Cotton compactor control

Details Cotton compactor control Cotton compactor control

1999-01-28

2001-01-23

Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)

Crop threshing or separating

Machine component arrangement and structure, e.g., engine...

C056S016600, C056S028000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06176779

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to harvester receptacles, and, more specifically, to a compactor control for the compactor in a cotton harvester basket.
2) Related Art
Cotton harvesters typically include a large cotton receptacle and a compacting device to increase the density of the cotton in the receptacle. Pivoting vanes, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,126, and compacting augers such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,940 are operated manually from a control in the harvester cab. An example of a compacting system with a manually operated switch in the cab is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,932. Cotton spillage can be a problem with manually operated systems if the operator fails to activate the compacting device at the correct time. Spillage wastes cotton and requires time-consuming cleanup to clear the chassis and platform.
The operator has numerous functions to monitor, and the need for manual activation of the compacting control hinders concentration on other areas of the harvesting operation. Systems including a basket full sensor of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,865 have provided a signal to the operator to activate the compacting augers, but still require operator attention and intervention. Various automatic timing arrangements such as preset timers to set the timing between consecutive compactor auger operations have also been available. These have alleviated some of the problems with purely manual operation but often do not provide the best compacting operation to optimize cotton density in the receptacle and reduce cotton spillage.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved cotton harvester basket compacting system which overcomes most or all of the aforementioned problems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved cotton harvester basket compacting system which reduces cotton spillage and optimizes cotton density in the harvester basket. It is another object to provide such a system which requires less operator attention and intervention than at least most previously available systems.
It is another object to provide an improved cotton harvester basket compacting system which obviates compacting controls with timers that are manually adjusted or otherwise operate on timed cycles not dependent directly on basket filling condition.
In accordance with the above objects, a compactor for a cotton harvester basket includes an automatic compactor auger control system having a pair of optical sensors mounted in the basket utilizing light blockage to detect a preselected level of cotton in the basket. When the preselected cotton level is reached, a full basket signal is sent to a microprocessor control which activates the compactor augers if certain interlock conditions are satisfied. The microprocessor control maintains the augers in operation until the cotton is compacted below the preselected level so the light signal is no longer blocked. An adjustable timer assures compactor operation for a minimum period of time to prevent short, intermittent periods of operation when the basket is filling. In addition, the ability to adjust the timer duration in accordance with cotton density provides improved system flexibility.
The control system eliminates need for manual operation of the compactor and frees the operator for concentrating on other tasks. The automatic operation directly dependent on basket full condition provides a more consistent starting point, better compacting and less spillage than many of the manual or other types of timed operation compactor systems. A manual activation switch conveniently located on a control handle in the cab allows the operator to manually engage the augers. Productivity is increased as a result of the controlled compacting which maximizes the amount of cotton in the basket.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description in view of the drawings.


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patent: 5950408 (1999-09-01), Schaedler
patent: 5957773 (1999-09-01), Olmsted et al.
John Deere, Install Basket Full Monitoring System instructions,five pages, publication date—1998, published in U.S.A.

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