Task-specific ride-height and speed control of an agricultural product applicator with air strut suspension

A self-propelled agricultural product applicator having a propulsion unit and three or more ground engaging wheels operatively joined to a frame adapted for supporting at least one agricultural product container and distributor arrangement, with the frame being adapted for supporting at least one agricultural product container and defining forward and rear ends of the frame, a longitudinally extending central axis of the frame extending from the rear end to the forward end of the frame in a direction of travel of the self-propelled agricultural product applicator, and a vertical axis of the frame, the wheels each being joined to the frame by a task-specific ride-height and speed control system comprising:

• a plurality of controllable ride-height trailing arm suspension systems independently joining each wheel to the frame, with each trailing arm suspension system including an upper suspension arm, a lower suspension arm, an extensible air strut and an angular position sensor operatively interconnected to one another and disposed between a rolling axis of a corresponding ground engaging wheel of the three or more ground engaging wheels independently supported by that controllable ride-height trailing arm suspension system and a point of attachment of the controllable ride-height trailing arm suspension system to the frame such that the angular position sensor detects a relative angular position between the upper and lower suspension arms at a present extension of the extensible air strut;
• an air power source for providing a controlled flow of pressurized air to the extensible air strut of each of the controllable ride-height trailing arm suspension systems, to thereby control ride-height by controlling extension of each of the extensible air struts;
• a speed control arrangement operatively connected to the propulsion unit for controlling ground speed of the self-propelled agricultural product applicator;
• and
• an electronic control unit operatively connected to the angular position sensors, a load sensing arrangement, the air power source, and the speed control arrangement;
• the electronic control unit being configured for receiving a desired task input and signals from the angular position sensors indicative of a present relative angular position of the upper and lower suspension arms of each suspension system, and commanding the air power source to control the extensible air struts at an extension thereof providing a ride-height corresponding to the desired task input;
• the electronic control unit also being configured for determining a maximum ground speed corresponding to the desired task input, and commanding the speed control arrangement to limit ground speeds while operating at the ride-height corresponding to the desired task input to ground speeds less than or equal to the maximum ground speed corresponding to the desired task input.

A method for providing task-specific ride-height and speed control for self-propelled agricultural product applicator having a propulsion unit and three or more ground engaging wheels operatively joined to a frame adapted for supporting at least one agricultural product container and distributor arrangement and defining forward and rear ends of the frame, a longitudinally extending central axis of the frame extending from the rear end to the forward end of the frame in a direction of travel of the self-propelled agricultural product applicator, and a vertical axis of the frame, the method for providing task-specific ride-height control comprising:

• independently joining each wheel to the frame with a plurality of controllable ride-height trailing arm suspension systems, with each trailing arm suspension system including an upper suspension arm, a lower suspension arm, an extensible air strut and an angular position sensor operatively interconnected to one another and disposed between a rolling axis the ground engaging wheel independently supported by that suspension system and a point of attachment of the suspension system to the frame such that the angular position sensor detects a relative angular position between the upper and lower suspension arms at a present extension of the extensible air strut;
• providing a controlled flow of pressurized air from an air power source to the extensible air strut of each of the suspension systems, to thereby control ride-height by controlling extension of each of the extensible air struts;
• providing a speed control arrangement operatively connected to the propulsion unit for controlling ground speed of the self-propelled agricultural product applicator;
• operatively connecting an electronic control unit to the angular position sensors, the air power source and the speed control arrangement;
• receiving, a desired task input and signals from the angular position sensors, at the electronic control unit, the signals from the angular position sensor being indicative of a present relative angular position of the upper and lower suspension arms of each trailing arm suspension system;
• utilizing the electronic control unit for commanding the air power source to control the extensible air struts at an extension thereof providing a ride-height corresponding to the desired task input;
• and
• utilizing the electronic control unit for determining a maximum ground speed corresponding to the desired task input, and commanding the speed control arrangement to limit ground speeds while operating at the ride-height corresponding to the desired task input to ground speeds less than or equal to the maximum ground speed corresponding to the desired task input.