Harvesters – Motorized harvester – With condition-responsive operation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-31
2001-03-20
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Motorized harvester
With condition-responsive operation
C172S004000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202395
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to agricultural machinery and is particularly directed to apparatus for detecting and controlling the height above the soil of an agricultural machine as it traverses a field.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In many agricultural applications it is important to control the depth of a ground engaging implement. In other agricultural applications, it is important to maintain an agricultural machine component above the soil a predetermined, fixed height. One example of the latter application is in a combine header used in the harvesting of crops. The individual heads must be maintained for a given height above the soil to avoid damage to the head caused by impact with the soil or other obstruction such as a rock. Positioning the header too close to the soil may also result in ingestion of non-crop debris which reduces harvesting efficiency and may also cause damage to the combine. The head must also not be raised too high to avoid missing down plants which do not extend upwardly a sufficient distance. The trend today is toward the use of larger headers having increased numbers of individual heads mailing it more difficult to monitor and adjust head height to avoid damage. A prime objective in crop harvesting is to cover as much ground as possible by operating at high speeds which increases the possibility of header damage caused by irregular terrain or hazards in the field. With increased combine operating speeds, monitoring and adjusting head height is made even more difficult. Header repairs are costly and time consuming.
There are various approaches to maintaining the header a predetermined height above the soil. One such approach employs a curved bar attached to an intermediate, lower portion of the head which engages the soil as the combine traverses a field. A chain couples a distal end of the bar to the head for preventing breakage of the bar in the event the bar engages a hazard in the field when the combine is put in reverse. The curved bar functions as a sensor, detecting the height of the head above the soil, and provides a feedback signal to a height controller in the combine for adjusting header height. This sensor mechanism is adapted for attachment to a head having a metal housing and is not easily mounted to current polyurethane head housings which are gaining increasing acceptance because of their light weight. In addition, the curved bar is attached to an intermediate portion of the head housing and thus sometimes provides a height adjustment signal too late to protect the forward end of the housing as it traverses a field. Another approach to header height control employs a pulsed ultrasonic system for determining and adjusting header height as the combine moves through a field. This latter approach is expensive and of limited reliability.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing the combine header height detector and control which is particularly adapted for mounting to the leading end of a polyurethane head housing, is highly reliable and resistant to breakage, and is easily retrofit on existing headers.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor for determining the height above the ground of an agricultural apparatus as it traverses a field.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a height sensor for an agricultural header such as on a combine which is mounted to a forward end of the header for more accurate height positioning of the header to reduce combine ingestion and header impact damage.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a height sensor for an agricultural header which is particularly adapted for use with non-metal headers and may be easily retrofit in existing header installations.
This invention is directed to a height sensor for detecting the height of a combine header above the soil as the combine traverses a field. The height sensor provides a control signal to a conventional height controller in the combine for controlling header height above the soil to prevent impact damage to the header, while maintaining the header a predetermined height above the soil. The height sensor includes a pre-loaded flexible arm attached to the forward end of the head housing. The distal end of the flexible arm is provided with a ball-like member which engages the soil, while the proximal end of the arm is connected to an angular displacement detector. The angular displacement detector detects angular displacement of the arm as it is pivotally displaced upon encountering terrain irregularities and obstacles in the soil for providing a height control signal to the combine's height controller. Flexibility in the sensor arm is provided by a coiled spring which connects a rigid shaft of the arm to the angular displacement detector. The height sensor is mounted to an existing bracket in the head housing, which bracket is used for attaching a steel tip to the leading edge of the head housing.
More generally, this invention contemplates apparatus for maintaining an elevated moving body a designated height above an irregular support surface, the apparatus comprising: a pre-loaded flexible arm coupled to the moving body and having first and second opposed ends, wherein the first end of the flexible arm engages and is displaced over the support surface as the moving body moves above the support surface; an angular deflection sensor coupled to the second end of the flexible arm for measuring a deflection of the flexible arm when the first end of the arm encounters an irregularity in the support surface as the body moves above the support surface and for providing a signal representing the extent of deflection of the flexible arm; and a controller coupled to the moving body and to the angular deflection sensor and responsive to the signal for raising or lowering the moving body in accordance with the signal and maintaining the moving body a designated height above the support surface.
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M & W Robot Header Control, author unknown, M & W Gear Company, pp. 1-4, Nov. 1964.
Emrich & -Dithmar
Mammen Nathan
Pezzuto Robert E.
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