Patents Examined by Arpad F Kovacs
  • Patent number: 11665998
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle includes a chassis, a header carried by the chassis, an operator cab carried by the chassis, wheels carried by the chassis, at least one wheel driver coupled to at least one of the wheels and configured to drive the at least one coupled wheel at a wheel drive speed, a control handle placed in the operator cab that is displaceable from a zero speed position to a maximum speed position, and a controller operably coupled to the at least one wheel driver. The controller is configured to receive a header type signal indicating a header type of the header and output a resolution signal to the at least one wheel driver to define the maximum speed amount based at least partially on the received header type signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Gregory T. Fasick
  • Patent number: 11659786
    Abstract: A harvest head having a device to remove grains from plants to be harvested and a device to transfer harvested grains to a feeder and to a discharge tube. The harvest head having a support structure; a threshing comb; a first conveyor belt; a second conveyor belt, the threshing comb transfers the grains into the first and the second conveyor belts. The first and the second conveyor belts are convergent. A transverse conveyor belt is located between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt. A reinforcement arranged on the back and the front cover and projecting out of the harvest head. The first and the second convergent conveyor belts carry the grain to the transverse conveyor belt, the transverse conveyor belt introduce the grains into a feeder that ends in a discharge tube. The convergent conveyor belts and the transverse conveyor belt are bands made of composite resins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Inventors: Hector Augusto Huergo, Ana Fernandez Moujan
  • Patent number: 11647698
    Abstract: A chopper blade for use in an agricultural harvester chopper to chop crop residue comprises a blade body and a hard face. The blade body comprises a cutting edge of the chopper blade. The hard face is applied on a surface of the blade body, and is harder than the blade body. The hard face comprises a serration pattern along a cutting edge such that the cutting edge wears to the serration pattern to match the serration pattern to form corresponding serrations in the cutting edge with the serration pattern becoming part of the cutting edge of the chopper blade during use of the chopper blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Justin D. Bruns
  • Patent number: 11641806
    Abstract: A combine harvester threshing drum threshing bar includes a threshing fixture including a leading edge, an opposed trailing end, a top threshing side, including a trailing threshing face that extends between the trailing end and the corner and a leading threshing that inclines downwardly from the corner to the leading edge to form a wedge in the threshing fixture, an opposed bottom threshing drum emplacement side, a first bore and a second bore. The first bore includes a first hole open to trailing threshing face that enlarges a second hole open to the threshing drum emplacement side. The second bore includes a third hole open to leading threshing face that enlarges a second hole open to the threshing drum emplacement side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Inventor: Ronald J. Kile
  • Patent number: 11638398
    Abstract: A driver assistance system for a combine harvester that has a processing stage with an input for a crop flow, a first output for a useful flow and has abundant threshed grains, and a second output for a residual flow with scarce grains. At least one operating parameter of the processing stage is adjustable. The driver assistance system has an actuatable rethreshing device arranged at the second output of the processing stage, a residual grain sensor for detecting a proportion of threshed out grain in the residual flow downstream of the rethreshing device, and an evaluating device that turns the rethreshing device on and off, compares the proportions of threshed out grains in the residual flow when the rethreshing device is turned on and when the rethreshing device is turned off, and to adapt the at least one operating parameter of the processing stage based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Jens Bussmann
  • Patent number: 11632911
    Abstract: A cutting unit includes: a plurality of knives; a knife guard with at least one opening; a knife tray carrying the knives and movable between an exposed position where the knives extend through the at least one opening and a retracted position where the knives are shielded by the knife guard; and an overload protection assembly including a first slide member coupled to the knife tray and having a first engagement surface and a second slide member having a second engagement surface that is engaged with the first engagement surface. The first slide member and the second slide member are held together and slidable relative to one another such that the first slide member slides relative to the second slide member to move the knife tray from the exposed position to the retracted position when an overload force is applied to at least one of the knives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Freek De Baere
  • Patent number: 11632912
    Abstract: A planar tine plate having a number of tines. The tine plate is configured to be arranged on a rotor shaft of a rotor cutter apparatus of an agricultural baler. The tine plate is for moving or conveying crop material collected by the agricultural baler, for example by a pickup apparatus of the agricultural baler. The tine plate has at least one first tine and at least one second tine spaced angularly from the at least one first tine. The at least one first tine has a length greater than that of the at least one second tine. An increase in the cleaning efficiency and the crop conveying efficiency of an area to be swept by the tine plate as the rotor shaft rotates may be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Wouter Boone, Bram Rosseel, Dries Liefooghe, Dieter Kindt, Jeroen Devroe
  • Patent number: 11627701
    Abstract: An agricultural header for use with an agricultural harvester is configured to cut crop when the agricultural harvester moves in a direction of travel. The agricultural header comprises a first frame, a side draper belt supported by the first frame and positioned to receive cut crop and advance cut crop laterally relative to the direction of travel, a second frame, a center draper belt supported by the second frame and positioned in register with the side draper belt to receive cut crop laterally therefrom and advance cut crop rearwardly toward the agricultural harvester opposite to the direction of travel, and a joint interconnecting the first frame and the second frame and enabling relative fore-aft and lateral translation between the first frame and the second frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Matthew R. White, Bryan R. Yanke, Duane M. Bomleny, Corwin M. Puryk, Joshua R. Pierson, Anthony J. Washburn, Shane Anderson
  • Patent number: 11622502
    Abstract: A rod mechanism for a garden tool having a main body includes a first rod pivotally connected to the main body and movable between an in-use position and a storage position. A locking component engages the main body to lock the first rod in one of the in-use position and the storage position. An actuator moves between a released position and a triggered position, the actuator when in the triggered position unlocking the locking component from the main body, the actuator when in the released position orienting the locking component so as to be lockable to the main body. A second rod connected to the first rod moves to a preset position allowing the actuator to move to one of the triggered position or the released position. A position sensor on the main body generates a sensing signal when the first rod pivots to at least one of the in-use position and the storage position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Skybest Electric Appliance (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Juan Wei, Tianrong Zhang
  • Patent number: 11622505
    Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle includes: a header frame; a flexible cutter supported by the header frame and including a plurality of cutting edges; a reel including a plurality of reel sections movably supported by the header frame, each of the reel sections including a plurality of tines and being independently movable from the other reel sections; and at least one rigid link connecting the flexible cutter to one of the reel sections, the at least one rigid link being configured to transmit flexing forces acting on the flexible cutter to the connected one reel section such that a substantially constant separation is maintained between the flexible cutter and the connected one reel section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Herbert M. Farley, Benjamin D. Kemmerer
  • Patent number: 11617300
    Abstract: A locking mechanism for an agricultural header includes a rod configured to extend laterally along the agricultural header and a cam coupled to the rod and configured to engage a respective arm of the agricultural header. The arm is configured to support a cutter bar assembly of the agricultural header, and the arm is configured to rotate relative to a frame of the agricultural header. The rod is configured to rotate in a first direction to a first orientation to engage the cam with the arm to block rotation of the arm relative to the frame, and the rod is configured to rotate in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to a second orientation to disengage the cam from the arm to enable rotation of the arm relative to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Blaine Robert Noll, Herbert Max Farley, Jeffrey Daniel Thomas, Benjamin David Kemmerer
  • Patent number: 11612107
    Abstract: A chopper arrangement for an agricultural harvester, having a housing and a plurality of rotatable knife rows in the housing. The chopper arrangement includes a counter knife arrangement including a first counter knife bank and a second counter knife bank downstream of the first counter knife bank. The counter knife arrangement is movable between an engaged position, in which the first and second counter knife banks at least partially overlap the plurality of rotatable knife rows, and a disengaged position, in which the first and second counter knife banks are retracted away from the plurality of rotatable knife rows. The counter knife arrangement also includes a mechanical linkage coupling the first counter knife bank to the second counter knife bank to provide for simultaneous movement of the first and second counter knife banks upon actuation of the counter knife arrangement between the engaged and disengaged positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Frank R. G. Duquesne, Jolan Heyns, Tim Passchyn, Gilles Mommerency
  • Patent number: 11606899
    Abstract: A height of cut and rake adjustment system for a rough, trim and surround mower deck with a pair of front height of cut arms and a pair of rear height of cut arms. Each height of cut arm is pivotably mounted to the mower deck on a pivot axis below an upper end of each height of cut arm. An adjustable height of cut linkage extends between the upper end of each front height of cut arm and the upper end of each rear height of cut arm. An adjustable rake linkage extends between the upper end of each front height of cut arm and an intermediate portion of each rear height of cut arm below the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventor: Chad C. Steen
  • Patent number: 11606903
    Abstract: A header for a crop harvesting machine includes front and rear wheel arrangements that pivot about respective upright axis between a field orientation and a perpendicular transport orientation, while having respective suspensions arrangements movable between different suspended heights. A biasing spring provides lift assist to carry weight of the wheel arrangement during adjustment of the suspension elevation while being isolated from the suspension once set at any one elevation. The front wheel arrangement includes an anti-rotation latch that locks the front wheel in the field orientation automatically upon disconnection of a hitch arm. A second wheel of the rear wheel arrangement can be held in a raised position relative to a first wheel in a field orientation. Load bearing surfaces between the suspended rear wheels and the header frame abut one another when latching to the header frame to isolate the suspension from the header frame in the transport orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: MacDon Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Russell George Lyons, Daniel Victor Kaethler
  • Patent number: 11606906
    Abstract: A harvest header apparatus for harvesting a first crop in a field while preventing damage to a second later crop planted in the same field. A header table with a knife mounted along a lower front edge thereof has a plurality of crop shields attached to and spaced along the header table at a selected shield spacing, each crop shield extending forward from a rear portion thereof located under the knife to a forward end thereof located forward of the knife. A forward portion of each crop shield slopes upward such that crop plants contacted by the forward portion of each crop shield are pushed downward and pass under the knife without contacting the knife. The shield spacing is selected so the crop shields move along rows of second crop and push the second crop plants down and under the table such that same are not contacted by the knife.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventors: Dave Dietrich, Ron Wheeler
  • Patent number: 11596105
    Abstract: A drive system for an agricultural baler that includes a power take off (PTO) shaft configured for being operably connected in between an agricultural vehicle and the agricultural baler and for supplying motive power to the agricultural baler, a gearbox configured for being mounted on the agricultural baler and connected to the PTO shaft for receiving motive power from the PTO shaft, a pickup drive shaft operably connected to the gearbox and configured for being operably connected to a reel of a pickup unit of the agricultural baler, at least one sensor associated with the pickup drive shaft and configured for sensing a rotational movement of the pickup drive shaft, and an electrical processing circuit operably connected to the at least one sensor. The electrical processing circuit is configured for disconnecting motive power to the reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: John R. McClure
  • Patent number: 11596099
    Abstract: A hay rake tooth assembly for use with a mounting clip on a hay rake wheel. The hay rake tooth assembly has a tine with a ball-shaped retaining member that is configured to permit a shaft of the tine to move along the length of the difference in diameter between the shaft and a tine opening of the mounting clip in which is the tine is assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Rowse Hydraulic Rakes Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Dannie Dean Rowse, Rodney Dean Rowse
  • Patent number: 11589512
    Abstract: A header (102) for an agricultural harvester (100) comprising a frame (104), a cutter bar (106), a draper belt and a cutter bar support sub-assembly connected to the frame is disclosed. The cutter bar support sub-assembly generally includes a draper support sub-assembly (200A,200B) and a support arm subassembly. The draper support sub-assembly is pivotably connected to the support arm sub-assembly and pivotable about a longitudinal axis of the support arm sub-assembly. The draper support sub-assembly includes a first draper support (608) that includes a curved surface engaging the draper belt and a cutter bar mount (606) supporting the cutter bar. The support arm sub assembly includes a support member connected to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Herbert M. Farley, Benjamin Kemmerer, Blaine R. Noll, Brian L. Scheuring
  • Patent number: 11589506
    Abstract: A residue management system comprises a chopper to chop crop residue, a residue spreader, and a floor extension. The residue spreader is mounted for pivotable movement relative to the chopper between a dispersal position to disperse crop residue and a windrow position to deposit crop residue in a windrow. The residue spreader comprises a first spreading device, a second spreading device, and a splitter positioned laterally between the first and second spreading devices to divide flow of crop residue therebetween. A floor of the chopper and a floor of the residue spreader are spaced apart from one another to define a gap. The floor extension projects rearwardly from the floor of the chopper partially over the floor of the residue spreader about the gap alongside the splitter to guide flow of crop residue from the chopper to the residue spreader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Martin Rittershofer, Christopher J. Faulkner, Myles W. Zirpel
  • Patent number: 11589511
    Abstract: A control system for controlling pivoting of a header of an agricultural harvester. The control system includes first, second, and third header height sensors, each for mounting to a respective point on the header, each configured to provide a respective header height signal representing a respective measured header height of their respective point on the header above a ground plane. The control system further includes a header angle sensor configured to provide a header angle signal indicative of a pivot angle of the header about an axis; and a processor configured to: receive the signals; calculate an estimated first header height based on the pivot angle and the second and third header heights; determine a replacement first header height by selecting the smallest of the estimated and the measured first header height; and generate a control signal based at least on the replacement first header height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Ward M. R. Byttebier