A combine harvester includes: a grain conveyance mechanism for conveying grains from a threshing apparatus to a grain tank; a grain discharge apparatus provided in an end area of the grain conveyance mechanism, the grain discharge apparatus having a discharge case provided with a grain discharge opening, and a discharge rotor rotatably arranged in the discharge case; a pressed portion that is subjected to a pressing force applied by grains immediately before the grains are discharged by the discharge rotor; a load detector for detecting the pressing force exerted on the pressed portion; and a yield evaluator for evaluating the amount of conveyed grain based on a detection signal from the load detector.

A harvester may include a grain processing unit and a material flow sensor to form an yes electromagnetic plane or field through which crop material passes while being sensed.

A harvesting machine capable of automatic adjustment, comprising a plurality of acoustic material flow sensors, a control system, a processor, and application software, wherein the plurality of acoustic material flow sensors are mounted internal to the harvesting machine at points of crop material flow and are capable of sensing an amount of crop material passing by them. The control system operates in a cause-and-affect mode for interactively enabling manual or automatic responses to Mass Material Distribution (MMD) information and equipment-related performance parameters. An interactive combine control method is also provided.

A harvesting system includes a crop unloading machine having a volume measurement device configured to measure a volume of harvested crops, and a crop transport vehicle including a weight sensor configured to sense a weight of the harvested crops. The crop transport vehicle can receive crops from the crop unloading machine. The crop transport vehicle communicates the sensed weight to the crop unloading machine and the crop unloading machine calculates a crop yield based upon the sensed weight, the volume and a state of the crop unloading machine.

A sensor assembly for attachment underneath a screen of a combine harvester is provided with a plurality of sensor units having sensor elements, a plurality of which sensor units are arranged one behind the other within a hollow profile which extends in the longitudinal direction of the screen.

A dynamic yield monitor system includes a plurality of instruments to measure harvested crop characteristics while a crop is in-flow within a harvester elevator. The system includes a volume instrument that measures a harvested crop volume from the in-flow harvested crop within the harvester elevator, and a weight instrument that measures a harvested crop weight from the in-flow harvested crop within the harvester elevator. Optionally, the system includes other instruments including a moisture and temperature instrument. A receiver and processing node communicates with the instrument. The receiver and processing determines variable harvested crop test weight based on at least the measured harvested crop volume and measured harvested crop weight of the in-flow crop. The receiver and processing node further determines a variable yield of the harvested crop based on the measured harvested crop volume, the measured harvested crop weight, and the variable harvested crop test weight.

In a grain unloading system for a combine harvester a grain bin includes a frame, the frame has a floor with a trough disposed therein. An unloading auger is disposed at least partially within the trough. An auger cover at least partially covers the auger. The auger cover has a hat for a top portion of the auger cover and a pair of gates movable between the hat and locations on the floor that are proximal to the trough. A gate adjustment structure is coupled to the pair of gates to move the pair of gates relative to the auger. A control system is coupled to the gate adjustment structure and controls the gate adjustment structure. The gates are each provided with a plurality of external projections.

Methods and apparatus to sense the weight of grain in a grain elevator are disclosed. A disclosed example grain elevator includes a grain transport member to transport grain, a driving member to move the grain transport member, a first tension sensor to sense a first tension in the driving member, and a weight determiner to estimate a weight of the grain based on the first tension.

A monitoring device for monitoring crop yield is disclosed. The monitoring device is mounted to a housing of a grain elevator of an agricultural work machine proximate a crop conveyor assembly arranged in the housing and has at least one aperture formed therein. A material engagement member is arranged on the mounting structure and is pivotal with respect to the mounting structure about a pivot point. The material engagement member can comprise first end and a second end opposite of the first end. At least one rotational sensor is arranged in the monitoring device and is configured to detect spatial movement or position of the material engagement member. A processing device is coupled to the at least one rotational sensor and is configured to determine an aggregate crop yield based on the detected rotational magnitude of the displacement of the first end or second end.

A sensor system for determining crop yield is disclosed. The sensor system comprises a mounting structure mounted to a housing of a grain elevator of an agricultural work machine and has at least one aperture formed therein. A fulcrum assembly is arranged on the mounting structure. A rocker arm is pivotal about a pivot axis of the fulcrum assembly and extends between a first end and a second end. An engagement member is coupled to the second end of the rocker arm and extends through the at least one aperture of the mounting structure. At least one gap distance sensor is mounted to the fulcrum assembly and is configured to detect an inclination of the rocker arm relative to the fulcrum assembly. A processing device is coupled to the gap distance sensor and is configured to correlate the detected inclination of the rocker arm to an applied force.