Automatic speed control system for a harvesting assembly

• US 4,967,544 A
• Filed: 12/22/1989
• Issued: 11/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Nelson, Frederick W., Wildemuth, Steven L., Barbaro, Charles P., Ziegler, Duane H., Dewey, D. Keith, Friend, Kenneth D., Pickett, Terence D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MELIUS, TERRY L
• Application Number:
  US07/455,486
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 56/10.2, 56/10.9, 56/10.8, 56/11.1, 56/DIG. 15, 460/1, 460/2, 460/3, 460/4, 460/5, 460/6, 460/7
• US Class Current: 56/10.20R
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a speed controller system for the gathering unit of a harvesting assembly wherein the speed is controlled as a ratio of the ground speed of the harvesting machine. The system is provided with an electronic controller having a ground speed sensor and a speed sensor for the gathering units. The operator through a ratio selector selects the desired speed ratio and the controller controls the speed of the gathering unit accordingly. The controller can be ised with different harvesting assemblies such as a platform having a reel or belt pickup gathering unit; or a row crop header having a conventional row crop gathering unit or a corn picker row unit. The controller is also provided with a diagnostic routine for flagging problem areas with the system. The flagged problem areas are assigned a diagnostic code which is displayed in a defined order.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the speed of a gathering unit of a harvesting assembly relative to the ground speed of a harvesting machine on which the harvesting assembly is mounted, providing an electrical controller coupled to a ground speed sensor, a gathering unit speed sensor, a ratio selector and a driving means, comprising the steps of:

identifying the harvesting assembly which is mounted to the harvesting machine;

sensing the ground speed of the harvesting machine and producing a ground speed signal;

sensing the speed of the gathering unit of the harvesting assembly and producing a gathering unit speed signal;

detecting the selected gathering unit speed-to-ground speed ratio as selected by the operator on a ratio selector;

calculating the desired gathering unit speed from the selected ratio and the ground speed signal;

determining if the gathering unit is being driven at the desired gathering unit speed according to the selected ratio and the gathering unit speed signal; and

driving the gathering unit at the desired gathering unit speed to maintain the selected gathering unit speed-to-ground speed ratio.

2. A method as defined by claim 1 comprising the additional step of setting up gain change point for driving the gathering to the desired gathering unit speed.

3. A method as defined by claim 2 wherein the gain change points form a non-linear curve for more quickly driving the gathering unit to the desired gathering unit speed.

4. A method as defined by claim 3 comprising the additional step of checking to see if the speed of the gathering unit is being manually controlled.

5. A method as defined by claim 1 comprising the additional step of determining whether a control switch has been placed in the diagnostic mode.

6. A method as defined by claim 5 wherein if the control switch is placed in the diagnostic mode, the next step is exercising the gathering unit through a diagnostic exercise program.

7. A method as defined by claim during the diagnostic exercise program, the next step is flagging any problems occurring during the exercise program.

8. A method as defined by claim 7 wherein after the problems have been flagged, the next step is prioritizing and displaying the flags in a defined order.

9. A method as defined by claim 7 comprising the additional step of assigning each flag a diagnostic code.

10. A method as defined by claim 9 comprising the additional step using the diagnostic code to prioritize the flagged problems in a defined order.

11. A method as defined by claim 10 comprising the additional step of displaying the diagnostic codes in the defined order.

12. A harvesting machine having a harvesting assembly including a gathering unit for gathering the crop, the gathering unit including a driving means for driving the gathering unit, the harvesting machine having drive wheels for transporting the harvesting machine, the harvesting machine further having:

a gathering speed control system comprising;

a ground speed sensor for sensing the ground speed of the harvesting machine and providing a ground speed signal;

a gathering unit speed sensor for sensing the speed of the gathering unit and providing a gathering unit speed signal;

an operator setable ratio selector having a plurality of gathering unit speed-to-ground speed ratios;

an assembly switch for identifying different harvesting assemblies having different gathering units that are mounted to the harvesting machine;

an electronic controller coupled to the ground speed sensor, to the gathering unit speed sensor, to the ratio selector, and to the driving means, the electronic controller having a means for determining if the gathering unit is being driven at the desired gathering unit speed according to the setting of the ratio selector, a means for causing the driving means to drive the gathering unit at one of a plurality of the gathering unit speed-to-ground speed ratios depending upon the setting of the ratio selector; and

wherein the electronic controller has different configurations for controlling the speed of different gathering units on different harvesting assemblies.

13. A harvesting machine as defined by claim 12 wherein the assembly switch is used to identify if the harvesting assembly mounted to the harvesting machine is a harvesting platform or a row crop header.