Patents Examined by Alicia M Torres
  • Patent number: 10064328
    Abstract: A grass mowing machine for high power applications includes a controller monitoring a total implement load of multiple implements connected to lift arms on a grass mowing machine. The controller determines if the total implement load consistently exceeds available power. If the total implement load consistently exceeds available power, the controller disables at least one but not all of the implements, and provides a signal to at least one but not all of the lift arms to raise the implements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventor: Robert A. Henson
  • Patent number: 8028508
    Abstract: A mower unit includes a housing, a pair of cutting blades arranged inside the housing, each of the cutting blades being rotatable about a respective vertical axis supported by the housing, the cutting blades being driven to be rotated in opposite directions, and a baffle arranged generally between rotation regions of the cutting blades to guide air flows generated by the cutting blades. The baffle defines an upper baffle portion located adjacent an upper region of the housing, a lower baffle portion located adjacent a lower region of the housing, and an air passage formed for allowing the air flows to flow between the upper baffle portion and lower baffle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Ryouzou Imanishi, Tomoyuki Morikawa, Katsuhiko Uemura, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Kazuaki Kurohara, Hiroshi Oshima
  • Patent number: 8007353
    Abstract: A clean grain conveyor for an agricultural combine (10) includes an auger conveyor (52) and a paddle elevator (53) that are connected by a transition tube (218) having a triangular aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Jason L. Werning, Ronald W. Nelson, Merle Gerber, Emily N Horn
  • Patent number: 8001755
    Abstract: An adjustable and foldable V-shaped hay rake is an agricultural tool used for raking hay on fields, in which, for each arm of the hay rake, all the mechanisms for moving the arm are centered on a single adjustable master support plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Sitrex S.p.A.
    Inventors: Silvano Menichetti, Sauro Petturiti
  • Patent number: 8001753
    Abstract: A raking attachment for a riding mower supports raking elements in a forward path of a cutting deck. The raking attachment includes a forward extending frame formed by longitudinal frame members positioned with first ends rigidly attached to a riding mower frame and with a second end forming attaching points at a fixed height off the ground. A transverse frame is pivotally attached to the forward extending frame by pivot posts. A rake assembly with at least one row of flexible rake tines disposed across the entire transverse width of the cutting deck is attached to the transverse frame and pivots therewith to contact the ground surface for raking. The rake tines can be raised to a non-raking position or the downward force of the rake tines against the ground surface can be varied by varying the pivot angle of the transverse frame over a range of pivot angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Inventor: Carlos Franco
  • Patent number: 7992371
    Abstract: A stalk roll for an agricultural harvester row unit comprising a plurality of longitudinal extending knife edges about its circumference, in which one of the leading and trailing sides of the knife edges is coated with a first wear resistant coating over substantially its entire length, and in which the other of the leading and trailing sides is coated with a second wear resistant coating over at least one of a front portion thereof and a rear portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Steven Timothy Rieck, Timothy Franklin Christensen
  • Patent number: 7993188
    Abstract: A crop residue handling device is mounted to the rear of a combine harvester for intercepting crop residue that remains after grain has been separated from the crop by the separator and cleaning arrangement of the harvester. The residue handling device includes a chopper which chops and impels the chopped residue rearwardly through a discharge duct. A transition duct receives the crop exiting from the chopper and contains upright deflector vanes mounted for pivoting and being automatically moved among desired positions, by a power actuator so as to direct desired proportions of the crop residue between a blower for receiving and accelerating the crop through a discharge chute for collection in a receptacle of a towed trailer, and a pair of spreader disks located at opposite sides of the blower for receiving and dispersing the crop residue on the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Aaron Scott Ritter
  • Patent number: 7987657
    Abstract: A riding lawn mower having covers for covering the side part of a cutter deck and the side part of a transmission section. The covers have a plurality of small holes formed in a portion facing the side part of the cutter deck. The accumulation of grass clippings on the upper surface of the cutter deck and the transmission section is reduced, and the state of accumulation of grass clippings is confirmed via the small holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Yoshihara, Takahiro Yamamoto, Tomomi Nakaya, Makoto Warashina, Katsuhisa Ichikawa, Kazuki Shimozono
  • Patent number: 7980050
    Abstract: A mower unit includes a mower deck, a plurality of blades mounted inside the mower deck and rotatable about vertical shafts supported to the mower deck, the mower deck defining, on one lateral side thereof, a discharge outlet for discharging cut grass cut by the plurality of blades, and an opening and closing member configured to be movable to a closing position for closing the discharge outlet and also to an opening position away from the discharge outlet for opening the discharge outlet, the opening and closing member at the opening position being disposed along an outer face of the mower deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Ryouzou Imanishi, Hiroaki Kitaguchi, Nobuyuki Yamashita, Hiroki Nagai, Hiroshi Oshima, Tomoyuki Morikawa, Takashi Fujii, Toshiki Kanai, Katsuhiko Uemura, Hiroyuki Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 7975459
    Abstract: A mower attachment, such as a string trimmer, is removably connectable to the forward end of a riding mower, such as a zero turn mower. The attachment is easily connected to and removed from the mower. The attachment has a control lever which is positioned on the attachment such that the attachment can be activated and deactivated by the mower operator using his or her feet, such that operator can operate the attachment and yet maintain his or her hands on the mower controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Inventor: Eugene R. Murawski
  • Patent number: 7971417
    Abstract: An elective down pressure system for cutting units of a grass mowing machine with lift and lower mechanisms connected to the lift arms with lost motion couplings that may be set to either a downforce position in which the lift and lower mechanisms urge the lift arms to apply downforce to the cutting units while they are on the ground surface, or a no downforce position in which the lift and lower mechanisms discontinue urging the lift arms to apply downforce once the cutting units are on the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Todd Allen Link
  • Patent number: 7966796
    Abstract: An improved machine and method for harvesting and processing an upstanding crop, such as celery, in situ, the machine comprising a self driven vehicle supporting a plurality of harvesting and processing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Leach Farms, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Leach, Peter DeGroot
  • Patent number: 7958705
    Abstract: A waterborne vegetation harvesting apparatus includes a watercraft, a conveyor assembly having a conveyor belt carried by the watercraft and at least one vegetation shredder disposed in communication with the conveyor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Inventor: John R. Bourque
  • Patent number: 7950210
    Abstract: A cutter bar drive system for a draper header has a cutter bar disposed at a leading edge of the header to cut crop. A cutter bar gear box in operative engagement with the cutter bar is mounted on a forward portion of the header with a drive train mounted on the header to drive the gear box and cutter bar. An external flywheel is mounted along the drive train remote from the gear box and is engaged with the drive train to reduce vibration in the cutter bar and gear box from a remote, external position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Steve Tippery, Craig Kaster
  • Patent number: 7937919
    Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine includes a feeder housing and a cutting platform attached to the feeder housing. The cutting platform includes at least one platform section, each of which includes a frame, a plurality of float arms pivotally coupled with the frame, an endless belt carried by the plurality of float arms, and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders. Each hydraulic cylinder is associated with a respective float arm and includes a rod, a piston and a fluid chamber on a side of the piston providing a passive stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Bruce Alan Coers, Paul David Marvin
  • Patent number: 7937923
    Abstract: A tractor comprises an electronic tractor controller. A baler comprises a crop receiver, a baling chamber, a rear door, a rear door actuator, a bale size sensor associated with the baling chamber, and an electronic baler controller. The baler controller is operable to submit a halt signal to the tractor controller when a bale size signal provided by the bale size sensor indicates that a bale has reached a size corresponding to a predetermined size. The tractor controller then halts the tractor and the bale is wrapped. The rear door is opened automatically after the bale has been wrapped, but only if an obstacle sensor detects no obstacle in a detection zone behind the baler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Stéphane Biziorek
  • Patent number: 7930873
    Abstract: A two piece peripheral mower blade is designed to cut and mulch grass at high volume. The blade is constructed of two pieces. The blades attach to a shaft via spaced apart hubs to which the pieces attach, and the two pieces of the blade interlock to provide a two piece peripheral mower blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Inventor: John A. Darden
  • Patent number: 7921626
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the speed of a combine harvester (10) includes one or more sensors (48) each generating one or more signals that correspond during use of the combine harvester to variables of a harvesting process. The apparatus further includes a processor and one or more control devices operatively connected in a feedback arrangement including two loops. In a first loop, a first signal (28) corresponding to the ground speed of the combine harvester (10) is fed back as an input to a first control device (42) that is capable of adjusting the ground speed relative to a set value. In a second loop, the first signal (28) is fed together with a second signal (34) indicative of the flow rate of crop through the combine harvester to a second control device (32) that generates as a third signal (31) the set value, the third signal being input to the first control device (42).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventors: Koen O. G. Maertens, Bart M. A. Missotten, Dries M. J. Depreitere, Tom Coen
  • Patent number: 7921627
    Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center draper that delivers crop material to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers that deliver crop material to the center draper. The harvesting header is operable to flex and thereby follow an uneven terrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher T. Sauerwein, Randy Lohrentz, James R. Schmidt, Gagan Sethi
  • Patent number: RE43507
    Abstract: A roof-raking device is designed to safely and efficiently remove pine straw and leaf debris from roofsof houses. When attached to a lightweight telescopic or other long pole this device can be used by a person standing at ground level or on a ladder, eliminating the risk of climbing and walking on a pitched roof. Formed of a flexible, resilient material our the rake-head is a one-piece injection molded device comprising a plurality of deeply curved, reinforced tines, a central housing support structure and a female flange fitting. The tines are of varying length, width, thickness and curve radius. When slight downward hand pressure is applied to the upper surface of a connecting pole the flexible self-adjusting tines form themselves evenly to any horizontal pitched roof surface, and when applied to a V-shaped roof angle where two roof planes meet, the tines flex and form themselves to both roof planes simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Inventors: Joseph E. Coyne, Alice Coyne, legal representative, Richard Charles Coyne