E01C19/15

Autonomous ground surface treatment system and method of operation of such a system

An autonomous ground maintenance system comprising a vehicle comprising a chassis supported upon a ground surface by ground support members, a container supported by the chassis, the container defining a discharge outlet operable to disperse treating material held within the container to a target area of the ground surface, a gate adapted to selectively open and close the discharge outlet, a sensor adapted to identify the target area, and an electronic controller supported by the chassis, the controller being in communication with the sensor and the gate. The controller is adapted to position the chassis at a location proximate the target area such that the discharge outlet is capable of delivering the treating material to the target area and energize the gate to open the discharge outlet.

Task completion time estimation for an autonomous machine

A machine is disclosed. The machine may include at least one of a propulsion system or a steering system configured to operate under automatic control in an autonomous mode of the machine; and a controller configured to obtain one or more parameters associated with a task that is to be performed in the autonomous mode, determine an estimated completion time for the task based on the one or more parameters associated with the task, and perform one or more actions based on the estimated completion time for the task.

Aggregate spreading device with spreader system

An aggregate spreading device includes a hopper, a conveyor system disposed below the hopper, and a spreader system extending from at least one side of the aggregate spreading device and configured to receive aggregate from the conveyor system. The spreader system includes a vertical support coupled to a frame of the aggregate spreading device, a first wall extending from a first end attached to the vertical support, and a second wall extending from a second end of the first wall. A lift actuator is configured to adjust the vertical placement of the spreader system and causing the first and second walls to move vertically.

Vehicle accessory system with valve system control
11505914 · 2022-11-22 · ·

A vehicular accessory system includes a first accessory pivotable in a first direction via pressurized fluid at a first actuator and pivotable in a second direction via pressurized fluid at a second actuator, and a second accessory pivotable in a third direction via pressurized fluid at a third actuator and pivotable in a fourth direction via pressurized fluid at a fourth actuator. A valve assembly is in fluid communication with the first, second, third and fourth actuators. Responsive to pivoting of the first accessory to a first fully pivoted orientation, the valve assembly automatically operates to supply pressurized fluid to the third actuator to pivot the second accessory in the third direction. Responsive to pivoting of the first accessory to a second fully pivoted orientation, the valve assembly automatically operates to supply pressurized fluid to the fourth actuator to pivot the second accessory in the fourth direction.

AGGREGATE SPREADING DEVICE WITH SPREADER SYSTEM
20230040964 · 2023-02-09 · ·

An aggregate spreading device includes a hopper, a conveyor system disposed below the hopper, and a spreader system extending from at least one side of the aggregate spreading device and configured to receive aggregate from the conveyor system. The spreader system includes a vertical support coupled to a frame of the aggregate spreading device, a first wall extending from a first end attached to the vertical support, and a second wall extending from a second end of the first wall. A lift actuator is configured to adjust the vertical placement of the spreader system and causing the first and second walls to move vertically.

GROUND ENGAGING TOOL CONTACT DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD
20230030029 · 2023-02-02 ·

A work vehicle that operates on a surface comprising an implement and an optical sensor. The optical sensor is configured to capture image data that includes the implement. An electronic processor is configured to perform an operation by controllably adjusting a position of the implement relative to the work vehicle, receive image data captured by the optical sensor, apply an artificial neural network to identify whether the implement is in contact with the surface based on the image data from the optical sensor, wherein the artificial neural network is trained to receive the image data as input and to produce as the output an indication of whether the implement is in contact with the surface, access operation information corresponding to whether the implement is in contact with the surface from a non-transitory computer-readable memory, and automatically adjust an operation of the work vehicle based on the accessed operation information.

ROLLER ASSEMBLY FOR SMOOTHING GRANULAR MEDIA
20230082447 · 2023-03-16 ·

A roller assembly for smoothing an expanse of granular media such as golf bunker sand, snow, horse race track dirt, or other media. The assembly has one or more rollers having a longitudinal axis. Each roller includes wires spaced from the axis to define a roller surface. Each wire is resiliently flexible to distort inwardly in response to force of contact on, and to recover during release of force from, the granular media as the roller rotates about the axis on the granular media. A shaft extends along the axis of the roller assembly between the arms of a yoke with a handle extending therefrom. As the roller surface traverses the media, at least some of the media is flung outwardly of the roller, smoothing the expanse. The roller assembly may be manually operated or may be towed behind a towing apparatus.

HAND TOOL
20230128185 · 2023-04-27 ·

A hand tool for levelling screed, the hand tool comprises a main body and a screed-levelling member, the screed levelling member comprises a first portion and a second portion joined together at a vertex, the first and second portion being non-colinear or non-coplanar, wherein the first portion is secured to the main body, and the second portion is configured to level screed in use.

METHOD OF ELECTRIC MACHINE GAP ADJUSTMENT, WORK VEHICLE, AND ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE
20230131257 · 2023-04-27 ·

An energy storage device for storing energy generated from operation of a work vehicle includes a ballast providing ballast weight to the work vehicle, a stator of an electric machine mounted on the work vehicle, a rotor of the electric machine fixed for rotation with the ballast, spaced from the stator by a gap, and configured for rotation relative to the stator such that the electric machine is configured to generate electrical current from rotation of the rotor and the ballast relative to the stator and to rotate the rotor and the ballast from electrical current received by the electric machine, and a gap modulator coupled to at least one of the stator and the rotor and configured to selectively adjust the gap between the rotor and the stator based on an operation of the electric machine.

METHOD OF ELECTRIC MACHINE GAP ADJUSTMENT, WORK VEHICLE, AND ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE
20230131257 · 2023-04-27 ·

An energy storage device for storing energy generated from operation of a work vehicle includes a ballast providing ballast weight to the work vehicle, a stator of an electric machine mounted on the work vehicle, a rotor of the electric machine fixed for rotation with the ballast, spaced from the stator by a gap, and configured for rotation relative to the stator such that the electric machine is configured to generate electrical current from rotation of the rotor and the ballast relative to the stator and to rotate the rotor and the ballast from electrical current received by the electric machine, and a gap modulator coupled to at least one of the stator and the rotor and configured to selectively adjust the gap between the rotor and the stator based on an operation of the electric machine.