Abstract: Steering equipment for a work vehicle includes a steering transmission shaft mounted so that the shaft can turn within a steering column, and with a control device for actuating a steering operating unit. The control device includes a reference member, which can move along the transmission shaft and a sensor device fixed to the steering column in a position substantially facing the reference member for detecting a position of the reference member along the transmission shaft. The sensor provides a displacement signal that is used to vary the steering ratio, such as steering speed.

Abstract: A modular excavator-backhoe control station is disclosed, the station having two control towers with joystick on their upper ends that are pivotally coupled adjacent a floor of an excavator or backhoe. They have one piece polymeric boots that cover them as well as several additional operator controls. The towers are held in fore-and-aft position by a locking fluid cylinder that is adjustable to a many fore-and-aft positions. The towers also have upper portions that are laterally pivotal.

Abstract: An access control system for controlling access to a vehicle and reconfiguring the vehicle to disable or enable operator smart keys is disclosed. An electronic controller in the vehicle receives signals indicating the presence of a master smart key in the vehicle. Once it determines that a master key is present, it permits one or more individual operator smart keys to be programmed. The identification numbers of these smart keys are stored in an electronic memory of the vehicle. Operators who subsequently insert these keys into the vehicle's ignition will be able to start and operate the vehicle.

Abstract: An engine hood includes an outer shell with vertical front, right and left sides and a planar top that covers an engine and its radiator. An inner panel is fixed to the inner surface of the hood underneath an opening in the top. This inner panel directs air passing through the opening in the top forward to in front of the radiator. The inner panel is fixed to the hood at its rear and side edges, and abuts the top of the radiator with it front edge. This prevents heated air flow from behind the radiator over the top of the radiator and into the radiator air inlet and the combustion air inlet.

Abstract: A fluid flow control mechanism includes a crossover fuel assembly which controls fuel flow between tanks such that an engine fuel intake pipe remains submerged. It is for a work vehicle with a fuel system which has two tanks, three flexible couplings, a tube assembly and a valve assembly. The crossover fuel assembly includes a suction tube assembly, a check valve assembly, a connecting polymeric or elastomeric coupling and multiple clamping mechanisms. The engine fuel intake pipe fluidly connects the crossover fuel assembly to the engine.

Abstract: A multiple finger flow guide for a crop residue spreader including an element disposed in a housing and rotatable in a predetermined direction about an axis for driving a flow of crop residue through a discharge opening or outlet of the housing located at a predetermined angular position around the axis.

Abstract: A control system for a skid steer vehicle reads a load height sensor, a load amount sensor, and a vehicle speed sensor to derate the otherwise commanded acceleration, deceleration and turning rate on the vehicle when the vehicle has too great a load, too high a load, or the vehicle is going too fast.

Abstract: There is disclosed a primary tillage system in combination with a soil conditioner rotary reel that addresses the performance requirement differences due to soil types and moisture conditions that other tillage systems do not address. The combination provides a one-pass seedbed preparation process of a superior quality to that of any heretofore known one-pass systems through the improved performance of the soil conditioning rotary reel. The rotary reel includes a plurality of flat bars attached to support plates in a symmetrical helix arrangement that provide a thorough breakup of clods not heretofore possible.

Abstract: A skid steer vehicle has a chassis with an engine mounted thereon and is supported by four suspensions located at the left front, the left rear, the right front and the right rear of the vehicle. The suspensions include control arms that extend laterally away from the vehicle that are connected to struts for steering the vehicle. Wheels are connected to the struts to support the vehicle. Two wheels on the left side of the vehicle are driven by a first hydraulic motor and two wheels on the right side of the vehicle are driven by a second hydraulic motor. The wheels can be steered such that the front wheels point to the left and the rear wheels point to the right, and such that the front wheels point to the right and the rear wheels point to the left.

Abstract: A skid steer vehicle with steerable suspension has hydraulic motors coupled to four steerable wheels. The wheels are turned by hydraulic actuators and the vehicle is steered either by turning the wheels or by driving the wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle in opposite directions and skid steering the vehicle.

Abstract: An adjustment control system for a grain cleaning sieve or sieves of an agricultural combine, a method of automatic operation of a sieve control system for adjusting the sieve opening size or position while mitigating error and inaccuracy resulting from tolerance stack-up of mechanical components in the system.

Abstract: A skid steer vehicle is supported on four gearboxes that function both as control arms and as speed reduction gearboxes. Each side of the vehicle's chassis has two gearboxes to which it is coupled. A hydraulic motor is fixed to each side of the chassis to drive the gearboxes on that side. The motors are arranged such that their drive shafts extend longitudinally along the chassis, with a front shaft engaging the front gearbox and a rear shaft engaging the rear gearbox. The gearboxes include three speed-reducing right angle gear sets coupling an axle extending from the gearbox to the motor driving that gearbox.

Abstract: A fertilizer system that employs an independent hydraulic motor and variable speed pump to deliver the selected application rate from the convenience of the operator's cab. The application rate can be changed while planting without changing seed population and the application rate can be controlled sectionally as well. The system may additionally be used in combination with more sophisticated multi-functional control systems that read maps and use GPS technology to control the entire preparation and planting operation.

Abstract: A skid steer vehicle has sprung suspensions, variable displacement pumps and motors connected to those pumps that drive the wheels on the vehicle as well as an electronic controller that receives signals that indicate fore-and-aft acceleration of the skid steer vehicle. Based on these signals, the controller determines whether the forward acceleration exceeds a predetermined value and locks up the rear suspensions if that value is exceeded. It also determines whether the forward deceleration exceeds a predetermined value and locks up the front suspensions if that value is exceeded. The signals can be provided by an accelerometer, a satellite receiver, wheel/motor speed sensors, sensors in the pumps that signal the specific displacement of the pumps such as their swash plate positions, or memory locations that contain previously calculated specific displacement commands that are used to drive the pumps to a particular specific displacement.

Abstract: A hydraulic actuator is disclosed having a cylinder with a piston that is moved by hydraulic fluid. A laser diode emits a pulse or pulses of light that form laser light beam. These pulses are provided to two or more optical fibers that extend into two or more corresponding cylinders. For each of these cylinders, the optical fiber enters the cylinder at one end of the cylinder and directs a laser beam into the cylinder, and off the piston where the beam is reflected. The reflected beam then exits the cylinder through at least two corresponding optical fibers disposed on either side of the fiber that conducted the light into the cylinder. Each of the optical fibers that receives reflected light is joined together with the others of the optical fibers into one fiber that carries the reflected beam of light to a photo-diode located remote from the cylinder. Each of the photo diodes for each of the two or more cylinders has a corresponding photo diode amplifier.

Abstract: A control system is disclosed for an agricultural implement, such as an agricultural sprayer, used to dispense a product to the ground wherein the dispensing units for the product are provided with control valves that can reduce the flow rate of product through selected dispensing units to zero. By controlling the rate of flow through the dispensing units, overlap of the application of the product to the ground can be substantially eliminated. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the control mechanism can receive data from a remote source, such as a central controller or another implement operating in the field, to define where the product needs to be applied to the ground. The application of the product can also be controlled through or in conjunction with a prescription map.

Abstract: An agricultural combine is provided that estimates a hydraulic pressure of a rotor drive system based upon the speeds of the pump (or engine) and motor that drive the rotor. The pressure is estimated by generating a pump displacement control signal in a convention feedback control algorithm and using that signal together with a sensed motor speed signal and a sensed pump speed (proportional to engine speed) to estimate the hydraulic pressure.

Abstract: An agricultural combine is provided with a controller that estimates a hydraulic pressure of a rotor drive system based upon the speeds of the pump (or engine) and motor that drive the rotor. The pressure is estimated by generating a pump displacement control signal in a convention feedback control algorithm and using that signal together with a sensed motor speed signal and a sensed pump speed (proportional to engine speed) to estimate the hydraulic pressure.