Monitor system for agricultural harvesting apparatus

In a monitor system for use in an agricultural harvesting apparatus such as a cotton picker having a picker head, a receptacle end, and a duct means through which a stream of air passes for conveying harvested crop therewith from said head to said end, said monitor system operable to detect a blockage anywhere in said duct means, the combination comprising:

• pressure-insensitive static sensing means responsive to changes in air flow anywhere in said duct means and mounted in communication with said duct means, said sensing means providing a first signal condition in response to the flow of air above a predetermined minimum level and a second signal condition in response to the flow of air below said predetermined minimum level, switching circuit means coupled to said air flow sensing means for providing a first switching state in response to said first signal condition and a second switching state in response to said second signal condition, and indicator means coupled to said switching circuit means for providing a first indication, when said switching circuit is in said first switching state, that the stream of air passing through said duct means is above said predetermined minimum level, and for providing a second indication, when said switching circuit is in second switching state, that the stream of air passing through said duct means is below said predetermined minimul level said air flow sensing means including a light source to be mounted to one wall of said duct means for directing a light beam across the interior of said duct means to an opposite wall thereof, a light detector to be mounted to said opposite wall of said duct means for receiving light from said light source and producing said first signal condition in response to movement of material with a flow of air above said predetermined minimum level and for producing said second signal condition in response to a decrease in movement of material when the flow of air-transported material in said duct means is below said predetermined minimum level, and said switching circuit means including a semi-conductor device which is maintained non-conductive in response to said first signal condition and which is rendered conductive in response to said second signal condition, and wherein said indicator means is energized by said semi-conductor device when in said conductive state.

In a monitor system for use in agricultural harvesting apparatus such as a cotton picker having a picker head, a receptacle end, and a duct means through which a stream of air passes for conveying harvested crop therewith from said head to said end, said monitor system operable to detect a blockage anywhere in said duct means, the combination comprising:

• pressure-insensitive static sensing means responsive to changes in air flow anywhere in said duct means and mounted in communication with said duct means, said sensing means providing a first signal condition in response to the flow of air above a predetermined minimum level and a second signal condition in response to the flow of air below said predetermined minimum level, switching circuit means coupled to said air flow sensing means for providing a first switching state in response to said first signal condition and a second switching state in response to said second signal condition, and indicator means coupled to said switching circuit means for providing a first indication, when said switching circuit is in said first switching state, that the stream of air passing through said duct means is above said predetermined minimum level, and for providing a second indication, when said switching circuit is in said second switching state, that the stream of air passing through said duct means is below said predetermined minimum level, said air flow sensing means including first and second thermocouples spaced apart from one another and positioned in air-flow sensing relation in communication with but out of the flow path of said duct means, heater means positioned adjacent said first thermocouple for heating the same above ambient temperature, said first thermocouple producing an output signal in response to said heated temperature, said second thermocouple producing an output signal in response to said ambient temperature, said switching circuit means including means to sense the difference voltage between the first and second output signals from said first and second thermocouples, respectively, to produce said first switched state when said difference voltage is below a predetermined minimum value.

A monitor system for use in a cotton picker of the type having a picker head, a storage bin, and duct means through which a stream of air is passed for conveying air-transported cotton from said head to bin, said monitor system operable to detect a blockage anywhere in said duct means, said monitor comprising:

• pressure-insensitive static sensing means responsive to changes in air flow anywhere in said duct means and mounted in said sensing means providing a first signal condition in response to the flow of air above a predetermined minimum level and a second signal condition in response to the flow of air below said predetermined minimum level, first circuit means coupled to said air flow sensing means for providing a first state in response to said first signal condition and a second state in response to said second signal condition, and indicating means coupled to said first circuit means for providing a first indication, when said first circuit means is in said first state, that the stream of air passing through the duct means is above said predetermined minimum level, and for providing a second indication, when said first circuit means is in said second state, that the stream of air passing through said duct means is below said predetermined minimum level, said air flow sensing means including a heated element to be heated by a source of electrical power, said heated element including means for mounting said duct means in communication with and cooled by the flow of air passing therethrough, said heated element reaching a first temperature for providing said first signal condition when the flow of air is above said predetermined minimum level and a second temperature for providing said second signal condition when the flow of air is below said predetermined minimum level.

A monitor system for use in a cotton picker of the type having a picker head, a storage bin, and duct means through which a stream of air is passed for conveying air-transported cotton from said head to said bin, said monitor system operable to detect a blockage anywhere in said duct means, said monitor system comprising:

• pressure-insensitive static sensing means responsive to changes in air flow anywhere in said duct means and mounted in said sensing means providing a first signal condition in response to the flow of air above a predetermined minimum level and a second signal condition in response to the flow of air below said predetermined minimum level, first circuit means coupled to said air flow sensing means for providing a first state in response to said first signal condition and a second state in response to said second signal condition, and indicating means coupled to said first circuit means for providing a first indication, when said first circuit means is in said first state, that the stream of air passing through the duct means is above said predetermined minimum level, and for providing a second indication, when said first circuit means is in said second state, that the stream of air passing through said duct means is below said predetermined minimum level, said air flow sensing means including a light source to be mounted to one wall of the duct means for directing a light beam across the interior of the duct means to an opposite wall thereof, a light detector to be mounted to said opposite wall of the duct means for receiving light from said light source and producing said first signal condition in response to movement of material with a flow of air above said predetermined minimum level and for producing said second signal condition in response to a decrease in movement of material when the flow of air is below said predetermined minimum level, and wherein said means includes a transistor to be maintained non-conductive in response to said first signal condition and to be rendered conductive in response to said second signal condition, and wherein said indicator means includes an audible alarm and a visual alarm both to be energized by said transistor when in said conductive state.