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:
Dec. 29, 2009
Filed:
Jul. 31, 2007
Mark Robert Stelter, Pella, IA (US);
James L. O'halloran, Pella, IA (US);
Dennis K Gabler, Adel, IA (US);
Jeffrey D. Kernwein, Pella, IA (US);
Ivan R Brand, Pella, IA (US);
Brian M Johnson, Monroe, IA (US);
Mark Robert Stelter, Pella, IA (US);
James L. O'Halloran, Pella, IA (US);
Dennis K Gabler, Adel, IA (US);
Jeffrey D. Kernwein, Pella, IA (US);
Ivan R Brand, Pella, IA (US);
Brian M Johnson, Monroe, IA (US);
Vermeer Manufacturing Co., Pella, IA (US);
Abstract
An improved brush cutter having an upper feed control member with stop, forward, neutral, and reverse positions also has a lower feed stop member with selectable sensitivity. Another aspect of the invention is to predict the feed roller shutoff point according to the rate of engine deceleration. According to another aspect, when the feed rollers stop feeding material into the cutters, to overcome drag on the cutters, a controller stops the feed rollers and then reverses them for a short time, and then reverses the rollers again if the problem is still present. To prevent jamming, a pressure switch senses when oil in a hydraulic motor system for rotating the feed rollers is too high and the controller momentarily reverses the feed rollers and then causes them to go forward, a cycle which can occur several times until the feed rollers are no longer stalled. By another aspect of the invention, the controller senses characteristics of the brush cutter and chooses an operating system based on the characteristics sensed. The controller can also sense if the brush chipper has not been used for a predetermined period of time and automatically reduce the idle speed of the engine until the brush chipper is used again, and then automatically return the engine to a normal idle speed before the feed rollers will pull brush into the brush chipper.