Methods for controlling a side-shaking mechanism in a combine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9968036-B2
Application number	US-201715617435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2017
Priority date	Sep 19, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A method of controlling operation of a side-shaking mechanism in a combine is provided. The method includes enabling the side-shaking mechanism, and moving the side-shaking mechanism to a predetermined zero position. The method includes receiving incline data representing the inclination of the combine, and receiving sensed data representing at least one operating condition of a combine system. The method includes causing the side-shaking mechanism to increase the distance of movement of the at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion, or decrease the distance of movement of the at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling operation of a side-shaking mechanism in a combine, the method comprising:
enabling, via a controller, the side-shaking mechanism;
moving, via the controller, the side-shaking mechanism to a predetermined zero position;
receiving incline data at the controller, from an incline sensor, representing the inclination of the combine;
receiving sensed data at the controller, from at least one sensor, representing at least one operating condition of a combine system; and
based on the incline data and the sensed data, via the controller, causing the side-shaking mechanism to automatically (i) increase a distance of movement of at least one sieve in a side-to-side motion; or (ii) decrease the distance of movement of the at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion.

2. The method of claim 1 , 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 data indicates a first distance for moving the side-shaking mechanism away from the predetermined zero position on each side,
the method further comprises receiving at the controller 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
the step of causing the side-shaking mechanism to automatically (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 data, the sensed data and the side-shaking mechanism bias data.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
disabling, via the controller, the side-shaking mechanism; and
the step of causing the side-shaking mechanism to automatically (i) stop moving at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion or (ii) start moving the at least one sieve in a side-to-side motion is based on:
the side-shaking mechanism bias data if the side-shaking mechanism is disabled; and
the sensed data, the incline data and the side-shaking mechanism bias data if the side-shaking mechanism is enabled.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving sensed data at the controller comprises indicating whether an operational system speed has reached a predetermined speed threshold value, and further comprises receiving at the controller a compared engine speed value indicating whether a speed of the combine engine has reached a predetermined percentage of a high idle speed of the combine engine.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving sensed data at the controller comprises indicating whether an operational system speed has reached a predetermined speed threshold value, and further comprises receiving at the controller a compared cleaning system speed value indicating whether a speed of the combine cleaning system has reached a predetermined percentage of a high idle speed of the combine engine.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving sensed data at the controller comprises indicating whether a rate of crop flow has reached a predetermined threshold value, and further comprises receiving at the controller a compared crop flow value indicating whether a rate of crop flow has reached a predetermined percentage of a combine system flow capacity.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is a grain loss sensor configured to sense an amount of grain loss from a portion of the at least one sieve.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein sensed data is representative of the amount of grain loss from the portion of the at least one sieve.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• A01F12/448 Primary

  Sieve adjusting means · CPC title