System and method for automatically deslugging an agricultural combine
AssigneeCNH America LLC
InventorsJohn E. Bundy, John G. Brome, Yun-Ren Ho, Richard E. McMillen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A deslugging method and system for an agricultural combine, providing several semi- and fully automated operating modes or routines for removing or dislodging a slug of crop and/or other material from the threshing system and/or a feeder of the combine for conveying crop material to the threshing system. The routines can include reciprocating, agitating and jogging routines, which can be automatically altered during execution responsive to sensed or changing conditions, as processed by a suitable filter such as a simplified Kalman type signal filter, for generating a real time estimation and prediction of the various states of the threshing system.
Claims18
A method for deslugging a threshing system of an agricultural combine, comprising steps of:
- providing a drive controllably operable for rotating a rotor of the threshing system within a concave thereof, in opposite first and second rotational directions;
- providing a control in operative control of the drive;
- providing a sensor for sensing information representative of load conditions opposing rotation of the rotor;
- providing a plurality of selectable deslugging routines automatically executable by the control for controlling the drive, including:
- a. a routine wherein the rotor is automatically rotated alternatingly in the first rotational direction and in the second rotational direction, through predetermined increments of rotational travel;
- b. a routine wherein the rotor is automatically rotated in at least one of the first and second rotational directions, and wherein the rotation is automatically reversed responsive to presence of information representative of a predetermined loading condition opposing the rotation;
- c. a routine wherein the rotor is automatically rotated alternatingly in the first and second rotational directions through progressively increasing increments of rotational travel;
- and
- d. a routine wherein the rotor is automatically rotated alternatingly in the first and second rotational directions through increasing increments of rotational movement while the sensed information representative of loads opposing the rotation is monitored for information representative of a predetermined load level, and wherein at least one subsequent increment of rotational movement is automatically altered responsive to presence of the information representative of the predetermined load level.
A method for dislodging a slug in a space between a rotatable rotor and a concave of a threshing system of an agricultural combine, comprising steps of:
- providing a control in operative control of a drive operable for rotating the rotor in a first rotational direction and in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction;
- providing a sensor for sensing information representative of loads opposing rotation of the rotor and outputting a signal representative of the information to the control;
- providing a plurality of selectable deslugging routines automatically executable by the control, including:
- a. a routine wherein the rotor is rotated reciprocally in the first and second rotational directions while sensing loads opposing the rotation, determining if the sensed loads are greater in one of the rotational directions, and, if so, then increasing an extent of rotational movements in the one of the directions in which the sensed loads are greater;
- b. a routine wherein the rotor is controllably rotated in at least one of the first and second rotational directions, and reversing the direction of the rotation when information representative of a predetermined lead level opposing the rotation is present;
- and
- c. a routine wherein the rotor is rotated alternatingly in the first and second rotational directions through increasing extents of rotational movement;
- d. a routine wherein the rotor is automatically rotated alternatingly in the first and second rotational directions through increasing increments of rotational movement while the sensed information representative of loads opposing the rotation is monitored for information representative of a predetermined load level, and wherein at least one subsequent increment of rotational movement is automatically altered responsive to presence of the information representative of the predetermined load level;
- and
- selecting and automatically executing at least one of the routines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.