Patents by Inventor Albert Childs

Albert Childs has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240032476
    Abstract: A pickup assembly for an agricultural vehicle includes: a rotatable reel; a plurality of tine bars coupled to the reel such that rotation of the reel moves the tine bars through a movement path; at least one tine carried by each of the tine bars; and at least one tine support guide carried by at least one of the tine bars. The at least one tine support guide includes at least one slot that allows deflection of the deflectable section of a tine in a first direction and limits deflection of the deflectable section in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Enrico Giuliani, Albert Childs
  • Publication number: 20230376041
    Abstract: An agricultural machine system includes: a first mechanism; and an agricultural machine including a machine frame; a control system operatively coupled with the first mechanism and the agricultural machine frame, the control system including: a controller system operatively coupled with the first mechanism and the agricultural machine and configured for: learning from a prior harvesting episode; determining a first mechanism adjustment signal based at least in part on the prior harvesting episode; and outputting the first mechanism adjustment signal so as to adjust the first mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Albert Childs, Chandrashekhar Singh
  • Patent number: 11793114
    Abstract: A pickup for an agricultural vehicle includes: a rotatable tine carrier; a plurality of tines rotatably carried by the tine carrier through a rotation path; a pickup band assembly including a plurality of tine slots in which the tines are disposed in a position in the rotation path; and a tine guide having at least one guide slot. The tine guide is rotatable with at least one of the tines such that the at least one tine is disposed in the at least one guide slot in a position in the rotation path in which the at least one tine is outside any of the tine slots of the pickup band assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Albert Childs, Enrico Giuliani
  • Publication number: 20230276738
    Abstract: An agricultural machine includes: a machine frame; and a feeder system coupled with the machine frame and including a windguard assembly, the windguard assembly being configured for selectively occupying a first position and a second position, the first position being associated with a normal flow direction of a crop material relative to the feeder system, the second position being associated with a reversal of the normal flow direction of the crop material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Albert Childs
  • Publication number: 20230240188
    Abstract: An agricultural machine includes: a machine frame; and a feeder system coupled with the machine frame and including a windguard assembly, the windguard assembly being configured for selectively occupying a first position and a second position by moving therebetween, the first position being associated with a normal flow direction of a crop material relative to the feeder system, the second position being associated with a reversal of the normal flow direction of the crop material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Albert Childs, Kevin M. Smith
  • Publication number: 20230200304
    Abstract: A bale-forming chamber for an agricultural baler includes: a compacter configured to form collected crop material into a bale; and a pair of sidewalls each defining a respective boundary of the bale-forming chamber, at least one of the sidewalls including a dimpled surface having a plurality of dimples formed therein that each define a contactless region relative to the bale being formed in the bale-forming chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Reinhart, Albert Childs
  • Publication number: 20230200305
    Abstract: A bale release assembly for an agricultural baler includes: a pair of spaced apart side sheets defining a bale release opening with an opening width therebetween; a tailgate associated with the bale release opening and defining a closed position where the tailgate closes the bale release opening and an open position where the bale release opening is open; and a pair of grasping arms associated with the bale release opening and pivotable about a pivot axis. The grasping arms are each movable between a respective ramp position to form a ramp from the bale release opening to the ground and a respective grasping position where a grasping width defined between the grasping arms is greater than the opening width. The grasping arms define a ramp width therebetween that is less than the grasping width when each grasping arm is in its respective ramp position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Scott C. Simmons, Kevin M. Smith, Albert Childs, Daniel M. Geesey
  • Patent number: 11672198
    Abstract: An agricultural mowing assembly that includes an agricultural vehicle and at least one mowing device connected to the agricultural vehicle. The at least one mowing device includes a frame and a cutter bar movably connected to the frame. The cutter bar is configured for mowing a crop material in a field. The agricultural mowing assembly also includes a cut quality detection system that includes a plurality of sensors connected to the frame and configured for sensing color variations on the field and a controller operably connected to the plurality of sensors and receiving the sensed color variations on the field from the plurality of sensors. The controller is configured for determining a cut quality of the cutter bar based upon the sensed color variations on the field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Albert Childs
  • Publication number: 20220408632
    Abstract: An agricultural implement system includes: a work vehicle with an engine carried by a vehicle chassis and a PTO coupler coupled to the engine; an agricultural implement including a power take-off coupled to the PTO coupler, a feeder configured to feed crop material, a pickup configured to convey crop material to the feeder, and a plug sensor associated with at least one of the feeder or the pickup and configured to output a plug signal; and a control system including a controller coupled to the plug sensor. The controller is configured to: receive the plug signal to determine a plug condition exists; output a PTO decouple signal when the plug condition exists; output a stop signal when the plug condition exists; and output a plug clear signal so the power take-off is recoupled to the PTO coupler and the work vehicle resumes moving when the plug condition no longer exists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Albert Childs, Kevin M. Smith, Geert P. Mortier
  • Publication number: 20220408653
    Abstract: An agricultural implement system includes an agricultural implement and a controller. The agricultural implement includes: a chassis; a pickup carried by the chassis and configured to rotate and convey crop material; a movable windguard carried by the chassis; and a windguard displacement sensor associated with the windguard and configured to output windguard displacement signals corresponding to a displacement of the windguard relative to a zero position. The controller is configured to: determine a plug condition exists when the displacement of the windguard exceeds a defined displacement; and output at least one plug condition mitigation signal to adjust at least one parameter of the agricultural implement system and mitigate the plug condition responsively to determining the plug condition exists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Albert Childs
  • Publication number: 20220304238
    Abstract: A pickup for an agricultural vehicle includes: a rotatable tine carrier; a plurality of tines rotatably carried by the tine carrier through a rotation path; a pickup band assembly including a plurality of tine slots in which the tines are disposed in a position in the rotation path; and a tine guide having at least one guide slot. The tine guide is rotatable with at least one of the tines such that the at least one tine is disposed in the at least one guide slot in a position in the rotation path in which the at least one tine is outside any of the tine slots of the pickup band assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Albert Childs, Enrico Giuliani
  • Publication number: 20220053693
    Abstract: A method for dynamically operating a header float system of an agricultural vehicle having a header movably mounted to a frame of the agricultural vehicle by an actuator. The method includes: determining a target ground reaction force between the header and a ground surface located below the header, determining an actual ground reaction force between the header and the ground surface, comparing the actual ground reaction force to the target ground reaction force, and upon determining that the actual ground reaction force differs from the target ground reaction force by a predetermined amount, operating the actuator to reduce a difference in value between the actual ground reaction force and the target ground reaction force. An agricultural vehicle having a header operated as described above is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Ryan T. Gahres, Jeffrey B. Fay, II, Albert Childs, Jeffrey C. Trowbridge, Jeff Thomas, Jethro Martin, Cory Douglas Hunt, Joel T. Cook
  • Publication number: 20210360859
    Abstract: A feeding assembly for an agricultural vehicle includes: a pickup including a pickup reel carrying a plurality of tines; a rotor including a plurality of rotor fins disposed rearwardly from the pickup; a windguard assembly including a pair of movable support arms and a windguard coupled to the support arms, the windguard including a tube and a plurality of windguard tines coupled to the tube, the windguard being movable from a first position to a second position that is elevated relative to the first position; and a windguard retainer configured to engage the windguard when the windguard is in the second position and retain the windguard in the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventor: Albert Childs
  • Patent number: 11156264
    Abstract: The subject disclosure provides a draper belt assembly for an agricultural harvester header that includes a draper belt and a zipper assembly along a length of the draper belt. The zipper assembly includes a first zipper track extending at a non-perpendicular angle from a fore end of a leading edge of the draper belt, a second zipper track complementary to the first zipper track extending at a second non-perpendicular angle from the fore end of a trailing edge of the draper belt, and a slider releasably connectable to the first zipper track and the second zipper track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Albert Childs, Cory Douglas Hunt
  • Publication number: 20210267121
    Abstract: An agricultural mowing assembly that includes an agricultural vehicle and at least one mowing device connected to the agricultural vehicle. The at least one mowing device includes a frame and a cutter bar movably connected to the frame. The cutter bar is configured for mowing a crop material in a field. The agricultural mowing assembly also includes a cut quality detection system that includes a plurality of sensors connected to the frame and configured for sensing color variations on the field and a controller operably connected to the plurality of sensors and receiving the sensed color variations on the field from the plurality of sensors. The controller is configured for determining a cut quality of the cutter bar based upon the sensed color variations on the field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Albert Childs
  • Publication number: 20210207682
    Abstract: The subject disclosure provides a draper belt assembly for an agricultural harvester header that includes a draper belt and a zipper assembly along a length of the draper belt. The zipper assembly includes a first zipper track extending at a non-perpendicular angle from a fore end of a leading edge of the draper belt, a second zipper track complementary to the first zipper track extending at a second non-perpendicular angle from the fore end of a trailing edge of the draper belt, and a slider releasably connectable to the first zipper track and the second zipper track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Albert Childs, Cory Douglas Hunt