Agricultural harvesting machine with transfer device

• US 7,873,456 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Schneider, Heinrich, Pollklas, Manfred, Tilly, Thomas, Jeppe, Eckehard, Erdmann, Hubert, Strieker, Norbert, Laing, Reinhard, Hohlfeld, Markus, Isfort, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Shelley
• Application Number:
  US11/944,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20080133095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/087 with controllable discharge spout

Abstract

An agricultural harvesting machine, in particular a self-propelled forage harvester for picking up and processing crop material has a transfer device—which is located downstream from feeder and chopping devices and is swivelable around a horizontal and vertical axis—for transferring the crop material, and at least one dampening device—which is located between the vehicle body and the transfer device—for dampening the vibrations of the transfer device. The dampening device may be adjusted as a function of specified operating criteria in order to dampen the vibrations of the transfer device.

Claims

1. An agricultural harvesting machine, comprising a vehicle body;

feeder and chopping devices;

a transfer device located downstream from said feeder and chopping devices and swivelable around a horizontal and vertical axis, for transferring a crop material;

at least one dampening device located between said vehicle body and said transfer device for dampening vibrations of said transfer device, said dampening device being adjustable as a function of specified operating criteria of the agricultural harvesting machine in order to dampen the vibrations of said transfer device, wherein said at least one dampening device is configured as a hydro-pneumatic dampening device with at least one hydraulic cylinder connected to a pressure reservoir with a chamber in which a pressure is blockable using a valve device by closing a connection between said hydraulic cylinder and said pressure reservoir.

2. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said valve device is located between said pressure chamber of said at least one hydraulic cylinder and said pressure reservoir and configured as a proportional valve.

3. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said dampening device is adjustable as a function of the specified operating criteria including criteria selected from the group consisting of a ground speed, a crop material throughput quantity, a height of an associated front attachment, a position of said transfer device, and an operating state of a chopper drum.

4. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said dampening device is configured so that it is preferably inactive when said transfer device conveys crop material and preferably initiates dampening of said transfer device when said transfer device does not convey crop material.

5. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising an evaluation and control unit provided for controlling said dampening device, said evaluation and control unit being configured so that it controls a parameter selected from the group consisting of a switching on and off of said dampening device, an adjusting of a dampening rate of said dampening device, and both as a function of specified operating criteria.

6. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said dampening device is configured so that the switching on and off of said dampening device, the adjustment of the dampening rate, and both is performed manually by an operator of the agricultural harvesting machine or automatically by said evaluation and control unit.

7. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising means for ascertaining the operating criteria and configured as sensors that provide signals X, as a function of which said dampening device is controllable.

8. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said dampening device is configured so that a process for activating and controlling said dampening device is integrated in an electronic headland management system which activates and adjusts said dampening device.

9. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a load sensor assigned to said transfer device for sensing a load.

10. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 9, wherein said load sensor is configured as a force-measuring bolt.

11. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a driver'"'"'s cab with a display device which is configured for visualization of a particular status of said dampening device selected from the group consisting of active and inactive, and a particular dampening rate.

12. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the agricultural harvesting machine is configured as a machine selected from the group consisting of a combine harvester, a potato harvester, and a sugar-beet lifter, while said transfer device is configured as a device selected from the group consisting of an unloading auger tube and a delivery belt.

13. An agricultural harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the agricultural harvesting machine is configured as a self-propelled forage harvester.