Deere & Company

David LaVerne Sprinkle

Mark David Evans

Daniel R Fuzzen

Robert Dale Haun

John D Sundberg

Brian E Biles

John P Kruckeberg

Harry Kay Voelp, Iv

Tejal Sarda

Steven P Forssberg

Mark A Herman

Chad E Schoneman

Daniel Joseph Goodman

Philip Carl Fernandez

Julie B Kuyath

Robert D Cork

Mark A Eley

William O Ifode

Philip Fenandez

Daniel Goodman

A hydrostatic transmission control system includes a controller that monitors inputs for shifting a transmission of a tractor to a different range gear; determines if an engine on the tractor is operating in a desired and acceptable shift range based on a sensed speed and a load of the engine, and determines if a hydrostatic transmission on the tractor is operating in a desired and acceptable shift range based on a sensed load and a speed of the hydrostatic transmission. If the controller determines the engine and the hydrostatic transmission are operating in the desired and acceptable shift range, the controller commands an oncoming clutch to ramp up and an off going clutch to ramp down, and synchronizes speeds of the engine and the hydrostatic transmission.

Hydrostatic transmission control system

A rear-mounted implement mounting system includes semicylindrical seats open upwardly and mounted on a lower back portion of a utility vehicle chassis that receive bar members located on a facing lower part of the rear-mounted implement. The utility vehicle chassis further includes semicylindrical receivers open in a rearward direction and adjacent cylinder portions open laterally. The receivers guide cylindrical bosses, located on an upper portion of the rear-mounted implement, into alignment with the cylinder portions, when the rear-mounted implement is pivoted upwardly by extending the boom cylinder of the rear-mounted implement. Connecting pins can be slipped through the cylindrical bosses and cylinder portions to lock the rear-mounted implement to the utility vehicle chassis. An operator remaining in the vehicle cab or operator station can easily operate the mounting system.

Rear-mounted implement mounting system

A tractor ground positioning system includes ground positioning controls outside of an operator station of the tractor that can be actuated by an operator while maintaining contact with the tractor to move the tractor forward or reverse to connect an implement. A controller commands the tractor to move at a desired ground speed only while the operator continues actuating the controls.

Tractor ground positioning system

A brake/differential lock pedal linkage includes a two-stage manual control that may lock a differential before progressively engaging a brake. The manual control may be a foot pedal or hand lever. The linkage may include a brake cam lever that pivots on a brake cam shaft in response to movement of the manual control, a differential lock link connected between the brake cam lever and an actuator that can move a differential lock shaft to lock the differential, and a lost motion coupling between the brake cam lever and the actuator allowing the brake cam lever to pivot to a differential lock position in which the actuator moves the differential lock shaft sufficiently to lock the differential, before the brake cam lever pivots further to progressively engage the brake.

Brake/differential lock pedal linkage

Hydraulic flow to tractor attachments such as a sweeper, snow thrower, breaker, auger or cold planer may be increased by diverting pressurized hydraulic fluid from the auxiliary pump. A diverter valve between the auxiliary pump and the auxiliary circuit of the loader hydraulic system may direct flow to either the backhoe hydraulic system, the rockshaft hydraulic system, or the auxiliary circuit of the loader hydraulic system. The additional flow from the auxiliary pump is provided at a mid-inlet position and is not available to the loader boom or bucket circuits, to preserve tractive horsepower needed during loader work.

Increasing hydraulic flow to tractor attachments

A speed control system for a utility vehicle, the vehicle having a forward-facing driving position and a rearward-facing seat, includes a creep control system for moving the utility vehicle, controlled from the rearward-facing seat. The vehicle includes a speed-controllable transmission operable to output power to drive a wheel. The vehicle includes a creep speed control actuator located adjacent to the rearward-facing seat and a creep speed control system operatively connected to the actuator and to the transmission. The system converts movement of the actuator to speed change of the transmission. The transmission can be a mechanically or electronically controlled hydrostatic transmission, or an electronically controlled reverser transmission.

Speed control for utility vehicle operable from rearward-facing seat

In a tractor having a frame, a grille has a hollow frame fastened to a front portion of the frame of the tractor, so as to protect a radiator of the tractor. Two brackets are provided, each of which is mounted to the front portion of the frame of the tractor and each of which projects frontwardly from the frame of the tractor, through an aperture in a lower portion of the frame of the grille. A guard is provided, which is fastened to the brackets, in front of the grille, so as to protect the grille. The hollow frame of the grille is fastened to the front portion of the frame of the tractor only at the lower portion of the frame of the grille. The hollow frame of the grille is molded, as by rotational molding, from a polymeric material, for which cross-linked polyethylene is preferred. The brackets and the guard are made of steel.

Tractor grille and grille guard

A utility vehicle having a front loader bucket includes shaped towers and shaped boom arms connected to the towers, and a sloped hood and a shaped fuel tank which all increase the operator's view of the bucket, wheels; axle and ground for close control of the utility vehicle bucket with respect to external structures and surfaces. The towers extend substantially vertically from the utility vehicle chassis to a mid-location wherein the towers are offset inwardly to top ends thereof. The boom arms are connected to the top ends of the towers, extend forwardly, and are offset outwardly to a mid-location of the boom arms wherein the boom arms then extend forwardly to be connected to the bucket.

Tower and boom structure for loader bucket

A rear-mounted implement mounting system includes semi-cylindrical seats open upwardly and mounted on a lower back portion of a utility vehicle chassis that receive bar members located on a facing lower part of the rear-mounted implement. The utility vehicle chassis further includes semi-cylindrical receivers open in a rearward direction and adjacent cylinder portions open laterally. The receivers guide cylindrical bosses, located on an upper portion of the rear-mounted implement, into alignment with the cylinder portions, when the rear-mounted implement is pivoted upwardly by extending the boom cylinder of the rear-mounted implement. Connecting pins can be slipped through the cylindrical bosses and cylinder portions to lock the rear-mounted implement to the utility vehicle chassis. An operator remaining in the vehicle cab or operator station can easily operate the mounting system.

A hydraulic fluid diverting arrangement for a utility vehicle provides additional pressurized hydraulic fluid supply to an installed backhoe attachment by diverting hydraulic fluid from the unused rockshaft or three-point hitch of the utility vehicle. A solenoid operated valve manifold is switch actuated by contact from the backhoe during installation of the backhoe to the utility vehicle and diverts hydraulic fluid flow from rockshaft hydraulic cylinders to backhoe hydraulic cylinders. The system increases the available horsepower to the backhoe by using hydraulic fluid otherwise dedicated to the idle rockshaft.

Hydraulic diverting system for utility vehicle

A control system sets a set maximum speed of a utility vehicle, below the capable maximum speed of the vehicle, and recalibrates speed output signals corresponding to the set maximum speed. The system includes a microcontroller and a user-operated vehicle speed actuator, signal-connected to the microcontroller. The speed actuator is calibrated to actuate speeds, via the microcontroller, in a range from a minimum speed to a maximum speed. A user-operated speed set activator is used in conjunction with a ground speed sensor to set the set maximum speed. The microcontroller records the new maximum speed of the vehicle, and recalibrates the pedal position according to the new maximum speed.

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Warrenton, GA, United States of America

David LaVerne Sprinkle