Absolute grain loss monitor
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for measuring grain lost from a combine harvester which includes a sieve wherethrough grain is collected comprising:
- sensor means disposed in rows corresponding to sectional areas of said sieve for providing signals representative of grain volume distribution through each sectional area;
means responsive to said signals provided by said sensor means for computing grain volume passed rearward of said sieve during a predetermined time interval; and
means responsive to signals from said computing means for providing signals when said grain volume passed rearward during said predetermined time interval exceeds an established threshold.
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Abstract
The indirect measurement of the absolute volume of grain which does not fall through the chaffer sieve of a combine harvester and is discharged out the rear of the combine is calculated from the output signals provided by a matrix of sensors which are disposed about the cleaning sieve and which are capable of detecting the precipitating grain flow.
54 Citations
8 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring grain lost from a combine harvester which includes a sieve wherethrough grain is collected comprising:
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sensor means disposed in rows corresponding to sectional areas of said sieve for providing signals representative of grain volume distribution through each sectional area; means responsive to said signals provided by said sensor means for computing grain volume passed rearward of said sieve during a predetermined time interval; and means responsive to signals from said computing means for providing signals when said grain volume passed rearward during said predetermined time interval exceeds an established threshold.
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2. An apparatus for measuring the absolute grain loss of a combine harvester having grain cleaning means which includes sieve means, said measuring apparatus comprising:
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sensing means having a plurality of sensors disposed in a plurality of rows which correspond to sectional areas of said sieve means, for providing output signals representative of grain passing through each sectional area of said sieve means; computing means responsive to the sensor output signals for counting the amount of grain passing through each sectional area of said sieve means during a predetermined time interval, for generating curves represented by power series expansion derived from the grain counted, for extrapolating the curves to a point beyond the rearward portion of said sieve means, and for computing the absolute volume of grain represented by the extrapolated portions of the curves; and utilization means responsive to said computing means for providing a signal when the amount of grain represented by the extrapolated portions of the curves exceeds a predetermined amount. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of detecting the absolute grain loss of a combine harvester having a grain cleaning means which comprises
measuring the grain passing through predetermined locations in said grain cleaning means during a predetermined period of time; -
generating mathematical functions from the grain measurements which are representative of the volume of grain passing through said grain cleaning means; expanding said mathematical functions to a selected point beyond the rearward portion of said grain cleaning means; calculating the volume of grain loss which is represented by the expanded portion of said mathematical function; and alerting the operator of the combine harvester when the volume of grain loss exceeds a predetermined value.
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Specification