Silage compactor
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorJason L. Shonk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle includes a frame, a tractive element coupled to the frame, a prime mover coupled to the frame and configured to drive the tractive element to propel the vehicle, and a silage compactor. The silage compactor includes a wheel rotatably coupled to the frame and positioned to engage silage positioned below the frame, a vibrator coupled to the wheel and configured to cause the wheel to vibrate, and a controller configured to control the vibrator to vibrate the wheel while the wheel is in contact with the silage to compress the silage.
Claims19
A vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a tractive element coupled to the frame;
- a prime mover coupled to the frame and configured to drive the tractive element to propel the vehicle;
- and
- a silage compactor, comprising:
- a wheel rotatably coupled to the frame and positioned to engage silage positioned below the frame;
- a vibrator coupled to the wheel and configured to cause the wheel to vibrate;
- a silage sensor configured to provide information indicating a depth of the silage, the depth of the silage being measured from a bottom surface of the silage to a top surface of the silage;
- and
- a controller configured to control the vibrator to vibrate the wheel while the wheel is in contact with the silage to compress the silage, wherein the controller is configured to vary a vibrational characteristic of the vibrator in response to the depth of the silage exceeding a threshold depth.
A silage compactor for a vehicle, comprising:
- a wheel;
- an isolator rotatably coupling the wheel to a frame of the vehicle and configured to inhibit transmission of vibrations from the wheel to the frame;
- a vibrator coupled to the wheel and configured to cause the wheel to vibrate;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- receive a measurement of a depth of silage below the wheel, the depth of the silage being measured from a bottom surface of the silage to a top surface of the silage;
- and
- vary a vibrational characteristic of the vibrator based on the depth of the silage.
A vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a first hub and a second hub each rotatably coupled to the frame;
- a prime mover coupled to the frame and configured to drive at least one of the first hub or the second hub;
- a tractive element coupled to the first hub, the tractive element including an inflatable tire;
- a wheel coupled to the second hub and positioned to engage silage positioned below the frame;
- a vibrator coupled to the wheel, the vibrator including a weight and a motor configured to rotate the weight to cause the wheel to vibrate;
- a silage sensor configured to indicate a depth of the silage, the depth of the silage being measured from a bottom surface of the silage to a top surface of the silage;
- and
- a controller configured to vary a vibrational characteristic of the vibrator in response to the depth of the silage exceeding a threshold depth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.