Patents Examined by Joel F Mitchell
  • Patent number: 11512456
    Abstract: A tool bit comprises a shank portion defining a longitudinal axis; and a working portion. The working portion includes at least a first arcuate surface disposed longitudinally adjacent the shank portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: David Bruno Parzynski, Jr., Thomas Marshall Congdon
  • Patent number: 11512445
    Abstract: A drawbar-circle-moldboard assembly for a work machine includes a drawbar, a circle assembly, and a moldboard. The drawbar is configured to be pivotably connected to a frame of the work machine. The circle assembly is rotatably connected to the drawbar and includes a circle member formed from a hollow box section. The moldboard is connected to the circle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin J. Kovalick
  • Patent number: 11483955
    Abstract: A surface conditioning drag tool apparatus includes a plurality of fencing members each extending laterally along a width of the drag tool and spaced apart from one another at a plurality of locations between a front end and a rear end of the drag tool. The plurality of fencing members include a plurality of lower ground contacting extremities and a plurality of upper extremities spaced apart from one another in height and a frame coupled with and positioned above the plurality of ground working fencing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: ABI Attachments, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin V. Keigley
  • Patent number: 11477934
    Abstract: An agricultural implement including a frame with a main frame section and at least one wing frame section such that the agricultural implement is configured for transitioning in between a work position and a transport position, at least one conveyance line, and at least one coupling device. The at least one coupling device includes a first coupling member attached to the first line portion and a second coupling member movably connected to the first coupling member and attached to the second line portion such that the at least one coupling device couples the first line portion and the second line portion of the at least one conveyance line in the work position and uncouples the first line portion and the second line portion of the at least one conveyance line in the transport position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.
    Inventors: Gordon Anthony Engel, Dennis W. Chahley
  • Patent number: 11473273
    Abstract: A tool bit comprises a shank portion including a cylindrical configuration defining a longitudinal axis, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, and a working portion including a cylindrical configuration that is concentric with the shank portion and a flat bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: David Bruno Parzynski, Jr., Thomas Marshall Congdon
  • Patent number: 11466424
    Abstract: A bracket for mounting an excavation bucket on a coupler of an articulated arm. The bracket comprises a body extending in a plane and having a central portion. A first concavity on a first side of the body substantially has an arc-of-circle shape to conform with a surface of a cylinder and hinge therearound. The bracket comprises a second concavity on a second side of the body opposite the first side with respect to the central portion. A third concavity on the second side of the body substantially has the arc-of-circle shape. The bracket comprises a first abutment edge formed by the central portion of the body; and a second abutment edge aside the first abutment edge and further from the central portion of the body compared to the first abutment edge. This bracket allows reversible mounting of the coupler of the excavation bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: GROUP R.Y. BEAUDOIN INC.
    Inventors: Rémi Beaudoin, Alain Rivard, Luc D'Amours
  • Patent number: 11401685
    Abstract: A wear member comprises a shank portion defining a longitudinal axis, a free end and a perimeter, at least one flat surface on the perimeter extending to the free end and a cross-hole defining a cross-hole axis along which the cross-hole extends through the at least one flat surface perpendicularly, and a wear portion extending downwardly axially from the shank portion, the wear portion including a polygonal configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: David Bruno Parzynski, Jr., Thomas Marshall Congdon
  • Patent number: 11363752
    Abstract: Farming tool systems may include a handle shaft and a farming tool that detachably connects to the handle shaft via a locking bit and a locking port that includes a socket. In some embodiments, a multi-head attachment may include one or more farming tools that slide laterally along a rail (perpendicular to the shaft length) and another farming tool that does not slide along the rail. In some embodiments, the farming tool(s) is a hoe. The farming tool(s) may be in the form of a wire that includes flat portions located inside a crimp to prevent the wire from rotating within the crimp and a forward portion that may be, for example, generally triangular in shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Inventors: Carson McNeal, Conor Crickmore
  • Patent number: 11357177
    Abstract: Sod harvesters can have hydraulic systems that are configured to actuate components with precise timing. The hydraulic system of a sod harvester can be configured to maintain the temperature of hydraulic fluid both during harvesting and while harvesting is paused to thereby eliminate or minimize the occurrence of periods of variation in the timing of actuation of the components that the hydraulic fluid drives. As a result, these components can be consistently actuated with precise timing even after harvesting has been paused. Additionally, such configurations can minimize the amount of time required to warm the hydraulic fluid to a steady operational temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: FireFly Automatix, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Aposhian, Eric E. Aston, William M. Decker, Samuel H. Drake
  • Patent number: 11357165
    Abstract: A root crop harvester has a lifting device picking up a mixture of crop and admixtures. Screening belts downstream of the lifting device transport the mixture away from the lifting device. A feed belt feeds the mixture to a sorting zone where a separating device is arranged above the feed belt. A sorting belt is arranged downstream of the separating device that has first and second stripper belts circulating in a stripping direction and provided with stripper elements. The stripper elements act on the crop transverse to a feed direction and supply the crop to the sorting belt. The admixtures remain on the feed belt and are discharged in a guiding direction angled to the stripping direction. At least one of the stripper belts has a discharge section with an incline smaller than 55° relative to the stripper plane and has in sections a non-round contour and a constant incline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Grimme Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christoph Niehues, Alfons Pöhlking
  • Patent number: 11350557
    Abstract: A towed agricultural working tool with a central frame element, a headstock and left and right hand side frame elements connected to the central frame element, each of the side elements supporting at least one processing unit, the central frame element being connected at, at least one connecting location for pivoting movement with respect to the headstock in which one or more friction elements are arranged between the central frame element and the headstock at one of the at least one connecting locations. This has as an advantage that the pivoting movement of the central frame with respect to the headstock, in particular due to induced yaw, is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: AGCO FEUCHT GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus Angleitner
  • Patent number: 11346079
    Abstract: A work machine that has a blade that is positionable at a plurality of angles relative to the work machine, a positioning system coupled to the blade to transition the blade to any one of the plurality of angles, a user interface providing a user input, and a controller in communication with the positioning system and the user input. Wherein, when the controller receives a first user input signal from the user interface, the controller positions the blade in a first preset position with the positioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Craig Christofferson, David A. Veasy, Nathan J. Horstman
  • Patent number: 11304386
    Abstract: A stacking head for stacking rolls of sod can include a number of screw assemblies that are employed to secure and remove sod rolls from a stacking conveyor. Each screw assembly can include a center stake and a corkscrew that pierce a roll as the stacking head is forced into the roll. The rate at which the stacking head is moved vertically relative to the roll can be synchronized with the rate at which each screw assembly is rotated. This synchronization ensures that the corkscrew will pass into the roll while the stacking head is simultaneously forced into the roll without damaging the delicate sod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: FireFly Automatix, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Aposhian, Eric E. Aston, William M. Decker, Seth W. Jeppson, Mark C. LeBlanc, Austin J. Neuner
  • Patent number: 11304354
    Abstract: An agricultural implement includes a toolbar system having a toolbar frame, an elevator assembly, and a first wing on one side of the toolbar frame. The first wing may be coupled to the elevator and pivotable about a first vertical axis of rotation between an extended and a folded position. Tools may be coupled to the first wing and rotatable relative to a longitudinal axis of the first wing from an operating position below the first wing to a transport/shipping position above the first wing. Further, the first wing may be adapted to be moveable to position the first wing higher than a wheel of the agricultural implement on the same side of the toolbar frame in the folded position. Subsequently, the tools may be circularly rotated and the middle wing and tools pushed down to reduce the overall width and height of the implement for transporting or shipping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Van Mill, Ryan J. Fleshner, Ronald J. Schlimgen
  • Patent number: 11304353
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for remotely positioning a stabilizer wheel of a towable agricultural implement simultaneously, cooperatively and proportionally control the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from both the rod and base ends of the bore of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder, to hold the piston of the hydraulic cylinder at a target position determined from a desired position input signal corresponding to a desired position of the stabilizer wheel with respect to a frame of the agricultural implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Stovall, Kena Shah, Timothy R. Blunier
  • Patent number: 11259454
    Abstract: In one aspect, a system for detecting ground engaging tool float for an agricultural implement may include an implement having a ground engaging tool pivotally coupled to a frame and a biasing element coupled between the frame and the ground engaging tool. The biasing element may be configured to bias the ground engaging tool to a predetermined ground engaging tool position relative to the frame. The system may also include a sensor configured to detect a parameter indicative of a current position of the ground engaging tool relative to the frame. Additionally, the system may include a controller configured to monitor the current position of the ground engaging tool based on measurement signals received from the sensor and identify a time period across which the ground engaging tool is displaced from the predetermined ground engaging tool position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Michael G. Kovach, Christopher Barrick, John C. Endsley, James W. Henry, Tracey D. Meiners, Klint J. Peterson
  • Patent number: 11252865
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods that use shearing machines operate to revitalize artificial turf fields. In one exemplary apparatus, the apparatus may comprise a support frame, a plurality of shearing machines installed on the support frame, and a plurality of wheels installed on the support frame. The support frame may be configured to position the shearing machines parallel to each other, to tilt the shearing machines with respect a surface of the artificial turf field, and to position the shearing machines above a surface of the field at a distance such that the shearing machines cut fibers to produce trimmed fibers that have a length that can extend above infill or topmost layer of the artificial turf field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: TARKETT INC.
    Inventor: Alain Bissonnette
  • Patent number: 11234352
    Abstract: A blade tip, and a tool combination having a blade tip, for an agricultural soil cultivation machine. The blade tip has a base part including a cutter, a cutter carrier, a guiding element and a receptacle for fastening the blade tip to a tine of the agricultural soil cultivation machine. The base part has a receptacle covered by covering portion. The guiding element has a plug attachment held in the receptacle, and a form-fitting connection preventing movement of the guiding element out of the receptacle, provided between the blade tip and the guiding element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventors: Wolfgang Essig, Ulrich Kraemer, Florian Smeets, Fabian Seifried, Ruth Huber
  • Patent number: 11219152
    Abstract: An actuator assembly for use with a quick coupler. The actuator assembly includes a manual actuator assembly, a control rod coupled to the manual actuator assembly, and a remote actuator assembly coupled to the control rod. The manual actuator assembly is configured to be hand actuated from outside of the quick part coupler, and configured to move the latching assembly from a locked position to an unlocked position via the control rod. The remote actuator assembly is configured to be remotely actuated from outside of the quick coupler, and configured to move the latching assembly from the locked position to the unlocked position via the control rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Digvijay Bhosale, Benjamin J. Heimbuch, Onkar J. Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 11212958
    Abstract: A digger-shaker-inverter for harvesting root plants includes a frame and a row unit. The row unit includes a first belt driving assembly and a second belt driving assembly. The first belt driving assembly includes a first carrying belt that grips a first side of a vine and a fixed bracket that supports the first carrying belt. The second belt drive assembly include a second carrying belt that grips a second side of the vine, and an adjustable bracket that supports the second carrying belt and adjust to control a distance between the first carrying belt and the second carrying belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Fehr's Industrial Manufacturing, LLC
    Inventor: John Fehr