Patents by Inventor Thomas Debbaut

Thomas Debbaut has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20180325013
    Abstract: A movable tractor-trailer combination includes a self-powered tractor having a plurality of ground-engaging members and a steering mechanism for steering at least one the ground-engaging member; and a trailer that is towed behind the tractor and that is connected to the tractor by a drawbar that is pivotably connected at a tractor connection to the tractor. One or more sensors sense a line of a swath of crop material corresponding to a maximal quantity of crop material per unit length of the swath. The tractor-trailer combination includes a control apparatus that operates in dependence on at least one output of the one or more sensors to operate the steering mechanism of the tractor in dependence on the at least one output such that the tractor moves along the swath without any of the ground-engaging members running over the swath.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Joachim Boydens, Thomas Debbaut, Didier Verhaeghe
  • Publication number: 20180325014
    Abstract: A system includes a vehicle configured to acquire field-data representative of a field having crop material that is to be picked up from the field; and a controller configured to determine control-instructions for a machine to pick up the crop material, based on the field-data. The control-instructions include machine-steering-instructions for automatically controlling the direction of travel of the machine, such that the machine follows a specific route through the field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventor: Thomas Debbaut
  • Publication number: 20180213724
    Abstract: An agricultural baler comprising a baling chamber and a pre-compression chamber, wherein the pre-compression chamber is adapted to gather crop material and to periodically form a slice of said crop material and introduce it in a first segment of the baling chamber, the baling chamber comprising a plunger and a movable top wall, wherein the first segment is provided with at least one sensor for outputting a first signal relating to a height of the slice in the first segment, a second signal relating to a speed of introduction of the slice in the first segment, and a third signal relating to a position of the movable top wall, wherein the baler further comprises a processor adapted to receive the signals and to adjust baler operation parameters of the agricultural baler based on the received signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas Debbaut, Jeroen Devroe, Dieter Kindt, Dries Liefooghe, Bram Rosseel, Thomas Vandaele, Didier Verhaeghe