Patents Examined by Arpád Fábián Kovács
  • Patent number: 11937544
    Abstract: An electric lawn mower includes an electric motor and battery supported on a wheeled motor deck, a handle mounted on the deck and pivotable between first and second handle positions, and a pivoting failsafe switch system for respectively enabling and disabling powered operation of the electric motor when the handle is in the first and second handle positions. The pivoting switch assembly includes a magnet and a magnet sensor sensing the magnet. The magnet is carried by a turning member that moves when the handle is moved. The magnet sensor respectively generates high and low signals when the handle is located in the first and second handle positions. The sensor signals are transmitted to a motor control unit for respectively enabling and disabling the operation of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyusang Ro
  • Patent number: 11930739
    Abstract: An agricultural header includes a main section and at least one wing section, which is pivotably coupled to the main section. The main section includes a main frame. The at least one wing section includes a wing frame. The header further includes a cutting element, a linkage, and an actuator. The cutting element is supported by the main frame and the wing section. The linkage pivotably couples the at least one wing section to the main section. The linkage includes an upper bar and a lower bar which are both coupled to the main frame and to the wing frame. The actuator is coupled to at least one of the upper bar, the lower bar, and the at least one wing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Joel T. Cook
  • Patent number: 11930740
    Abstract: The combine may include a threshing tank that is configured to store a threshing product obtained by the threshing device and includes a lower tapered portion formed in a bottom portion. A bottom screw is provided inside the lower tapered portion and configured to discharge the threshing product from the threshing tank. A threshing discharge device is connected to the bottom screw and configured to convey the threshing product from the bottom screw and discharge the threshing product in a body outward direction. The threshing tank includes an inspection port formed in a bottom section of the lower tapered portion, and a lid configured to open and close the inspection port, and the lid opens and closes by swinging upward and downward about a swing axis that is not parallel with a screw axis of the bottom screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Shinya, Yusaku Yoshida, Tsuyoshi Kumatori, Takashi Kitahara, Yoshifumi Tango, Ryohei Higashitaki, Toshinari Nishimura, Masakazu Hino, Shota Hayashi, Nobuki Kitamura
  • Patent number: 11917946
    Abstract: A hay rake tooth assembly for use with a mounting clip on a hay rake wheel. The hay rake tooth assembly has a tine with a ball-shaped retaining member that is configured to permit a shaft of the tine to move along the length of the difference in diameter between the shaft and a tine opening of the mounting clip in which is the tine is assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Rowse Hydraulic Rakes Co Inc
    Inventors: Dannie Dean Rowse, Rodney Dean Rowse
  • Patent number: 11917947
    Abstract: Provided is a threshing cylinder with a threshing processing section provided on the rear side of a raking section. In the threshing processing section, a front support member, an intermediate support member, and a rear support member are supported by a threshing cylinder support shaft. A plurality of front-side divided threshing teeth support members are supported by the front support member and the intermediate support member in a state in which the front-side divided threshing teeth support members are arranged at the same arrangement pitch in the circumferential direction of the threshing processing section. A plurality of rear-side divided threshing teeth support members are supported by the intermediate support member and the rear support member in a state in which the rear-side divided threshing teeth support members are arranged at the same arrangement pitch in the circumferential direction of the threshing processing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Takafumi Mitsui, Fumisato Nakagawa, Toshinari Nishimura, Tsuyoshi Kumatori
  • Patent number: 11917943
    Abstract: Harvesting apparatus (10), namely merger or pickup swather with pickup members (18) designed as pickups for picking up harvested crop, with at least one transverse conveyor device (19) designed as belt conveyor for conveying the picked-up harvested crop in a transverse conveying direction running transversely with respect to a harvesting direction or direction of travel, wherein each pickup member (18) designed as a pickup is mounted pivotably on a respective transverse conveyor device (19) designed as belt conveyor, namely centrally with respect to the respective pickup member (18) via a respective joint (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: CLAAS Saulgau GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Boll
  • Patent number: 11910746
    Abstract: Assemblies allowing a repositionable discharge deflector to be added to a mower with a discharge chute are described. These assemblies include a base, a swing bracket, a discharge deflector, a motor, and a switch. The base is attached to the mower, and the motor is attached to the base and includes a rotating output shaft. The swing bracket is rotationally attached to the base and is rotationally coupled to the rotating output shaft of the motor. The discharge deflector is attached to the swing bracket and positionable via rotation of the rotating output shaft so as to at least partially block the discharge chute of the mower. The switch is in electrical communication with the motor and is able to cause the motor to rotate the rotating output shaft. The assemblies allow a user to modify the trajectory of mown material discharged from the discharge chute of the mower with a push of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventor: Jeremiah J. Richards
  • Patent number: 11895949
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for separating a crop flow on at least one conveying and cleaning unit, particularly a top sieve, of a combine harvester, wherein the conveying and cleaning unit is excited to a longitudinal oscillation and a transverse oscillation. The transverse oscillation is controlled depending on at least one state, wherein least one state for controlling the transverse oscillation is the inclination of the combine harvester, wherein at least one further state for controlling the transverse oscillation is the grain purity, particularly the grain purity of a main crop flow. The transverse oscillation is pre-controlled depending on the inclination of the combine harvester and fine-tuned depending on the grain purity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Benedikt Poelling, Norbert Strieker, Dennis Lutterbeck, Joachim Baumgarten
  • Patent number: 11856893
    Abstract: A rotary thresher for a combine harvester including at least a first concave and a second concave, which may be rotated around a rotor to move to or from a threshing position or one or more of one or more resting positions. The concaves are mounted in a frame that is configured to rotate around the rotor such that the second concave moves during rotation from a first resting position to the threshing position while the first concave is moved from the threshing position to a second resting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Mark Biggerstaff, Ivan Rogers
  • Patent number: 11793115
    Abstract: A combine harvester is provided with a conveyance system for transporting crop material discharged by overhead grain separating apparatus to a grain cleaning shoe. The conveyance system comprises a series of oscillating pans which move the grain in a generally longitudinal direction. A return pan conveys the collected material forwardly to a front discharge edge from where the material falls onto a stratification pan below. The stratification pan conveys the collected material rearwardly to a rear discharge edge from where the material falls into the grain cleaning shoe. At least one of the return pan and the stratification pan is non-rectangular and has a non-transverse discharge edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: AGCO International GmbH
    Inventors: Kenneth Düring Jensen, Morten Leth Bilde
  • Patent number: 11666001
    Abstract: Weed seeds are destroyed in the chaff from a combine harvester by repeated high speed impacts caused by a rotor mounted in one of a pair of side by side housings which accelerate the discarded seeds in a direction centrifugally away from the rotor onto a stator including angularly adjustable stator surfaces around the axis. Thus the discarded seeds rebound back and forth between the rotor and the stator to provide a plurality of impacts. The destructor is mounted on a suitable drive shaft within the straw path and the chaff and weed seed material is carried from the rear end of the sieve to the destructor on the straw chopper by one or more fans driving the material through a transfer duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Tritana Intellectual Property Ltd.
    Inventor: Dean Mayerle
  • Patent number: 11589510
    Abstract: A residue management system or method can be implemented for an agricultural harvester that includes a residue processing system. A sensor arrangement can be in communication with one or more components of the residue processing system. The sensor arrangement can be configured to measure indicators of a mass flow rate of the crop residue through the crop residue system across a width of a stream of the crop residue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: WISCONSIN ALUMNI RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Kevin Shinners, Cyrus Nigon
  • Patent number: 11576309
    Abstract: A method for operating a baler including an initial step of providing a cleaning system that includes a floor plate having a plurality of slots therein, at least one knife tray, at least one actuator operably connected to the at least one knife tray, and a controller operably connected to the at least one actuator. The method further includes the steps of determining whether the plurality of knives of the at least one knife tray is retracted, determining whether to conduct a knife tray cleanout procedure for cleaning the floor plate based upon at least one cleaning parameter, and conducting the knife tray cleanout procedure by actuating the at least one actuator for cycling the plurality of knives of the at least one knife tray for dislodging debris from the floor plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: John R. McClure
  • Patent number: 11564354
    Abstract: A rotor assembly for an agricultural baler. The rotor assembly has a rotor shaft having a central portion and first and second end portions either side of the central portion. The rotor assembly further has a number of tine plates to be arranged axially along the rotor shaft, each of the tine plates having one or more tines. The tine plates are arranged such that there is an angular spacing between the tines of adjacent ones of the tine plates. A magnitude of the angular spacing is greater or smaller at the central portion than at the first and second end portions of the rotor shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Bram Rosseel, Jonas Vaneygen, Dries Liefooghe, Eddy Roland Lammerant, Dieter Kindt, Jeroen Devroe
  • Patent number: 11516968
    Abstract: A combine header having a snout extension with a flat bottom surface base component converging toward each other, a cover arching over the base component and conforming to and at least as wide as the snout. Connecting plates on opposite sides of the snout extension tool attaching the snout extension tool to the snout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Fox Max LLC
    Inventors: Gregory William Bell, Wendy Rae Miller, Phillip Scott Shinbur
  • Patent number: 11497171
    Abstract: A concave section for a harvester includes a concave body having an upstream side, a downstream side, a leading end and a trailing end. The concave body defines an arcuate crop engagement face facing radially inwardly. A plurality of crop passage openings are defined through the arcuate crop engagement face. A cover is configured to at least partially cover at least some of the crop passage openings. The cover is carried by the concave body and is movable thereon between at least two different positions to adjust a degree of openness of at least some of the crop passage openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Kondex Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew J. Theisen, Keith A. Johnson, Neal J. Stoffel, Joseph W. Schaffer, Sr.
  • Patent number: 11497166
    Abstract: A combine includes a feeder housing that include a movable cradle frame at the front, configured to receive a header, so that a controlled movement of the cradle frame may be imparted to the header during a harvesting run. The combine further includes a driveline for driving moving components of the combine header. The driveline includes a belt drive mounted laterally with respect to the feeder housing. The belt drive is configured to transfer a rotation of a first drive axle that is part of the driveline, to a rotation of a second axle to which a drive axle of the header can be coupled. The belt drive includes two pulleys which are maintained in a common plane regardless of movement of the header relative to the feeder housing. The pulleys are rotatably mounted in a longitudinally extendable bridge structure, and are coupled to the first and second axles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Sam Reubens, Frederik Tallir, Dré W. J. Jongmans, Bart M. A. Missotten, Pieter Van Overschelde
  • Patent number: 11497169
    Abstract: A feeding assembly for an agricultural vehicle includes: a frame; a rotatable auger supported by the frame and including at least one flighting; and a pickup assembly including a rotatable pickup reel and a plurality of tines rotatably carried by the pickup reel about a rotation axis, the tines being configured to pickup and convey crop material to the auger during rotation of the pickup reel. The pickup reel is movable relative to the auger such that movement of the pickup reel adjusts a distance between the rotation axis and the at least one flighting of the auger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Ryan M. Figgins, David M. DeChristopher
  • Patent number: 11497165
    Abstract: A system and method for reversing a movement direction of a laterally extending conveyor of a draper header of an agricultural machine. The system includes a fluid line for delivering fluid to a motor that drives the laterally extending conveyor. A directional flow control valve is connected to the fluid line and is movable between a first state in which the directional flow control valve is configured to deliver the fluid to the motor in a first fluid direction to cause the motor to move the laterally extending conveyor in a first movement direction, and a second state in which the directional flow control valve is configured to deliver the fluid to the motor in a second fluid direction that is different from the first fluid direction to cause the motor to move the laterally extending conveyor in a second movement direction that is opposite to the first movement direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Ricketts, Herbert Farley, Jeffrey Trowbridge
  • Patent number: 11497164
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle header suspension having a frame, a plurality of supports extending forward from the frame, an anchor plate, a frame pivot joining the frame to the anchor plate to be rotatable about a frame pivot axis, a frame actuator connected between the anchor plate and the frame and configured to resiliently hold the frame at a predetermined position relative to the anchor plate, and to allow the frame to move through a range of motion relative to the anchor plate, upon compression and/or extension of the frame actuator. The frame actuator may be, for example, at least one single-acting hydraulic actuator, mechanical spring, or a pneumatic cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jethro Martin, Blaine R. Noll, Benjamin Kemmerer