Harvesters – Motorized harvester – With condition-responsive operation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2001-06-19
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Motorized harvester
With condition-responsive operation
C475S072000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247295
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Art
This invention relates to the improvement of a hydro-mechanical transmission on an agricultural combine. More specifically, the invention is controlling the rotation of a threshing rotor on a combine.
2. Description of Prior Art
Mechanical harvesting of grain has taken place for decades. However, efforts continue in the attempt to make harvesting operations more efficient and effective. A combine harvester generally includes a header, which cuts the crop. The header then moves the cut crop into a feeder house. The feeder house lifts the cut crop into the threshing, separation and cleaning areas of the combine. The grain is separated from the stalk by a rotor or cylinder threshing system. The grain is then separated and moved and stored in a grain tank. The chaff and trash are deposited from the rear of the combine. The grain stored in the grain tank is eventually discharged through a grain tank unload tube. An operator usually runs these various operations from a glass-enclosed cab. Typically, the cab is located above and behind the header and feederhouse. There are a variety of agricultural combine harvesters and their operations are well known in the art. For examples of such harvesters reference U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,198 which illustrates the conventional and twin rotor threshing and separating systems of a harvester as well as other major systems of the harvester. See also the New Holland Super Conventional Combines TX™ 66, TX™ 68, the New Holland TWIN ROTOR® combines TR® 89 and TR® 99 for examples of existing conventional and twin rotor harvesters. U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,262 also illustrates the primary systems of a conventional harvester. For further details regarding various agricultural harvester systems review U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,522,553, 4,800,711, 4,866,920, 4,907,402, 4,967,544 and 5,155,984. See also the New Holland corn head model 996 and the New Holland grain belt header model 994 for details regarding headers.
The previously mentioned threshing and separating system consists of several elements. These include the rotor, concave, grain pan, sieves and fans. Of critical importance is the control of the rotation of the rotors. Typically, the engine would transmit rotational energy to the rotor by a belt drive. The belt drive could be engaged by a clutch or variable sheave arrangement. However, in order to increase the amount of crop processed by the harvester, the size, weight and power consumption of the rotors are being increased to levels above the tolerances of belt driven technology. To prevent the loss of the belt (and consequently the rotation of the rotor), hydro-mechanical systems have been used to transmit the rotational energy from the engine to the rotor. Additionally, it is difficult to start rotating a heavy rotor under certain crop conditions. Besides placing an enormous amount of stress on the belt drive, there is an enormous amount of stress placed on the clutch used to engage the belt drive. The stress on the clutch can be severe resulting in early clutch failure. Additionally, there are instances where crop becomes plugged between the rotor and concave. In this situation it may be desirable to briefly reverse the rotation of the rotor to force the plug out.
The prior art illustrates these and other difficulties. U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,700 illustrates a hydro-mechanical transmission. The transmission is powered by an engine and hydrostatic motor which derives its' power from the engine. A single clutch controls the input of the engine power and input of the hydrostatic motor power by means of a control circuit. However, if input from the hydrostatic motor is not precisely synchronized the input of the hydrostatic motor could brake the engine resulting in potentially disastrous damage to the engine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,452 discloses a split torque transmission and U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,404 discloses a power transmission. In both designs there are limits to the ability to slowly engaging the clutch so as to prevent damage.
A hydro-mechanical transmission that would allow the rotation of the clutch and rotor to be slowly increased without damage to the clutch would be a great improvement. An invention that could resolve these issues would represent an improvement to the art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system on an agricultural combine.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system that can protect the clutch.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system can reverse the rotors to allow for the removal of a crop plug.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system that can be easily adjusted and controlled by a microcomputer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system that provides power to additional items on an agricultural combine.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system that provides a simple method of braking a hydro-mechanical planetary drive.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system that can be used with a drive belt and still protect the clutch.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system that can monitor the rotation of the rotors and use that information to control the synchronization of the clutch.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system allowing for rotor speed control whereby allowing the engine to ‘lug’ down temporarily in heavy loads without increasing torque and stalling.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydro-mechanical transmission system allowing for engagement at lower speeds to reduce the load (inertia) on the clutch then automatically resetting the rotor speed to the desired set speed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an improvement to the hydro-mechanical transmission on an agricultural combine. The invention consists of an engine driving a wet clutch and hydrostatic pump and connected hydrostatic motor. The output of the motor drives the sun gear of a hydro-mechanical planetary drive and the output of the clutch drives the ring gear of the same drive. The carrier is the output and drives the rotors of an agricultural combine. The transmission is controlled by a microcomputer. The microcomputer receives signals from an engine speed sensor and a rotor speed sensor and transmits controlling signals to the hydrostatic pump's swash plate and to a clutch valve allowing a quantity of hydraulic fluid to enter the clutch. The microcomputer can also send a signal to brake the ring gear while reversing the direction of the hydrostatic pump motor to allow it to act as a reverser for the rotor.
The microcomputer also can receive signals from the rotor speed sensor to control the clutch valve depending on the conditions that the agricultural harvester is operating. To ensure the clutch is synchronized and providing the full torque to the rotors, the microcomputer can transmit a signal to the clutch valve allowing a quantity of hydraulic fluid to enter the clutch. Under extremely heavy conditions, the clutch valve may be quickly opened and closed to provide additional hydraulic fluid to the clutch allowing for faster synchronization of the clutch.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3905251 (1975-09-01), Greene
patent: 4019404 (1977-04-01), Schauer
patent: 4309917 (1982-01-01), Leet
patent: 4663713 (1987-05-01), Cornell et al.
patent: 4872536 (1989-10-01), Yue
patent: 4932504 (1990-06-01), Zheng
patent: 5667452 (1997-09-01), Coutant
patent: 5865700 (1999-02-01), Horsch
Frego Jeffery D.
Hansen John C.
Templeton David J.
Young Steven C.
Miller Larry W.
New Holland North America Inc.
Pezzuto Robert E.
Stader J. William
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