System and method for controlling the base cutter height of a sugar cane harvester

A sugar cane harvester comprising a chassis;

• mobile support members supporting said chassis;
• a chassis height adjustment system associated with said chassis and said mobile support members;
• a base cutter unit associated with and connected to said chassis, said-base cutter unit including a controllable cutting apparatus and an associated pressure sensing system operable to detect encountered resistance to cutting and to produce cutting resistance signals;
• a ground track system operable to detect irregularities in the ground surface and to produce base cutter height position signals representative of the height of the base cutter unit above the detected ground surface;
• and
• a control system for automatedly controlling the vertical positioning during a harvesting operation of said base cutter unit to maintain said base cutter unit at approximately a desired cutting height during the course of a harvesting cut operation;
• said control system comprising
• a processor unit including
• a user interface portion for the entry of data and control information by an operator,
• a monitor input portion operatively connected to receive said base cutter height position signals and said cutting resistance signals, and
• a controller output portion operatively connected to control the operation of said chassis height adjustment system;
• said chassis height adjustment system being responsive to height adjustment signals provided at said controller output portion of said processor unit to vertically adjust the height of said chassis relative to the ground surface;
• said processor unit operable under program control, upon initiation thereof by an operator, following entry of desired chassis height data by the operator and the positioning of said chassis to the desired height with said base cutter positioned at a nominal position to define a desired cutting height, to thereafter simultaneously monitor and respond to cutting resistance signals and to base cutter height position signals to automatically adjust the height of said chassis and its associated base cutter unit as the sugar cane harvester traverses the ground in effecting the harvesting cut;
• said processor unit operating under program control to perform in a test cycle the steps of
• (a) determining whether, at the time of test, the cutting resistance signal is indicative of a resistance below an established upper limit pressure value and,
• (i) if not, applying at said controller output portion a height adjustment signal to effect an upward adjustment in the height of the chassis relative to the ground surface and re-initiating such test cycle;
• or
• (ii) if so, continuing to step (b);
• (b) determining whether, at the time of test, the base cutter height position signal is indicative of a condition in which the base cutter height is at a position within a height bandwidth between predetermined upper and lower bandwidth level limits, and,
• (i) if not, applying at said controller output portion a height adjustment signal to effect an adjustment in the height of the chassis relative to the ground surface and re-initiating such cycle;
• or
• (ii) if so, re-initiating such test cycle.

A method of automatedly controlling the vertical positioning during a harvesting operation of a base cutter unit of a harvesting machine that includes a chassis supported above the ground by mobile support members and a chassis height adjustment system operable to vertically adjust the height of the chassis relative to the ground surface, the chassis having a base cutter unit operatively connected thereto and an associated ground track system operable to detect irregularities in the ground surface and to produce base cutter height position signals representative of the height of the base cutter unit above the detected ground surface, the base cutter unit including a controllable cutting apparatus, the cutting apparatus having associated therewith a pressure sensing system operable to detect resistance at the cutting apparatus and to produce cutting resistance signals,

• the method comprising
• providing a control system including a processor unit having a user interface portion for the entry of data and control information by a user, a monitor input portion operatively connected to receive base cutter height position signals and cutting resistance signals, and a controller output portion operatively connected to the chassis height adjustment system to control the operation thereof such that the chassis height adjustment system is responsive to height adjustment control signals at said controller output portion to vertically adjust the height of the chassis relative to the ground surface, said processor unit operable under program control, upon initiation thereof by an operator, following entry of desired chassis height data by the operator and the positioning of the chassis to the desired height with the base cutter unit positioned at a nominal position to define a desired cutting height, to thereafter simultaneously monitor and respond to cutting resistance signals and to base cutter height position signals to automatically adjust the height of the chassis and the associated base cutter unit as the harvesting machine traverses the ground in effecting a harvesting cut by performing in a test cycle the steps of
• (a) determining whether, at the time of test, the cutting resistance signal is indicative of a resistance below an established upper limit pressure value and,
• (i) if not, applying at said controller output portion a height adjustment signal to effect an upward adjustment in the height of the chassis relative to the ground surface and re-initiating such test cycle;
• or
• (ii) if so, continuing to step (b);
• (b) determining whether, at the time of test, the base cutter height position signal is indicative of a condition in which the base cutter height is at a position within a height bandwidth between predetermined upper and lower bandwidth level limits, and,
• (i) if not, applying at said controller output portion a height adjustment signal to effect an adjustment in the height of the chassis relative to the ground surface and re-initiating such test cycle;
• or
• (ii) if so, re-initiating such test cycle;
• establishing a desired upper pressure limit for the pressure sensing system, a desired working height for the base cutter unit and upper and lower height level limits therefor;
• and
• initiating operation of the processor unit under program control;
• whereby the processor unit thereafter operates under program control to automatically adjust the height of the chassis and the associated base cutter unit as the harvesting machine traverses the ground in effecting a harvesting cut.

A method of re-configuring a sugar cane harvester to include automated control of the vertical positioning during a harvesting operation of a base cutter unit of the sugar cane harvester wherein the sugar cane harvester includes a chassis, mobile support members supporting the chassis, a chassis height adjustment system associated with the chassis and the mobile support members, a base cutter unit associated with and connected to the chassis, the base cutter unit including a controllable cutting apparatus and an associated pressure sensing system operable to detect encountered resistance to cutting and to produce cutting resistance signals, a ground track system operable to detect irregularities in the ground surface and to produce base cutter height position signals representative of the height of the base cutter unit above the detected ground surface, and a control system comprising a processor unit including a user interface portion for the entry of data and control information by an operator, a monitor input portion having input connections to which signals can be operatively provided, and a controller output portion operatively connected to control the operation of the chassis height adjustment system, the chassis height adjustment system being responsive to height adjustment signals provided at the controller output portion of said processor unit to vertically adjust the height of said chassis relative to the ground surface,

• the method comprising
• ensuring that the input connections of the monitor input portion of the processor unit are operatively connected to receive the base cutter height position signals and the cutting pressure signals;
• programming the processor unit to operate under program control upon initiation thereof by an operator, following entry of desired chassis height data by the operator and the positioning of the chassis to the desired height with the base cutter unit positioned at a nominal position to define a desired cutting height, to thereafter simultaneously monitor and respond to cutting resistance signals and to base cutter height position signals to automatically adjust the height of the chassis and the associated base cutter unit as the harvesting machine traverses the ground in effecting a harvesting cut, such programming including the test cycle steps of
• (a) determining whether, at the time of test, the cutting resistance signal is indicative of a resistance below an established upper limit pressure value and,
• (i) if not, applying at said controller output portion a height adjustment signal to effect an upward adjustment in the height of the chassis relative to the ground surface and re-initiating such test cycle;
• or
• (ii) if so, continuing to step (b);
• (b) determining whether, at the time of test, the base cutter height position signal is indicative of a condition in which the base cutter height is at a position within a height bandwidth between predetermined upper and lower bandwidth level limits, and,
• (i) if not, applying at said controller output portion a height adjustment signal to effect an adjustment in the height of the chassis relative to the ground surface and re-initiating such test cycle;
• or
• (ii) if so, re-initiating such test cycle;
• whereby the re-configured sugar cane harvester can operate under program control to automatedly and continuously adjust height of the base cutter unit to cut at approximately the desired cutting height during the course of the harvesting cut operation without the need for operator intervention.