Patents Examined by John G. Weiss
  • Patent number: 10368489
    Abstract: A seed harvester suitable for removing and collecting seed from plants. The seed harvester includes one or more seed collection assemblies. Each seed collection assembly may include a frame body extending between a forward portion and a rearward portion along a longitudinal axis, at least one seed collection bin supported by the frame body, a support structure having a first end pivotally attached to the frame body and a second end distal from the frame body; and a plurality of fixed projections for contacting the branches to dislodge seeds. The plurality of projections may be attached to the second end of the support structure and extending downward toward the frame body and the at least one seed collection bin may be positioned to receive dislodged seed that fall downward by gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Inventor: Jody Scott
  • Patent number: 10070578
    Abstract: A lawn mower includes a drive source for driving a cutter blade, flaps, a grass clippings container, a grass clippings container weight detection unit, a travel distance detection unit, and a control unit. The control unit determines a change amount of weight of the grass clippings container detected by the grass clippings container weight detection unit over the elapsed time period from the time when detection of travel distance of the lawn mower is started by the travel distance detection unit to the time when travel of predetermined distance is completed, and implements control in a manner that the rotation speed of the drive source and the flap angle of the flaps are adjusted in accordance with the change amount of the weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Kuriyagawa, Hajime Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 9918431
    Abstract: Apparatuses for and methods of moving the ends of windrows inward are disclosed. The apparatuses of the present invention include a front end, a rear end and two opposing sides, the front end configured to be wider than the rear end, two skids attached to the two opposing sides, a gate rotatably attached to the rear end and configured to cover an opening in the rear end, a gate cylinder operably attached to the gate and configured to close the gate to collect fruit and/or nuts within the apparatus, and open the gate to distribute the fruit and/or nuts outside of the apparatus, thus eliminating the need to hand rake the ends of the windrows inward or to blow the ends of the windrow inward with a hand blower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Thomas C. McIlhatton
  • Patent number: 9894843
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a harvester capable of continuous bailing of crop material, particularly to a harvester comprising a crop supply chamber positioned in front of a bale chamber, capable of storing crop material during the wrapping of a bale of harvested crop material, and a deflection system, capable of allowing crop material to enter into the bale chamber. The crop supply chamber further comprises a supply inlet at the bottom of the crop supply chamber and a movable control plate positioned within the crop supply chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Kevin M. Smith
  • Patent number: 9894831
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a twin-row planter with tandem driven seed meters at a pair of row units at each row segment of a twin-row planter. A tandem drive system drives the seed meters in a tandem manner, which may include a single transmission assembly simultaneously rotating a pair of seed discs in the pair of seed meters at each row segment. An indexing system allows for quickly changing an amount of relative rotational or angular indexing of seed disks inside of the pair of seed meters at the pair of row units of each row segment to adjust longitudinal spacing between delivery locations of seeds from the seed disks at planted row segments of a planted twin-row. Adjustments can be made at disk hubs, between shaft segments linking the seed disks, or with multiple sets of mounting holds on the seed disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Keith W. Wendte, Brian t. Adams
  • Patent number: 9883625
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed for selecting an agricultural input. First and second seed meters selectively meter seed from first and second sources, respectively, into a common planting trench. In some embodiments the seed meters are selectively operated by electric motors controlled with reference to a seed type prescription. In some embodiments the first and second seed meters deposit seeds along a common plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Precision Planting LLC
    Inventors: Dale Koch, Todd Swanson
  • Patent number: 9883630
    Abstract: A nut windrow gatherer for use in organizing and shaping the end of a nut windrow. The present system has a housing with two sidewalls, a rear spoiler plate, and two splayed arms affixed to a front side of the housing. There is a support arm configured to mount the housing to a vehicle and adapted to adjust the pitch and roll of the housing to ensure that the bottom surfaces of the splayed arms are in constant contact with the orchard floor. When the housing is controlled by a vehicle, the sidewalls and rear spoiler plate are configured to gather nuts that are spread out on an orchard floor and transport them in order to reduce the length of a nut windrow, leaving sufficient room for harvesting equipment to maneuver into an orchard throughway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Inventor: Cody Russell
  • Patent number: 9883624
    Abstract: A row unit for a seeding machine has a seed meter assembly having first and second reservoirs for holding a first pool of seeds and a second pool of seeds, respectively. The seed meter assembly is operable to selectively transport seeds from the first pool and seeds from the second pool. The row unit also has a conveyor with a conduit for receiving seeds and configured to discharge the seeds from the seeding machine, and a seed loader disposed between the seed meter assembly and the conveyor for directing the seeds from the seed meter assembly to the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Kriss Helmick, Keith L. Felton, Elijah B. Garner, Kamalakannan Natarajan
  • Patent number: 9877432
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a harvester capable of continuous bailing of crop material, particularly to a harvester comprising a crop supply chamber positioned in front of a bale chamber, capable of storing crop material during the wrapping of a bale of harvested crop material, and a conveyor system, capable of transporting crop material into the bale chamber. The crop supply chamber further comprises a supply inlet at the bottom of the crop supply chamber and a movable control plate positioned within the crop supply chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Kevin M. Smith
  • Patent number: 9872424
    Abstract: A monitoring system and method for modify a motor speed driving a seed conveyor on an implement so that the seed release speed is matched to the travel speed of the implement. A speed sensor measures the travel speed of the implement. A seed conveyor having a plurality of flights receives seeds from a seed meter. A monitor is in communication with the speed sensor, the motor driving the seed conveyor, a first sensor disposed to detect the passing of seeds and the flights as they travel toward the soil and a second sensor disposed to detect the passing of flights after the seed is released, wherein the monitor modifies the motor speed of the conveyor based on the speed sensor and signals generated by the first sensor and second sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Precision Planting LLC
    Inventors: Phil Baurer, Tim Sauder, Jason Stoller, Derek Sauder, Jeremy Hodel
  • Patent number: 9872439
    Abstract: A combine (10) includes a cleaning system (28) and an air conduit (80), which air conduit is arranged outside of a side wall (78) and through which the cleaning air is conducted downstream of the cleaning screens (48, 50, 66) to a suction blower (86) of the straw chopper (68), which suction blower is driven by a drive shaft (96).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Norbert Pohlmann, Dirk Weichholdt, Eric Loutz, Rico Guido Priesnitz, Benjamin Peschel, Christina Fries, Gregor Diessner, Peter Mischler, Oliver Klein, Friedrich Lauer
  • Patent number: 9867322
    Abstract: Provided is a safety apparatus for a cultivator. A driving cylinder includes a body wherein a rod having a pressurizing plate at a front end of the rod is inserted into the body; a first inlet hole and a second outlet hole which are formed at one side of the body; a first inlet hole and a second outlet hole formed at a rear portion of the pressurizing plate when the rod extends from the body; a first outlet hole and a second inlet hole formed at the other side of the body; a relief valve at the first outlet hole; a first hydraulic line to connect the relief valve and the first inlet hole; a second hydraulic line to connect the second outlet hole and the second inlet hole; and a check valve at any of the second outlet hole, the second inlet hole and the second hydraulic line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Inventor: Ki Hyuk Park
  • Patent number: 9861032
    Abstract: Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide a tool bar comprising a structure having a plurality of sections arranged in geometric forms. The geometric forms may change shape to keep a tool that is attached to the structure in a desired position while the tool bar is being used on uneven terrain, such as on a hillside or while the tool bar is rotated or pivoted at an angle with respect to the direction of travel. Changing the shape of the geometric forms can also result in rotating the tool attached to the structure with respect to the tool bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Inventor: Christopher E Wood
  • Patent number: 9854733
    Abstract: An agricultural seeder implement includes an opener, a seed boot mounted to the opener, and a closer mounted to the opener. The opener is for cutting a furrow, the seed boot is for depositing seeds in the furrow, and the closer is for distributing loosened soil over seeds deposited in the furrow by the seed boot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald J. Kile
  • Patent number: 9854741
    Abstract: A threshing system including a rotor cage with a plurality of slots therein, a first bank of vanes and a second bank of vanes arranged within the cage. An adjustable vane control system is coupled to the rotor cage and the banks of vanes. A first and second member are respectively pivotally coupled the vanes in the first bank and the vanes of the second bank through corresponding slots. Linkages couple an arm to the members. The first and second members each having a range of travel defined by the slots. The members each having a surface facing the outer surface of the rotor cage, the surfaces of the first member and the second member each remain tangent to the outer surface of the rotor cage as the first member and the second member are moved within their range of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Kemmerer, Joshua A. Lesher, Wayne T. Flickinger
  • Patent number: 9854752
    Abstract: A tree removal device configured for coupling on a working vehicle is usable for slicing tree roots. The working vehicle has a front element which is pivotal relative to a frame of the vehicle about a lateral axis in front of a forward end of the frame, thereby allowing a knife element of the tree removal device to be pivoted into the ground for performing a cutting action with a sharpened cutting edge so as to slice the tree roots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Inventor: Michael DeSantis
  • Patent number: 9848527
    Abstract: A furrow following device includes an attachment bracket having a portion provided for attachment to a row unit of a planting machine. An arm is provided with a ground-facing surface for engagement with the soil during planting. A mount of the furrow following device has a first portion coupled to the attachment bracket, and a second portion at least partially defining a pivot connection with the arm. The pivot connection provides relative rotation between the arm and the mount. The mount is a compliant mount provided with a spring that exhibits an elastic bias force as the arm is raised toward the attachment bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Kamalakannan Natarjan, Dnyanesh Dhobale, Elijah B. Garner, Cary Hubner
  • Patent number: 9848524
    Abstract: A closing wheel assembly is provided for a row unit agricultural planter. The planter is configured to open a trench in the soil and the closing wheel assembly is configured to close the trench. A resilient flap is provided for firming and leveling the soil returned to the trench by the closing wheel assembly. Pivotally mounted offset closing wheels are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Precision Planting LLC
    Inventors: Derek Sauder, Jeremy Hodel, Cory Muhlbauer
  • Patent number: 9848537
    Abstract: A combine harvester with an axial flow crop processor with a rotor mounted for rotation inside a rotor housing arranged longitudinally with respect to the harvester. A feed beater is mounted for rotation on a substantially transverse axis and serves to tangentially impel crop material into the crop processor. A drive system drives the rotor and feed beater, wherein the drive system includes a rotor drive device for transmitting torque from a drive stage to the rotor, and a drive connection between the rotor drive device and the beater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: AGCO International GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Mygind Bojsen
  • Patent number: 9848531
    Abstract: A grounds maintenance apparatus such as a lawn mower adapted for movement from a horizontal operating orientation to a vertical storage orientation. Embodiments of the apparatus provide supplemental storage wheels adapted to permit rolling of the apparatus over a ground surface while in the vertical storage orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: THE TORO COMPANY
    Inventors: Chris A. Wadzinski, John O. Hurst, Khari S. Clarke, John T. Gill, Ryan M. Petersen, Mark C. Daly