Deere + Company

Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen Gmbh

Gerd Bernhardt

Sergiy Fedotov

Ruslan Rudik

Heinz Weiss

Mario W&uuml;nsche

Martin B&uuml;ermann

Siegfried Firus

Nicolai Tarasinski

Willi Behnke

Matthias Lang

Martin Dammann

Dirk Speckamp

Andr&eacute; Heinrich

Ralf Hübner

Walter Hirsch

Matthias Grimsel

Adolf Belter

André Heinrich

Jurgen Elser

Wolfram Damm

Harald Muller

A hitch device for a working vehicle for coupling a working device to the working vehicle has a lifting shaft unit supported in the frame structure of the working vehicle, and a coupling structure that is operatively connected therewith. The lifting shaft unit includes a lifting shaft, at least one lifting arm that is fixedly connected with the lifting shaft, and at least one reciprocating cylinder, which is hingedly connected with the lifting arm. The coupling structure includes first, upper coupling elements, which are located on the frame structure, second, lower coupling elements, which are hingedly connected to the frame structure, and connecting elements that are hingedly located on lifting arms of the lifting shaft. At least one of the connecting elements is rigid. In this manner, it is ensured that the load on the coupling elements that form the hitch device is balanced, even when a load is introduced asymmetrically.

Hitch device for a working vehicle

A vibration-damping and oscillation-damping mounting system adjustably supports a vehicle cab on a vehicle chassis. The mounting system includes a plurality of variable-length links in the form of spring-damping elements (shock-absorbing elements) and/or adjusting elements. Preferably, the cab is supported on the vehicle chassis by at least six links, each having a first end coupled to the chassis and a second end coupled to the cab. The links are arranged in closed kinematic chains and with adjacent pairs of links arranged with convergently oriented axes so that active and/or passive shock absorption (spring damping) of the cab in six degrees of freedom is possible.

Vehicle cab mounting system

A method and arrangement for determination of the sharpness of chopping blades of a field chopper during chopping includes the steps of measuring, at least at two points in time, a characteristic parameter of the operating oscillation of a component of the chopping unit. Each such measurement obtains the oscillation fractions of at least two frequency bands of the measured signal or its peak, with the ratio between the two measurements being evaluated to generate a signal, when a certain deviation is determined between the initial measurement and the current measurement, which is indicative of the need to sharpen the chopping blades and the counterblade. The sharpening process can then be automatically initiated.

Method and arrangement for determination of sharpness of chopping blades

An implement attachment interface is described, that is used for the coupling of operating implements to a utility vehicle, and that contains six double-acting hydraulic cylinders, that are adjustable in length and which are arranged in the manner of a hexapod between the utility vehicle and a coupling frame. This contains two upper hydraulic cylinders that are arranged alongside each other and extend in a direction converging towards each other, two lower hydraulic cylinders arranged alongside each other and converging towards each other as well as two hydraulic cylinders at the sides. According to the invention means are provided that for a pendulous movement to the right the lower right hydraulic cylinder and the upper left hydraulic cylinder extend synchronously and the lower left hydraulic cylinder and the upper right hydraulic cylinder are retracted synchronously. For a pendulous movement to the left the hydraulic cylinders operate in the opposite direction. Upon a deflection of the implement to the side the result thereby is in each of the diametrically opposite upper and lower hydraulic cylinders a simultaneous and equal change in length. Thereby the hydraulic cylinders interacting in this movement experience retraction strokes that are equal to the extension strokes.

Implement attachment interface for the coupling of operating implements to a utility vehicle and valve arrangement

An apparatus and method for determining grain loss of a harvesting machine. The harvesting machine has a crop-separating region with separating members. The separating members each have separation sensors for generating a signal corresponding to the crop quantity separated. This signal is delivered to an evaluating unit for further processing. Processing includes determining a separation curve for at least some of the separating zones and converting the separation curve to a characteristic quantity. From this measured characteristic quantity, a loss is determined based on a characteristic curve deposited in the evaluating unit. By avoiding direct loss measurement on the harvesting machine, the negative crop-related effects on determining grain loss are considerably reduced.

Apparatus and method for determining grain loss in combine harvesters

A motor vehicle for industrial and/or agricultural operations, in particular an agricultural tractor, is described with an attachment interface containing a three-point implement hitch ( ). In order to widen the spectrum of applications of the vehicle and the capability of the attachment interface and in order to open up new areas of application for the motor vehicle, a telescoping arm ( ) that can be pivoted in the vertical direction is connected in a joint to the vehicle chassis ( ). A support ( ) is arranged at the free, extensible end of the telescoping arm ( ) and carries the attachment interface for the three-point implement hitch ( ). A locking arrangement ( ) is provided by which the support ( ) can be immobilized with respect to the vehicle chassis ( ), when the telescoping arm ( ) is in an operating position.

Telescoping implement attachment for a motor vehicle

A hitch for coupling an implement to a utility vehicle includes adjustable length coupling elements and a pivotal coupling unit coupled thereto. A control system automatically controls the length of the coupling elements to control the direction of the line of action of the draft forces, the position of the towing point defined by the coupling unit, and the orientation of the Implement relative to the utility vehicle. The control system includes sensors for sensing the position of the implement relative to the vehicle, for determining a set of reference positions, and for sensing forces applied to the coupling elements. The control system also automatically controls the length of the coupling elements as a function of the sensor signals.

Implement hitch and control system

A chopper arrangement for a harvesting machine comprises a body that is rotated in a predominantly vertical axis of rotation. The body is provided with a plurality of radially extending knives that are axially distributed along the body. The knives have radially outer ends that are arranged in a conical shape. In this way the knives at the first end having a smallest radial extension are rotated at a slower circumferential speed than knives having a larger radial extension.

Chopper arrangement

A combine having a chopper arrangement for receiving and chopping harvested crop material that has been threshed and separated. The chopper arrangement comprises a web wheel disk having knives entrained thereon that cooperate with a stationary shear bar to chop the harvested crop material that has been threshed and separated.

Combine with chopper arrangement

A hitch control system controls a hitch for coupling an implement to a utility vehicle. The hitch includes longitudinally adjustable coupling elements operable to shift or pivot the implement in a lateral direction relative to the utility vehicle. A sensor, such as a wheel steering angle sensor, senses a parameter associated with lateral or turning movements of the vehicle. A control unit automatically adjusts the length of the coupling elements as a function of the sensor signals so that the position of the implement relative to the vehicle is adapted to the curved path. This reduces the outer radius of the area over which the vehicle and implement travel when traveling along a curved path and helps avoid collisions with objects.

Control system for a vehicle/implement hitch

A control lever controls movement of a system to be controlled. The control lever includes a manually operable handgrip attached to a platform. At least six connecting elements are arranged between the platform and a fixed console. Length sensors sense the length of the connecting elements, and/or force sensors sense forces acting on the connecting elements. A control unit evaluates the sensor signals and generates a control signal for controlling movement of the system. The connecting elements are be arranged in the form of a hexapod. The connecting elements may be telescoping members or rigid fixed length members.

Control lever

A coupling system couples an implement to a utility vehicle, such as an agricultural or industrial vehicle, and includes a vehicle-mounted coupling frame and an implement-mounted coupling frame. The position of the vehicle-mounted coupling frame is adjustable by an adjustment mechanism. A position sensor senses the position of the implement-mounted coupling frame. An analysis unit determines the position of the implement-mounted coupling frame relative to the vehicle-mounted coupling frame. A control unit calculates a coupling motion path of the vehicle-mounted coupling frame. In response to a starting signal, the control unit causes the adjusting mechanism to move the vehicle-mounted coupling frame along the coupling motion path.

Vehicle/implement coupling system

An implement/vehicle hitch system for coupling implements to a utility vehicle includes two hydraulic cylinders for adjusting the position of the implement. The hydraulic cylinders are connected to a pair of motor/pump units which cause the hydraulic cylinders to operate in a synchronous manner.

Hitch system with synchronized cylinders

An implement interface for mounting on a chassis of a vehicle includes a telescopic boom pivotally coupled to the vehicle chassis so that the boom is pivotal about an essentially horizontal axis. The boom includes a housing which is pivotally coupled to the vehicle chassis and an arm which is slidably received by the housing. A carrier is mounted on a free end of the arm. A three-point hitch is mounted on the boom and has lower links coupled to the carrier, has an extendable upper linkage coupled to the boom, a lifting arm coupled to the carrier, a lifting brace connecting the lifting arm to one of the lower linkages, and a lift cylinder for vertically pivoting the lifting arm. A locking mechanism fixes the boom relative to the chassis. A hydraulic cylinder unit is coupled to the sliding arm and operable to move the sliding arm in a longitudinal direction. A pressure-operated piston/cylinder unit is coupled between the housing and the chassis and is operable to vertically pivot the boom.

Vehicle implement interface

A hitch mechanism for coupling an implement to a utility vehicle includes a coupling frame and six variable length links. The frame has couplers for coupling to the implement. Each link has a first end coupled to the vehicle and a second end coupled to the coupling frame. The links are preferably arranged in the form of a hexapod, so that, in addition to the functions of known three-point hitches, the implement may be steered sideways or shifted sideways, and so that the motion of the coupling frame has six degrees of freedom.

Growing community of inventors

Hanichen, Germany

Gerd Bernhardt