Cnh Industrial America LLC

Blaine A Schwalbe

Roy A Bittner

Steven N Winkel

Nathan Paul Brooks

Ross P Christiansen

Brian J Pilney

Lawrence R Borucki, Jr

Douglas V Montgomery

Kerry J Treinen

Karl M Luebke

James L Hanke

Andrew D Jacobson

Stephen Moretti

Kevin L Weihing

Michael Bertotto

A front-boom sprayer is provided that includes a boom center section and lift arm arrangement that provides a field of view below the boom when the boom is in a raised state that is substantially free of view obstructions from torque tube or other crosswise-extending components. The lift arm arrangement may provide different link tube geometries so that the respective left and right pairs of upper and lower lift arms align with each other in the line of sight of the in-cab operator.

Front-boom sprayer with improved field of view

A boom center section for an agricultural machine includes a bulkhead having a first end and a second end, at least one bulkhead opening located adjacent at least one of the first and the second ends of the bulkhead, and at least one connection assembly disposed within the at least one bulkhead opening. Each bulkhead opening is formed through a first wall of the bulkhead. Each connection assembly includes a plurality of connectors.

Boom center section with bulkhead connections

An alternative traction control system, in addition to a primary traction control system, is associated with an agricultural machine in which a user selectable input can allow wheels of an the agricultural machine to spin freely, such as for clearing debris from tires, until a predetermined deactivate condition occurs. Such a deactivate condition could comprise, for example, reaching a maximum rotation speed and/or temperature threshold with respect to a wheel. To minimize the risk of damage to propulsion components which may be caused by excessive rotation speeds and/or temperatures, upon reaching such a threshold, operation can return from the alternative traction control system to the primary traction control system. Such a system can therefore allow an 'on the fly' change that would permit an operator to selectively spin the tires without damaging mechanical aspects of the agricultural machine.

Operator input for alternative traction control

A chassis frame for an agricultural sprayer includes a top plate, a bottom plate spaced apart from the top plate, and a plurality of side plates extending from the top plate to the bottom plate. The top plate has a first thickness at a first location of the chassis frame to provide additional strength to the chassis frame at the first location. The top plate has a second thickness at a second location of the chassis frame to provide additional strength to the chassis frame at the second location.

Plate steel constructed frame for self propelled sprayers

A chassis frame including a top plate, a bottom plate spaced apart from the top plate, a plurality of side plates extending from the top plate to the bottom plate, a plurality of mounting tabs extending from at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate and being integrally formed therewith, and a plurality of mounting brackets permanently coupled to at least one of the top plate and the plurality of side plates.

Integral and welded accessory mounting points on frame

A suspension control system dynamically adjusts pistons located proximal to wheels of an agricultural machine to substantially equalize distribution of weight of the machine at each wheel and/or provide a substantially constant desired orientation of the machine above a ground surface thereby protecting laterally extending sprayer booms from contacting the ground. Articulation, pitch, roll and/or machine height can be determined from piston measurements on the machine to apply such height corrections. For sprayers, this allows controlling clearance and suspension height to maintain the boom parallel to the ground to prevent damage.

Suspension control system providing suspension height corrections for an agricultural machine

A split deck rail system including a front railing section and a rear railing section. The front railing section may include at least two vertical posts and at least two horizontal rail segments that extend to termination ends having attachment tabs. The rear railing section includes at least one vertical post, an angled rail segment, and at least two horizontal rail segments that also extend to termination end having attachment tabs. The attachment tabs may be attached to a boom rest. For instance, the boom rest may also include tabs that the various attachments tabs can be attached to. The split deck rail system can also include corresponding deck sections that an operator can stand on. Additionally, the split deck rail may include a ladder that an operator can walk up to get to the deck sections.

Split deck rail

A high clearance sprayer with a four-wheel steering system includes a steering input, a steering control system, a front steering system, and a rear steering system. The front and rear steering systems are mirrored images of one another, which simplifies and improves the accuracy of the four-wheel steering control methodology. In doing so, the control system may calculate a single value that is used for controlling the front steering system, and an inverse of the single value that is used for controlling the rear steering system. Both of the front steering system and the rear steering system include wheels, steering actuator systems, swingarms, and wheel supports, which all of position of the wheels relative to the sprayer to be rotated. The steering control system may allow for various steering maneuvers to occur, including a turn-steering maneuver and a crab-steering maneuver.

Four-wheel steering with front/rear matching geometries

Front-boom sprayer with a boom center section and lift arm arrangement for improved field of view

A self-propelled agricultural sprayer can be configured with a spray boom, adjustable width wheels and rear wheel spray nozzles arranged over rear wheels of the adjustable width wheels, so that the rear wheel nozzles ensure proper coverage of an agricultural field behind the rear wheels according to location. A control system can determine front wheel nozzles disposed on the spray boom that are counterpart spray nozzles to the rear wheel nozzles based on a width of the wheels, and implement activation/deactivation states of the rear wheel nozzles based on the counterpart front spray nozzles. The activation/deactivation states of the spray nozzles can be determined by geographic location of the machine using a UPS location. The rear wheel nozzles can be arranged with respect to fenders of the rear wheels, so that the rear wheel nozzles move laterally with the rear wheels.

Spray system for a self-propelled agricultural machine having adjustable tread width and rear wheel nozzles

Engine compartment for agricultural product sprayer

A protected tread widening system for a self-propelled high clearance sprayer. The system includes a frame with side rails and a first cross member and a second cross member extending between the opposite side rails, with the cross members being substantially hollow. Each of the cross members form slider receivers. The system also includes axle slider assemblies that are telescopically inserted into the slider receivers. Additionally, actuators are mounted within the cross members. These actuators are secured to the frame and to the axle slider assemblies to allow for telescopic movement of the axle slider assemblies into and out of the cross members. The actuators run substantially through a central axis of the first cross member and a central axis of the second cross member. This minimizes the bending moment of each actuator. Additionally, this system isolates the actuators from materials outside of the cross members.

Protected tread widening for self-propelled sprayer

A swingarm includes a first swingarm leg oriented along a first horizontal plane, a main body extending upward and outward from a second end of the first swingarm leg, and a second swingarm leg extending from a second end of the main body along a second horizontal plane. The swingarm also includes a first bearing holder coupled to a first end of the first swingarm leg and a second bearing holder coupled to a second end of the second swingarm leg. The first bearing holder includes a cavity oriented horizontally to form a first pivot axis. The second bearing holder includes a cavity oriented vertically to form a second pivot axis. The first and second bearing holders are of the same construction.

Swingarms and wheel support legs with weldments incorporating castings at joints

A chassis frame includes a side rails and cross-members that intersect at a number of intersection points, which collectively define a chassis frame with front and rear portions that define a main support section and an integral engine support section. Each side rail includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and first and second side plates extending between the top and bottom plates. The first and second side plates each have a first end coupled to a bottom surface of the top plate and a second end coupled to the top surface of the bottom plate. Each cross-member includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and first and second side plates extending between the top plate and bottom plates. The first and second side plates each have a first end coupled to a bottom surface of the top plate and a second end coupled to the top surface of the bottom plate. A plurality of gusset portions is formed between the top plates of the side rails and cross-members at each intersection point.

Boxed plate construction frame with integral engine support section

In one aspect, a suspension control system is provided for dynamically adjusting pistons located proximal to wheels of an agricultural machine to account for tire deflection or squat with varying loads. Articulation, pitch, roll and/or machine height can be determined from pressure measurements on the machine to apply such tire height corrections. For sprayers, this allows controlling clearance and suspension height to maintain the boom parallel to the ground to prevent damage.

Growing community of inventors

Valders, WI, United States of America

Blaine A Schwalbe