Positioning apparatus for an agricultural distribution machine

An agricultural distribution machine comprising:

• a carrier vehicle;
• a distributor boom for spreading fertilizer, plant protection agent, or seed, wherein the distributor boom is arranged on the carrier vehicle so as to be movable at least about a pivot axis running in a direction of travel of the carrier vehicle, wherein the distributor boom comprises a plurality of segments that are pivotable relative to one another about upright axes or pivotable relative to one another in a plane arranged perpendicular to the direction of travel of the agricultural distribution machine;
• a distance sensor apparatus configured to detect a distance of the distributor boom from a ground surface or a plant population or both;
• an acceleration-compensated inclinometer apparatus that determines a rotational position of the distributor boom and which outputs an acceleration-compensated inclination signal, the acceleration-compensated inclination signal being an inclination signal which is corrected relative to external acceleration effects which cause errors in the inclination measurement, in order to avoid or at least to reduce errors in the inclination measurement due to such external accelerations, wherein components of the acceleration-compensated inclinometer apparatus include all sensor apparatuses and data processing apparatuses of the acceleration-compensated inclinometer apparatus which are required for determining the acceleration-compensated inclination signal and wherein the components of the acceleration-compensated inclinometer apparatus are housed by a common housing and coupled together mechanically so that the components are subjected to the same inclination and the same acceleration;
• an adjustment apparatus, an adjustment force being generated thereby to move the distributor boom about the pivot axis, wherein the adjustment apparatus is configured as a pressure medium-actuated adjustment apparatus with two effective regions acting substantially opposingly, a controlling force being generated thereby to move the distributor boom about the pivot axis, wherein a pressure medium control valve is assigned to each effective region for controlling a pressure or volumetric flow prevailing on the respective effective region;
• and
• a control apparatus for controlling a rotational position of the distributor boom about the pivot axis, wherein the control apparatus is configured to:
• generate control signals for activating the adjustment apparatus as a function of output signals of the acceleration-compensated inclinometer apparatus;
• determine as a function of the determined rotational position of the distributor boom a target value of a pressure acting on the effective regions or a controlling force of the pressure medium acting on the effective regions and to set the pressure medium control valves, in each case by being electrically controlled, to the target value;
• set the pressure medium control valves in each case using a predetermined characteristic curve of the pressure medium control valves, by being electrically controlled, to the target value, wherein the characteristic curve of the pressure medium control valves establishes a connection between the target value and the electrical activation signal of the pressure medium control valves;
• and
• determine the target value without a pressure value or volumetric flow value of the pressure medium detected by a pressure or volumetric flow sensor, such that the control apparatus is configured to determine a control current for activating the pressure medium control valves exclusively using the characteristic curve and the rotational position of the distributor boom detected by means of the acceleration-compensated inclinometer apparatus.