Programmable one-touch raise feature for an agricultural harvester such as a windrower
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorsMadhu Pankaj, Robert L. Fackler, Roger D. Huggard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An agricultural vehicle including a chassis and a header carried by the chassis and including a cutter mechanism. The header is adjustable in a vertical direction. The agricultural vehicle also includes a header actuator connected to the header and configured to adjust the header in the vertical direction, and a controller coupled to the header actuator. The controller is configured for receiving an input command for controlling an operation of the header actuator to achieve a lifting height, operating the header actuator in conformance with the input command, and terminating the operating of the header actuator.
Claims14
An agricultural vehicle comprising:
- a chassis;
- a header carried by said chassis and including a cutter mechanism, said header configured for forming a windrow having a windrow height, and said header being adjustable in a vertical direction;
- a header actuator connected to said header and configured to adjust said header in the vertical direction;
- and
- a controller coupled to said header actuator, said controller being configured for:
- receiving an input command for controlling an operation of the header actuator to achieve a lifting height;
- determining one of a distance for raising the header in the vertical direction and a time period for raising the header in the vertical direction to achieve a lifting height that is dependent on the windrow height;
- initiating a vertical adjustment of the header with the header actuator;
- stopping the vertical adjustment of the header upon achieving said lifting height.
A method of controlling an agricultural vehicle including a header being adjustable in a vertical direction while harvesting a crop and forming a windrow having a windrow height, said method comprising the steps of:
- determining one of a distance for raising the header in the vertical direction and a time period for raising the header in the vertical direction to achieve a lifting height that is dependent on said windrow height;
- initiating a vertical adjustment of the header;
- ascertaining when said lifting height has been achieved by one of:
- determining a distance the header has been raised and comparing the distance the header has been raised to said distance for raising the header in the vertical direction to achieve the lifting height;
- and
- determining a time period over which the vertical adjustment has occurred and comparing the time period over which the vertical adjustment has occurred to said time period for raising the header in the vertical direction to achieve the lifting height;
- and
- stopping the vertical adjustment of the header upon achieving said lifting height.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.