US 2014/0245712 A1Published application

Control system for a disc cutterbar using cut quality feedback

AssigneeCNH Canada, Ltd.

InventorMARTIN J. ROBERGE

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Abstract

A control system for monitoring and managing operation of a rotary disc cutterbar used in an agricultural machine. A controller in the system receives inputs on cutterbar drive power, machine travel speed, and crop cut quality. An operator interface allows suitable operational tolerances to be established. The controller examines crop cut quality, a determination of cut uniformity across the transverse width of the cutting swath, and determines changes in cutterbar drive speed and/or vehicle travel speed, if needed, to maintain crop cut quality within specified tolerances. Controller output may be directed to a display for instructing a machine operator to make necessary adjustments or it may initiate changes in machine subsystems to effect the necessary adjustments automatically.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A control system for managing operation of a rotary disc cutterbar on an agricultural machine, the cutterbar defining a swath having a width transverse to the direction of travel, said control system comprising:

a communication bus;
a control module connected to said communication bus for receiving at least one input signal from said bus, calculating a response to said input signal, and initiating a respective at least one output signal therefrom;
an operator terminal for receiving a machine user input, initiating an operator input signal representative thereof, and communicating said input signal via said bus to said control module;
a cut quality sensing sensor positioned rearwardly of the cutterbar and beneath crop discharge flow from the cutterbar for detecting variations in crop cutting quality by scanning across the transverse cutting width of the swath and initiating a cut quality signal having a signal value representative thereof;
and
an actuator for changing at least one operating parameter of the machine in response to a respective said at least one output signal;
said control module receiving said operator input signal and determining at least one parameter operating range therefrom, receiving said cut quality signal and comparing said signal value to said parameter operating range, initiating said at least one output signal and transmitting said output signal to said actuator to cause a change in machine operation to bring said cut quality signal value within said operating range.

4 more elements

A method for managing operation of a rotary disc cutterbar on an agricultural crop harvesting machine comprising the steps of:

providing a communication bus;
providing a control module connected to the communication bus for receiving at least one input signal from the bus, calculating a response to the input signal, and initiating a respective at least one output signal therefrom;
providing an operator terminal for receiving a machine user input;
providing a cut quality sensing sensor positioned rearwardly of the cutterbar for detecting variations in crop cutting quality by scanning across the transverse cutting width of the swath and initiating a cut quality signal having a signal value representative thereof;
providing an actuator for changing at least one operating parameter of the machine in response to a respective said at least one output signal;
entering by a machine user a user input at the operator terminal, initiating by the operator terminal an operator input signal, and communicating the operator input signal via the bus to the control module;
determining by the control module at least one parameter operating range based on the operator input signal;
operating the cutterbar to harvest a standing crop;
receiving by the control module the cut quality signal;
comparing by the control module, the signal value of the cut quality signal to the parameter operating range and determining at least one output signal in response thereto to bring the cut quality signal value within the operating range;
and
transmitting said output signal to said actuator to cause a change in machine operation.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.