Harvesting machine having crop feed regulation

• US 9,089,092 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Diekhans, Norbert, Kriebel, Bastian
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US13/970,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 56/102.R, 56/102.A, 56/102.E, 56/102.G, 56/164, 701/50, 701/29.1, 701/29.2, 701/31.6, 701/31.8, 701/33.4, 701/33.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1271 for measuring crop flow
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1274 for drives
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/085 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted therefor

Abstract

A self-propelled harvesting machine includes an intake assembly configured to pick up crop from a field and conveying the crop, a processing assembly for receiving the conveyed by the intake assembly and a sensor for estimating the crop throughput of the intake assembly and a ground drive. The forward speed (V) of the ground drive and a drive speed (C) of the intake assembly can vary depending on the crop throughput.

Claims

1. A self-propelled harvesting machine, comprising

an intake assembly (4) configured with means for picking up crop from a field and conveying the crop,

a processing assembly (5) to which the crop is conveyed by the intake assembly (4),

means (14, 15) for estimating a crop throughput of the intake assembly (4), and

a ground drive (3) having a forward speed (V) that varies depending on the crop throughput,

wherein a drive speed (C) of the intake assembly (4) is varied depending on the crop throughput.

2. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the intake assembly (4) is a replaceable front harvesting attachment (9).

3. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the intake assembly (4) comprises a replaceable front harvesting attachment (9) and at least one conveying means (12) disposed between the front harvesting attachment (9) and the processing assembly (5).

4. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein a control unit (18) is connected to the means (14, 15) for estimating the crop throughput and reduces the forward speed (V) and the drive speed (C) if the crop throughput increases beyond an upper limit value.

5. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 4, wherein a relative change of the drive speed (C) is less than the relative change of the forward speed (V).

6. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 4, wherein the control unit (18) restores a reduced drive speed (C) to normal after a predefined time period.

7. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 6, wherein the predefined time period corresponds, at the least, to the throughput time of the crop through the intake assembly (4).

8. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 6, wherein the control unit (18) does not react to a change in the crop throughput within the predefined time period after the reduced drive speed (C) is restored to normal.

9. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 6, wherein the control unit (18) partially restores the reduced forward speed to normal after the predefined time period.

10. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 4, wherein the control unit (18) reduces the forward speed (V) and maintains the drive speed (C) if the crop throughput drops below a lower limit value.

11. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for estimating the crop throughput comprises a sensor (14) for detecting a torque acting on a means (11) for conveying the crop.

12. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for estimating the crop throughput comprises a sensor (15) for detecting the thickness of a crop stream conveyed in the intake assembly (4).

13. The self-propelled harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for estimating the crop throughput detects a load of an engine (2) driving the intake assembly (4).