Apparatus for measuring agricultural yield
First Claim
1. In an apparatus for processing an agricultural crop, said apparatus having means for separating waste from a crop to provide a clean yield product and elevator means for raising and discharging a clean yield product to a point of use, the improvement comprising:
- means including an actuating arm for producing a signal indicative of a pressure being applied to the actuating arm; and
means for mounting the signal producing means to the apparatus so that the actuating arm intercepts clean yield product discharging from the elevator means,said actuating arm having a dimension which is significantly less than the dimension of the elevator means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improvement in an apparatus for processing an agricultural crop, which processing apparatus has structure for separating waste from a crop to provide a clean yield product and an elevator for raising and delivering clean yield product to a point of use such as a bin, or the like. The improvement is a structure including an actuating arm for producing a signal indicative of a pressure being applied to the actuating arm. The signal producing structure is mounted to the crop processing apparatus so that the actuating arm intercepts clean yield product discharging from the elevator. This pressure value can be correlated with other data, i.e. combine width, elevator speed, forward speed of the crop processing apparatus, material density (lbs/bundle) to generate a flow rate value that can be continuously plotted to generate a yield map for a field.
162 Citations
43 Claims
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1. In an apparatus for processing an agricultural crop, said apparatus having means for separating waste from a crop to provide a clean yield product and elevator means for raising and discharging a clean yield product to a point of use, the improvement comprising:
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means including an actuating arm for producing a signal indicative of a pressure being applied to the actuating arm; and means for mounting the signal producing means to the apparatus so that the actuating arm intercepts clean yield product discharging from the elevator means, said actuating arm having a dimension which is significantly less than the dimension of the elevator means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for measuring the pressure of clean yield product conveyed by an agricultural crop processing machine through a flow path, said apparatus comprising:
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means including an actuating arm for producing a signal indicative of a pressure being applied to the actuating arm; and means for mounting the signal producing means to an agricultural crop processing machine to situate the actuating arm to intercept clean yield product being conveyed by an agricultural crop processing machine, whereby the actuating arm has a dimension that is substantially less than the dimension of the flow path as viewed in cross section taken transversely to the direction of flow of the clean yield product so that clean yield product flows against and past the actuating arm. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. In combination:
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an agricultural combine having means for separating waste from a crop to provide a clean yield product and means for conveying clean yield product from the waste separating means through a path to a point of use; and means for measuring the pressure of flow of clean yield product conveying in said path, said pressure measuring means including an actuating arm, means for mounting the pressure measuring means to the combine so that the actuating arm intercepts clean yield product conveying in said path, and means for giving an indication of pressure applied by conveying clean yield product on the actuating arm to thereby determine the volume/mass of conveying clean yield product, whereby the actuating arm has a dimension that is substantially less than the dimension of the flow path taken transversely to the direction of flow of the clean yield product, whereby the actuating arm intercepts substantially less than the entire flow of clean yield product from the conveying means. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for determining flow volume of clean yield product in an agricultural crop harvesting device, said apparatus comprising:
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a substantially rigid first actuating arm; means for mounting the first actuating arm to the combine so that the actuating arm intercepts clean yield product advanced through a path defined by the combine; and means responsive to a pressure being applied to the arm for providing a signal indicative of a pressure being applied by conveying clean yield product to the actuating arm, said actuating arm having a dimension that is substantially less than the dimension of the path of advancing clean yield product taken transversely to the direction of advancement of the clean yield product. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification