A control system for controlling a motion of an auger tube of a combine harvester comprises a dynamic pre-filter, a position controller, and a speed controller. The dynamic pre-filter receives a desired position value for the auger tube and generates a filtered desired position signal which changes the desired position value from an old value to a new value over a time period. The position controller receives a first difference between the filtered desired position signal and an actual position of the auger tube. The position controller generates a desired angular speed signal that varies according to the first difference. The speed controller receives a second difference between the desired angular speed signal and an actual speed of the auger tube. The speed controller generates an actuator signal that varies according to the second difference and is received by an actuating system that moves the auger tube.

A system and a method are provided for controlling a combine harvester. The method includes the steps of: receiving grain flow sensor signals from a plurality of grain flow sensors; based on the received grain flow sensor signals, determining a current load on a straw walker section; and based on the current load, adjusting an aggressiveness setting of a threshing and separation section of the combine harvester. The grain flow sensors are provided underneath and adjacent to a crop transfer surface of the straw walker section of the combine harvester and are distributed over a length of the straw walker section.

An agricultural harvester has a chassis carrying a header for gathering a crop. The header is removably attached to a feeder housing for feeding the crop into the agricultural harvester to be processed. A threshing and separating system is connected to the feeder housing for separating grain from Material Other than Grain (MOG). A grain cleaning system is connected to the threshing and separating system for further cleaning the separated grain. The grain cleaning system has at least one sieve operable to oscillate fore and aft and a side shaker mechanism operable to produce a side to side shaking motion in the at least one sieve. A control system is connected to the side shaker mechanism and operable to automatically proportionately increase an amount of the side to side shaking motion as a function of an amount and type of crop being processed.

A combine harvester (10) comprises sensing means to detect or estimate a volume of material other than grain (MOG) flowing through crop processing apparatus. A photoelectric sensing device (60) in communication with a controller (101) is arranged forward of, and below, a front edge (32′) of a return pan (32) which serves to catch crop material falling from overhead separating apparatus (20). The photoelectric sensing device (60) generates one or more light beams (68) which are directed across a path of a crop mat (80) as the mat falls under gravity from the front edge (32′). The controller (101) is configured to generate one of a fan speed setting and a sieve opening setting in dependence upon detection signals that are generated by the photoelectric sensing device (60).

A combine harvester separates crop into straw and chaff and weed seeds using a sieve, a chopping rotor with a spreading device and at least one weed seed devitalization section. The components can be operated in a first mode where both the first material and said second material are directed to the chopper and a second mode the first material is directed to the chopper inlet and the second material is directed to the WSD. This can be effected by providing a guide wall which has a leading edge attached adjacent a rear edge of the sieve and extends rearwardly therefrom. The chopper and the WSD can also be moved to provide the change of modes. A construction of destructor mill with an outer stator on the housing is also disclosed along with a method of feeding the lost grain to the WSD.

An agricultural harvester includes: a chassis; and a threshing and separating system coupled with the chassis, the threshing and separating system including a rotor including at least one brush device including a plurality of fingers which are flexible, the plurality of fingers being configured for engaging a crop material.

Embodiments of a kernel-level grain monitoring system include a grain camera positioned to capture bulk grain sample images of a currently-harvested grain taken into and processed by a combine harvester, a moisture sensor, and a display device. A controller architecture is coupled to the grain camera, to the moisture sensor, and to the display device. The controller architecture is configured to: (i) analyze the bulk grain sample images, as received from the grain camera, to determine an average per kernel (APK) volume representing an estimated volume of a single average kernel of the currently-harvested grain; (ii) repeatedly calculate one or more topline harvesting parameters based, at least in part, on the determined APK volume and the moisture sensor data; and (iii) selectively present the topline harvesting parameters on the display device for viewing by an operator of the combine harvester.

A louver position sensing system for a sieve and chaffer of a combine harvester. One system provides that at least one sensor is in actual, physical contact with one or more louvers of the sieve and chaffer. Another system provides that a one or more magnet holders are mounted on louvers and, spaced away, sensors sense magnets in the magnet holders to determine the rotational position of the louvers. Either system allows for accurate, on-the-fly adjustment of the louvers in order to maximize the efficiency of operation of the sieve and chaffer. Preferably, the sensing systems are configured such that sensed position of the louvers is broadcast on the CAN bus of the combine harvester. As a result, the position information can be used to dynamically adjust the openings between the louvers of the sieve and chaffer to achieve more efficient grain cleaning as the machine and field variables change.

A tumble trimmer system having a tumbler barrel with a perforated axle adapted for introducing a freezing agent such as liquid carbon dioxide or other liquefied gas adapted to flash freeze the plant material when infused into the mesh tumbler barrel, the mesh tumbler barrel adapted with mesh netting or screening for trimming and/or separating plant material enclosed therein, and with an open funnel or chute positioned below the tumbler barrel adapted to catch and direct trimmed and/or separated plant material exiting the tumbler barrel into a bin or container positioned under the funnel or chute, wherein the perforated axle comprises a plurality of perforations positioned around a circumference of and along an entire length of the axle.

A sensor system for counting elements of a flow of harvested material is disclosed. The sensor system comprises an oscillating circuit and a measuring device, wherein the oscillating circuit comprises at least one capacitive component with a capacitance and an inductive component with an inductance. The oscillating circuit has a resonance frequency which depends on the capacitance and the inductance. Further, the capacitive component is positioned in the region of the flow of harvested material, so that the capacitance is influenced by individual elements of the flow of harvested material. The measuring device is configured to determine the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit. In this way, the sensor system is configured to deduce at least one property of the particular element of the flow of harvested material from the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit.