AUTOMATIC LATERAL TILT CONTROL OF A HEADER IN STUBBLE HEIGHT MODE USING MACHINE LEVEL SENSOR
First Claim
1. An automatic lateral tilt control system for a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine, comprising:
- at least one driver connected to the header and configured so as to be controllably operable by a header tilt command input for varying an angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the plant cutting machine;
a lateral inclination sensor configured and operable for providing information representative of a lateral tilt angle of the machine relative to a reference; and
a controller programmed and operable for automatically monitoring the information representative of the lateral tilt angle of the machine and at least one additional characteristic for predicting information representative of an angle of the laterally inclined surface to the reference, and when the machine is disposed on a laterally inclined surface and the machine is tilted such that the information representative of the lateral tilt angle differs by a predetermined amount from the information representative of the angle of the laterally inclined surface, responsively adjusting the angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the machine, so an angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the reference is at least substantially equal to the angle of the laterally inclined surface.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for controlling the lateral tilt of a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine, such as, but not limited to, a combine, windrower or the like, and more particularly, to an automatic lateral tilt control system for precisely controlling an angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the machine based on a lateral tilt angle of the machine relative to a reference and at least one additional characteristic such that, when the machine is disposed on a laterally inclined surface, and the machine is at a tilt angle differing from an angle of the laterally inclined surface, the angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the machine is responsively adjusted so an angle of the lateral tilt of the header relative to the reference is substantially equal to the angle of the laterally inclined surface, the system especially useful when operating in a stubble mode and traversing inclined surfaces.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An automatic lateral tilt control system for a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine, comprising:
-
at least one driver connected to the header and configured so as to be controllably operable by a header tilt command input for varying an angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the plant cutting machine; a lateral inclination sensor configured and operable for providing information representative of a lateral tilt angle of the machine relative to a reference; and a controller programmed and operable for automatically monitoring the information representative of the lateral tilt angle of the machine and at least one additional characteristic for predicting information representative of an angle of the laterally inclined surface to the reference, and when the machine is disposed on a laterally inclined surface and the machine is tilted such that the information representative of the lateral tilt angle differs by a predetermined amount from the information representative of the angle of the laterally inclined surface, responsively adjusting the angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the machine, so an angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the reference is at least substantially equal to the angle of the laterally inclined surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for automatically controlling the lateral tilt of a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine, comprising:
-
providing at least one driver connected to the header and configured so as to be controllably operable for varying an angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the plant cutting machine; providing a lateral inclination sensor configured and operable for providing information representative of a lateral tilt angle of the machine relative to a reference; providing a controller programmed and operable for; automatically monitoring the information representative of the tilt angle of the machine and at least one additional characteristic for predicting information representative of an angle of the laterally inclined surface to the reference, and when the machine is disposed on a laterally inclined surface, and the machine is tilted such that the information representative of the lateral tilt angle differs by a predetermined amount from the information representative of the angle of the laterally inclined surface, responsively adjusting the angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the machine so an angle of lateral tilt of the header relative to the reference is at least substantially equal to the angle of the laterally inclined surface. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification