US4893241A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Crop processing apparatus
Assignee: Massey Ferguson Services NV
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Filing: 1987-04-10
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Granted: 1990-01-09
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Expires: 2007-04-10
Abstract
Abstract Crop processing apparatus comprising crop processing means (18, 23, 24) driven by drive means (29) and an automatic control system comprising sensor means (50, 51) for sensing transmission loss in the drive means (29) and producing a corresponding transmission loss signal which is proportional to the load exerted by crop on the crop processing means, setting means (Sr) for selecting a desired level of crop load and producing a reference crop load signal (Sr) corresponding to a selected level of transmission loss, signal processing means (13) which compares the transmission loss signal with the reference crop load signal to produce a control signal (Se), and actuator means (14) that is controlled in accordance with said control signal and is effective to vary the rate of feed crop to the processing means to maintain a substantially uniform load of crop in the crop processing means. The transmission loss takes the form of relative rotation or slip between input drive and output driven shafts (31, 33). Preferably, the drive means comprises a belt driven (34), and belt slip is used as a measure of transmission loss. The belt slip in the belt drive to a crop threshing cylinder is preferably used as the control parameter. The sensor means (50, 51) measures the rates of rotation (Sb, Sc) of the input drive shaft (31) and output driven shaft (33, 36) and the signal processing means (13) calculates the ratio of said rates of rotation to determine belt slip. This belt slip value may be normalized using values of the rate of rotation (Sbn, Scn) of two shafts measured under standard, no-load conditions. The actuator (14) may be the forward speed controller of a combine harvester.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph C. Girodat
- 👤 David W. Rumble
- 👤 Lawrence M. Sweetman
- 👤 William Swindall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 18:05
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01D; A01D41/00; A01D41/12; A01D41/127; A01D41/1274
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
191 words
Crop processing apparatus comprising crop processing means; drive means comprising an input drive shaft, an output driven shaft connected to drive the crop processing means, and transmission means through which power is transmitted from the input drive shaft to the output driven shaft and in which relative rotation between the input drive shaft and output driven shaft under constant load conditions causes a transmission loss; a first sensor for producing an output signal corresponding to the rate of rotation of the output driven shaft; setting means for selecting a reference signal corresponding to a selected level of transmission loss in the transmission means; signal processing means which processes the output signal from the first sensor to produce a transmission loss signal corresponding to said transmission loss in the transmission means and which compares said transmission loss signal with said reference signal to produce a crop load control signal; and actuator means that is controlled in accordance with said crop load control signal and is effective to vary the rate of feed of crop to the crop processing means to maintain a substantially uniform load of crop in the crop processing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
191 words
Crop processing apparatus comprising crop processing means; drive means comprising an input drive shaft, an output driven shaft connected to drive the crop processing means, and transmission means through which power is transmitted from the input drive shaft to the output driven shaft and in which relative rotation between the input drive shaft and output driven shaft under constant load conditions causes a transmission loss; a first sensor for producing an output signal corresponding to the rate of rotation of the output driven shaft; setting means for selecting a reference signal corresponding to a selected level of transmission loss in the transmission means; signal processing means which processes the output signal from the first sensor to produce a transmission loss signal corresponding to said transmission loss in the transmission means and which compares said transmission loss signal with said reference signal to produce a crop load control signal; and actuator means that is controlled in accordance with said crop load control signal and is effective to vary the rate of feed of crop to the crop processing means to maintain a substantially uniform load of crop in the crop processing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
Crop processing means as claimed in claim 1 in which the transmission means comprises a drive belt.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
Crop processing means as claimed in claim 1 comprising a second sensor for producing an output signal corresponding to the rate of rotation of the input drive shaft, and in which the signal processing means processes the output signals from both the first and second sensors to produce respective rate of rotation signals, calculates the ratio of said rate of rotation signals to produce a transmission loss signal, and compares said transmission loss signal with the reference crop load signal to produce said crop load control signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the signal processing means records values of said rate of rotation signals when the crop processing means is operating under no-load conditions, and which uses the recorded no-load values of said rate of rotation signals to calculate a normalized value of the transmission loss signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 which includes no-load sensor means that cooperate with the signal processing means to detect when said no-load conditions exist, and serves to trigger the recording of said no-load values of the rate of rotation signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said setting means is manually-operable, thereby to allow selection of any desired reference signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which said setting means is manually-operable and causes the current values of said rate of rotation signal to be recorded by the signal processing means when the crop processing means is operating at the desired level of crop load, said current values being used to calculate the corresponding transmission loss signal for use as the reference signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
125 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which a manually-operable control is provided to allow an operator to select a crop feed rate signal that is supplied as an input to the signal processing means, and in which a manually operable mode selection control is provided to allow an operator to select a mode selection signal that is supplied as an input to the signal processing means, the mode selection signal either being an automatic mode selection signal that causes the actuator means to be controlled in accordance with said corp load control signal for automatic control, or being a manual mode selection signal that causes the actuator means to be controlled in accordance with said crop feed rate signal for manual control.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
71 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which said control signal is subject to a gain control process to produce an error signal, and in which said gain control process is controlled in a manner dependent on said mode selection signal so that selection of the manual control mode serves to set the gain control process to make said error signal equal to the current crop feed rate signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
73 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which said crop load control signal is subject to a gain control process to produce an error signal, and in which said gain control process is controlled in a manner dependent on said mode selection signal so that a change from the manual control mode to the automatic control mode serves to set said error signal equal to the current crop feed rate signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in the form of a mobile combine harvester in which said actuator means controls the forward speed of the combine harvester, thereby to vary the rate of feed of crop to the crop processing means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
92 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 which includes bout sensor means that senses when the combine harvester reaches the end of a bout and begins a new bout, and serves to trigger recording of a signal at the end of a bout and uses this recording to produce the same control signal to control the actuator means at the beginning of the new bout so that the forward speed of the combine harvester is the same at the beginning of a bout as at the end of the last bout.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in the form of a mobile combine harvester in which said actuator means controls the forward speed of the combine harvester, thereby to vary the rate of feed of crop to the crop processing means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
62 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 13 which includes speed sensor means that senses the forward speed of the combine and produces a corresponding forward speed signal, and in which said crop load control signal is subject to a gain control process to produce an error signal which is compared with said forward speed signal to produce a speed error signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 14 in which said gain control process is controlled in accordance with a comparison of the forward speed signal and the error signal so that if they differ by more than a predetermined amount the error signal is set equal to the forward speed signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 14 in which said maximum limit is manually preselectable by an operator.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
91 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which includes loss sensor means that senses grain lost from crop as it is treated in the crop processing means and which produces a grain loss signal, and in which the signal processing means is responsive to said grain loss signal so that above a predetermined level of grain loss, a grain loss over-ride control signal is produced that over-rides said crop load control signal and operates the actuator means to reduce the rate of feed of crop to the crop processing means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
63 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 17 in which said grain loss over-ride control signal is maintained for a predetermined time, and in which a grain loss over-ride control signal is produced to further reduce the rate of feed of crop to the crop processing means if the grain loss still exceeds said predetermined level at the end of said predetermined time.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said crop load control signal is subject to a process that sets maximum and minimum limits corresponding to maximum and minimum desired levels of crop load.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
74 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the crop processing means includes a crop threshing cylinder and a manually-operable speed control mechanism that allows an operator to vary the speed of the threshing cylinder, and in which a sensor is provided to sense operation of the speed control mechanism and cause the signal processing means to record a signal which is used to hold the actuator in the same operable state.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
75 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which includes drive means that drives the crop processing means, and sensor means that senses when the crop processing means is being operated by the drive means and produces a corresponding disengage signal when the crop processing mean is disengaged from the drive means; the signal processing means being responsive to said disengage signal so as to disable the actuator means when the disengage signal is produced.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
70 words
Crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which includes drive means that drives the crop processing means, and overload sensor means that senses when the drive means is overloaded and produces a corresponding overload signal, the signal processing means being responsive to the overload signal so as to cause the setting means to reset the reference signal to a value corresponding to a lower selected level of transmission loss.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
78 words
A self-propelled combine harvester comprising crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, forward speed control means comprising a mechanical connection between a manually-operable control and a forward speed controller, and in which the actuator means comprises a variable-length link provided in series with said mechanical connection and controlled in accordance with said crop load control signal so that the control signal can change the length of the link to vary the forward speed of the combine harvester.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
A combine harvester as claimed in claim 23 in which the variable-length link comprises a hydraulic ram and associated solenoid-operated control valve means operated in accordance with said crop load control signal.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
70 words
A combine harvester as claimed in claim 24 in which the ran comprises a single-acting ram, and the control valve means comprises one solenoid-operated valve that controls pressurization of the ram to lengthen it and a second solenoid-operated valve that controls venting of the ram to shorten it, and in which the signal processing means produces signals to energise both valves selectively in accordance with the crop load control signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
43 words
A combine harvester as claimed in claim 25 in which said solenoid-operated control valve means is energised by a pulse-width modulated signal with a mark: space ratio determined by said processing means in accordance with the magnitude of said crop load control signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
53 words
A self-propelled combine harvester comprising crop processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and forward speed control means comprising a hydraulic actuator under the independent control of two valves, one being operated in accordance with a manually-operable forward speed control and the other being operated in accordance with said corp load control signal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-01-08 | 1993-07-10 | 1994-01-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-01-08 | 1997-07-10 | 1998-01-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-01-08 | 2001-07-10 | 2002-01-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |