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:
May. 07, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 17, 2000
Steffen Clauss, Dellfeld, DE;
Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US);
Abstract
A harvesting machine includes a crop intake arrangement including either a reel or a crop hold down which operate to aid in the advancement of harvested crop into the machine for further processing. In the event of a jam or the presence of metal occurring, the crop intake arrangement may be operated in reverse so as to expel the jam and/or sensed metal. An actuator is provided for moving the reel or crop hold down between non-operating and operating positions and a first sensor for sensing a jam condition and/or the presence of metal is provided which sends a signal when such a condition exists, this signal being used to effect automatic operation of said actuator so as to move the reel or hold down to a non-operating position so as not to interfere with the expulsion of the jam and/or metal. Other controls are provided and other parameters are sensed for delaying and/or overriding the automatic positioning of the reel or crop hold down in their non-operating position. One such parameter is provided by a timing device which prevents automatic positioning of the reel or crop hold down when the signal indicating a jam or the presence of metal does not endure for a pre-selected time interval. Another parameter is provided by a sensing device which determines whether or not the machine is traveling in the forward direction. If it is, after a jam or the presence of metal is sensed, then a signal is issued which causes the reel and/or hold down to be returned to its operating position.