Road travel system for an agricultural vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11464167-B2
Application number	US-201916674410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2019
Priority date	Nov 5, 2019
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

An agricultural vehicle having a chassis, wheels, a power unit, and a header. The header has a center section, at least one wing section extending laterally from the center section, and a wing section support. The center section is movable relative to the chassis, the wing section is movable relative to the center section, and the wing support is movable relative to the wing section. The combine has a control system that is configured to determine that the combine is configured to drive at a road-driving speed, and in response to such determination: operate a center section actuator to move the center section to a raised center section position, operate a wing section actuator to move the wing section to a raised wing section position, and operate a wing support actuator to move the wing support to a raised wing support position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural vehicle comprising:
a chassis;
a plurality of wheels supporting the chassis for movement on a surface;
a main power unit configured to selectively drive one or more of the plurality of wheels to move the chassis in a forward travel direction;
a header movably mounted to the chassis, the header comprising:
a center section extending, in a lateral direction relative to the forward travel direction, from a first lateral end to a second lateral end, the center section being movable relative to the chassis between a lowered center section position and a raised center section position,
a center section actuator configured to move the center section from the lowered center section position to the raised center section position,
a first wing section movably mounted to the first end of the center section and extending in the lateral direction away from the center section, the first wing section being movable relative to the center section between a lowered first wing section position and a raised first wing section position,
a first wing section actuator configured to move the first wing section from the lowered first wing section position to the raised first wing section position,
a first wing support movably mounted to the first wing section, the first wing support being movable between a lowered first wing support position and a raised first wing support position,
a first wing support actuator configured to move the first wing support from the lowered first wing support position to the raised first wing support position; and

a control system configured to determine that the combine is configured to drive the one or more of the plurality of wheels at a road driving speed, and in response to such determination:
operate the center section actuator to move the center section to the raised center section position,
operate the first wing section actuator to move the first wing section to the raised first wing section position, and
operate the first wing support actuator to move the first wing support to the raised first wing support position.

2. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of wheels comprise tracked wheels.

3. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of wheels comprise pneumatic tires.

4. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the header is movably mounted to the chassis by a feeder housing.

5. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the header is mounted to a front end of the chassis with respect to the forward travel direction.

6. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first wing section is pivotally mounted to the center section.

7. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first wing support comprises a gauge wheel pivotally mounted to the first wing section by an arm.

8. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first wing support comprises a skid pivotally mounted to the first wing section.

9. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the center section actuator, the first wing section actuator, and the first wing support actuator comprises a hydraulic actuator.

10. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine that the combine is configured to drive the one or more of the plurality of wheels at the road driving speed by determining that a gear position of a transmission operatively connected between the main power unit and the one or more of the plurality of wheels.

11. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine that the combine is configured to drive the one or more of the plurality of wheels at the road driving speed by determining that a velocity of the chassis in the forward direction equals or exceeds a predetermined velocity.

12. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine that the combine is configured to drive the one or more of the plurality of wheels at the road driving speed by determining that a physical position of the chassis on a map corresponds to a road.

13. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to send a signal to a user interface to instruct an operator to engage a power take-off, and after determining that the power take-off is engaged, operate the center section actuator, operate the first wing section actuator and operate the first wing support actuator.

14. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured, in response to determining that the combine is configured to drive the one or more of the plurality of wheels at a road driving speed, to automatically engage a power take-off configured to transfer power from the main power unit to one or more of the center section actuator, first wing section actuator, and first wing support actuator.

15. The agricultural vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the control system is further configured to send a signal to a user interface indicating that the power take-off has been activated.

16. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured, in response to determining that the combine is configured to drive the one or more of the plurality of wheels at a road driving speed, to:
automatically activate a secondary power supply, and
use the secondary power supply to operate one or more of the center section actuator, the first wing section actuator, and the first wing support actuator.

17. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the header further comprises:
a second wing section movably mounted to the second end of the center section and extending in the lateral direction away from the center section, the second wing section being movable relative to the center section between a lowered second wing section position and a raised second wing section position;
a second wing section actuator configured to move the second wing section from the lowered second wing section position to the raised second wing section position;
a second wing support movably mounted to the second wing section, the second wing support being movable between a lowered second wing support position and a raised second wing support position; and
a second wing support actuator configured to move the second wing support from the lowered second wing support position to the raised second wing support position.

18. The agricultural vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the control system is configured, in response to determining that the combine is configured to drive the one or more of the plurality of wheels at a road driving speed, to:
operate the second wing section actuator to move the second wing section to the raised second wing section position; and
operate the second wing support actuator to move the second wing support to the raised second wing support position.

19. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the agricultural vehicle comprises an agricultural combine having a threshing and separating system in operative communication with the header.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Farley Herbert M
• Hunt Cory

Classifications

• F15B1/024

  used as a supplementary power source, e.g. to store energy in idle periods to balance pump load · CPC title

• G01C21/3848

  Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors · CPC title

• F15B15/06

  for mechanically converting rectilinear movement into non- rectilinear movement · CPC title

• A01D41/141 Primary

  Automatic header control · CPC title

• F15B1/02

  Installations or systems with accumulators · CPC title