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 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: 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: 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 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: 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.

Abstract: An overload protection apparatus for use with a planter apparatus including a coulter bar and coulter/fertilizer units mounted thereto, the coulter bar pivotally mounted to the underside of a wheel supported carrier frame designed for transport in a transport direction where a hydraulic cylinder is linked between the frame and the bar for moving the bar between a ground clearing transport position and a ground engaging position where the frame, cylinder and frame form a linkage path, the protection apparatus linked within the linkage path such that a draft force applied to the bar in a direction opposite the transport direction causes a secondary force on the apparatus and, when the secondary pressure exceeds the threshold pressure level, the protector de-links the linkage path thereby reducing the draft force.

Abstract: An apparatus for securing an agricultural implement to a hitch receiving member of a vehicle, the apparatus including at least first and second elongated tongue members where the second tongue member is slidably received in the first tongue member and forms at least first and second latch receiving slots, the apparatus also including a locking assembly having an extending end receivable in the first and second slots to lock the second tongue member with respect to the first in extended and retracted positions, respectively, the apparatus further including adjustable stops and bearing members that facilitate after manufacturing adjustment of tongue assembly and locking assembly components.

Abstract: An automatic vision guidance system for an agricultural vehicle is disclosed and described. The vision guidance system uses a K-means clustering algorithm in image processing to distinguish between crop and non-crop features. The vision guidance system utilizes moment algorithms to determine the location and orientation of crop rows, from which desired wheel angles are determined and steering is commanded. The vision guidance system may adjust the location and orientation of visually determined crop rows according to a predetermined distance between crop rows. Further, the vision guidance system may utilize a redundant number of regions of interest in determining crop row locations and orientations.

Abstract: An agricultural apparatus comprising a carrier frame including a support surface defining an arcuate track about a pivot point, a mainframe mounted to the carrier frame at the pivot point for rotation thereabout between an operating position and a transportation position and a wheel assembly including at least one wheel mounted to a mounting member, the mounting member mounted to the mainframe such that the wheel is received on the curved track for rotation there along where the wheel assembly is vertically adjustable.

Abstract: An agricultural tillage implement is disclosed employing a series of apparatus to perform one-pass primary tillage. A coulter is the first apparatus that works the field. These coulters cut, size and part the residue without mixing it into the seedbed. Next, a tillage shank runs a point through the compaction layer to fracture and loosen the soil, providing proper soil aggregate size and air pore space relationship throughout the shank tillage profile. Next is a pair of soil-gathering blades that capture and gather the loose soil and residue together and to create a berm of a mixture of soil and residue. The last apparatus to work the field is a rotary reel that conditions the strip of soil to give ideal seed-to-soil contact and uniform berm size.

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: A winged implement includes an hydraulic control circuit having two operator-controlled valves, including a work valve and a transport valve. Using only these controls, and without leaving the tractor cab, the operator can (1) fold the implement for transport; (2) unfold the wings; (3) place the implement in the field use position with substantial constant down pressure on the wings; and (4) raise the wings and center section to an intermediate position with the wings inclined upwardly for end row turns.