Sensing system for an agricultural combine
AssigneeCase Corporation
InventorGlenn E. Pope
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensing system for an agricultural combine that measures crop material flow between the threshing system and the sieves. A number of sampling positions are provided along the longitudinal axis of the threshing system. A sensing member with a vibration sensor is provided at each sampling position to measure the volume of material flow between the threshing system and the sieves. In a rotary threshing system the sensing members are hollow tubes that are radially shaped to wrap around a portion of the outside of the concave or the grate.
Claims24
In a rotary combine harvester with a front end and an opposing rear end and having a source of motive power affixed to a wheel-supported frame for movement across a field of standing crop material, a crop threshing and separating assembly supported by said frame and powered by said source of motive power, a harvesting header attached to a feeder housing affixed to the front of said combine such that standing crop material is harvested by said header, consolidated and fed into said feeder housing and delivered to said threshing and separating assembly, said threshing and separating assembly having a generally fore-and-aft extending rotor housing of generally cylindrical cross section, an elongate rotor including a generally cylindrical main body portion having a longitudinal axis and substantially uniform diameter, said rotor being rotatably mounted in said rotor housing and co-operable with said rotor housing upon rotation to provide flow of crop material through said rotor housing in a generally spiral path, an elongate grate mechanism adjustably supported within said rotor housing and extending lengthwise along and adjacent the bottom side of said rotor and partially wrapped therearound, said grate mechanism having perforated openings therethrough of such size to allow grain and other fine material to pass through and away from said rotor housing, a plurality of adjustable reciprocating sieves supported by said frame of such a size and positioned below said grate mechanism to receive the grain and other fine material passing through said perforated openings, and a transport mechanism to move the grain passing through said sieves to a storage tank on said frame, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of sensor units within said rotor housing generally equally spaced along the longitudinal axis of said rotor;
- each said sensor unit located adjacent said grate mechanism between said grate mechanism and said sieves and extending along the curved surface of said grate mechanism in a plane generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said rotor, to sense the flow of crop materials passing through said grate mechanism and onto said sieves;
- each said sensor unit providing an electrical output signal representative of the flow of crop material;
- and
- a control unit in electrical communication with said sensor units to receive said electrical output signals.
A rotary combine harvester comprising:
- a wheel-supported frame for movement across a field of standing crop material, said frame having a front end and an opposing rear end;
- a source of motive power affixed to a wheel-supported frame;
- a crop threshing and separating assembly supported by said frame and powered by said source of motive power, said threshing and separating assembly having a generally fore-and-aft extending rotor housing of generally cylindrical cross section;
- an elongate rotor including a generally cylindrical main body portion having a substantially uniform diameter, said rotor having a longitudinal axis and substantially uniform diameter, said rotor being rotatably mounted in said rotor housing and co-operable with said rotor housing upon rotation to provide flow of crop material through said rotor housing in a generally spiral path;
- an elongate grate mechanism adjustably supported within said rotor housing and extending lengthwise along and adjacent the bottom side of said rotor and partially wrapped therearound, said grate mechanism having perforated openings therethrough of such size to allow grain and other fine crop material to pass through and away from said rotor housing;
- a plurality of adjustable reciprocating sieves supported by said frame of such a size and positioned below said grate mechanism to receive the grain and other fine crop material passing through said perforated openings;
- a transport mechanism to move the grain passing through said sieves to a storage tank on said frame;
- a harvesting header attached to a feeder housing affixed to the front of said combine such that standing crop material is harvested by said header, consolidated and fed into said feeder housing and delivered to said threshing and separating assembly;
- a plurality of sensor units within said rotor housing generally equally spaced along the longitudinal axis of said rotor;
- each said sensor unit located adjacent said grate mechanism between said grate mechanism and said sieves and extending along the curved surface of said grate mechanism in a plane generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said rotor, to sense the flow of crop material passing through said grate mechanism and onto said sieves;
- each said sensor unit providing an electrical output signal representative of the flow of crop material;
- and
- a control system in electrical communication with said sensor units to receive said electrical output signals.
A method of controlling the flow of crop material from the axially-mounted rotor and threshing and separating assembly to the sieves in a rotary combine comprising the steps of:
- a. measuring the flow of crop material at each of a plurality of spaced locations along the axis of said rotor;
- b. evaluating said measurements;
- and
- c. adjusting said combine to in response to said measurements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.