of an agricultural harvester comprising:
an upper sieve;
a lower sieve spaced from the upper sieve;
a clean grain sheet below the lower sieve;
a tailings sheet below the clean grain sheet for receiving grain from the lower sieve and upper sieve;
a tailings auger about a forward end of the tailings sheet; and
a sensor disposed between the tailings auger and the tailings sheet for sensing grain received by the tailings sheet.

2. The cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an impact sensor.

3. The cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned above the tailings auger.

4. The cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor extends substantially an entire width of the tailings auger.

5. The cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors spaced apart along a width of the tailings auger.

6. The cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor extends substantially from the tailings auger to the clean grain sheet.

7. The cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , further comprising a second sensor positioned about a rear end of the tailings sheet and in communication with the first sensor.

8. The cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor for conveying grain and material other than grain received in the tailings auger to the upper sieve.

9. An agricultural combine comprising:
the cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , and
a controller in communication with the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to determine an amount of grain received by the tailings sheet.

10. The agricultural combine of claim 9 , further comprising a cab having a monitor for displaying an amount of grain received by the tailings sheet in real time.

11. The cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned below the tailings sheet.

12. The cleaning and tailings system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned anteriorly spaced from an inlet of the tailings auger.

13. A method for monitoring grain content within the cleaning and tailings system of an agricultural harvester having an upper sieve, a lower sieve spaced from the upper sieve, a clean grain sheet situated below the lower sieve, a tailings sheet situated below the clean grain sheet, and a tailings auger situated about a forward end of the tailings sheet, comprising the steps of:
using a sensor positioned between the tailings auger and the tailings sheet, sensing grain received by the tailings sheet; and
using a controller in communication with the sensor, determining an amount of grain received by the tailings sheet based on data from the sensor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of determining determines the amount of grain received by the tailings sheet in real time.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising using a second sensor positioned about a rear end of the tailings sheet and in communication with the first sensor.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising using a monitor to display an amount of grain received by the tailings sheet.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising displaying on the monitor an amount of grain received by the tailings sheet in real time.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising adjusting a lateral compensation of a cleaning portion of the cleaning and tailings system in response to a sensed tailings distribution.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Thomas Jeff
• Hillen Curtis Frederick
• Beichner Joshua Mark
• Harmon Zachary

Classifications

• A01D41/1276 Primary

  for cleaning mechanisms · CPC title

• A01F12/446 Primary

  Sieving means · CPC title

• G01L5/0052

  measuring forces due to impact (G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00) · CPC title