Allis-chalmers Corporation

Warren E Herwig

Terry R Downing

Paul T Shupert

Tony L Kaminski

A ground speed control for an agricultural combine driven by a turbocharged engine through a variable transmission continuously monitors a plurality of speed and load parameters of the combine and engine, identifies the controlling parameter representing the limiting capacity in the harvesting process as field conditions change, and varies combine ground speed in response to such controlling parameter to maximize the harvest cutting rate. Sensors monitor ground speed, boost pressure and engine speed parameters and convert them to electrical signals which are compared to boost pressure and ground speed setpoint signals selected by the operator and to a fixed engine speed setpoint signal to derive error signals for such parameters. Voltage level sensitive OR-means and AND-means establish deadbands for the error signals having upper and lower limits on opposite sides of the corresponding setpoint signals. The OR-means generates a speed decrease signal to decrease the transmission drive ratio and slow down the combine when any positive error signal is beyond its upper deadband limit. The AND-means generates a speed increase signal to increase the transmission drive ratio when both boost pressure and ground speed negative error signals are beyond their lower deadband limits. The speed increase and speed decrease signals are modulated by a rate of response signal which is a function of the magnitude of the parameter error signals so that the control both identifies and responds to the controlling parameter which has the greatest error and also responds at a rate which is a function of the magnitude of such error.

Combine speed control

A combine harvester vehicle having threshing, separating and cleaning stages for cut crop material and a tailings return elevator for conveying tailings to one of the stages for recycling, is provided with a tailings monitor including a photodiode for transmitting a radiant energy beam across the path of tailings being conveyed in the elevator, an electrical circuit including a photodetector for deriving digital signals indicative of whether the beam is impinging on the photodetector or is being interrupted by the tailings, and an RC circuit which charges a capacitor through a resistance when the digital signal is present indicating that the beam is interrupted and discharges it when the opposite digital signal is present to thereby develop an average voltage across the capacitor which is an analog of the percentage of time that the beam is interrupted by the tailings being conveyed in the elevator and can be visually displayed on a voltmeter to the combine operator as a measure of tailings volume. In an alternative embodiment the digital signals are coupled to a microprocessor for processing of the signals and display to the operator.

Tailings monitor for combine harvester

An Agricultural combine having a sickle reciprocated by a wobble drive mechanism and a torsion bar coupled to the sickle to reduce the input torque requirement of the drive mechanism, is provided with a warning system to operate an alarm when energy is still stored in the torsion bar, unknown to the operator, when the drive mechanism is shut down and which stored energy could reciprocate the sickle and represent a hazard to the operator. The hazard warning system is disabled when the drive mechanism is operating.

Torsion spring coupled drive mechanism for reciprocating device having

A system for indicating area traversed by a vehicular implement has a ground speed sensor for generating ground speed pulses at a frequency which is a function of the implement ground speed; a pulse generator for deriving fixed width pulses from said ground speed pulses; an integrator for accumulating the fixed width pulses to derive a positive slope dc signal whose instantaneous magnitude is an analog of distance traveled by the implement; a comparator for comparing the analog signal to a reference signal whose magnitude is an inverse function of the width of path traversed by the implement and for providing an output signal when the former becomes equal to the latter, whereby the output signal indicates that the implement has traversed an area equal to the distance traveled multiplied by the path width; and a counter for registering and displaying the number of output signals as an indication of area traversed. Preferably the width of the pulses applied to the integrator can be selectively varied by the implement operator to compensate for difference in gear ratios or wheel and tire sizes of different implement models.

Method and apparatus for measuring area traversed by vehicular implement

An overload protective system continuously monitors the forward overturning moment on a counterbalanced lift truck and prevents further raising of the carriage or further forward tilting of the mast when the overturning moment is excessive. Resistance strain gage sensors mounted on a load carrying tilt jack pin which resists the overturning moment are connected in an electrical bridge which may be inherently unbalanced due to the weight of the unloaded carriage and derives a strain signal proportional to the mechanical strain in the load carrying anchor pin when the carriage supports a load; a high gain differential amplifier raises the level of the strain signal output from the bridge and unbalance compensating adjustment means permit selective variation of the potential difference between the inputs to the differential amplifier until its output voltage is substantially zero to thereby compensate for unbalance in the bridge when the carriage is unloaded; a visual indicator is lighted when the differential amplifier output voltage is substantially zero to thereby indicate that bridge unbalance is compensated for; a comparator derives a trip signal when the differential amplifier output voltage reaches a predetermined magnitude when the carriage supports a load; a shift register receiving clock pulses from an oscillator as a time reference records the history of the comparator output and a decoder analyzes the shift register output and sets a latch when the trip signal comparator output has been present for a predetermined interval of time; and disabling means responsive to setting of the latch de-energize operating coils for blocking valves which inhibit further raising of the carriage or further forward tilting of the mast.

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Wind Lake, WI, United States of America

Warren E Herwig