Harvesting headers having an oil level indicator, and related agricultural vehicles and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022377983-A1
Application number	US-202017755799-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2020
Priority date	Nov 7, 2019
Publication date	Dec 1, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A harvesting header includes a header frame, rotary cutters carried by the header frame, a gearbox containing at least one gear coupled to each rotary cutter, and an electronic sensor to indicate an amount of oil in the gearbox. Each rotary cutter has a rotating disc with at least one blade for cutting crops. An agricultural vehicle includes a vehicle frame, at least one attached to the vehicle frame, and a harvesting header coupled to the vehicle frame by a plurality of hydraulic cylinders. A method of operating an agricultural vehicle includes adjusting at least one hydraulic cylinder to move a header frame to a known orientation, sensing a position of an oil surface in a gearbox, and determining or indicating an amount of oil in the gearbox based at least in part on the position of the oil surface.

First claim

1 . A harvesting header comprising:
a header frame; a plurality of rotary cutters carried by the header frame, wherein each rotary cutter has a rotating disc with at least one blade for cutting crops extending from the rotating disc; a gearbox containing at least one gear coupled to each rotary cutter; and an electronic sensor configured to indicate an amount of oil in the gearbox.

2 . The harvesting header of claim 1 , wherein the electronic sensor comprises an acoustic sensor.

3 . The harvesting header of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic sensor is configured to transmit an acoustic signal toward an oil surface in the gearbox and receive a reflected acoustic signal from the oil surface in the gearbox.

4 . The harvesting header of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic sensor is configured to transmit an acoustic signal below an oil surface in the gearbox and receive a reflected acoustic signal from the gearbox.

5 . The harvesting header of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic sensor is configured to transmit an acoustic signal into a head space in the gearbox above an oil surface and receive a reflected acoustic signal from the head space.

6 . The harvesting header of claim 1 , wherein the electronic sensor comprises an optical sensor.

7 . The harvesting header of claim 6 , wherein the optical sensor is configured to transmit an optical signal and receive a reflected optical signal from the surface of the oil.

8 . The harvesting header of claim 6 , wherein the optical sensor is configured to transmit an optical signal through the oil.

9 . The harvesting header of claim 1 , wherein the electronic sensor comprises a capacitive sensor.

10 . The harvesting header of claim 1 , wherein the electronic sensor is configured to identify a physical property of oil in the gearbox.

11 . The harvesting header of claim 1 , wherein the harvesting header further comprises a header angle indicator.

12 . The harvesting header of claim 11 , wherein the header angle indicator comprises a reference level comprising a fluid container fluidly separate from the gearbox.

13 . The harvesting header of claim 11 , wherein the header angle indicator comprises an electronic sensor.

14 . The harvesting header of claim 11 , wherein the header angle indicator comprises a sight glass.

15 . The harvesting header of claim 11 , wherein the oil level indicator is configured to indicate the amount of oil in the gearbox based at least in part on information from the header angle indicator.

16 . An agricultural vehicle comprising:
a vehicle frame; at least one wheel attached to the vehicle frame; and the harvesting header of claim 1 coupled to the vehicle frame by a plurality of hydraulic cylinders.

17 . The agricultural vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the harvesting header further comprises a header angle indicator.

18 . The agricultural vehicle of claim 17 , further comprising a control system configured to adjust at least one of the hydraulic cylinders to change a position of the harvesting header, wherein the header angle indicator is configured to transmit a signal to the control system, the signal correlated to an orientation of the harvesting header.

19 . The agricultural vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the header angle indicator comprises at least one distance sensor attached to a hydraulic cylinder of the plurality of hydraulic cylinders.

20 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . A method of operating an agricultural vehicle, the method comprising:
adjusting at least one hydraulic cylinder coupling a header frame of a harvesting header to the agricultural vehicle to move the header frame to a known orientation; sensing a position of an oil surface in a gearbox coupled to the header frame and containing a plurality of gears, wherein at least some of the plurality of gears are coupled to rotary cutters, each rotary cutter having a rotating disc with at least one blade for cutting crops extending from the rotating disc; and determining an amount of oil in the gearbox based at least in part on the position of the oil surface.

24 - 32 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Agco Corp

Inventors

• Honeyman Friedrich Robert
• Hamilton Kevin J
• Good Grant Lewis

Classifications

• A01D69/12 Primary

  Lubrication · CPC title

• F01M11/12

  concerning lubricant level · CPC title

• F01M11/10 Primary

  Indicating devices; Other safety devices · CPC title

• A01D69/06

  Gearings · CPC title

• F16N2250/18

  Level · CPC title