A01D43/08

CROP QUANTITY SENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MOWER DRIVE ASSEMBLY
20230354746 · 2023-11-09 ·

An agricultural machine capable of sensing a harvested crop load includes a mower or mower conditioner implement, which may be referred to as a crop cutting implement, and a retractable linear device such as a spring or linear actuator. The crop cutting implement includes a flexible drive assembly with an endless loop, such as a belt, that is driven and supported by rollers. The retractable linear device resists movement of a first roller relative to a second roller. With this arrangement various characteristics of the agricultural machine, all of which are proxies for the position of the first roller relative to the second roller, may be measured by a crop load sensor to determine the quantity or load of harvested crop being processed by the flexible drive assembly of the agricultural machine.

AUTOMATIC ROTATING AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM TO IRRIGATE, PLANT, GATHER FORAGE, AND/OR HARVEST FIELD AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SYSTEM
20230345877 · 2023-11-02 ·

The automatic, rotating agricultural system rotates around a central pivot point in either a full rotation or a partial arc to irrigate, plant and/or harvest a field. The agricultural system includes a center pivot frame, a plurality of frame segments connected to each other, and a feed storage bin connected to the center pivot frame and the frame segments. The frame segment includes a section frame including wheels to enable movements, a cutter trolley beam extends in a radial direction of the section frame, a cutterhead coupled to the cutter trolley beam to cut forage or crop, a radial conveyor that moves the cut forage or crop in the radial direction of the section frame, and a cutter conveyor that moves the cut forage or crop from the cutterhead to the radial conveyor.

AUTOMATIC FILL CONTROL BASED ON VISUAL IDENTIFICATION OF GRAIN RECEIVING VEHICLES

A camera captures an image of a portion of a cart and accesses stored maps that map visual features of carts to a set of settings that are applied to an automatic fill control system. A map that matches visual features of the cart, in the captured image, is identified and the settings in that map are applied to the automatic fill control system.

Method for replacing agricultural equipment
11713971 · 2023-08-01 · ·

A method for delivering at least one replacement machine to replace at least one broken-down machine. The method includes providing a delivery system with at least one transport vehicle for transporting the at least one replacement machine and a controller. The method also includes receiving, by the controller, information that includes standby location variables and calculating, by the controller, a standby location for the at least one transport vehicle based upon the standby location variables. The method also includes sending, by the controller, the standby location to the at least one transport vehicle. The method further includes positioning, by the at least one transport vehicle, the at least one replacement machine at the standby location.

MACHINE CONTROL USING REAL-TIME MODEL

A priori georeferenced vegetative index data is obtained for a worksite, along with field data that is collected by a sensor on a work machine that is performing an operation at the worksite. A predictive model is generated, while the machine is performing the operation, based on the georeferenced vegetative index data and the field data. A model quality metric is generated for the predictive model and is used to determine whether the predictive model is a qualified predicative model. If so, a control system controls a subsystem of the work machine, using the qualified predictive model, and a position of the work machine, to perform the operation.

CLOSE LOOP CONTROL OF AN ILLUMINATION SOURCE BASED ON SAMPLE HEATING
20230380345 · 2023-11-30 ·

Crop is routed past a sample window on an agricultural combine harvester. Light it is impinged on the crop from an illumination source and reflected radiation is directed to a sensor. The output of the sensor is indicative of various constituents in the harvested crop. The illumination source is controlled based on the temperature proximate the crop sample.

SORGHUM CUTTING HEADER AND SORGHUM HARVESTER WITH LARGE FEED VOLUME AND MULTIPLE REELING PANS
20220330483 · 2022-10-20 · ·

A sorghum cutting header and a sorghum harvester with large feed volume and multiple reeling pans includes a reeling header, a rod crushing device, and a reciprocating cutter device. The rod crushing device is located under the reeling header. The reeling header includes reeling pans, frame rods, bearing seats, reeling pan shafts, tandem shafts, and tandem shaft bearing seats. The reeling pan shafts are installed in parallel on the frame rod through bearing seats. The adjacent reeling pan shafts are in transmission connection, and at least one reeling pan shaft is in transmission connection with the power device. An inner part of any reeling pan shaft penetrates the tandem shafts. Both ends of the tandem shafts are supported on the frame rods, and one end of the tandem shafts is fixed on the tandem shaft bearing seats. The reeling pans are mounted on any reeling pan shaft.

SORGHUM CUTTING HEADER AND SORGHUM HARVESTER WITH LARGE FEED VOLUME AND MULTIPLE REELING PANS
20220330483 · 2022-10-20 · ·

A sorghum cutting header and a sorghum harvester with large feed volume and multiple reeling pans includes a reeling header, a rod crushing device, and a reciprocating cutter device. The rod crushing device is located under the reeling header. The reeling header includes reeling pans, frame rods, bearing seats, reeling pan shafts, tandem shafts, and tandem shaft bearing seats. The reeling pan shafts are installed in parallel on the frame rod through bearing seats. The adjacent reeling pan shafts are in transmission connection, and at least one reeling pan shaft is in transmission connection with the power device. An inner part of any reeling pan shaft penetrates the tandem shafts. Both ends of the tandem shafts are supported on the frame rods, and one end of the tandem shafts is fixed on the tandem shaft bearing seats. The reeling pans are mounted on any reeling pan shaft.

Crop discharge speed control for a forage harvester

A crop discharge speed control system for a harvesting vehicle having a crop accelerator and a spout that receives crop material and directs the crop material to a targeted destination. The crop accelerator imparts an increased velocity to the crop material. The control system includes a crop velocity sensor, a controller, and a variable speed drive. The sensor is coupled to the spout of the vehicle for detecting a velocity of the crop material in the spout. The sensor produces a velocity signal representative of the velocity of the crop material. The variable speed drive is drivingly coupled to the crop accelerator. The controller varies the speed of the crop accelerator by controlling the variable speed drive, as it controls the variable speed drive to maintain a selected velocity of the crop material dependent upon a modulation of the velocity signal.

Method and apparatus for handling and disposal of organic waste materials
11419269 · 2022-08-23 ·

A head assembly having ancillary fan assemblies can be operationally mounted to the outlet of a conventional harvester extractor. The ancillary fan assemblies can generally direct suspended trash materials in a substantially upward and laterally outboard direction toward both lateral sides of a harvester. A duct assembly having an inlet and an outlet generally extends from each ancillary fan assembly to a position generally above a track of a harvester. Trash material expelled by a harvester extractor enters the head assembly and is directed by the ancillary fan assemblies into each of the duct assemblies, through said duct assemblies, and onto the upper surfaces of the tracks of the harvester. The trash material is then conveyed by the tracks toward the front or forward portion of the harvester, where it falls off of the tracks generally in the path of the harvester. As the harvester continues moving forward, the harvester runs over the deposited organic trash material, plowing the organic trash material into the underlying terrain.