US 10,945,369 B2Granted

Drop pan system and sample separator for grain loss measurement or other sample collection and assessment

Assignee7424401 Manitoba Ltd.

InventorsMarcel Kringe, Martin Reichelt

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A drop pan system for collecting discharge samples from combine harvesters or other conveyed machines or implements features a support housing attachable to the machine, a drop pan receivable in a nested position within the housing, and a magnetic hold/release mechanism with electro-permanent magnets responsive to selective energization to switch from a holding state emitting an external magnetic field for holding the drop pan in the nested position, to a release state cancelling the external magnetic field to thereby release the drop pan from the housing. A power supply is positioned on the housing at an area that resides within a footprint of the drop pan's nested position. Differently sized drop pans may be included, and the housing may include alignment guides for self-aligning the drop pan during magnetically aided placement thereof. Electrical components of the housing may be contained in an enclosure that doubles as a support for the electro-permanent magnets.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A drop pan system for a machine, comprising:

a support housing having a top wall and peripheral sidewalls which collectively define an interior housing space with an open bottom end, the support housing adapted to be attached to a portion of the machine above a ground surface, wherein, when attached to the portion of the machine above the ground surface, the open bottom end of the support housing is oriented toward the ground surface;
a drop pan having a bottom floor and perimeter sidewalls which collectively define an interior pan space having a closed bottom end and an open top end, the open top end sized to be received in the open bottom end of the support housing, the drop pan moveable from a nested position to a dropped position, wherein in the nested position, the open top end of the drop pan is vertically above the open bottom end of the support housing and wherein in the dropped position, the drop pan is separated from the support housing and dropped onto the ground surface with the open top end oriented away from the ground surface;
and
an electro-permanent magnet selectively switchable between a default de-energized state and a switched energized state, wherein in the default de-energized state, the electro-permanent magnet magnetically couples the drop pan to the support housing in the nested position, and wherein in the switched energized state, the drop pan is de-coupled from the support housing and moves to the dropped state.

1 more element

A method of collecting a sample of crop material discharged by a harvesting machine while harvesting a crop in a field, the method comprising:

operably mounting a support housing to a portion of the harvesting machine above a ground surface, the support housing including a top wall and peripheral sidewalls which collectively define an interior housing space having an open bottom end oriented toward the ground surface;
magnetically coupling a drop pan to the support housing in a nested position, the drop pan including a bottom floor and perimeter sidewalls which collectively define an interior pan space having a closed bottom end and an open top end, wherein, in the nested position, the open top end of the drop pan is received in the open bottom end of the support housing with the top end of the drop pan vertically above the open bottom end of the support housing;
whereby the drop pan is magnetically coupled to the support housing in the nested position via an electro-permanent magnet selectively switchable between a default de-energized state and a switched energized state, wherein in the default de-energized state, the electro-permanent magnet magnetically couples the drop pan to the support housing in the nested position, and wherein in the switched energized state, the drop pan is de-coupled from the support housing;
as the harvesting machine travels through the field in a forward direction of travel harvesting the crop, switching the electro-permanent magnet from the default de-energized state to the switched energized state, thereby causing the drop pan to drop from the support housing onto the ground surface with the open top end oriented upward away from the ground surface;
as the harvesting machine continues to advance through the field in the forward direction of travel, the open top end of the released drop pan on the ground surface capturing a sample of crop material discharged by the advancing harvesting machine.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/388,172Filed 18 Apr 2019 · continuation
Priority: 1 May 2018
Published: US 2019/0335659 A17 Nov 2019
Granted: 16 Mar 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

A01D 41/1273
For measuring grain flow: for measuring grain loss
A01F 12/34
With shaker screens or sieves: sieve elements; Linings for shakers
A01F 12/448
Sieving means: sieve adjusting means
A01F 12/48
Parts or details of threshing apparatus: air conduits or blowers for grain

Family

Application15/968,197Parent of this continuation · filed 1 May 2018
US 2019/0335660 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Nov 2019
US 10,932,411 B2Related patent
US 2019/0335659 A1Published application
US 10,945,369 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.