Patents Examined by Adam Behrens
  • Patent number: 9723785
    Abstract: A latching mechanism for securing a header to an agricultural vehicle has latching pins located on opposite sides of a centerline of the vehicle. The latching pins are movable between latched and unlatched positions from the same side of the machine. As one example, the harvester is an agricultural combine harvester and the header mounts to a feederhouse. The latching mechanism can be mounted to the feederhouse and moved into and out of engagement with the header to retain or remove the header.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Aaron S. Ritter
  • Patent number: 9706711
    Abstract: A method of harvesting an agricultural product includes guiding the agricultural product through a plurality of inlets in a first direction with a plurality of airflows, separating the agricultural product from the first plurality of airflows, directing the agricultural product to a cross-conveyor, conveying the agricultural product through the cross-conveyor from the plurality of inlets to an outlet in a second direction, and guiding the agricultural product through the outlet in a third direction with a second airflow. The first direction is substantially parallel to a travel direction, the second direction is crosswise to the first direction, and the third direction is substantially parallel to the travel direction. The agricultural product is conveyed through the cross-conveyor substantially without the first plurality of airflows, and the second airflow includes the first plurality of airflows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Minnich, Shaun A. O'Donnell
  • Patent number: 9699964
    Abstract: A lawn care device may include a cutting deck housing at least one blade, a rotatable shaft, and a blade mount operably coupled to the rotatable shaft. The blade mount may include at least one engagement slot configured to enclose at least a portion of the at least one blade. The blade mount may further include at least one protruding member disposed within the engagement slot to secure the at least one blade within the engagement slot responsive to insertion of the at least one blade into the engagement slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: HUSQVARNA AB
    Inventors: Chris Roth, Darren Chandler, Lennie Rhoades, Steve Brinkman, Sean Dwyer
  • Patent number: 9699951
    Abstract: An agricultural implement system includes a toolbar assembly configured to support multiple row units, and multiple wheels configured to support the toolbar assembly. The wheels include a first wheel and a second wheel, and at least one row unit is configured to be disposed between the first wheel and the second wheel. The agricultural implement system also includes a wheel position control system configured to instruct first and second actuators to lower the first wheel and the second wheel to transition the agricultural implement system to a non-working position, to instruct the first and second actuators to raise the first wheel and the second wheel to transition the agricultural implement system to a working position, and to instruct the second actuator to raise the second wheel while the agricultural implement system is in the working position such that the second wheel is disengaged from a soil surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Johnathon R. Dienst, Michael J. Connors
  • Patent number: 9681603
    Abstract: A windguard is provided that may be used with an agricultural harvester, such as around baler, waste baler, combine, sugarcane harvester or cotton harvester. More particularly, the windguard utilizes at least a first and a second pivot tab, each comprising a cam that is adapted for alignment into a slot along a first and second side arms of the windguard and that allows a upward or downward movement of the pivot tabs in the slot. The sliding motion of the cam in the slot allows the windguard to automatically adjust during operation without manual adjustment or pre-adjustment prior to operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: John R. McClure, William Dale Hotaling
  • Patent number: 9675010
    Abstract: A crop processing and/or conveying element for a forage chopper has a body that can be mounted on a carrier that can be set in rotation and is furnished with a hard material layer that comes into contact with crop during operation. The hard material layer is connected in a form-fitting manner to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Patrick McLawhorn, Joshua D. Bacon
  • Patent number: 9668416
    Abstract: A scale for a collecting pass-through table used in a small fruit harvesting machine has a plate and a stop rim affixed to the plate and extending upwardly above an upper face of the plate. The stop rim has a flexible lip that is elastically deformable. The stop rim extends in a direction outwardly of a free distal end of the plate. The stop rim has height that prevents the small fruit from moving beyond the free distal end of the plate. The stop rim has a forward end portion that is stiff. The stop rim is removably fastened to the plate at the free distal end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: PELLENC (Societe Anonyme)
    Inventors: Roger Pellenc, Christian Rolland
  • Patent number: 9670632
    Abstract: A shovel assembly for use in association with snow, sand, or any other particulate matter for collection and cleaning residing on a flat horizontal surface such as the ground, more specifically the shovel assembly and a method of assembly and use thereof in which the shovel's blade is made of multiple interlocked sections, each having opposite top and bottom edges with different geometries adapted for different purposes, an adjustable composite handle with multiple grips for adaptation to varied user preferences and a dynamic pivot at the base of the handle to easily change the blade's push angle during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: NORDIC AUTO PLOW LLC
    Inventors: Richard Anthony Behan, Paulette Sanders Behan
  • Patent number: 9648806
    Abstract: A brush cutter includes a center deck that is pivotally coupled to a first wing deck and a second wing deck. Each deck has a hydraulic cutting assembly. A mounting portion can be attached to a front carrier portion of a drive vehicle. The brush cutter has a hydraulic manifold operably coupled to each cutting assembly and configured to be operably coupled to a hydraulic system of the drive vehicle. The manifold includes valves that control the flow of drive fluid to the hydraulic cutting assemblies. Sensing arrangements signal the valves to shut off the drive fluid to the wing decks if the wing decks pivot upward from a lowered position to a first angular position. The sensing arrangements can optionally signal the drive vehicle's hydraulic system to reduce the flow of drive fluid to the hydraulic manifold for each wing deck that pivots upward to the angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Crosstech Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Gordon Fulton, David Heiling
  • Patent number: 9648804
    Abstract: The knife arm assembly for connecting a sickle drive to the knife of a sickle, has a knife arm including a cavity and an opening at one end that holds a bearing for receiving a knife pin of the sickle, and a shoulder extending at least partially about and defining a second opening at an opposite end of the cavity smaller than the first opening, and a plug disposed in the second end of the cavity adjacent the end of the bearing and enclosing the second opening, the plug being configured to be forceably movable through the cavity toward the first opening and against the bearing for forcing the bearing from the knife arm, providing easy serviceability, protection from dirt, dust, and other contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Joel T. Cook, George E. Korlinchak
  • Patent number: 9642310
    Abstract: Described is a cleaning unit for a device for harvesting long agricultural products, such as grass, straw, pulses, biomass products and the like, of the type that can be pulled by a pulling vehicle along an advancing axis and provided with pick-up means (102) for harvesting said products and with unloading means (106) located operatively downstream of the pick-up means (102), forming a supporting surface (B) for the agricultural products harvested and mobile transversally to said advancing axis along a predetermined axis of movement (A) for releasing the agricultural products to the sides of said pulling vehicle, wherein the cleaning unit comprises a wheel (2) comprising a peripheral annular surface (3) and rotatable about its own axis of rotation (C) and joining means (5) designed to connect said wheel (2) to said harvesting device (100) in such a way that said axis of rotation (C) is transversal to said axis of movement (A) and wherein said peripheral annular surface (3) is positioned at a predetermined hei
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: ROC S.R.L.
    Inventor: Raffaele Ubaldi
  • Patent number: 9644341
    Abstract: A circle rotator of a motor grader includes a worm, a worm wheel and a shaft. The worm wheel has an inner peripheral portion, an outer peripheral portion enclosing the inner peripheral portion from outside, and a plurality of first clutch discs to be spline-coupled to the inner peripheral surface of the inner peripheral portion. The inner peripheral portion is made of a material harder than a material of which the outer peripheral portion is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Yoshimura, Yutaka Ono, Shintaro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9636817
    Abstract: A powered hand tool is adapted to use a variety of interchangeable rotary tools to assist in outdoor activities. Either of two basic tool designs can be utilized for activities including garden tilling, brushing and cleaning, auguring or post hole digging, and auto finishing and polishing. In one embodiment, an adjustable shroud is utilized along with a tiller construction to change the viewing angle of the working tiller tines to facilitate use by operators of different heights, including a kneeling position. The ability to utilize tow torque and low speed assists in avoiding accidental damage to underground wires and, if encountered, the reversibility of the drive assists in untangling the wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: D.J.S. Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott S. McLain
  • Patent number: 9635809
    Abstract: A system for controlling a grass cutting reel assembly of a turf-care vehicle. The system includes: a reel cylinder motor operable to rotate a reel cylinder of a grass cutting reel assembly of a turf-care vehicle at a desired rotational rate of speed to provide a controllable frequency of clip for the reel assembly; an automated height of cut control system operable to control a position of a front roller of the reel assembly to provide a controllable height of cut for the reel assembly; and a controller system operable to control the reel cylinder motor and the height of cut control system to provide a particular frequency of clip and a particular height of cut stipulated by one of a plurality of cutting scenarios programmed into the controller system and selected via a user interface of the controller system that is accessible by an operator onboard the turf-care vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Erhun Osahenrhunwen Iyasere, Robert James Pilon, Jr., Richard Michael Krzesicki
  • Patent number: 9622412
    Abstract: An endless belt for a side conveyor (104, 106) of a draper header (100) has a web width an upper, crop conveying surface that is generally planar over substantially its entire extent. The web comprises a forward edge portion that is configured to be covered by a crop ramp. A plurality of protrusions (300, 400, 500, 502, 504, 602, 606) is fixed to and extends upward from the forward edge portion. The side conveyor (104, 106) comprises the endless belt and the crop ramp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Anthony M Hasenour, Corwin M Puryk
  • Patent number: 9624644
    Abstract: An attachment for a bucket of a loader, where the bucket includes a bottom wall and a blade extending across an outer surface thereof, features clamping and retaining mechanisms. The clamping mechanism comprises a first clamping surface arranged for engagement with an inner surface of the bottom wall and an opposing second clamping surface arranged for engagement with a bottom surface of the blade. The retaining mechanism comprises a recessed portion longitudinally spaced from the clamping surfaces and an adjustable abutting element in opposite relation to the recessed portion such that the clamping surfaces are located therebetween. The abutting element includes two contact surfaces which are respectively positionable so as to define an abutting surface arranged for butting engagement with a rear surface of the blade. Each working position of the abutting element is suited for retaining a particular width of blade between same and the recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Crystal Spring Colony Farms Ltd.
    Inventor: David Waldner
  • Patent number: 9622410
    Abstract: A material collection parking system having a hopper connected to a rear discharge chute from a mower deck on a lawn tractor. The system includes a pair of front and a pair of rear parking support legs, at least one of the pairs of legs being independently moveable between a stowed position along a side wall of the hopper and a deployed position supporting the hopper on a ground surface. The material collection system has a low dump configuration and a high dump configuration providing unobstructed sight lines and rear visibility for the operator during rear collection in the stowed position on the lawn tractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: William J Holz, Christopher Krajnik, Patrick Shaver
  • Patent number: 9611623
    Abstract: Apparatuses for separating liquid from liquid-solid mixtures, particularly for use attached to excavators and in the petroleum industry. Embodiments include apparatuses for separation through compression and rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Inventor: Matthew Sager
  • Patent number: 9565800
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester is provided which includes a chassis and harvesting wheels, transport wheels and windrow shields connected to the chassis. The transport wheels are deployed in concert with the windrow shields in order to avoid damage to the windrow shields during placement of the transport wheels into an operative, ground contacting position. A first actuator opens and closes the windrow shields for field and transport operations and windrow shield positioning mechanisms are configured to dispose the windrow shields in a plurality of cut crop opening widths when the windrow shields are in an open position. The first actuator is operated remotely in-cab to eliminate need for the harvester operator to dismount the harvester and open and close the windrow shields for field and road transport operations. The windrow shield positioning mechanisms may be manually adjusted or automatically adjusted in-cab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Fay, II, Nakul Vilas Deshpande
  • Patent number: 9560800
    Abstract: A quick change rotary mower blade assembly includes a mower blade attached to a blade assembly pin that is inserted into an internal bore in a spindle extending through a housing under the mower deck. A blade retainer on the lower end of the spindle has a pair of notches holding and locking the mower blade in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Ronald L. Reichen, Harlin Trefz