Abstract: A material spreader comprising a mobile tank for receiving and discharging waste material, such as manure. The spreader includes a conveying assembly comprising one or more augers rotatably mounted in the tank for conveying material received in the tank to a discharge area. An opening in the vicinity of the discharge area permits material to be dispensed to a slinger assembly mounted outside the tank adjacent the opening. Material is distributed by the slinger in a controlled pattern as the tank is transported over a field. A control system is provided for selectively controlling the rate and pattern of the material being distributed, based on characteristics of the material. A field is divided into cells and data relating to the nutrient demand of each cell is collected and stored in tables in a memory. A GPS receiver detects the location of the spreader as it moves over a field.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling an agricultural harvester having a cut crop receiving header coupled to a hydraulic cylinder. The header applies a force against the ground that is adjusted by applying pressure to the cylinder. A first proportional valve is fluidly coupled to the cylinder, and responds to a first input signal by increasing pressure in the cylinder to a setpoint value, when the pressure is less than the setpoint. A second proportional valve is also fluidly coupled to the cylinder, and responds to a second input signal by reducing pressure in the cylinder to the setpoint pressure value, when the pressure is greater than the setpoint. A pressure signal representing cylinder pressure is received. The difference between the measured pressure and the setpoint is used to compute the first and second input signals, which are transmitted to the valves.

Abstract: A forage harvester having a feed mechanism for transporting crop material along a feed path to a rotating cutterhead is provided with a first detector for detecting metal objects in the crop material and a second detector for detecting hard objects. The feed mechanism includes a hollow feed roll rotatable about a fixed shaft and both detectors are supported by the fixed shaft inside the feed roll. The first detector is a metal detector mounted inside a housing supported by the fixed shaft. The second detector is a thin film microphone for sensing air-borne sound waves produced when hard objects impact the feed roll. The second detector may be mounted on the housing or, alternatively, mounted on a support member attached to the fixed shaft. In either arrangement, a vibration-absorbing pad is provided to isolate the microphone from mechanical vibrations occurring in its supporting structure.

Abstract: A thin film highly directional audible sound sensor is mounted within a rotatable feed roll of a forage harvester to detect the presence of stones and other hard foreign objects in a crop material being fed past the feed roll to a cutter mechanism. Air-borne sound waves produced by the impact of foreign objects on metal parts of the harvester are detected by the sensor which produces a signal for stopping the crop feed mechanism before the foreign objects reach the cutter mechanism. The sensor is mounted on a stationary support within the rotatable feed roll. Output signals from the sensor control a stop mechanism for the crop feed mechanism via conductors extending through a stationary support shaft for the feed roll, thereby avoiding the need to commutate output signals from the detector.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having an acoustic detector for sensing air-borne sounds produced by the impact of hard foreign objects on the crop feed mechanism of the harvester, a start-up control is provided for inhibiting the detector output during the intervals when the crop feed mechanism is stopped or being brought up to running speed. In forage harvesters having metal detectors for sensing the presence of metal in the crop material, the electromagnetic sensor in the metal detector inherently produces a noise output signal which is dependent on the speed of the crop feed mechanism, and this signal is used to control the inhibiting of the acoustic detector output.

Abstract: A device for determining the depth below the ground surface of a working member of an earth moving equipment, comprises a sensor for transmitting ultrasonic signal from underneath and toward the ground surface and for receiving a portion of the signal reflected from the ground surface. The sensor is positioned underneath the ground surface in fixed spatial relationship to the working member such that the sensor means is under the ground surface when at least a portion of the working member is under the ground surface. A circuit is provided for processing the received reflected signal to thereby indicate the depth under the ground surface of the working member, whereby the depth is proportional to the time of travel of the signal to the ground surface and the reflected signal to the sensor means.

Abstract: A device for determining the depth below the ground surface of a working member of an earth moving equipment, comprises a sensor for transmitting electromagnetic signal from underneath and toward the ground surface and for receiving a portion of the signal reflected from the ground surface. The sensor is positioned underneath the ground surface in fixed spatial relationship to the working member such that the sensor means is under the ground surface when at least a portion of the working member is under the ground surface. A circuit is provided for processing the received reflected signal to thereby indicate the depth under the ground surface of the working member, whereby the depth is proportional to the time of travel of the signal to the ground surface and the reflected signal to the sensor means.

Abstract: Apparatus for sensing moisture in crop material includes a probe mounted on a pickup of an agricultural baler for movement between a retracted position and an operative position. The probe has a pair of fingers arranged in a spaced apart relationship so that crop material picked up by the baler bridges the space between the fingers when the probe is in the operative position thus creating a signal path between the fingers. The moisture sensing apparatus also includes a cam roller carried on the pickup to move the probe from its retracted position to its operative position, and a computer connected to the probe to measure the conductance level of the crop material creating the signal path.

Abstract: A non-contact row crop sensor comprises one or more transmitter/receptor pairs mounted on two row separators of a harvesting machine. Each transmitter transmits an energy beam to one of the receptors and the energy beams cross at a point which defines a position of the harvesting machine relative to a row of crop stalks. A circuit produces steering control signals dependent upon the time of intercept of one beam of a pair relative to the time of intercept of the second beam of the pair. A discriminator circuit is provided for discriminating between crop stalks and weeds. Plural transmitter/receptor pairs permit discrimination between intercepts caused by leaves and those caused by stalks.

Abstract: A row crop harvesting machine is provided with first and second infra-red transmitters and first and second infra-red receptors for sensing the infra-red beams emitted by the transmitters. The transmitters and receptors are mounted on two adjacent crop row separators of a harvesting machine header and are positioned such that the beams intersect in a region which defines the alignment of the harvesting machine relative to a row of crop stalks. The intensities of the beams and the sensitivities of the receptors are such that the receptors may sense the beams through leaves but not through stalks.

Abstract: A row crop harvesting machine is provided with first and second infra-red transmitters and first and second infra-red receptors for sensing the infra-red beams emitted by the transmitters. The transmitters and receptors and mounted on two adjacent crop row separators of a harvesting machine header and are positioned such that the beams intersect in a region which defines the alignment of the harvesting machine relative to a row of crop stalks. The widths of the beams are chosen to be less than the width of the crop stalks being harvested but greater than the width of weed stalks which may be growing in the region of a crop row.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cancelling cyclically recurring noise induced in a magnetic metal detector by movement of ferrous machine parts in the field of the detector provides for periodically sampling the output of the metal detector, delaying each sample for the duration of one cycle of the cyclically recurring noise, and subtracting the samples taken in one cycle from the output of the metal detector during the following cycle. The delay is accomplished by a delay line or shift register, or by storing the samples under microprocessor control. If the noise has a first component occuring at a first rate and a second component occuring at a second rate cancellation of both components may be accomplished.

Abstract: A bale accumulator and optional caboose are controlled by a microprocessor-based control circuit associated with and controlling the baler which pulls the bale accumulator. The control circuit monitors bale switches actuated by the presence of bales on four tables, two switches indicating the position of a bale push bar, and three table switches indicating when individual ones of three of the tables are latched or released for dumping bales therefrom. An operator's panel provides a visual display of the status of the bale accumulator and includes switches which may be actuated by the operator. In response to the switches on the bale accumulator the control circuit controls the push bar to move bales from a center table onto a left or right table at the sides of the center table, or inhibits movement of the push bar so that a succeeding bale ejected from the baler pushes a bale on the center table onto a trailing fourth table.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having a metal detector positioned within a first feed roll and a second feed roll whose displacement from the first feed roll varies with the bulk of crop material passing between the feed rolls, the sensitivity of the metal detector is adjusted according to the displacement of the second feed roll from the metal detector to provide a more uniform detection of tramp metal with varying crop bulk. The sensitivity is increased as the inherent noise component induced in the metal detector output signal by the second feed roll decreases as the second feed roll is displaced from the metal detector by crop bulk.

Abstract: Under the control of a microprocessor first and second motors alternately drive first and second ends of a shear bar for adjusting the position of the shear bar relative to cutter head. The shear bar is adjusted so that it is substantially parallel to the cutter head even though the cutter head and shear bar may not be parallel at the time the adjustment is initiated. A knock sensor is provided for sensing impacts between the cutter head and shear bar, the knock sensor output signal being converted to a digital value for controlling the adjusting sequence. A knocker is provided for inducing vibrations in the shear bar to thereby test the operability of the knock sensor and its output circuitry. The sensitivity of the adjustment system to the output of the knock sensor is set automatically before an adjustment sequence begins to account for variations in the knock sensor, its output circuitry, and "noise" vibrations induced in the shear bar by normal machine operation.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having a metal detector with permanent magnets located within a crop feed roll, additional permanent magnets are positioned beyond the ends of the feed roll and at a distance greater than the radius of the feed roll from the axis of rotation of the feed roll. The additional magnets cooperate with magnets within the feed roll to provide a more uniform flux density across the width of the feed roll, even in regions near ferrous side sheets defining the lateral limits of the harvester feed path. Tramp metal is thus detected with equal facility regardless of its trajectory past the feed roll.

Abstract: The metal detector circuitry for a forage harvester is provided with a socket for receiving a pluggable unit, the arrangement being such that a resistor in the pluggable unit is connected into the detection circuitry of a metal detector whereby the sensitivity of the metal detector may be changed by inserting into the socket a pluggable unit containing a resistor of a different value. A metal detector test assembly connected to the metal detector through the socket, provides a means for testing the sensitivity of the metal detector and its associated circuitry. The test assembly includes a signal unit which is placed adjacent the metal detector sensing unit and generates a magnetic field that is sensed by the sensing unit, and a test box with circuitry, indicators and switches for selectively checking the sensitivity of the metal detector and correct operation of its associated circuitry.

Abstract: An automatic baling machine for forming round bales and wrapping them with twine is provided with a microprocessor-controlled signal processing circuit for controlling movement of a bidirectional motor which drives a pair of twine tubes. Retract/extend switches are manually actuated by an operator to store in the signal processing circuit a sequence of control words which are subsequently executed to control movement of the twine tube drive motor. In addition to being connected to the input of the signal processing system, the retract/extend switch are connected in parallel with the signal processing circuit to actuate the twine tube motor.

Abstract: An automatic round or roll baler includes a microprocessor controlled signal processing circuit for controlling the wrapping of bales in a predetermined wrapping pattern. The wrapping pattern is generated by selectively actuating switches to produce a wrap sequence table containing control words. The control words are subsequently accessed in sequence to control the application of control signals to a motor which drives a twine dispensing mechanism. The last control word stored in the sequence table includes a "home" code which causes the motor to be driven in a direction toward a home position. A home position switch is provided for sensing when the twine dispensing mechanism is in the home position. In response to the home code the twine dispensing mechanism is driven toward the home position until the home switch is actuated at which time the drive to the twine dispensing mechanism is terminated. This insures that each bale wrapping sequence begins with the twine dispensing mechanism in the home position.

Abstract: Under the control of a microprocessor first and second motors alternately drive first and second ends of a shear bar for adjusting the position of the shear bar relative to cutter head. The shear bar is adjusted so that it is substantially parallel to the cutter head even though the cutter head and shear bar may not be parallel at the time the adjustment is initiated. A knock sensor is provided for sensing impacts between the cutter head and shear bar, the knock sensor output signal being converted to a digital value for controlling the adjusting sequence. A knocker is provided for inducing vibrations in the shear bar to thereby test the operability of the knock sensor and its output circuitry. The sensitivity of the adjustment system to the output of the knock sensor is set automatically before an adjustment sequence begins to account for variations in the knock sensor, its output circuitry, and "noise" vibrations induced in the shear bar by normal machine operation.