System and method to control crop loss in a windrower implement
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsMahesh Somarowthu, Mahi Agrawal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A windrower implement includes a merger attachment coupled to a frame rearward of an implement head. The merger attachment includes a conveyor positioned relative to the implement head to receive discharged crop material from the implement head and convey the crop material laterally relative to the central longitudinal axis to form a windrow laterally offset from the central longitudinal axis. A forming shield guides the crop material from the implement head to the merger attachment. A crop inflow sensor detects crop inflow rate through the implement head. A crop outflow sensor detects crop outflow rate on the conveyor of the merger attachment. A controller receives and compares signals from the sensors to detect crop material loss.
Claims20
A windrower implement, comprising:
- a frame extending along a central longitudinal axis between a forward end and a rearward end relative to a direction of travel during operation;
- an implement head supported from the frame and operable to cut standing crop material and discharge cut crop material in a rearward direction along the central longitudinal axis;
- a merger attachment supported from the frame rearward of the implement head, the merger attachment including a merger conveyor configured to receive discharged crop material from the implement head and to convey the discharged crop material laterally relative to the central longitudinal axis to form a windrow laterally offset from the central longitudinal axis;
- a forming shield configured to guide the discharged crop material from the implement head, the forming shield including left and right shield walls adjustable in position to adjust a gap between the left and right shield walls, and the forming shield including at least one forming shield actuator configured to adjust a position of at least one of the left and right shield walls to adjust the gap;
- a crop inflow sensor configured to detect one or more parameters corresponding to a crop inflow rate through the implement head and to generate a crop inflow sensor signal;
- a crop outflow sensor configured to detect one or more parameters corresponding to a crop outflow rate from the merger conveyor and to generate a crop outflow sensor signal;
- and
- a controller configured to receive the crop inflow sensor signal and the crop outflow sensor signal, compare the crop inflow rate and the crop outflow rate to detect a crop loss, and generate an output signal corresponding to the detected crop loss.
A method of operating a windrower implement, the windrower implement including a frame extending along a central longitudinal axis between a forward end and a rearward end relative to a direction of travel during operation, an implement head supported from the frame, a merger attachment including a merger conveyor supported from the frame rearward of the implement head, and a forming shield including left and right shield walls and at least one forming shield actuator configured to adjust a position of at least one of the left and right shield walls, the method comprising:
- cutting standing crop material with the implement head and discharging cut crop material from the implement head in a rearward direction along the central longitudinal axis;
- guiding the discharged crop material from the implement head with the forming shield;
- receiving the discharged crop material on the merger conveyor from the implement head and conveying the discharged crop material laterally relative to the central longitudinal axis to form a windrow laterally offset from the central longitudinal axis;
- detecting with a crop inflow sensor one or more parameters corresponding to a crop inflow rate through the implement head and generating a crop inflow sensor signal;
- detecting with a crop outflow sensor one or more parameters corresponding to a crop outflow rate from the merger conveyor and generating a crop outflow sensor signal;
- and
- receiving the crop inflow sensor signal and the crop outflow sensor signal in a controller, comparing the crop inflow rate and the crop outflow rate with the controller and thereby detecting a crop loss, and generating an output signal with the controller corresponding to the detected crop loss.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.