The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 03, 2000
Filed:
May. 18, 1998
John H Posselius, Ephrata, PA (US);
Walter V Pype, Lancaster, PA (US);
Steven C Young, Lancaster, PA (US);
New Holland North America, Inc., New Holland, PA (US);
Abstract
In an agricultural harvester a characteristic of crop material is monitored or measured as the crop material is conveyed through a feed tube by an auger. To obtain a more uniform packing density of the crop material in a sensing region where the measurement is made, a section of the auger flight is removed. An upstream section of flighting pushes the crop material into and through the sensing region and after it has been pushed through the sensing region it is conveyed away from the sensing region by a downstream section of flighting. The velocity of the crop material being pushed through the sensing region is not uniform across the radius of the feed tube and a layer of slowly moving crop material is formed adjacent the wall of the feed tube. A strap-like wiper element is provided in the sensor region to wipe or disperse the slowly moving layer of crop material. The ends of the wiper element are fastened to the downstream extent of the upstream flighting section and the upstream extent of the downstream flighting section. An opening between the wiper and the auger shaft permits passage of crop material being pushed through the sensing region.