Patents Examined by Arpad Fabian Kovacs
  • 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: 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: 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: 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
  • 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: 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: 11490569
    Abstract: A pulley assembly is provided for mounting on a rotatable shaft of an agricultural harvester and is operable in a high-speed configuration or a low-speed configuration. The pulley assembly comprises a high-speed pulley with a high-speed running surface for receiving a drive belt when the pulley assembly is in the high-speed configuration and a low-speed pulley with a low-speed running surface for receiving a drive belt when the pulley assembly is in the low-speed configuration. The pulley assembly has three sets of teeth extending from surfaces of the two pulleys. In the low-speed configuration, the running surfaces of the low-speed pulley and high-speed pulley are axially aligned and the first set of teeth and the second set of teeth are engaged. In the high-speed configuration, the running surface of the high-speed pulley is exposed for receiving the drive belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Charlotte Van de Wege, Ruben Vancoillie
  • Patent number: 11490564
    Abstract: A header including a cutter bar configured to cut crop for harvesting and a header frame supporting the cutter bar. A transport assembly is operatively connected to the header frame. A support arm is rotatably coupled to an axle of the transport assembly and is pivotably coupled to a mounting frame coupled to the header frame. A cam linkage is disposed at the support arm to provide a mechanical advantage for an operator when moving the transport assembly from a transport position to a harvest position. The cam linkage includes a lift assist device having a first end connected to the mounting frame and a second end coupled to a cam arm. Extension of the second end from the first end of the lift assist device applies the cam arm to a cam surface of the support arm to move the transport assembly to the harvest position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael C. LaVally, Michael L. Vandeven
  • Patent number: 11483977
    Abstract: A harvesting head for a collection machine that harvests material. The head includes conveyor belts to transport material towards the collection machine, and blower heads to help prevent material from falling off the conveyor belts. The conveyor belts can include a feed belt that feeds material towards the collection machine, and a side belt that carries material towards the feed belt. Blower heads can blow across the side belt and towards the center of the feed belt. Blower heads can be located below the side belt. Blower heads can be located near the front of the feed belt and blow towards the collection machine. A feed drum can move material towards the collection machine, and blower heads can blow across the feed drum and towards the feed belt or collection machine. Blower heads can be movable, or have adjustable flow rate, velocity, direction or spread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Matthew R. White, Corwin M. Puryk, Daniel S. Hoffman, Justin C. Freehill, Shreyas Modak, Bryan R. Yanke
  • Patent number: 11483971
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle header having a frame, at least one support arm extending, a cutter assembly attached to the distal ends of the support arms, a draper belt with an upper belt portion located above the support arms, and a parallel linkage connected to each support arm to operatively connect the cutter assembly to the frame. The linkage includes upper and lower links. The upper belt portion extends along a cross-belt direction that is perpendicular to a travel direction of the upper belt portion, and the proximal pivots of the upper and lower links are positioned on a line that is oriented at an angle of 60 to 120 degrees relative to the cross-belt direction when the header is in a freestanding static state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Eugene Ricketts, Herbert M. Farley, Wayne T. Flickinger, John Hinkle
  • Patent number: 11464170
    Abstract: A grain cleaning system in an agricultural harvester, that includes a chaff pan with a pivotal axis near an end of the chaff pan. The chaff pan has a dual locking system coupled thereto for holding the chaff pan in two different positions. The dual locking system has a first over-center locking arrangement and a second over-center locking arrangement. The first locking arrangement is used to hold the chaff pan in an upward position when the first locking arrangement is locked. The first locking arrangement includes a first linkage element; and a second linkage element. The second locking arrangement holds the chaff pan in a locked downward position when the second locking arrangement is locked. The second locking arrangement includes a first linkage element; and a second linkage element. The first linkage element of the first locking arrangement is also the first linkage element of the second locking arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Stefaan Desmet, Frank R. G. Duquesne, Tim Passchyn
  • Patent number: 11464167
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle having a chassis, wheels, a power unit, and a header. The header has a center section, at least one wing section extending laterally from the center section, and a wing section support. The center section is movable relative to the chassis, the wing section is movable relative to the center section, and the wing support is movable relative to the wing section. The combine has a control system that is configured to determine that the combine is configured to drive at a road-driving speed, and in response to such determination: operate a center section actuator to move the center section to a raised center section position, operate a wing section actuator to move the wing section to a raised wing section position, and operate a wing support actuator to move the wing support to a raised wing support position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Herbert M. Farley, Cory Hunt
  • Patent number: 11457563
    Abstract: A controller for a harvester receives a speed of the harvester, the pitch, the yaw and the roll of the vehicle body, compares the sensed yaw, pitch and roll of the vehicle body to respective acceptable yaw, pitch and roll ranges. The controller also receives a conveyor position respect to the vehicle body, compares the conveyor position to an acceptable range of conveyor positions, calculates a center of gravity of the harvester based upon the yaw, pitch, roll and conveyor position, and compares the speed of the harvester to an acceptable range of speeds based upon the calculated center of gravity of the harvester. The controller also sends a signal to move the conveyor with respect to the vehicle body, alert the user to move the conveyor with respect to the vehicle body, reduce the speed of the harvester, or alert the user to reduce the speed of the harvester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Bryan E. Dugas, Rahul Gunda, Dipankar D. Dongare, Kiran Bachhav
  • Patent number: 11452260
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle includes a chassis (16), a lift arm (18) movably coupled to the chassis (16), a lift actuator (21) coupled to the lift arm (18), a header (14) coupled to the lift arm (18), and a controller (120) operably coupled to the lift actuator (21). The controller (120) is configured to: receive a header type signal corresponding to a header type of the header; define a lift height limit of the header based at least partially on the received header type signal, the lift height limit being a first height limit when a first header type signal is received or a second height limit when a second header type signal is received; and output a lift signal to the lift actuator (21) to vertically displace the header (14). Header vertical displacement is limited to the first height limit if the first header type signal is received or the second height limit if the second header type signal is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Fay, Mary Beth Sullivan, Gregory T. Fasick
  • Patent number: 11452252
    Abstract: A drive system of a header for an agricultural vehicle. The header includes a plurality of driven devices. The drive system includes a shaft configured for conveying motive power from the agricultural vehicle to the header, a gearbox configured for being located on the header and for transferring motive power to the plurality of driven devices, and a torque damper. The torque damper is operably connected in between the shaft and the gearbox. The torque damper is configured for reducing a magnitude of a torque spike.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Thamilselvan Karuppannan, Nicholas J. Laufenberg
  • Patent number: 11432464
    Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting part provided forward of a machine body, and harvests crops in a farm field; and a plurality of crop sensors provided in the harvesting part at intervals in a left-right direction, and detect the presence of crops upon coming into contact with the crops. The harvesting machine may also include a harvesting width detector that detects a harvesting width corresponding to crops harvested through harvesting work that has actually been performed, included in a workable width within which harvesting work can be performed by the harvesting part; and a travel transmission unit that changes the travel speed of the machine body. The harvesting machine may also include a speed controller that shifts the travel transmission unit to a lower speed as the harvesting width increases, and shifts the travel transmission unit to a higher speed as the harvesting width decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Sotaro Hayashi, Mao Kitahara, Takashi Nakabayashi, Kyosuke Yamaoka, Shoma Deguchi, Sadanori Hida, Kazuhiro Takahara, Naoki Saito, Masayuki Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 11432466
    Abstract: A windrow system of a combine includes a chopper and a spreader. The chopper includes a chopper housing having a roof and a rotor assembly positioned in the chopper housing, and the spreader is pivotably coupled to the chopper and includes a top surface and an impellor that is positioned below the top surface and includes one or more blades for rotatably conveying crop residue rearwardly and outwardly from the spreader. The windrow system also includes top segment coupled to a main body of the combine, a first curtain, and a second curtain having a portion thereof positioned outwardly of the first curtain. Each of the curtains are movable relative to the main body of the combine when the spreader and/or chopper move between at least one of wide and narrow positions, chopping and windrowing positions, and chopping and stowed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Christopher J. Faulkner, Martin Rittershofer
  • Patent number: 11428603
    Abstract: An assembly quality detection device and a method for a wind screen cleaning system based on streamline pattern, includes a main body of a test bench and a detection system. The main body of the test bench includes a test bench rack and a cleaning centrifugal fan; the inside of the test bench rack is provided with a cleaning space. The detection system includes a smoke generation and transmission device, a two-degree-of-freedom smoke fixed-point release mechanism, a high-speed image acquisition system and a control system. A fixed base is installed on the upper end of the outlet of the cleaning centrifugal fan, a linear moving guide rail device is installed on the fixed base, the linear moving guide rail device is equipped with a moving slider, the moving slider is installed with a rotating mechanism, the rotating mechanism output end is provided with a smoke releasing duct, the smoke releasing duct is communicated with the smoke generation and transmission device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: JIANGSU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zheng Ma, Min Han, Yaoming Li, Lizhang Xu, Xinzhong Wang, Zhong Tang, Hongxin Li
  • Patent number: 11425859
    Abstract: A cutting system for a harvesting header includes a transversely extending cutter bar, a transversely extending knife back, a knife section mounted to the knife back having a knife edge extending generally in a forward direction, a knife guard component having a front guard portion and a rear portion interconnected by a medial portion having a recess. The medial portion is configured for receiving a lengthwise portion of the knife back with the knife section being received into, and the knife section is operable to move transversely into and out of a cutting slot in the front guard portion. A hold down component is located between an upper surface of the rear portion of the knife guard component and an underneath surface of the cutter bar, and an attachment mechanism is operable to secure the knife guard component and the hold down component to the underneath surface of the cutter bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: HONEY BEE MANUFACTURING LTD.
    Inventors: Glenn Honey, Lee Glenn Harper
  • Patent number: 11425858
    Abstract: A sickle cutting apparatus having a plurality of knife guards and a sickle bar having a plurality of sickle knife blades driven for reciprocating movement relative to the knife guards. The length of the cutting edge of each knife blade from a transverse rearmost cutting line at which a cutting action occurs is increased to a length greater than 2.2 inches; the width at the rear of the ledger surface of each guard is increased to greater than 1.2 inches; and the front edge of the blade is formed with an apex to shed crop material to one or other side of the apex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: MACDON INDUSTRIES LTD
    Inventor: Francois R. Talbot