Agco International Gmbh

Agco Corporation

Martin Brenninger

Richard Heindl

Hans-Peter Zeiler

Klaus Brugger

Robert Heisler

Klaus Bayer

Johann Wittman

Oliver Kreil

Christoph Wintergerst

Bernhard HÖLDRICH

Thomas Dittrich

An agricultural/utility vehicle has as its motive power source one or more electric motors supplied by one or more rechargeable batteries to drivingly rotate a shaft of the vehicle driveline. To recharge the batteries, an external power source is applied to cause the driveline shaft to rotate, resulting in at least one of the electric motors acting as a generator to recharge the batteries. The external power source may include a source of fluid pressure that drives a hydraulic pump of the driveline as a hydraulic motor. The external power source may be an external source of rotational energy coupled to a power take-off shaft of the vehicle.

Electric utility vehicle driveline recharging

A method of brake steering in a four-wheel drive utility vehicle having a driven front axle carrying at least two front wheels, a driven rear axle carrying at least two rear wheels, a powertrain delivering torque to the front and rear axles via a connecting shaft, a controlled clutch arrangement in the connecting shaft operable to vary the distribution of delivered torque between the front and rear axles, and independently operable service brakes on each of the front and rear wheels. The method comprises, on the vehicle entering a turn, applying the service brakes of the front and rear wheels on the inside of the turn and adjusting the clutch arrangement to adapt the share of the available torque between the front and rear axles. Additional braking force may be applied from independently operable park brakes on the rear wheels in inverse relationship to the level of service brake force applied.

Utility vehicle braking

A method of brake steering in a four-wheel drive utility vehicle having a driven front axle carrying at least two front wheels, a driven rear axle carrying at least two rear wheels, a powertrain delivering torque to the front axle via a first motor and to the rear axle via a second motor, a controlled clutch arrangement operable to couple the outputs of the first and second motors to vary the distribution of delivered torque between the front and rear axles, and independently operable service brakes on each of the front and rear wheels. The method includes determining a difference in wheel velocity between front and rear wheels; comparing the difference to a threshold value and, when exceeded, automatically engaging the controlled clutch arrangement. A determination is made as to whether or not the vehicle is performing a brake steering manoeuvre and the threshold value is adjusted accordingly. Additional braking force may be applied from independently operable park brakes on the rear wheels in inverse relationship to the level of service brake force applied.

An agricultural vehicle and method of controlling the same are provided, the vehicle having a motive power unit providing a driving torque to at least one driven wheel and having at least one tire or track frictionally coupled with the periphery of the driven wheel. A vehicle operating parameter is controlled in dependence on the driving torque and a slippage characteristic relating the respective driving torque at which the frictional coupling between driven wheel and tire or track begins to slip for a range of vehicle operating parameter values. The operating parameter is suitably a tire pressure or track tension, and the control may involve reducing driving torque or increasing pressure/tension to prevent slipping.

Vehicle wheel slippage control

A tire inflation feed arrangement for a tire supported on a wheel carried by a wheel rim rotatably mounted via a wheel hub on an axially outer end of an axle housing. The feed arrangement has an annular support body surrounding the outer end of the axle housing, and three concentric annular seals extending around an axially outwardly facing surface on the support body to seal two concentric annular chambers formed in the axially outwardly facing surface between the seals. A first of these annular chambers is connectable with pressurized air to inflate the associated tire and the second annular chamber is connectable with pressurized air to operate a valve mounted on the wheel for admitting air into the tire from the first annular chamber or exhausting air from the tire. The annular seals are each mounted in a respective annular groove in the axially facing surface and each groove is also connectable with a source of pressurized air to press the seals against an annular contact surface on the wheel hub to seal the first and second annular chambers when the tire is being inflated. The wheel hub is provided with first receiving means which open through the annular contact surface to receive air from the first annular chamber and conduct such air to the tire and second receiving means which also opens through the annular contact surface to receive air from the second annular chamber and conduct such air to the valve mounted on the wheel. The support body is mounted on the axle housing in a location radially within bolts which attach the wheel to the hub to reduce the rubbing speed of the seals on the contact surface to reducing wear caused by the contact pressure of the seals.

Rotary joint

A system is provided for determining the current weight of a vehicle and any implement or trailer being towed or carried thereby. The system has an electronic control unit and means to determine the current value of vehicle operating parameters indicative of the current wheel output torque and acceleration of the vehicle. These current parameter values are forwarded to the electronic control unit so that the unit can calculate the current vehicle weight from a predetermined relationship involving wheel output torque, vehicle acceleration and other known current operating parameters of the vehicle. The other known current operating parameters of the vehicle are wheel rolling radius, angle of inclination of the vehicle, gravitational acceleration and rolling resistance of the wheels. When the vehicle includes a hydrostatic mechanical CVT which has a hydraulic drive circuit in which a hydraulic pump supplies pressurized fluid to a hydraulic motor, the level of pressure in the drive circuit provides an indication of the current wheel output torque.

Method to determine vehicle weight

An engine control system for changing engine speed on an agricultural vehicle. The system includes a vehicle control unit for controlling an engine and a transmission mounted within the vehicle, and a tire control unit for detecting the pressure of at least one tire and wherein the engine speed is automatically changed upon detection of an adjustment of the tire pressure.

Engine control system

A power take off drive train for a utility vehicle, comprising first (), second () and third () parallel gear pairs, with an input shaft () coupled to a gear () of the first gear pair. First (K1) and second (K2) connector means, suitably clutches, each operate to couple a gear () of the first gear pair with a respective gear () of the second gear pair. A third connector () couples a first gear () of the second gear pair with a first gear () of the third gear pair, and a selector mechanism () operates to couple a PTO output shaft () with either a second gear () of the second gear pair or a second gear () of the third gear pair.

Multiple speed power take off

A vehicle power braking system has separate left and right brakes () operable from a source of pressurized fluid () via relay valve means () controlled by separate left and right brake operating pedals () to provide steering assistance during a turn. The relay valve means delivers a brake operating pressure proportional to the depression of the associated brake operating pedal to separate left and right shift valves (), each shift valve being connected with its respective operating pedal () by a respective pilot line () so that when each pedal is operated the associated shift valve is opened by the respective pilot line pressure to supply the proportional pressure from the relay valve means to the respective brake (). The relay valve means comprises a single relay valve () which supplies both shift valves () and the pilot lines () are interconnected via a shuttle valve () so that the highest pilot pressure generated by operating the brake pedals () is applied to the single relay valve () so that each shift valve receives the same brake applying pressure proportional to said highest pilot pressure.

Power braking system with steering assist

The invention relates to a brake mechanism () for agricultural utility vehicles. In the case of the brake mechanism (), during a brake application an additional quantity of oil is supplied to a brake chamber () via an inlet manifold (), which is fluidically connected to an oil chamber (). The service brake is formed so that, when the service brake is operated, a first control element () is moved towards the brake elements () in such a way that a brake chamber () is fluidically connected to the inlet manifold () and thus ensures an additional oil supply from the oil chamber ().

Brake mechanism for a vehicle

Described is a utility vehicle, in particular an agricultural tractor, with a front axle (), which can be driven by a drive element of a first multi-disc clutch (), connected in a driven manner to the drive train () and a power take-off shaft () which can be driven by the drive train () at speed proportionately to the speed of the vehicle over the ground (ground speed power take-off). In order to keep expenditure low on the control of the disc clutch () and the power take-off shaft (), it is proposed that the power take-off shaft can be driven at a speed proportional to the speed of the vehicle over the ground by a second multi-disc clutch () which has a drive element connected in a driven manner to the drive train (), and that both multi-disc clutches () are actuated in common.

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Marktoberdorf, Germany

Martin Brenninger