Method and apparatus for measuring combine grain loss

• US 5,015,997 A
• Filed: 05/16/1990
• Issued: 05/14/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Ford New Holland, Inc.
• Inventors: Strubbe, Gilbert J. I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Jill
• Application Number:
  US07/524,104
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 460/4, 460/5, 56/10.2, 56/DIG. 15, 340/684
• US Class Current: 340/684
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1273 for measuring grain loss
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/15 Condition responsive

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for measuring grain loss in a harvesting machine in substantially absolute terms. This apparatus comprises one or more first detectors operable to detect one or more operating condition parameters and to produce a first electrical output signal representative thereof, a plurality of second detectors operable to detect grain separation at a plurality of locations within the machine and to produce second electrical output signals representative thereof, processor means to which the first and second output signals are applied and operable to derive therefrom a substantially absolute indication of grain loss at a given instant, and display means for displaying the grain loss indication.

Claims

1. In an apparatus including detector means associated with a grain handling mechanism in a crop harvesting machine for measuring grain loss from said machine, said grain handling mechanism including threshing means for threshing grain from crop material, separating means for removing threshed graim from said crop material, and cleaning means in flow communication with said separating means to receive separated grain therefrom and clean trash material from said separated grain therefrom and clean trash material from said separated grain to create cleaned grain, said grain moving through said grain handling mechanism along a crop flow path terminating at the discharge of said grain from said grain handling mechanism, said crop material defining operating condition parameters affecting the efficiency of said grain handling mechanism to harvest said crop material, the improvement comprising:

at least two detector means associated with said grain handling mechanism, each of said detector means being provided at spaced apart locations along the length of the flow path of the crop material through said grain handling mechanism and being operable to measure grain separation in said grain handling mechanism at each said location within the machine and to produce electrical output signals representative thereof; and

processor means programmed with a plurality of grain loss algorithms against which the output signals are applied to derive therefrom a substantially absolute indication of grain loss at a given instant, said processor means being operable to select one of said algorithms for utilization in response to said operating condition parameters, each said algorithm calculating the absolute indication of grain loss using a ratio of selected said output signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a first grain separation detector means is associated with a portion of said grain handling mechanism at a substantial distance forwardly of a discharge end thereof,

a second grain separation detector means being provided generally at said discharge end of said grain handling mechanism.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a third grain separation detector means is associated with said grain handling mechanism generally midway between said first and second detector means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each of the detector means is of the impact type.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the processor means has stored therein predetermined data in the form of look-up tables and is operable to process the output signals of said grain separation detector means to derive processed data indicative of grain loss, said processor means being further operable to compare said output signals and said operating condition parameters with said predetermined data to determine correction factors for application against said algorithms to derive an absolute indication of the grain loss from the grain handling mechanism.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the processor means is programmed to multiply said correction factors times the algorithm to derive said substantially absolute grain loss indication therefrom.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein input means is provided for manually inputting said operating condition parameters to the processor means, the processor means being programmed to accept the manual input of said operating condition parameters and being operable to compare said inputted operating condition parameters with said predetermined data stored in the processor means to derive therefrom said substantially absolute indication of grain loss.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising further detector means coupled to the processor means and operable:

to detect actual crop parameters corresponding to said operating condition parameters;

to produce a further signal representative of said actual crop parameters; and

to apply said further signal to the processor means, said processor means being programmed to apply said further signal against the predetermined data stored within the processor means and the data derived from the output signals of the grain separation detector means to derive therefrom said substantially absolute indication of grain loss.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further including a harvesting speed detector operable to produce signals indicative of the surface area being harvested by said machine, said processor means being programmed to divide the signals derived from the selected algorithm by harvesting speed signals so that the substantially absolute grain loss indication is expressed in terms of weight per unit of surface, said harvesting speed signals being a function of the ground speed of the machine in combination with the harvesting width of the machine.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising convertor means associated with said grain separation detector means, said further detector means, and the processor means for coverting the output signals of the detector means to digital form for application to the processor means.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the convertor means comprises:

(a) means for converting the grain separation detector output signal and the further detector output signals into pulsed signal, and

(b) counter means for counting the pulsed signals received from the pulsing means, multiplier means also being provided for accessing said counter means in rotation.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a buffer means associated with said counter means into which the counts of the respective counter means are dumped when the latter is reset.

13. A method of measuring grain loss in a harvesting machine having a threshing means for receiving crop material containing grain and threshing grain from said crop material, comprising the steps of:

detecting grain separation at least two spaced apart locations along the length of the flow path of crop material through a grain handling mechanism within the harvesting machine, said grain handling mechanism including a separating means for receiving crop material from said threshing means and separating grain from waste crop material and a cleaning means in flow communication with said separating means to receive grain therefrom and clean residue crop material therefrom to create cleaned grain;

producing output signals representative of the measurement of grain separation at each said location;

applying said output signals to a processor means having stored therein a plurality of algorithms, each said algorithm being expressed as a ratio of selected said output signals; and

deriving from said processor means through utilization of a selected one of said algorithms a substantially absolute indication of grain loss from said grain handling mechanism at a given instant.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

detecting at least one actual operating condition parameter for said harvesting machine with at least one operating condition detector along the flow path of crop material through said harvesting machine;

producing a further output signal representative of each said detected operating condition parameter;

applying each said further output signal to said processor means with said output signals; and

comparing said output signals and each said further output signal in a predetermined manner with predetermined data stored within said processor means to derive said absolute indication of grain loss.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said deriving step includes the step of:

selecting one of said algorithms according to the operating condition parameters determined from said detecting step for utilization in determining said absolute indication of grain loss from said grain handling mechanism.