Method for operating a power take-off shaft of an agricultural tractor with an attachment hoist

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11400809-B2
Application number	US-201916655984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2019
Priority date	Oct 22, 2018
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A method for operating a power take-off shaft of an agricultural tractor with an attachment hoist includes providing a power take-off shaft spatially assigned to the attachment hoist, a hoist controller and a control unit. The method also includes detecting an operating state of the power take-off shaft via a first sensor and an upper operating position of the attachment hoist via a second sensor. The method further includes restricting the upper operating position to a first maximum value by the control unit if the first sensor detects that the power take-off shaft is not operating, and restricting the upper operating position to a second maximum value by the control unit if the first sensor detects that the power take-off shaft is operating, where the second maximum value is less than the first maximum value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a power take-off shaft of an agricultural tractor with an attachment hoist, comprising:
providing a power take-off shaft spatially assigned to the attachment hoist, a hoist controller and a control unit;
detecting an operating state of the power take-off shaft via a first sensor;
detecting an upper operating position of the attachment hoist via a second sensor;
restricting the upper operating position to a first maximum value by the control unit if the first sensor detects that the power take-off shaft is not operating; and
restricting the upper operating position to a second maximum value by the control unit if the first sensor detects that the power take-off shaft is operating, where the second maximum value is less than the first maximum value.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising engaging the hoist controller by the control unit during the restricting steps.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the attachment hoist is located in an operating position which exceeds the second maximum value; and
preventing operation of the power take-off shaft by the control unit.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the preventing step comprises preventing operation of the power take-off shaft as long as the attachment hoist is located in the operating step which exceeds the second maximum value.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising sending an instruction to an operator interface by the control unit to reduce the operating position of the attachment hoist to a position in accordance with the second maximum value.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising lowering the attachment hoist automatically by the control unit.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising sending a command by the control unit to the hoist controller to lower the attachment hoist to a position corresponding to the second maximum value.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating the operating state of the power take-off shaft via the first sensor to the control unit via a CAN data bus.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating the operating position of the attachment hoist via the second sensor to the control unit via a CAN data bus.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a power take-off shaft controller in electrical communication with the control unit.

11. An agricultural tractor, comprising:
an attachment hoist;
a power take-off shaft operably coupled to the attachment hoist;
a control unit for controlling the tractor;
a first sensor disposed in electrical communication with the control unit, the first sensor configured to detect an operating state of the power take-off shaft;
a second sensor disposed in electrical communication with the control unit, the second sensor configured to detect an operating position of the hoist;
wherein the control unit receives the operating state of the power take-off shaft from the first sensor and the operating position of the hoist from the second sensor;
further wherein the control unit operably restricts an upper operating position of the hoist to a first maximum value if the power take-off shaft is not operating, and the control unit operably restricts the upper operating position of the hoist to a second maximum value if the power take-off shaft is operating, where the second maximum value is less than the first maximum value.

12. The tractor of claim 11 , wherein the hoist comprises a pair of lower links and an upper link, the power take-off shaft running between the pair of lower links.

13. The tractor of claim 12 , wherein the pair of lower links and upper link comprise hooks for coupling to an agricultural implement.

14. The tractor of claim 13 , wherein the pair of lower links are pivotally driven via hydraulic cylinders to move the implement to an upper operating position or a lowered operating position.

15. The tractor of claim 11 , further comprising a user interface operably coupled to the control unit, the control unit communicating with the user interface to lower the hoist to a desired position.

16. The tractor of claim 11 , further comprising a hoist controller operably coupled to the control unit for controlling the operating position of the hoist.

17. The tractor of claim 16 , wherein the hoist controller comprises the first sensor and the second sensor.

18. The tractor of claim 11 , further comprising a power take-off control operably coupled to the control unit for controlling the operational state of the power take-off shaft.

19. The tractor of claim 11 , wherein the operating position of the hoist is automatically controlled by the control unit based on signals from the first sensor and the second sensor.

20. A method for operating a power take-off shaft of an agricultural tractor with an attachment hoist, comprising:
providing a power take-off shaft, a control unit, a first sensor, a second sensor, a user interface, a hoist controller, and a power take-off shaft controller;
operably controlling an operating position of the hoist via the hoist controller and an operating state of the power take-off shaft via the power take-off shaft controller;
detecting the operating state of the power take-off shaft via the first sensor;
detecting the upper operating position of the attachment hoist via the second sensor;
providing a first value and a second value corresponding to different operating positions of the hoist, the first value being greater than the second value;
restricting the operating position of the hoist to the first value by the control unit if the first sensor detects that the power take-off shaft is not operating; and
restricting the operating position to the second value by the control unit if the first sensor detects that the power take-off shaft is operating.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Hingne Abhijeet

Classifications

• B60K2025/065

  the transmission being fluidic, e.g. hydraulic · CPC title

• A01B71/06

  Special adaptations of coupling means between power take-off and transmission shaft to the implement or machine · CPC title

• B60K25/06 Primary

  from the transmission power take-off · CPC title

• A01B63/10

  operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means · CPC title

• B60W30/1886

  Controlling power supply to auxiliary devices · CPC title