Deere + Company

Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.

Jesse D Haecker

Richard Joseph Connell

Curtis A Maeder

Travis J Davis

Shayne C Rich

Joshua T Lawson

Anthony E Eggers

Curtis D Carlson

Mark Alan Cracraft

James Thomas Noonan

Jerry Bob Hall

Ray M Scheufler

Donald Lee Goodrich

Nathan C Heinrich

Travis Newton

Jeremy B Thompson

Earl Franklin Canfield

Timothy Arthur Deutsch

Virgil Dean Haverdink

Matthew J Darr

Jeffrey C Askey

Jason Daniel Wattonville

Robert Matthew Bares

William Edward McCoy

Thomas M Alferink

An agricultural vehicle comprises a left frame and a right frame. A left wheel is rotatable with respect to the left frame and a right wheel is rotatable with respect to the right frame. A first leg extends upward from the left frame and a second leg extends upward from the right frame to connect the legs to the beam. A data processor estimates a reference point on or below the vehicle and an angular orientation or attitude of the beam relative to the reference point based on positions of location-determining receivers associated with the beam. An upper carriage is laterally movable along the beam. A lower carriage is suspended from the upper carriage by a plurality of vertical supports, such that a target lateral position of the upper carriage establishes an actual lateral position of the lower carriage.

Agricultural vehicle with adjustable row unit

A first leg extends upward from the left frame and a second leg extends upward from the right frame to connect the legs to the beam. One or more satellite navigation receivers are associated with beam to determine a position and an attitude of the beam. One or more row units are suspended from the beam, each row unit having a first nozzle and a second nozzle, wherein the first nozzle and the second nozzle are associated with an adjustable reference position in one or more dimensions with respect to the beam.

Adjustable row unit and vehicle with adjustable row unit

A first leg extends upward from the left frame and a second leg extends upward from the right frame to connect the legs to the beam. One or more satellite navigation receivers are associated with beam to determine a position and an attitude of the beam. One or more row units are suspended from the beam, such that the position of nozzle or nozzles on each row unit can be adjusted simultaneously and dynamically in multiple dimensions to maintain a target spacing between the nozzle and ground and the nozzle and a plant or row of plants.

Adjustable row unit and sprayer vehicle with adjustable row unit

An automated farming system includes a frame. The frame includes a fixed base, a beam, and a support. A farming implement support extends from the beam and moves up and down in relation to the beam. The farming implement support moves along a length of the beam. The movable support includes a propulsion system and is configured to rotate around the fixed base. Movement of the farming implement support and the movable support allows for high density planting of crops in hexagonal patterns and/or a continuous spiral pattern.

Automated farming systems

In accordance with one embodiment, a row unit for an agricultural vehicle comprises an upper carriage that is movable or slidable with respect to a generally horizontal beam of the vehicle. The row unit has vertical supports, where each vertical support has an upper end connected to the upper carriage and a lower end opposite the upper end. The row unit further comprises a lower carriage that is connected to the lower end of the vertical supports, such that the upper carriage determines a lateral position of the lower carriage with respect to the beam.

Adjustable row unit and agricultural vehicle with adjustable row unit

An agricultural vehicle comprises a left frame and a right frame. A first leg extends upward from the left frame and a second leg extends upward from the right frame to connect the legs to the beam. One or more satellite navigation receivers are associated with beam to determine a position and an attitude of the beam. In on configuration, at least one row unit suspended from the beam, where each row unit has a respective planting device with an adjustable position in one or more dimensions with respect to the beam for precise application or variable application of seeds within the rows or field.

A harvester generates a round module and positions the round module on a handler. The handler includes a cylinder having a base end and a rod end. A differential pressure across the cylinder is detected. A round module weight is generated based on the detected differential pressure.

Round module weighing using differential pressure sensing

RFID tags pre-installed on bale wrap segments provide location information for a specific area of the bale wrap. RFID tag readers located on the cotton harvester provide signals for use by the module wrapping apparatus for initiating a cutting or separating operation, once a module has been wrapped, and for warning an operator of a situation where the wrapping function has not proceeded in an orderly fashion after a signal for starting the wrapping function has been received. A wrapped module carries the pre-installed RFID tags which are readable by RFID readers carried by module handlers in the field and/or at the gin input which identify the modules and establish a position to which the module may be automatically oriented so that an ideal module wrap cutting location is easily calculated. The RFID tag reading taken in the field or at the gin thus senses the number on the tag as well as the location of the tag, and the module identification is input to an electronic database.

Cotton harvester for producing modules which can be automatically identified and oriented

An electronic controller with a sensed ground speed input calculates appropriate cotton harvester row unit speed based on harvester ground speed and a preset ground speed versus a unit speed curve. The controller includes an automatic or manual ratio adjustment input. The ratio adjustment input allows the unit speed to be increased or decreased from the preset speed. The controller reads row unit speed via unit speed sensors and sends a signal to the unit speed actuator or electronic drive control (EDC) on a hydro, variable sheave, or other variable drive device to adjust unit speed to the calculated value. A detector or field vision device such as a camera responsive to cotton on the plants provides a signal to the automatic ratio adjustment input to change the ratio for increased productivity and reduced machine wear.

Cotton harvester row unit speed synchronization control

Wrapped cotton bales transported from a cotton harvest area to a receiver at the gin are moved intact to a position generally above a receiver upstream of the ginning equipment. As the bales are supported and conveyed, knife or similar cutting structure severs a portion of the wrap allowing egress of the cotton from the wrap into the receiver. Wrap removal structure prevents the wrap from entering the ginning equipment. In one embodiment of the invention, the wrap is conveyed to a wrap processor after the cotton falls into the receiver. The bale handler can include transversely adjustable cantilever supports to tension wrap for efficient cutting.

Growing community of inventors

LeClaire, IA, United States of America

Jesse D Haecker