Patents Examined by Thomas B. Will
  • Patent number: 11793097
    Abstract: A quick-attachment system may be used for attaching an agricultural planter to a strip till. A frame is initially installed on a strip till and may remain permanently attached to the strip till so that the strip till may be separately used in normal operation with the frame attached but without a planter attached. For combination tilling and planting operations, a planter may be attached by completing a three-point hitch attachment to the frame so that a tractor may be used to pull the combination of strip till and planter. Hydraulic cylinders connected to the frame and to the planter may be used to lift and lower the planter relative to the strip till.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Inventor: James Wade Helms
  • Patent number: 11793112
    Abstract: A system for sensing harvested crop levels within a crop tank of an agricultural harvester includes a tank cover section movable between an open position and a covered position relative to an opening of the crop tank. The system includes a sensor array including crop level sensors configured to capture data indicative of a crop level of harvested crop. The sensor array is supported, at least in part, relative to the crop tank such that the sensor array is configured to have a first orientation when the tank cover section is in the covered position and a second orientation when the tank cover section is in the open position. The sensor array defines a first vertical dimension when the sensor array is disposed in the first orientation that is less than a second vertical dimension defined by the sensor array when the sensor array is disposed in the second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Cory Douglas Hunt
  • Patent number: 11785890
    Abstract: A corn head corn head includes a first wing segment and a center segment. A corn head adjustment system includes a first fold actuator; a first deck plate actuator mounted on at least one of the first wing segment frame or the center frame and configured to reposition at least one of the first deck plate rod or the center deck plate rod; and corn head hydraulics. During a fold process, the corn head hydraulics is configured to actuate the first fold actuator in order to fold the first wing segment relative to the center segment and to actuate the first deck plate actuator in order to decouple the first deck plate rod from the center deck plate rod. During an unfold process, the corn head hydraulics is configured to actuate the first fold actuator in order to unfold the first wing segment relative to the center segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Todd M. Verhoef, Nathan E. Krehbiel, Troy M. Heims, Mitchel J. Lindberg
  • Patent number: 11785886
    Abstract: A lawn mower front wheel positioning system that provides adjustment of lateral positioning of a front wheel of the mower. The front wheel positioning system includes a wheel support arm, a wheel support member, and a wheel positioning arm having an adjustable length. The wheel positioning arm having a proximal end that couples to the wheel support member and a distal end that couples to the wheel support arm. A first end of the wheel support arm couples to the front wheel. A second end of the support arm couples to the support member by way of a support arm wheel pivot that defines a wheel pivot axis. The wheel support arm and the front wheel rotate about the wheel pivot axis responsive to adjustment of the length of the wheel positioning arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Bad Boy Mowers, LLC
    Inventors: Kenny Cox, Charles Bradley Covington
  • Patent number: 11785872
    Abstract: A stabilizer wheel arrangement is actively damped when remotely positioning a stabilizer wheel of a towable agricultural implement by detecting an onset of ground-induced vibration and automatically introducing a phase-shifted vibration-countering or cancelling/damping modulation pattern into a signal that simultaneously and cooperatively controls 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: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: Yong Deng, Timothy R. Blunier
  • Patent number: 11785892
    Abstract: An attachment system for attaching a crop saving accessory to a cutting header where the cutting header comprises a knife mounted along a lower front edge thereof and a discharge opening in a middle rear portion thereof. The header cuts plants and moves the plants laterally to the discharge opening where the plants move rearward through the discharge opening. The system comprises an accessory engagement mechanism on a rear portion of the crop saving accessory configured to engage a header engagement mechanism mounted on the cutting header. A first end of a tether is attached to the crop saving accessory and a second end of the tether is adapted for attachment to a tether location on the cutting header. The tether is configured such that when the accessory engagement mechanism is disengaged from the header engagement mechanism, the tether prevents the crop saving accessory from moving through the discharge opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Inventor: Dave Dietrich
  • Patent number: 11788251
    Abstract: An adapter board defines an upper adapter board attachment portion, and a lower tool bit attachment portion. The upper adapter board attachment portion includes a first peak surface and a second peak surface, the first peak surface and the second peak surface forming a first valley between the first peak surface and the second peak surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: David Bruno Parzynski, Jr., Thomas Marshall Congdon, Susan Marie Graham
  • Patent number: 11778949
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle and connected mower having a number of mowing units suitable for cutting a standing crop, including a front mowing unit and two lateral mowing units located behind and to the sides of the front mowing unit, each of the lateral mowing units having conveyor units to deposit cut crop as a swath. A control unit receives a plurality of signals, representing the location of the mower combination and a direction of operation of each of the conveyor units, compares the signals to a predetermined set of values and as required, adjusts the direction of operation of at least one conveyor unit based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: AGCO International GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Fillep, Ronnie Kinast
  • Patent number: 11778944
    Abstract: A power head comprises a motor assembly, an energy device and a housing. The motor assembly comprises a motor base and a motor fixed on the motor base. The housing assembly comprises a casing that is assembled with the motor base. The top of the casing is provided with an air inlet that is inclined backward and downward and an air inlet cavity connected to the air inlet. The air inlet and the air inlet cavity are provided with two. The air inlet cavity is a U-shaped structure with an upper opening, and the casing covers the top of the air inlet cavity to form a sealed airflow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Globe (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Yu Xiao
  • Patent number: 11781275
    Abstract: A vehicle barrier includes a beam extending longitudinally between opposing end posts, the beam positioned vertically above a ground level and separating an asset side from an attack side, the beam comprising beam sections and a crash post positioned in a same vertical plane as the beam, wherein beam sections are pivotally connected to the crash post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Inventor: William H. Neusch
  • Patent number: 11773549
    Abstract: Road safety barrier comprising: concrete bottom parts (1); concrete top parts (2) coupled on the bottom parts (1), and attaching means (3, 31) of the successive top parts (2) at their opposite ends. The bottom parts (1) have an upper surface provided with a longitudinal channel (11) for coupling in the longitudinal direction and with the possibility of limited vertical displacement of a longitudinal extension (21) protruding from a lower surface of the top parts (2); the channel (11) and the extension (21) have similar cross-sections and dimensions calculated so that the top part performs a lateral rotation of a determined amplitude, in the event of a vehicle impact, and absorbs a significant part of its kinetic energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: INGECID, INVESTIGACIÓN Y DESARROLLO DE PROYECTOS S.L.
    Inventors: Jokin Rico Arenal, Francisco Ballester Muñoz, David Helguera López, Marcos Cerezo Leza, Fernando Cavada Laza, Carlos Thomas Garcia, Juan Antonio Polanco Madrazo, Jesús Setién Marquínez
  • Patent number: 11773547
    Abstract: A bollard assembly includes a bottom plate with a forward edge and an aft edge, an elongated member mounted on the bottom plate and extending from a forward end to an aft end in a direction from the forward edge toward the aft edge, a bollard secured to the bottom plate with a bollard section of the elongated member disposed inside of the bollard, bars mounted on the bottom plate on opposite sides of the elongated member, and a top plate having a smaller perimeter than the bottom plate mounted on the elongated member and the bars with the bollard extending above the top plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventor: William H. Neusch
  • Patent number: 11773564
    Abstract: The work equipment for the motor grader includes: a drawbar having a drawbar plate; a bearing having an outer ring and inner ring, the outer ring being fixed to a lower surface of the drawbar plate and the inner ring, disposed inside the outer ring ring; a circle having a circle plate that is fixed to a lower end of the inner ring over the peripheral direction; a blade supported by the circle; a peripheral-direction pipe extending in the peripheral direction of the outer ring along a peripheral surface of the outer ring and connected to an end portion of an outer peripheral side of the plurality of lubricant supply holes; and the lubricant inlet port connected to the peripheral-direction pipe and capable of introducing a lubricant oil from an outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Kota Yamaguchi, Yuji Asai, Toshihiro Yone
  • Patent number: 11773546
    Abstract: A modular highway warning strip system is formed of a plurality of segments assembled together to create a warning strip assembly having a length, wherein each of the plurality of segments are spaced from adjacent ones of the segments along the warning strip length. The segments are assembled together along a cord disposed along the length of the warning strip assembly. A plurality of spacers are disposed on the cord along the length of the warning strip assembly, between adjacent ones of the segments in order to maintain a spacing between each adjacent segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TRAFFIX DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Geoffrey B. Maus, Felipe Almanza, Christopher A. Jaime, Jack H. Kulp
  • Patent number: 11771004
    Abstract: A mower includes a cutting deck supporting a cutting blade having a fixed blade sail and a door having a first position in which the door covers an opening through which grass clippings can pass, and a second position in which the door does not cover the opening. The mower also has a switch configured to send a mode signal indicating that the door is in the first position or the second position. The mower also has a controller configured to receive the mode signal and adjust the cutting blade to rotate at a first speed when the mode signal indicates that the door is in the first position, and a second speed when the mode signal indicates that the door is in the second position. The mower also includes an electric battery to power rotation of the cutting blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Chadwick Aaron Shaffer, Todd Allen Porter, John Orville Hurst, Ryan Mark Petersen
  • Patent number: 11767654
    Abstract: A construction vehicle includes a frame and a linkage assembly. The linkage assembly includes a linkage member and a work implement. The work implement includes a wall structure defining a first edge, a second edge, and a material engaging portion. The work implement also includes a first support plate disposed proximate to the first edge. The first support plate defines a first opening proximate to the material engaging portion. The work implement further includes a second support plate disposed. The second support plate defines a second opening proximate to the material engaging portion. The work implement includes a conduit coupled to the first support plate and the second support plate and defining a cavity. Each of the first and second openings are aligned with the cavity. Further, the work implement also includes a weight member removably received within the cavity defined by the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Alan Jackson
  • Patent number: 11765995
    Abstract: A louver position sensing system for a sieve and chaffer of a combine harvester. One system provides that at least one sensor is in actual, physical contact with one or more louvers of the sieve and chaffer. Another system provides that a one or more magnet holders are mounted on louvers and, spaced away, sensors sense magnets in the magnet holders to determine the rotational position of the louvers. Either system allows for accurate, on-the-fly adjustment of the louvers in order to maximize the efficiency of operation of the sieve and chaffer. Preferably, the sensing systems are configured such that sensed position of the louvers is broadcast on the CAN bus of the combine harvester. As a result, the position information can be used to dynamically adjust the openings between the louvers of the sieve and chaffer to achieve more efficient grain cleaning as the machine and field variables change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: HCC, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Harris Maney, John Gregorio
  • Patent number: 11767655
    Abstract: A cutting assembly for mounting cutting tips on a mouldboard of a motor grader has a cutter body including a forward mounting face for mounting along a rear face of the mouldboard simultaneously with a continuous blade body supported along the front face of the mouldboard. A row of sockets in the cutter body are arranged to support cutting tips respectively therein. The cutter body is configured to support the cutting tips on the mouldboard such that (i) the cutting tips are raised relative to the lower blade edge of the blade body in a normal working position of the mouldboard, and (ii) the cutting tips protrude below the lower blade edge of the blade body in a cutting position of the mouldboard in which the lower blade edge of the blade body is tilted about the tilt axis upwardly and forwardly in relation to the normal working position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Inventor: Chad Killniak
  • Patent number: 11767650
    Abstract: A traffic control device, for use with a roadway receiving vehicles travelling longitudinally along the roadway, includes a housing mounted transversely across the roadway with an upper supporting surface that supports the vehicles rolling over the housing. A frame comprised of a shaft supporting tire puncturing members thereon is rotatable within the housing between stored and working positions of the tire puncturing members relative to the upper supporting surface of the housing. Offset counterweights are coupled to the frame to bias the tire puncture members towards the working position. An upper stop member on the housing, formed of resilient material, is engaged by the frame in the working position and is adjustable in height to control position of the tire puncturing members in the working position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Inventor: Jonathon R. Mateychuk
  • Patent number: 11761165
    Abstract: A manhole assembly includes a manhole cover and a manhole frame. The manhole cover is received on the manhole frame. A latch bolt attached to the manhole cover is movable between a latched position and a removal position. The latch bolt is biased toward the latched position by a spring. A security bolt received in the manhole cover is movable between a locked position wherein the security bolt engages the latch bolt to lock the latch bolt in the latched position and a removal position wherein the security bolt is disengaged from the latch bolt. An extraction tool is inserted through the manhole cover to remove the manhole cover from the manhole frame. The extraction tool engages a driven cam surface on the latch bolt to drive the latch bolt against a biasing force of the spring to move the latch bolt to the removal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Inventor: David M. Stadler