Mowing machine with automatic adjusting mechanism
AssigneeMaasland N.V.
InventorMaarten Koorn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mowing machine comprising a mowing unit, a crushing member and an adjusting mechanism, by means of which one or more crushing parameters can be adjusted. At least one sensor is provided, by means of which the extent to which the crushing member is loaded during operation is recorded. This sensor also supplies one or more control signals to the above-mentioned adjusting mechanism to obtain automatic adjustment of the machine's crushing parameters. The adjusting mechanism can adjust the relative positions of the crushing member and the mowing unit, the rpm of the crushing member and the size of the crop channel, among other things.
Claims17
A mowing machine comprising a mowing unit, and only one crushing member which is disposed directly behind said mowing unit, said mowing machine and said crushing member including drive means for connecting to a tractor's power-take-off, adjusting means for adjusting at least one parameter that affects the machine's crushing operations, and at least one sensor that senses the extent to which the crushing member is loaded during operation for recording and performing its crushing function and sending control signals to said adjusting means for the automatic adjustment of said crushing parameter.
A mowing machine comprising a first frame supporting a mowing unit having a plurality of rotating blades that cut crop and move it to the rear, only one crushing member which is disposed directly to the rear of said rotating blades and receives and crushes crop cut by said rotating blades, a drive mechanism operatively connecting said mowing unit and said crushing member to a power-take-off of a tractor, a second frame rotatably supporting said crushing member, said crushing member rotating about a substantially horizontal axis, a crop compressing channel between said rotating blades and said crushing member through which the crop cut by said rotating blades is carried to said crushing member to be crushed, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the size of said channel, said adjustment mechanism interconnecting said first frame and said second frame and being comprised of a cylinder and piston unit connected to rollers received on a guidance track, and a sensor that senses the force exerted by said crop against said crushing member, said sensor sending signals to said adjustment mechanism to retain said force at substantially a desired level by adjusting the size of said channel.
A mowing machine comprising a mowing unit supported by a first frame, said mowing unit comprising a movable blade that cuts crop, only one crushing member supported by a second frame, said crushing member disposed directly to the rear of said mowing unit receiving the crop cut by said blade, said crushing member mounted in said second frame to be rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, drive means connecting a power-take-off of a tractor driving said mowing unit and said crushing member, adjustment means interconnecting said first frame and said second frame to adjust the distance between said mowing unit and said crushing member, sensor means sensing the effect the crop being received by said crushing member from said mowing unit has on the energy required to operate said crushing member, said adjustment means increasing and decreasing said distance as the function of said effect of crop on the energy requirement to operate said crushing member which is being sensed by said sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.