Eaton Corporation

The Toro Company

John Ryan Kess

Thomas Joseph Stoltz

Aaron Hertzel Jagoda

G Clark Fortune

Benjamin Morris

Paul Brenner

Duqiang Wu

Todd A Otto

Steve A Swinney, Ii

Kelly S Meemken

Brian R Hendrickson

Keith A Goetz

John Charles Walters

Joseph W Pogatchnik, Iii

Scott A Thomson

Thomas R Pfingsten

Clark G Fortune

An aerator for a turf surface has a traction control, an OPC bail, and an aeration bail capable of single handed operation. A controller automatically lowers a tine head to begin aerating at a start location marked when the aeration bail is closed and lifts the tine head to end aeration at an end location marked when the aeration bail is released. The controller further causes the tines that enter the turf surface at the start location to penetrate to a desired hole depth. The controller also automatically adjusts ground speed to maintain a desired hole spacing during an aeration pass, but permits the operator to speed up during a turnaround between passes with a steerable front wheel freewheeling to mitigate wheel scrubbing. A handle assembly having a spring counterbalance is height adjustable and automatically engages a parking brake when placed in an upright non-operating position.

Turf aerator

A turf sprayer comprises a transport vehicle that carries a laterally extending spray boom assembly. The spray boom assembly is both laterally displaceable and angularly displaceable relative to the transport vehicle. A controller uses a defined path represented by GPS coordinates to control the operation of various actuators to automatically maintain a reference point on the spray boom assembly on the desired path and to automatically maintain the spray boom assembly perpendicular to the desired path.

Turf maintenance or working apparatus with automatically controlled laterally and angularly displaceable swath-based implement

Sprayer with automatically controlled laterally and angularly displaceable spray boom assembly

An exemplary hydraulic system includes a plurality of digital valves, each valve fluidly connectable to a corresponding hydraulic load. The digitals valves are operable to fluidly connect the corresponding hydraulic load to a pressure source. The hydraulic system further includes a digital controller operably connected to the plurality of digital valves. The digital controller is configured to assign a priority level so that it is associated with each of a plurality of hydraulic loads, and to formulate a pulse width modulated control signal based on the assigned priority levels. The digital controller transmits the control signal to the plurality of digital valves for controlling the operation of the valves.

Hydraulic system including priority based valve sequencing

A speed pick-up ring includes a main body having a plurality of targets and defining a plurality of notches. Each notch is disposed between adjacent targets. Each notch includes a base wall, a first sidewall and an oppositely disposed second sidewall. The base wall includes a convex portion. A fluid device includes a housing and a variable reluctance speed sensor engaged to the housing. The fluid device further includes a speed pick-up ring disposed within the housing. The speed pick-up ring includes a main body having a plurality of targets and defining a plurality of notches. Each notch is disposed between adjacent targets. Each notch includes a base wall, a first sidewall that is generally concave and an oppositely disposed second sidewall that is generally concave. The base wall includes a convex portion.

Speed sensor pick-up for fluid device

An exemplary hydraulic system includes a digital valve operable to fluidly connect a hydraulic load to a pressure supply, and an orifice disposed in a flow path between the hydraulic load and the digital valve. A digital controller is operably connected to the digital valve. The digital controller stores a target pressure drop across the orifice and is configured to determine an actual pressure drop across the orifice and formulate a control signal based on the target pressure drop and the actual pressure drop. The controller transmits the control signal to the digital valve for controlling the operation of the valve.

Hydraulic system having load sensing capabilities

An exemplary hydraulic system includes a digital valve operable to fluidly connect a hydraulic load to a pressure supply. A digital controller is operably connected to the digital valve. The digital controller stores a target value of a hydraulic system operating parameter and is configured to formulate a pulse width modulated control signal based on the target value. The digital controller transmits the control signal to the digital valve for controlling the operation of the valve.

Hydraulic system including open loop and closed loop valve control schemes

An exemplary hydraulic system includes a first digital valve fluidly connectable to a first hydraulic load and a pump. The first valve is operable to fluidly connect the first hydraulic load to the pump. A second digital valve is fluidly connectable to a second hydraulic load and the pump. The second valve is operable to fluidly connect the second hydraulic load to the pump. The system includes a first sensor for detecting a pump discharge pressure and a second sensor for detecting an inlet pressure of the first hydraulic load. A controller is configured to determine a time delay based on the pump discharge pressure and the first hydraulic load inlet pressure and to send a control signal instructing the second valve to commence opening at a time substantially equal to the time delay after commencing closing the first valve.

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Bloomington, MN, United States of America

John Ryan Kess