Abstract: The present invention is a system for controlling the dynamic performance of wheels on an agricultural vehicle. A sensor is mounted on the agricultural vehicle that generates a signal corresponding to the deflection of the tire as the wheel is traveling along a surface. A controller receives the signal corresponding to the deflection of the tire and generates a control signal to an air regulator to either supply additional air to or remove air from the tire. An additional sensor may provide a signal corresponding to a variable load carried by the agricultural vehicle. An accelerometer may also be mounted on the agricultural vehicle and provide to the controller a signal corresponding to acceleration perpendicular to the surface. The controller is further configured to generate control the air regulator as a function of the varying load on the agricultural vehicle and/or based on the signal from the accelerometer.

Abstract: A system for metering liquids at very low flows for use with agricultural sprayers is provided. The system may utilize two electronically controlled solenoid valves in series with a storage chamber in between. The flow may be a function of the PWM control of each of the valves, the phase relationship between the control signals, the storage chamber in between, the pressure difference across the metering device, and the fluid being metered.

Abstract: With the use of a low cost microphone mounted at each nozzle, a sound signature of the nozzles may be captured and stored to be used as a continuous indicator of any changes in the flow rate of the nozzles. By measuring changes in sound at each nozzle, it is possible to determine the change in flow before a change in pressure manifests into a problem in the system. The change in sound will oftentimes be significant for plugged nozzles, or nozzles that have excessive wear and flow at too high of a rate. The invention has the advantage of being relatively low cost with ceramic microphones, for example, and with little or no moving parts required. A closed loop control system may be included to compensate for nozzle degradation.

Abstract: By injecting a chemical fluid and a carrier fluid directly at each nozzle, and by then mixing the fluids at each nozzle to produce a mixed fluid, an improved spray system may be provided which does not contaminate the tank or distribution system with chemical fluid and which allows improved spraying with minimal delay. Accordingly, a system is provided on a field sprayer for independently controlling the flow rate of concentrated chemical fluid to individual spray nozzles using a high pressure chemical distribution rail or loop routed to each nozzle and solenoid injection valves to control the flow of chemical fluid to each nozzle independently.

Abstract: With the use of a low cost microphone mounted at each nozzle, a sound signature of the nozzles may be captured and stored to be used as a continuous indicator of any changes in the flow rate of the nozzles. By measuring changes in sound at each nozzle, it is possible to determine the change in flow before a change in pressure manifests into a problem in the system. The change in sound will oftentimes be significant for plugged nozzles, or nozzles that have excessive wear and flow at too high of a rate. The invention has the advantage of being relatively low cost with ceramic microphones, for example, and with little or no moving parts required. A closed loop control system may be included to compensate for nozzle degradation.

Abstract: A steering system for a towable implement includes a steering sensor, an implement steering controller, a steering control valve, a steering cylinder, and an implement steering mechanism that steers the implement. The steering sensor measures, directly or indirectly, the angular position of the steerable wheels of the implement. The implement steering controller processes feedback from the steering sensor and with a desired steering angle, outputs a steering control signal that is input to the steering control valve. The steering control valve controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to the steering cylinder, which, in turn, powers the implement steering mechanism to turn the wheels of the implement. The steering system may be operated in various control modes, such as, a transportation steering mode, a corner and 180 turn steering mode, a swath tracking steering mode, crab steering mode, and a manual steering mode, which allows manual control of the steering system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for conducting agricultural operations in a field using one or more autonomous vehicles in which the agricultural operations may be optimized during run time. The system includes providing a mission plan for an autonomous vehicle, receiving progress updates from the vehicle as it conducts an agricultural operation according to the mission plan, and monitoring for event conditions which may he reported by the vehicle. Event conditions may include, for example, detection of an obstacle, or an oncoming vehicle, or a disablement of the vehicle. Upon receiving an event condition, the system may revise the mission plan to resolve the event condition while providing an optimization based on current agricultural conditions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for conducting agricultural operations in a field using autonomous vehicles in which a collision avoidance mechanism may be provided. The system may include providing a mission plan for autonomous vehicles to conduct agricultural operations, establishing a hierarchy for the vehicles, and monitoring for an event conditions indicating vehicles are traveling toward a collision with respect to one another. Upon receiving an event condition, the system may revise the mission plan to adjust a path of one of the vehicles based on the hierarchy in order to avoid the collision.

Abstract: The present inventors have recognized that a spinner spreader system may he augmented with an air assist system in which an air current is generated to engage particles after they have left the spinner spreader system to thereby enhance the trajectory of the particles. In one aspect, one or more fans with appropriate ductwork may be added below one or more spinning disks to direct jets or curtains of air in the direction of the broadcast pattern of particles leaving the one or more disks. The directed air stream should preferably be faster than the particles leaving the one or more disks, thereby adding additional acceleration to the particles compensating opposing forces.

Abstract: A crop feeding mechanism for a harvester includes one or a plurality of screws or augers positioned in a hollow chamber of defined by the interior surface of an elongated frame, whereby the interior surface is tapered with decreasing volume in it rear portion. The one or a plurality of screws or augers are affixed upon a rotating axis and, as crop material is fed into the chamber, the one or a plurality of screws or augers conveys crop material rearward toward the tapered end and compact the crop materials so that the compacted crop material is extruded out of an opening at the rear end at a rate and temperature and in a form sufficient to allow a net wrap mechanism positioned at or near the opening to wrap the crop into a bale.

Abstract: An oil level control device in a main tank of a supply circuit, the supply circuit comprising a main tank, a first pump which, in aspiration, is connected to the main tank, a main hydraulic circuit which is connected in inlet to the delivery of a charge pump and in outlet is connected to the main tank, a first auxiliary conduit, an auxiliary tank which receives oil from the first auxiliary conduit and which in discharge is placed in communication with the main tank. At least a control valve predisposed to control sending of oil from the first auxiliary conduit to the auxiliary tank or from the auxiliary tank to the main tank.

Abstract: A system for determining knife usage. The system includes an infeed cutter including a cutter rotor, a knife drawer, and a plurality of knives extending through the knife drawer. The cutter rotor is mounted above the knife drawer such that a cutting zone for crop material is defined. The system further includes a measuring device configured to measure a quantity which is representative for the couple exerted by the cutter rotor on crop material going through the cutting zone of the infeed cutter, a controller configured to control the measuring device for measuring values for the quantity at consecutive moments in time, and a knife usage determining module configured to determine knife usage based on the measured values.

Abstract: By measuring chemical concentrations of a crop protection fluid based on light transmission through the fluid, chemical concentrations may be determined and more effectively maintained during spray applications. A closed loop control system may be implemented to adjust the amount of chemical being metered based on the amount of light transmitted through the fluid such that an effective concentration may be continuously maintained without operator intervention.

Abstract: By injecting a chemical fluid and a carrier fluid directly at each nozzle, and by then mixing the fluids at each nozzle to produce a mixed fluid, an improved spray system may be provided which does not contaminate the tank or distribution system with chemical fluid and which allows improved spraying with minimal delay. Accordingly, a system is provided on a field sprayer for independently controlling the flow rate of concentrated chemical fluid to individual spray nozzles using a high pressure chemical distribution rail or loop routed to each nozzle and solenoid injection valves to control the flow of chemical fluid to each nozzle independently.

Abstract: A system for metering liquids at very low flows for use with agricultural sprayers is provided. The system may utilize two electronically controlled solenoid valves in series with a storage chamber in between. The flow may be a function of the PWM control of each of the valves, the phase relationship between the control signals, the storage chamber in between, the pressure difference across the metering device, and the fluid being metered.

Abstract: With the use of a low cost microphone mounted at each nozzle, a sound signature of the nozzles may be captured and stored to be used as a continuous indicator of any changes in the flow rate of the nozzles. By measuring changes in sound at each nozzle, it is possible to determine the change in flow before a change in pressure manifests into a problem in the system. The change in sound will oftentimes be significant for plugged nozzles, or nozzles that have excessive wear and flow at too high of a rate. The invention has the advantage of being relatively low cost with ceramic microphones for example. and with little or no moving parts required. A closed loop control system may be included to compensate for nozzle degradation.

Abstract: A system is provided that automatically assesses weight rating characteristics of a truck and trailer combination. The system coordinates movement and unloading functions of the grain cart to automatically load the trailer to correspond to a target total weight value and a target weight distribution value based on axle weight ratings of the axles of the truck and trailer combination.

Abstract: A PTO transmission system in a vehicle for transmitting power to a PTO shaft driving an implement comprises a planetary drive unit having first and second input and output coupled to the PTO shaft. The first and second inputs are coupled to an output shaft of the vehicle engine and to an output shaft of a drive motor, respectively. A control system controls the transfer of power from a power source to the drive motor. The power source is a variable power generating source driven by the PTO shaft. The drive motor is configured and adapted to decrease or increase the rotational speed of the output of the planetary drive unit on an increase or decrease of the power transferred to it, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention is a system for controlling the dynamic performance of wheels on an agricultural vehicle. A sensor is mounted on the agricultural vehicle that generates a signal corresponding to the deflection of the tire as the wheel is traveling along a surface. A controller receives the signal corresponding to the deflection of the tire and generates a control signal to an air regulator to either supply additional air to or remove air from the tire. An additional sensor may provide a signal corresponding to a variable load carried by the agricultural vehicle. An accelerometer may also be mounted on the agricultural vehicle and provide to the controller a signal corresponding to acceleration perpendicular to the surface. The controller is further configured to generate control the air regulator as a function of the varying load on the agricultural vehicle and/or based on the signal from the accelerometer.

Abstract: A PTO transmission system in a vehicle for transmitting power to a PTO shaft driving an implement comprises a planetary drive unit having first and second input and output coupled to the PTO shaft. The first and second input means are coupled to an output shaft of the vehicle engine and to an output shaft of a drive motor, respectively. A control system controls the transfer of power from a power source to the drive motor. The power source is a variable power generating source driven by the PTO shaft. The drive motor is configured and adapted to decrease or increase the rotational speed of the output of the planetary drive unit on an increase or decrease of the power transferred to it, respectively.