Deere + Company

Gehl Company

Carl Steven Silbernagel

James Randall Peterson

Michael E Frasier

Kenneth Edward Hunt

Kim P Viesselmann

Scott Grahl

Nathan Albert Mariman

Paul Michael Elhardt

David James Rylander

Ronald Lee Reichen

John B Kuhn

David Lawrence Phillips

Harlin J Trefz

Richard David Thier

Jason D Walter

Samuel Santiago

Anthony J Glaszcz

Donald William Ertmer

Dave J Rylander

Truluck Tillman Ammons, Iii

Brent Gordon Rinhoim

Ron G Landman

David G Park

A planter is described which utilizes individual seed meter motor drives at each row unit. motor controllers control each seed meter drive motor. Each individual row seed meter can be individually started, stopped and operated at a unique rate. Prior to planting, the meters can be operated to fill the meters and ensure that the meters are primed and ready to start dropping seed as soon as the planter begins operation to plant seed. When a seed delivery system is used with each meter to move seed from the meter to the soil, the delivery system is also primed with seed before operation of the planter.

Planter with reversible individual meter control

Planter and method of operating a planter with individual meter control

An adaptive soft start system for mower blade clutch engagement includes an engine speed sensor providing engine speed inputs to a microcontroller that provides electrical power to an electromagnetic clutch for engaging an engine to at least one mower blade. The microcontroller repeatedly computes the rate of change of engine speed during mower blade clutch engagement and modulates the electrical power to the electromagnetic clutch each time the rate of change of engine speed is outside minimum or maximum thresholds.

Adaptive soft start system for mower blade clutch engagement

A control system for a cutting reel unit includes a height-of-cut adjusting system and a reel-to-bedknife clearance adjusting system. The reel mower cutting unit may be manual or self-adjusting. In the manual mode, adjustments can be made by engaging and turning an adjustment actuator on the side of the cutting reel with a hand tool such as a socket wrench. In the self-adjustment mode, adjustments can be made by engaging and turning adjustment actuators with an output shaft of an electric motor. The same adjustment actuators are used in both adjustment modes, and the reel cutting unit may be converted between modes by fastening or unfastening electric motor assembly from the unit.

Manual or self-adjusting reel mower

A seeding machine having a plurality of row units and a processing circuit. Each of the row units have a seed metering device, a seed placement device and a sensor suitable to detect a parameter related to seed placement. The seed metering device includes a metering member providing a metering action to a plurality of seeds. The seed placement device receives the seeds from the seed metering device. A seed meter drive controller receives an index signal from the sensor on the row unit as well as a reference pulse signal. The processing signal of the drive controllers compares the index signal to the reference signal. Each drive controller is selectively programmable to control an associated motor of the meter drive to produce a desired relationship between the row unit index signal and the reference signal thereby synchronizing the seed placement among two or more rows. block diagram illustrating an alternative arrangement of the meter drive and control system components.

Agricultural seeding apparatus and method for seed placement synchronization between multiple rows

An electronic engine speed control system for a grass mowing machine powered by an internal combustion engine includes a microcontroller providing an output signal to an engine speed actuator for the engine, a pedal position sensor connected to a foot pedal and providing a voltage input signal to the microcontroller based on the position of the foot pedal, a PTO clutch switch providing a signal input to the microcontroller indicating if a PTO clutch is engaged, and a lever position sensor connected to a hand lever and having a range of positions including an Automatic mode position and a plurality of Manual mode positions. The hand lever position sensor provides a voltage input signal to the microcontroller in the Automatic mode position such that the microcontroller output to the engine speed actuator is related to the voltage inputs from the pedal position sensor and PTO clutch switch, and provides a voltage input signal to the microcontroller in a range of Manual mode positions such that the microcontroller output to the engine speed actuator is related to the voltage input from the lever position sensor.

Electronic engine speed control system for grass mowing machine

A stall detection system for mower blade clutch engagement determines if there is a stall condition by sensing one or more operating conditions such as engine deceleration or blade spindle rotation. If a stall condition is detected, a microcontroller shuts off actuating current to the electric clutch coil and automatically disengages or discontinues engagement of the clutch. The microcontroller may also provide a signal to inform the operator of the stall condition, and prevent repeated activation of the clutch until the stall condition is corrected.

Stall detection system for mower blade clutch engagement

A height of cut adjustment system for a reel type grass cutting unit includes adjustment screw mechanisms mounted at each corner of the cutting unit. Linkages between the adjustment screw mechanisms permit driving all of the adjustment screw mechanisms synchronously from a single adjustment point to change the cutting height. The linkages may be worm gear drives or other mechanical linkages.

Height of cut adjustment system for reel mower

A control system for a cutting reel unit includes a height-of-cut adjusting system and a reel-to-bedknife clearance adjusting system. The height-of-cut adjusting system includes a first frame; a second frame; a cutting reel supported by the second frame; a bedknife arranged adjacent to the cutting reel and supported by the second frame; at least one support element arranged to translate along the ground and arranged to support the first frame; and at least one first actuator connected between the first frame and the second frame and arranged to adjust the relative elevation of the second frame with respect to the first frame. The reel-to-bedknife clearance adjusting system includes at least one second actuator operatively connected between the reel and the second frame and a sound detector. An adaptive threshold technique may be used for detecting reel-to-bedknife contact during a pre-adjustment analysis. The adaptive threshold technique may include sampling each detector and analyzing the detector signal, setting detection threshold levels based on the average, maximum and minimum levels in the absence of reel-to-bedknife contact, and detecting contact between the reel and bedknife by determining if the detector signal is outside a detection threshold window.

Adaptive threshold technique for detecting reel-to-bedknife contact

A control system for a cutting reel unit includes a height-of-cut adjusting system and a reel-to-bedknife clearance adjusting system. The height-of-cut adjusting system includes a first frame; a second frame; a cutting reel supported by the second frame; a bedknife arranged adjacent to the cutting reel and supported by the second frame; at least one support element arranged to translate along the ground and arranged to support the first frame; and at least one first actuator connected between the first frame and the second frame and arranged to adjust the relative elevation of the second frame with respect to the first frame. The reel-to-bedknife clearance adjusting system includes at least one second actuator operatively connected between the reel and the second frame and a sound detector. Once contact is detected between the reel and bedknife, the adjustment actuators may reverse direction and be energized in a direction that would increase the gap. Contact between the reel and bedknife will continue to be detected until true motion occurs such that a gap is formed between the reel and bedknife. The location where contact between the reel and bedknife is no longer detected is the 'zero-gap point.' After true motion has begun, the control system monitors the incremental position sensor data and may command the actuators to increase the gap to a specific final gap position.

Method for adjusting reel-to-bedknife clearance

A wrap material dispensing system for a round baler includes a wrap material drive system for advancing wrap material from a supply roll to a wrap material feeding arrangement, and a selectively operable knife mechanism for severing the wrap material. The wrap material drive arrangement includes a pair of rollers that are driven by a motor. The knife mechanism is mounted to a pivotable shaft to which a one-way knife actuating clutch is mounted. A flexible drive member, such as a chain, is engaged with a rotatable output member of the drive motor, and with the one-way knife actuating clutch and a driven one of the wrap material drive rollers. Operation of the motor to rotate the motor output member in a first direction causes advancement of the wrap material, and the one-way knife actuating clutch is configured to maintain the knife mechanism in an inoperable rest position during advancement of the wrap material. When a desired amount of wrap material has been dispensed, the motor is operated to rotate the motor output member in a second direction opposite the first direction, to engage the one-way knife actuating clutch and to move the knife mechanism from the inoperative rest position to an operative cutting position, to sever the wrap material. The wrap material drive roller includes an overrunning clutch that allows rapid advancement of the wrap material when the wrap material is engaged with the wrap material feeding arrangement, and which enables the motor to be operated to rotate the motor output member in the second direction while the wrap material is being dispensed, to sever the wrap material by operation of the knife mechanism.

Net material feeding and cutting system for an agricultural round baler

An operation sensor for a wrap material dispensing system of a round baler. The operation sensor includes a rotatable member with which the wrap material is engaged, and which rotates along with the wrap material as the wrap material is fed to a wrap material feeding arrangement for introduction into the round baler. Rotation of the rotatable member is detected by a sensing arrangement, which is interconnected with a visual display for providing a user with a visual indication as to the rate of advancement of the wrap material.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Mill, SC, United States of America

Carl Steven Silbernagel