Control system for controlling header speed of an agricultural vehicle

• US 9,788,480 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Original Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Inventors: Nafziger, Brendon, Soldan, Daniel James
• Primary Examiner(s): WEISS, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US14/913,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 56 102 G, 56 108, 56 111
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/006 Control or measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/664 Disc cutter bars
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1274 for drives
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/142 Header drives

Abstract

A control system and method for adjusting a rotational speed of a header on an agricultural vehicle based on ground speed of the agricultural vehicle. The header may include a plurality of cutters rotatably actuated with a header actuator. The control system may have a processor that compares a ground speed of the agricultural vehicle with a threshold ground speed. If the ground speed of the agricultural vehicle is below the threshold ground speed, the processor may command the header actuator to rotate the cutters at a constant predetermined rotational speed. If the ground speed of the agricultural vehicle is above the threshold ground speed, the processor may command the header actuator to increase rotational speed of the cutters in proportion to the ground speed of the agricultural vehicle.

Claims

1. An agricultural vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of wheels attached to the frame;

a ground speed control actuator configured to rotate at least one of said plurality of wheels to effectuate movement of the agricultural vehicle at a desired ground speed;

a harvesting header attached to the frame, the header comprising a plurality of rotary cutters, wherein each rotary cutter has a rotating disc with at least one blade extending therefrom, said blade configured for cutting crops;

a header actuator configured to actuate rotation of each of the rotating discs; and

a processor configured for;

monitoring said ground speed of the agricultural vehicle;

calculating a threshold ground speed based on a predetermined maximum cut length for a particular crop or a particular crop condition using the following equation;

the predetermined maximum cut length in inches equals 528 multiplied by the threshold ground speed in miles per hour divided by the constant predetermined rotational speed in rotations per minute;

comparing the ground speed of the agricultural vehicle with the threshold ground speed;

commanding the header actuator to rotate the discs at a constant predetermined rotational speed if the ground speed of the agricultural vehicle is below the threshold ground speed; and

commanding the header actuator to increase rotational speed of the rotating discs in proportion to the ground speed of the agricultural vehicle if the ground speed of the agricultural vehicle is above the threshold ground speed.

2. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a rock guard mounted below the discs of the header, wherein the processor is configured to determine at least one of the threshold ground speed and the maximum cut length based at least partially on a quantity of blades of each cutter and a distance the blades project forward of the rock guard.

3. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at least one feedback sensor configured to provide the ground speed of the agricultural vehicle to the processor.

4. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1, wherein the agricultural vehicle is a windrower and the processor is a windrower processor communicably coupled with the header actuator configured to rotatably actuate the discs.

5. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a ground speed control actuator configured to actuate the wheels of the agricultural vehicle based on commands received from the processor.

6. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a user interface communicably coupled with the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the threshold ground speed from an operator of the agricultural vehicle via the user interface.