Case Corporation

J. I. Case Company

Richard E McMillen

Robert A Matousek

Jesse H Orsborn

Dale R Tanis

Stephen Michael Faivre

Jon E Ricketts

James George Morrow

John Donald Watt

Neil C Dunn

Gerald E Salzman

Peter J Vogel

A control system for controlling a vehicle system at least partly in response to an anticipated condition along the vehicle's course of travel is disclosed herein. The vehicle includes a drive train powered by an engine, and the anticipated condition may affect engine load. The control system includes a location signal generation circuit for receiving positioning signals and generating location signals therefrom, a memory circuit for storing a predetermined geo-referenced map including map data indicative of anticipated conditions along the course of travel which may affect engine load, and a control circuit. The control circuit predicts the anticipated condition using at least the location signals and the map data, generates a control signal based at least upon the anticipated condition, and applies the control signal to the vehicle system. The prediction of the anticipated condition can be calibrated using results of a comparison between a sensed actual condition and an earlier-predicted anticipated condition. Anticipated conditions include anticipated slopes, crop conditions and soil conditions. Crop conditions can be anticipated using aerial photography. The controlled vehicle systems include speed actuators, transmissions, crop processors, energy exchangers, clutches and differential locks.

Control of vehicular systems in response to anticipated conditions

An improved row crop header, suitable for mounting on a harvesting machine, for harvesting crops planted in rows. The improved row crop header has a plurality of row units mounted on a frame of the row crop header such that each row unit has two gatherers placed in corresponding offsetting planes. The adjacent gatherers of two adjacent row units are in offsetting planes to permit the overlap of the adjacent gatherers. This overlap of the adjacent gatherers permits the row units to be arranged closer together allowing the instant row crop header to harvest narrower crop rows than the existing corn heads. Also provided is an improved method for harvesting narrow crop rows by providing a row crop header configured so that the adjacent row units of the row crop header are arranged closer together than in the existing corn heads.

Narrow row corn head with staggered height gathering chains

An improved row crop header for harvesting crops planted in rows. The improved row crop header has a plurality of row units mounted on a frame such that the adjacent gatherers of two adjacent row units are in offset planes to permit the overlap of the adjacent gatherers. This overlap permits the row units to be arranged closer together on the frame allowing the row crop header to harvest narrower crop rows than existing corn heads. Also provided is a method that uses the improved row crop header to harvest narrower crop rows than in the past.

Narrow row corn head with staggered height row units

An infeed assembly for an axial-flow combine arranged at a forward end of a rotor which is mounted within a casing defining a transition section at a forward end thereof. The transition section has a series of spiral transport vanes on an inner surface thereof. The infeed assembly is comprised of a series of equally spaced blades. Each blade has a leading edge, an outer edge, and a material engaging surface. The leading edge of the blade, which is peripherally rounded, is swept back relative to the given direction of rotor rotation. The outer blade edge extends from the leading edge and angles relative to the transport vanes in varying degrees as the blade extends rearwardly from the leading edge. The material engaging surface of the blade has a generally concave shaped section extending axially rearward from the leading edge of the blade and which extends into a relatively flat shape section. The curved concave and flattened sections of each impeller blade have cross-sectional profiled configurations lying on planes extending normal to the rotational axis of the rotor and which are incrementally swept back at substantially the same angle of crop deflection as the leading edge of the blade. Anti-wrap mechanism provided at a forward end of the rotor inhibits crop material from winding about the rotor.

Infeed assembly for an axial-flow combine

A rotor for a rotary threshing combine which is readily adjustable to provide a great variety of threshing patterns to suit the particular crops and conditions of use. The rotor drum has a plurality of mounting lugs affixed thereto in an array that includes longitudinal, circumferential, and helical rows. A variety of differently shaped threshing elements, each designed for efficient operation under particular conditions, is provided and said elements are selectively and interchangeably and releasably connectable to the mounting lugs.

Growing community of inventors

Sherrard, IL, United States of America

Richard E McMillen