A work vehicle including an articulated vehicle chassis having a front frame portion and a rear frame portion pivotally coupled together at a generally vertical pivot axis. The front frame portion carries a front axle and the rear frame portion carries a rear axle. A steering system includes at least one steering cylinder connected between the front frame portion and the rear frame portion. A power plant provides motive power to the work vehicle, and a transmission receives power from the power plant and provides power to the front axle and rear axle. The work vehicle further includes a secondary clutch interconnected between the transmission and the rear axle. The steering system is configured to disengage the secondary clutch to provide reactive steering, whereby the front frame portion tows the rear frame portion. The rear frame portion freely articulates relative to the front frame portion.

A vehicle control apparatus includes (a) a clutch control portion configured to output a hydraulic-pressure command value for supplying a hydraulic pressure to a clutch actuator of a clutch disposed between an engine and an electric motor, when the engine is to be started by being cranked by the electric motor, and (b) a learning control portion configured to execute a plurality of leanings for correcting a relationship representing a correlation between the hydraulic pressure and the hydraulic-pressure command value, wherein at least one of the leanings is a higher priority learning, and at least one of the leanings is a lower priority learning. The learning control portion is configured, when the higher priority learning is in an unconverged state, to cause a degree of reflection of a learning result of the lower priority learning to be lower, than when the higher priority learning is in a converged state.

A hydraulic actuation device for a motor vehicle friction clutch has a manually actuatable master cylinder, that has a master pressure chamber which, in a rest position, is fluidically connected to a reservoir. The master cylinder is connected to a slave arrangement that is functionally connected to the motor vehicle friction clutch. A pressure line connects the master pressure chamber to the slave arrangement and in which incorporates an electrically actuatable valve arrangement with an electrically actuatable proportional valve and, connected in parallel, a first check valve which blocks in the direction of the master pressure chamber. A motor pump is connected, on the input side, to the reservoir and can be connected, on the output side, to the pressure line between the valve arrangement and the slave pressure chamber through a second check valve that blocks in the direction of the motor pump.

A hydraulic power module for a crop harvester, and in particular a cotton harvester, having an engine. The hydraulic power module includes a main drive gear, a drive shaft extending through the main drive gear, and a clutch operatively connected to the drive shaft, wherein the clutch has an engaged position and a disengaged position. The engaged position of the clutch fixedly connects the main drive gear to the drive shaft and the disengaged position of the clutch disconnects the main drive gear drive from the drive shaft. The hydraulic power module further includes a first pump device directly coupled to the drive shaft, wherein the first pump device is driven by the drive shaft during rotation of the drive shaft. A second pump device is indirectly connected to the drive shaft through the clutch, and is driven by the drive shaft when the clutch is in the engaged position.

A brake torque distribution system for a vehicle can include a braking system and a controller. The controller can be configured to signal a clutch of the vehicle powertrain to move to the engaged position such that the front wheels are rotationally coupled to the rear wheels and the brake torque applied to the front wheels by the braking system is transmitted to the rear wheels. The controller can be configured to signal the clutch to move to the engaged position based on an inclination angle signal received by the controller and indicative of an angle of inclination of the vehicle, a selected gear signal received by the controller that is indicative of the reverse gear ratio being selected in the powertrain, and a load signal received by the controller and indicative of a load applied to a portion of the vehicle adjacent to the rear wheels.

A control device includes: an engagement mechanism having a first engagement element and a second engagement element; and an actuator that generates a thrust that brings the first engagement element and the second engagement element close to each other when the engagement mechanism is engaged. The control device performs engagement with the thrust of the actuator when a differential rotation speed of the engagement mechanism is less than a predetermined value. In the control device, a parameter indicating an operating state of the actuator is detected, a target differential rotation speed is calculated in accordance with a value of the detected parameter, and the differential rotation speed is controlled to the calculated target differential rotation speed.

An auxiliary propulsion apparatus of an air vehicle may include an engine mounted in a fuselage of the air vehicle, a generator configured to be driven using power from the engine, a compressor configured to be driven by the engine or the generator, a battery configured to store electricity generated by the generator, an electricity distributor connected to the generator, the battery and the main propulsion apparatus and configured to distribute electricity generated by the generator to the battery and to a main propulsion apparatus, and at least one nozzle device configured to jet high-pressure gas, supplied from the compressor, to an outside of the fuselage.

A material reduction machine including an engine, a material reduction tool, a drivetrain, and a control system. The drivetrain is between the engine and the material reduction tool, and includes a coupling and a power transfer element, the coupling having an engaged state and a disengaged state. When engaged, the coupling enables power transfer through the power transfer element and when disengaged, the coupling inhibits power transfer through the power transfer element. The control system includes a sensor to detect a speed of the engine or the material reduction tool, a drivetrain protection system to protect the power transfer element by disengaging the coupling, and a controller to enable the drivetrain protection system based on a first signal from the sensor indicating the speed is at or above a first threshold, and to disengage the coupling based on a second signal indicating the speed is below a second threshold.

A clutch control method for a hybrid vehicle with a DCT is provided. The method includes determining an energy-saving possible period based on a selection state of shifting ranges, operation states of an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, and the gradient of a road on which the vehicle is driven. An operation current is set for maintaining a clutch, which is configured to engage the first gear, engaged as 0 A in response to determining that a current state of the vehicle is in the energy-saving possible period.

A drive switching mechanism of a utility vehicle includes: a two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching device that switches between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive of the utility vehicle; and a control unit that controls the drive switching mechanism. The two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching device switches between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive by using a first clutch. The control unit permits the two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching device to switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive when a rotation difference of the first clutch becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.