Case Corporation

Goodrich Corporation

Cnh Industrial Belgium Nv

Jeffrey S Milender

Dale W Panoushek

Kevin Douglas McKee

Calvin J Kraning

Keith Walter Wendte

George H Hale

Abraham Orbach

Thomas G Lykken

Curtis A Halgrimson

William Richard Ockert

Robert J Overmann

Adam Edmund Buckhouse

Bradley Johnson

Bradley A Kuczmarski

An air cargo power drive unit has a motor, at least one driver roller element coupled to said motor, a light source, a light detector, and a processor having memory associated therewith, said memory storing instructions. The device is configured to emit light from the light source, receive reflected light from the light detector when an air cargo is overhead, and convert the detected light into a time series of a digital samples representing a time-varying intensity of the received light. The processor then performs calculations on the digital samples to determine whether the unit load device is moving. This determination may be based, for instance, on spikes among the digital samples, and/or on first, second, or even higher-order, statistics of the detected samples.

Air cargo power drive unit for detecting motion of an overlying cargo container

A system for calibrating the fill times of clutches using a pressure transducer service tool includes attaching the tool to an electronic controller on the vehicle and the a clutch hydraulic fluid line, signaling the controller to calibrate the clutch, then removing the service tool. The tool is sequentially moved from one clutch hydraulic line to another to calibrate several clutches. A single service tool with several transducers and a means of switching between them may also be used. The process is automated and the controller signals the user when to make the various connections. The operator then signals the controller when the connections have been made and calibration commences automatically.

Clutch fill rate calibration apparatus and method

An apparatus and method for controlling a plurality of clutches in a powershift transmission. The transmission is coupled to an engine of an off-road vehicle. The method includes receiving a shift command having a shift direction. Clutch timing is selected based on the shift direction. Using the selected shift timing, on-coming clutches are engaged in sequence with disengagement of off-going clutches to achieve smooth shifting.

Modification of shifting characteristics based upon shifting direction and drive train load

An electronic control system for a transmission in a work vehicle such as an agricultural tractor is provided herein. The system includes sensors for detecting the output speed of the vehicle engine, the output speed of the transmission and the vehicle ground speed. Command devices are available to the vehicle operator for generating command signals, such as for commanding the direction of movement, as well as forward and reverse gear ratios. A controller receives signals from the sensors and command devices, and controls engagement and disengagement of combinations of fluid clutches in the transmission to obtain desired gear ratios between the transmission input and output shafts. The system stores default forward and reverse gear ratios which are used upon start-up of the vehicle. To permit limited modification of the default gear ratios, an interface separate from the vehicle is provided to modify the default gear ratios.

System for modifying default start-up gear selections

An electronic control system for a transmission in a work vehicle such as an agricultural tractor is disclosed herein. The system includes sensors for detecting the output speed of the vehicle engine, the output speed of the transmission and the vehicle ground speed. Command devices are available to the vehicle operator for generating command signals, such as for commanding the direction of movement, as well as forward and reverse gear ratios. A controller receives signals from the sensors and command devices, and controls engagement and disengagement of combinations of fluid clutches in the transmission to obtain desired gear ratios between the transmission input and output shafts. The command devices include an input device for generating transmission command signals, and the controller responds by selectively engaging the clutches to shift the transmission at a predetermined shift rate. The controller determines a commanded gear ratio based at least in part on the transmission command signals. When the commanded gear ratio differs from the current gear ratio by more than a predetermined number of gear ratios, the controller accesses a table stored in a memory circuit to determine a skip shift value associated with the current gear ratio and selectively engages the clutches to skip shift from the current gear ratio to the commanded gear ratio by a number of gear ratios determined by the accessed skip shift value.

Method and apparatus for skip shifting in a power transmission

A method and system for calibrating at least one clutch in a transmission whereby the incipient engagement pressure of the fluid in the clutch may be determined. Two shafts in the transmission are locked together in mutually incompatible gear ratios thereby preventing their free relative rotation. The output of the clutch is connected to these shafts to prevent its free rotation. The input of the clutch is connected to the engine to cause it to rotate. The clutch is then gradually engaged as the load on the engine is monitored, preferably by measuring changes in the fuel flow rate to the engine. Once the engine load increases a predetermined amount, the system saves the particular valve command signal that produced the incipient engagement pressure and the process ends. The method is preferably performed entirely under microprocessor control, thereby eliminating the need for operator intervention during the process.

Calibration system for a power shift transmission

A control system for controlling outputs associated with off-road vehicles is disclosed herein. The outputs are actuated by actuators in response to control signals generated by a control circuit. In a normal mode, the control circuit generates the control signals based upon command signals generated by operator-actuatable command devices, and applies the control signals to the actuators to control the outputs. In a record mode, the control circuit stores a sequence of commands in a memory circuit to record the sequential actuations of the command devices. Then, in a playback mode, the control circuit generates the control signals based upon the recorded command sequence instead of the command signals. Playback can be triggered manually by a playback switch, or automatically based upon the geo-graphic position of the off-road vehicle. The control system can record and playback more than one command sequence. Each sequence step generates a recorded command which can depend upon a recorded event based upon values of a timer, geographic position or feedback signal. In addition, the operator can erase, view and edit the commanded sequences. The operator can also download and upload command sequences.

Sequential command repeater system for off-road vehicles

Disclosed herein is a control system for controlling the position of the harvesting implement of an agricultural vehicle. The system includes transducers for monitoring the position of the implement relative to the vehicle, the location of the implement relative to the surface supporting the vehicle, and the force required to support the implement. The system also includes an implement positioning mechanism, a user interface for selecting position, location and force setpoints, and a controller coupled to the transducers, positioning mechanism and user-interface. Based upon the signals produced by the transducers and the setpoints set at the user-interface, the controller controls the positioning mechanism to position the implement.

Header control for returning to height or float control

An electronic control system for controlling the position of a combine harvesting head operable over a surface is disclosed herein. The position is normally controlled based upon the monitored position of the head. However, the position is controlled based upon the force or pressure at which the surface is supporting the implement if this force exceeds a predetermined limit. Thus, the system provides for float control override of position control. In particular, a hydraulic positioning assembly positions the head relative to the combine based upon control signals produced by a digital control circuit. The digital control circuit monitors digital signals representative of the head position and the force at which the surface is supporting the head, and compares these signals with digital setpoint data. Based upon the comparison, the control circuit produces control signals for causing the positioning assembly to raise or lower the harvesting head relative to the surface based upon force when the force limit is exceeded and based upon position when the force is below the force limit.

Combine head position control system with float override

An electronic control system for controlling the position of a combine harvesting head operable over a surface is disclosed herein. The position is controlled based upon the force or pressure at which the surface is supporting the implement. In particular, a hydraulic positioning assembly positions the head relative to the combine based upon control signals produced by a digital control circuit. The digital control circuit monitors digital signals representative of the force at which the surface is supporting the head, and compares these signals with digital setpoint data associated with a desired support force. Based upon the comparison, the control circuit produces control signals for causing the positioning assembly to raise or lower the harvesting head relative to the surface.

Electronic combine head float control system

A control system for controlling the height of a harvesting head on a combine is disclosed herein. The control system includes operator controlled signal generators which permit an operator to independently set the maximum velocity at which the harvesting head is raised and lowered. The signal generators are connected to the system controller which controls the operation of a hydraulic valve which controls hydraulic lift cylinders which raise and lower the harvesting head. The hydraulic valve is controlled with a pulse-width modulated signal. The width of the pulse is related to the direction the head is being moved (raised or lowered), and the maximum speed at which the head is to be moved. To reduce jerking upon initiation of head movement and termination of head movement, the controller determines acceleration and deceleration rates for head movement initiation and termination. The acceleration and deceleration determinations are based upon the signals produced by the signal generators.

Combine head raise and lower rate control

An improved electronic control system for a vehicle transmission system having a plurality of sequential gear ratios allows the vehicle operator to selectively engage either a normal sequential gear ratio progression or a gear ratio progression that skips or omits certain low gear ratios from the gear ratio shift sequence. The transmission control system includes a microprocessor driven electronic control circuit that governs the transmission operation by selectively actuating, from a plurality of hydraulic clutch solenoid valves, a unique combination of solenoid valves for each gear ratio. Manually operable control means allows the vehicle operator to cause the microprocessor to select a software routine that omits certain solenoid valve combinations so as to progress through the transmission gear ratios during upshifts in the forward control mode at a faster rate, thus improving the acceleration of the vehicle in the low gear ratio range.

Electronic control for transmission gear skip shift

The improved steering controller is of the type used to control the angular position of the rear wheels on a four-wheel-steer vehicle as a function of the angular position of the front, operator-steered wheels. The controller includes a computing section, a visual display of the alpha-numeric type and a visual indicator which provides a bar-like display having a number of individual 'markers' arranged in a row. The apparent length of such bar-like display, which changes as markers are illuminated, apprises the vehicle operator of the approximate magnitude and direction of angular displacement of the rear wheels from the centered position. The alpha-numeric visual display indicates operational mode as well as 'errors' used in troubleshooting diagnosis and repair. The controller also incorporates a 'learn' feature whereby the threshold input power and coil operating current of the steering hydraulic valve are determined and stored in a memory section to provide more consistent valve operation and to reduce setup time. Matched or proportional steering is provided.

Growing community of inventors

Valley City, ND, United States of America

Jeffrey S Milender