A grain cleaning system for a combine harvester having a transmitter adapted to transmit a base signal at a known frequency and one or more spaced receivers for detecting signals of a different frequency as reflected from airborne grain and other materials within the duct of the grain cleaning system. An Electronic Control Unit modulates the base signal and the reflected signals to obtain Doppler signals or frequencies from which an average particle velocity is determined. The particle velocity is used as an input parameter for the generation of control signals for the adjustment of various working units of the combine harvester including, by way of example, the fan and sieves.

A method for determining a mass flow composed of bulk material, in particular grain, which is conveyed by means of a continuous, circulating conveyor, having planar conveyor elements, from a lower bulk material receiving area to a higher bulk material delivery area, in which the bulk material delivered by the conveyor is deflected by a guide surface disposed in the bulk material delivery area toward a measuring device, wherein the mass flow is determined by the measurement of a resulting force (F_G) exerted on a sensor surface of the measuring device, wherein at least two parameters having an effect on the force measurement, in particular parameters independent of bulk material properties, are compensated for. A control and regulating device for executing the method for determining a mass flow composed of bulk material is also provided.

A measuring device is provided for measuring a mass flow composed of bulk material, in particular grain, in a continuous, circulating conveyor enclosed in part by a housing, having planar conveyor elements, which conveys the bulk material from a lower bulk material receiving area to a higher bulk material delivery area. A substantially circular movement course is imposed on the bulk material delivered by the respective conveyor element in a substantially radial direction of an inner surface of a cover section of the housing by a guide surface formed in the upper region of the conveyor. The bulk material is deflectable toward a sensor surface of the measuring device. At least the sensor surface of the measuring device is disposed in the upper region of the conveyor such that there is a tangential course in the transition from the guide surface to the sensor surface.

The measurement device comprises a transmitter for providing a transmitted signal at a frequency. The transmitter provides the transmitted signal to the transmitting antenna. A receiving antenna is arranged to receive the transmitted signal. A receiver is capable of receiving the transmitted signal from the receiving antenna. An electronic data processor is adapted to measure an observed parameter of the transmitted signal between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna to estimate the precise yield, where the observed parameter comprises observed attenuation, phase or both of the transmitted signal, as received at the receiver.

A combine that can accurately measure the weight of grain retained in a grain tank is provided. When a weight measurement signal is output from a measurement switch 66, a weight measurement decision unit 75 instructs a working state determination unit 71 to perform working state determination. If it is determined that the combine is in the working state, the weight measurement decision unit 75 does not instruct a load cell 39 to perform weight measurement.

A grain mass flow sensor assembly of an agricultural harvester has a continuously curved sensor plate positioned to receive a grain flow from an exit of the grain elevator. The continuously curved sensor plate is configured to change the direction of the grain flow in order to generate a reaction force for measuring the grain mass flow rate of the grain flow. The continuously curved sensor plate is attached to a sensor plate to load cell mounting bracket. The sensor plate to load cell mounting bracket is attached to a single point load cell torque or moment compensated force transducer at a single mounting point. The single point load cell torque or moment compensated force transducer produces a mass flow sensor signal that is proportionate to the grain mass flow rate.

A harvest analysis system, intended to be used in a machine (2, 3) for harvesting agricultural products, e.g. combine (2), forage harvester (3) or the like, comprising at least one image acquisition device (4, 40) and at least one processing unit (1), connected to said acquisition device (4, 40) and in turn comprising: at least one memory module (10) in which at least a first reference image is stored; and at least one comparison module (11, 12) configured to perform a comparison between the images of the harvested products, acquired by said device (4, 40) and said reference image.

A grain quality sensor comprising a photosite array, an illumination source, a filter, and an electronics module, wherein the illumination source directs light onto a crop sample, wherein the filter limits passage of light into different parts of the photosite array such that certain locations on the photosite array only receive certain wavelengths of light reflected or fluoresced by the crop sample, wherein an electronics module is electrically connected to the photosite array and capable of determining which parts of the photosite array received light and the wavelengths of the light received, wherein the electronics module can analyze the optical data received by the photosite array, and wherein the analysis of the optical data is used to determine the composition of the crop sample.

A harvester includes an auger tube having a first portion and a second portion adjacent the first portion, an auger flight within the first portion of the tube and terminating prior to the second portion to move grain to the second portion, a window along the second portion of the tube and a camera to capture images of grain within the second portion of the tube. A computing device determines grain mass flow based upon the captured images, a dimension of the second portion of the tube and a grain density factor.

An impact sensor is mounted in a duct of a grain cleaning system above an upper sieve. The impact sensor has an upstream-facing impact-sensing surface with respect to a cleaning airstream, and is configured to transduce impact events and generate impact signals. An electronic control unit (ECU) is configured to generate control signals based upon a particle energy value that is determined from the impact signals. The control signals may serve to adjust various working units of a combine harvester including, by way of example, a cleaning fan and sieves.