Deere + Company

Bernard Brandt Poore

William P Wohlford

Robert Eugene Kasten

Carl Thomas Vuk

Ronnie Dean Stahlhut

Mervin Peter Kizlyk

Norman Frederick Lemmon

Ronald E Rohren

James R Allen

Howard V Beitel

Charles W May

Barnard Edwin Romig

Michael S Weinert

Oyvin Haugan

A system and method for managing the electrical power associated with a vehicle detects whether an engine speed is below a speed set point for a minimum duration. A thermal sensor is arranged to detect whether a first temperature associated with a first cooling fan, a first coolant, or a first vehicle component is below a first target temperature. A fan controller or a power management controller is configured to disable or slow the first cooling fan to conserve a first level of electrical energy if the first temperature is below a target temperature and if the engine speed is below the speed set point for a minimum duration.

System and method for electrical power management for a vehicle

An axial gap alternator comprises a first carrier associated with or secured to an output shaft of an internal combustion engine. A first carrier carries a first set of magnets arranged radially about a rotational axis. A second carrier carries a second set of magnets arranged radially and spaced apart axially from the first set of magnets. A stator intervenes axially between the first set of magnets and the second set of magnets.

Axial gap alternator associated with a flywheel

A vehicle drive speed control system is provided for a vehicle having driven rear wheels, driven steerable front wheels, a powertrain for driving the front and rear wheels at controllable speeds. A control unit controls the powertain so that a front/rear wheel speed ratio is a non-linear trigonometric function of a sensed steering angle signal. The front/rear wheel speed ratio increases as the steering angle increases. The relationship of the front/rear wheel speed ratio to the steering angle is represented by a curve which is concave in a direction of an axis of increasing speed ratio. With a mode select switch, an operator can selectively cause the control unit to control the front/rear speed ratio according to a first normal or a second more aggressive predefined relationship.

Steering responsive wheel drive system

A dual voltage supply system supplies high and low voltage electrical power to separate high and low voltage loads. The system includes an AC alternator and first and second rectifier circuits, each connected to the alternator and a corresponding high and low voltage load. The first rectifier circuit commutates the alternator voltage to the high voltage load when the alternator voltage is higher than a voltage of the high voltage load. The second rectifier circuit commutates the alternator voltage to the low voltage load when the alternator voltage is higher than a voltage of the low voltage load and less than some maximum voltage which is less than the maximum voltage that can be tolerated by the low voltage load(s). The second rectifier circuit is turned off whenever the first rectifier circuit is turned on.

Dual voltage electrical system

A dual stator axial gap DC brushless machine is provided with first and second stators having equal pole counts, a given pole arc, and a given slot arc. A rotor is disposed between the first and second stators, having a pole count greater than the first and second stators. The pole count ratio between each stator and the rotor is six to eight. The second stator has a given degree of angular displacement relative to the first stator less than, &#xbe;, &#xbd; or &#xbc; the pole arc of the stators, but not less than the slot arc of the stators. Where the first and second stators each have a pole count of 18 and the rotor has a pole count of 24, the stator pole arc is 20 degrees, the rotor pole arc is 15 degrees, and the given degree of angular displacement is less than 20 degrees, 15 degrees, 10 degrees, or 5 degrees.

Axial gap brushless DC motor

An engine includes a cylinder head which includes a portion which projects outwardly from a cylinder block in cantilevered manner. This cylinder head portion includes a channel which partially receives an intercooler. Coolant supply and return passages, an air inlet and a turbocharged air supply port extend through the cylinder head and communicate with the channel. A cover encloses the intercooler, its inlet and outlet coolant conduits and routes turbocharged air from the supply port to the air inlet.

Internal combustion engine with integral intercooler

An arrangement and assembly for making power connections during the hitching of an implement to a vehicle. The assembly includes mating halves of power connections located on hitch elements of the implement and vehicle respectively. Power connection halves are arranged so that the relative movement necessary between hitch elements of the implement and vehicle to accomplish their connection are also sufficient to cause coupling of the power connection. Alignment of the power connection halves is accomplished by a set of pins which engages a set of holes. The connector halves are resiliently mounted for axial movement in a direction parallel to the axis of the pins. Relative axial movement allows the power connections to be completed and the resilient mounting allows for a degree of axial misalignment.

Automatically coupling fluid connector for a hitch

A stratified charge rotary combustion includes separate pilot and main fuel injector nozzles, a fuel tank and an engine driven injector pump. A fuel supply valve includes a shuttle member which moves in response to pressure from the pump to transfer a pilot quantity of fuel to the pilot nozzle and then to communicate fuel from the pump to the main nozzle.

Fuel injection control valve

An endless track is composed of a plurality of link sections embodying flexors which interconnect and permit flexure between adjacent links. Connected between confronting ends of the link sections outboard of the flexors are torsional restraint assemblies which include a combination of rigid and elastomeric members which resist forces tending to twist the flexors or tending to bend the flexors into an S-shape while permitting flexure between adjacent links about a normal center of articulation, as when the track passes around a drive sprocket, for example.

Restraints for controlling undesired deflection of track link sections

A drawbar pickup system includes a drawbar in the form of a shaft rotatably coupled between aft ends of a pair of draft links, and a latch fixed to the shaft to define an aperture therebetween. A hook is fixed to an implement tongue so that it opens towards the drawbar. The drawbar is rotatable to a position wherein the hook can be inserted into and removed from the aperture and to a position wherein the latch member engages the bight portion of the hook to prevent separation of the hook from the drawbar. A locking mechanism is operable to rotate the drawbar and to releasably hold the drawbar in its positions.

Tractor/implement hitch

A fuel injector for use on an internal combustion engine which includes a housing enclosing a cylindrical barrel having a bore formed therein. The barrel cooperates with the housing to form an annular cavity therebetween. Axially movable within the bore is a plunger and a piston which are spaced apart. The housing also has a nozzle situated at one end which communicates with the bore for releasing fuel into the combustion chamber of the engine. Formed within the bore between the plunger and the piston is a timing chamber and formed between the piston and the nozzle is a metering chamber. Pressurized fluid is directed into the timing chamber, into the metering chamber and into one end of the annular cavity by passages which are arranged in the housing and in the barrel. The passage leading into the end of the annular cavity has a control valve positioned across it such that fluid pressure can be varied to that end of the annular cavity. Arranged within the annular cavity is a cylindrical sleeve valve which is spring biased to an open position. The cylindrical sleeve valve is movable in response to pressure variations in the end of the annular cavity between an open position allowing fluid flow into the timing chamber and a closed position preventing fluid flow into the timing chamber. By controlling the movement of the cylindrical sleeve valve, one can control both the timing of the discharge of fuel from the metering chamber through the nozzle and control the quantity of fuel stored in the metering chamber for subsequent discharge through the nozzle.

Fuel injector

A vehicular gas turbine engine power system includes an engine, an automatic clutch, a service clutch and an infinitely variable transmission coupled successively along a power train. A vehicle control system controls engine speed, transmission ratio and automatic clutch engagement in response to operator selected ground speed and engine speed commands as well as other vehicle conditions. The vehicle control system operates in a manual mode to maintain engine speed as commanded by an operator or in an automatic mode to maintain an engine speed which will minimize fuel consumption. The transmission ratio is controlled for fixed rate vehicle acceleration toward a commanded speed if sufficient power is available. Otherwise ground speed is cut back to match required power with available power. However, ground speed cut back is limited as a safety feature and disengagement of the automatic clutch prevents engine stall when the engine becomes overloaded.

Growing community of inventors

East Moline, IL, United States of America

Bernard Brandt Poore