Deere + Company

Michael T Meschke

Adam J Donohoe

Matthew T Wold

Nathan R Vandike

Corwin Marcus Puryk

Martin Rittershofer

David W Peters

Kevin P Hurley

Mark L Mattson

Jeffrey R Walter

Tyler S Brammeier

Marco Broschart

Corey A Noord

Oliver Klein

Manish Kumar Singh

Steve A Coon

Scott N Clark

Gregor Diessner

Jeremiah K Johnson

Eric L Bortner

Brian Herringshaw

Brian Gorge

Jody I Eyestone

Mingyong Chen

Nithin Chaithanya Reddy Choudary

Balaji Parthasarathy

Kelli L Martin

Yogesh N Chande

A spine for providing structural support for a dual rotor harvesting machine, the spine having a first surface that is solid and directed towards a first rotor configured to rotate about a first axis and a second surface that is solid and directed towards a second rotor configured to rotate about a second axis. The spine also having at least one threshing insert positioned directly on the first surface and extending longitudinally along the first axis of the spine and at least one threshing insert positioned directly on the second surface and extending longitudinally along the second axis of the spine.

Threshing spine

Apparatuses and methods of feed accelerators of agricultural harvesters include one or more convertible sections that are convertible between two or more types of agitator assemblies. The feed accelerators may include a cylindrical body that may form one or more facets, and the feed accelerators may include an exterior wall and a plurality of paddles distributed along the exterior wall. The plurality of paddles may be arranged in a plurality of rows. The agitator assemblies may include a first type that includes an agitator having sidewalls that for a geometrical shape, such as a chevron that extends from the exterior wall. A second type of agitator may include one or more paddles that may align with one or more rows formed on the exterior wall.

Feed accelerator for an agricultural harvester

A work machine and a method of controlling work machine power of the work machine during a harvesting operation for harvesting a crop. The work machine may include an engine, a hybrid machine, or an electric machine. The work machine may operate by identifying a state of a driver assistance selector that includes a manual mode and an automatic mode. While in the manual mode, the work machine may operate at a nominal power target, and, when in the automatic mode, the work machine may operate at an enhanced power target for harvesting. When the driver assistance feature changes from the automatic mode to the manual mode, the transition between the enhanced power to the nominal power may be reduced over a predetermined period of time to optimize machine drivability and system performance.

Management of power transition for driver assistance

An exemplary sieve mechanism is configured for separating grain from chaff. The sieve mechanism generally includes a frame and a louvered region including a plurality of louvers mounted to the frame. The sieve mechanism further includes and an unlouvered region lacking louvers such that a gap is defined adjacent the louvered region.

Partially-unlouvered sieve mechanism

A harvesting machine that has a first rotor rotationally coupled to a chassis, a second rotor rotationally coupled to the chassis, and a spine separating the first rotor from the second rotor. Wherein the spine has threshing inserts coupled thereto to facilitate threshing of crop processed by the first and second rotors.

Systems and methods for automatically establishing a gap between a concave and a rotor of a rotary crop processing system are disclosed. Establishing the gap may include displacing the concave towards the rotor until contact is detected therebetween. Contact may be detected using a sensor configured to detect contact between the rotor and the concave. The sensor may be a knock sensor. The concave is displaced away from the rotor when contact is detected until contact between the rotor and the concave is no longer detected. One or more actuators may be coupled to the concave to move the concave relative to the rotor. In some implementations, the actuators may be operated in sequence to form the gap between the rotor and the concave.

Systems and methods for automated concave leveling of combine harvester

A rotary cleaning system for a combine harvester that includes a hollow drum having a plurality of apertures along at least a portion of a length of an exterior surface of the drum, the drum having a feeding end configured to receive a harvested crop and a discharge end configured to expel chaff from the harvested crop and a guiding vane positioned in an interior of the drum, wherein one of the drum and the guiding vane is configured for rotation while the other one of the drum and the guiding vane is stationary to expel grain through the plurality of apertures in the drum. A feeding mechanism can be attached to supply the crop to the hollow drum. A fan can be attached to the rotary cleaning system to generate an air flow stream. A plurality of fingers can be positioned in the drum.

Rotary shoe cleaner

A rotor assembly for harvesting a crop. The rotor assembly has a rotating portion defined along a rotation axis, a surrounding assembly at least partially surrounding the rotating portion, the surrounding assembly having at least one separation grate coupled to a support. The support defines an inner surface and has at least one interrupter receiver. The at least one interrupter receiver is selectively coupleable to an interrupter to position the interrupter radially inward of the inner surface towards the rotation axis.

Rail interrupter

A return pan for an agricultural harvester has an inclined upper surface portion, disposed to receive grain from a threshing or separating mechanism and laterally convey grain under the force of gravity to an inlet of a grain flow sensor.

Return pan grain presentation to a sensor

A combine double-decker crop residue spreader for use with a rotating chopper having chopper blades and through which air is blown may include a divider panel separating a lower portion from an upper portion of the spreader. The divider panel extends rearwardly from a location where the chopper blades transition from rotating towards the divider panel to rotating away from the divider. An airflow conduit extends above the divider panel in the upper portion to rearwardly direct air flow. At least one lower vertical panel below the divider panel in the lower portion rearwardly directs crop residue.

Double decker crop residue spreader

A grain harvesting vehicle is configured to harvest a grain. A chaffer is configured to separate grain from material other than grain (MOG). A grate is positioned rearward of the chaffer. The grate includes a grate panel having an upper surface and a lower surface and an aperture in the grate panel extending between the upper surface and the lower surface. The aperture has a first end nearer the chaffer and a second end opposite the first end. The grate further includes a ramp portion extending above the grate panel from adjacent the first end of the aperture toward the second end of the aperture. A grain sensor has a sensing location positioned at a height below the grate.

Grain loss apparatus for a grain harvesting vehicle

A row crop header for an agricultural machine harvesting a crop having stalks, such as corn. The row crop header includes a frame, a first crop row divider mounted to the frame, and a second crop row divider mounted to the frame and spaced from the first crop row divider to define a space therebetween. A row unit is disposed at the space, wherein the row unit includes a deck assembly defining a gap, the deck assembly including a compliant deck configured to adjust the gap based on contact with the stalks of the crop. The compliant deck includes a plurality of overlapping plates having edges defining the gap where the edges are configured to move responsively to varying diameters of stalks. Crops are separated from the stalks upon contact with the overlapping plates. A gathering chain moves the separated crops toward a collector.

Corn header row unit

A residue deflector is disposed in a combine body, and positioned along an airflow path to guide residue from an exit end of a cleaning shoe and a threshing and separation assembly, to a residue chopper. The deflector is configured with a plurality of spaced fingers so that air can pass through the deflector between the fingers.

Straw deflector for an agricultural combine

A harvester feeder may include a housing forming a crop passage having a width and a conveyor supported by the housing to extend above crops being conveyed along the crop passage. The conveyor may include a frame, at least one forward tensioner, at least one drive sprocket and at least one belt about the forward tensioner and the drive sprocket. In one implementation, the at least one belt forms a substantially uninterrupted crop engaging belt surface extending across a majority of the width. In one implementation, each belt has an upper portion and a lower portion with the lower portion being adjacent the crop passage, wherein a crop massager extends between the upper portion and the lower portion and resume only presses the lower portion of the continuous belt towards the crop passage.

Harvester feeder

A feederhouse conveyor system for an agricultural harvesting machine is provided. The feederhouse conveyor system includes a power transmitting system. The power transmitting system includes first rollers, second rollers, and power transmitting bands. The power transmitting bands are configured to each transmit power between each of the first rollers and the second rollers. The feederhouse conveyor system also includes rigid cross members, configured to each attach near each end to at least one of the power transmitting bands, and flexible cross members configured to each attach near each end to at least one of the power transmitting bands. The centerlines which extend through the rigid cross members and the flexible cross members are parallel. The mat attaches to the flexible cross members by a pocket in the mat through which the flexible cross members extend.

Growing community of inventors

Geneseo, IL, United States of America

Michael T Meschke