Combine side-shake cleaning control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9699970-B2
Application number	US-201314031915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2013
Priority date	Sep 19, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A combine side-shaking control system includes a sieve for separating crop material from other materials and a movable side-shaking mechanism coupled to the sieve and configured to move the sieve in a side-to-side motion. The control system also includes also includes first and second grain loss sensors configured to sense amounts of grain loss from separate portions of the sieve. The control system further includes a controller configured to: (i) receive a first grain loss value corresponding to the sensed first amount of grain loss and a second grain loss value corresponding to the sensed second amount of grain loss; and (ii) cause the side-shaking mechanism to control movement of the sieve in the side-to-side motion based on at least one of the received first grain loss value and the received second grain loss value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A combine side-shaking control system for use with a combine, comprising:
a sieve for separating crop material from other materials;
a movable side-shaking mechanism coupled to the sieve, the side-shaking mechanism being configured to move the sieve in a side-to-side motion;
a first grain loss sensor configured to sense a first amount of grain loss from a first portion of the sieve;
a second grain loss sensor spaced from the first grain loss sensor and configured to sense a second amount of grain loss from a second portion of the sieve;
an inclinometer configured to sense an incline of the combine and produce an incline value representative of an angle of ground inclination upon which the combine is traversing; and
a programmed controller connected to the first and second grain loss sensors and the inclinometer to receive information therefrom, and operatively connected to the side shake mechanism;
the programmed controller configured to: (i) receive the incline value; (ii) receive a first grain loss value corresponding to the sensed first amount of grain loss; (iii) receive a second grain loss value corresponding to the sensed second amount of grain loss; and (iv) control movement of the sieve in the side-to-side motion by way of the side-shaking mechanism dependent upon the incline value, and a grain loss difference value calculated by taking a difference between the first grain loss value and the second grain loss value.

2. The side-shaking control system of claim 1 , wherein, the sieve extends a width between a right edge of the sieve and a left edge of the sieve and comprises a left portion and a right portion, the first grain loss sensor is located proximate to the left edge of the sieve and configured to sense the first amount of grain loss from the left portion of the sieve, and the second grain loss sensor is located near the right edge of the sieve and configured to sense the second amount of grain loss from the right portion of the sieve.

3. The side-shaking control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a comparator configured to compare the first grain loss value to the second grain loss value to obtain the grain loss difference value.

4. The side-shaking control system of claim 3 , wherein, the programmed controller is further configured to determine whether the grain loss difference value is equal to or greater than a predetermined grain loss difference threshold and cause the side-shaking mechanism to: (i) increase the distance of the sieve in the side-to-side motion when the grain loss difference value is equal to or greater than the predetermined grain loss difference threshold; and (ii) decrease the distance of the sieve in the side-to-side motion when the grain loss difference value is less than the predetermined grain loss difference threshold.

5. The side-shaking control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a comparator configured to compare: (i) the first grain loss value to a predetermined grain loss threshold value; and (ii) the second grain loss value to the predetermined grain loss threshold value, and
wherein the programmed controller is further configured to cause the side-shaking mechanism to: (i) increase the distance of the sieve in the side-to-side motion when the first grain loss value is equal to or greater than the predetermined grain loss threshold value; or (ii) decrease the distance of the sieve in the side-to-side motion when the second grain loss value is less than the predetermined grain loss threshold value.

6. The side-shaking control system of claim 1 , further comprising a grain loss indicator configured to indicate: (i) the first grain loss value; and (ii) the second grain loss value received from the programmed controller.

7. The side-shaking control system of claim 6 , wherein the grain loss indicator is a display configured to indicate: (i) the first grain loss value; and (ii) the second grain loss value.

8. The side-shaking control system of claim 6 , wherein the grain loss indicator is an audio indicator and the programmed controller is further configured to cause the first grain loss value and the second grain loss value to be aurally indicated by the audio indicator.

9. The side-shaking control system of claim 1 , wherein the programmed controller is further configured to (i) receive an input from an interface to control the movement of the side-shake mechanism; and (ii) control the side-shake mechanism to move the sieve in the side-to-side motion responsive to the received input.

10. The side-shaking control system of claim 9 , further comprising a display, a portion of the display being a touch screen that comprises the interface.

11. The side-shaking control system of claim 1 , wherein the programmed controller is further configured for:
enabling the side-shaking mechanism;
moving the side-shaking mechanism to a predetermined zero position;
receiving the incline value representative of the inclination of the combine;
receiving the first grain loss value and the second grain loss value; and
based on the incline data and the first grain loss value and the second grain loss value, causing the side-shaking mechanism to (i) increase the distance of movement of the at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion; or (ii) decrease the distance of movement of the at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion.

12. The side-shaking control system of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined zero position corresponds to a position of the side-shaking mechanism substantially centered between first and second side limits of the side-to-side motion, and the incline value indicates a first distance for moving the side-shaking mechanism away from the predetermined zero position on each side, the programmed controller being further configured to receive side-shaking mechanism bias data indicating a second distance for moving the side-shaking mechanism away from the predetermined zero position on each side, and cause the side-shaking mechanism to (i) increase the distance of movement of the at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion; or (ii) decrease the distance of movement of the at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion is based on the incline value, the first grain loss value, the second grain loss value, and the side-shaking mechanism bias data.

13. The side-shaking control system of claim 12 , wherein the programmed controller is further configured to disable the side-shaking mechanism and cause the side-shaking mechanism to (i) stop moving the sieve in the side-to-side motion or (ii) start moving the sieve in a side-to-side motion based on:
the side-shaking mechanism bias data if the side-shaking mechanism is disabled; and
the first grain loss value, the second grain loss value, the incline value and the side-shaking mechanism bias data if the side-shaking mechanism is enabled.

14. The side-shaking control system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive an engine speed value indicating whether a speed of a combine engine has reached a predetermined percentage of a high idle speed of the combine engine, and modifying action of the side-shaking mechanism dependent upon the engine speed value.

Assignees

• Cnh America Llc
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Johnson Orlin W
• Panoushek Dale William
• Murray Craig E

Classifications

• A01F12/448 Primary

  Sieve adjusting means · CPC title

• A01D75/282

  acting on the grain cleaning and separating device (grain cleaners, separators per se A01F12/44) · CPC title

• A01D41/1273

  for measuring grain loss · CPC title