Patents by Inventor Clayton E. Banks

Clayton E. Banks 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: 20230071349
    Abstract: An embodiment includes a system for sensing harvested grain levels within an agricultural harvester. The system including a grain tank configured to receive harvested grain, a sensor configured to emit a sensor beam into the grain tank for reflection off of the top surface of the harvested grain, and a reflective target integrated into a bottom surface of the grain tank at a minimum detectable grain level within the grain tank. The bottom surface of the grain tank being angled towards the sensor, the minimum detectable grain level being defined by a minimum grain level within the grain tank at which the top surface of the harvested grain is contacted by the sensor beam, and the reflective target being configured to reflect the sensor beam when the current grain level is vertically below the minimum detectable grain level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Justin Becker, Mark D. Dilts, Michael Minnich, Clayton E. Banks, JR., Denver R. Yoder
  • Patent number: 11259466
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a chassis, a cleaning system carried by the chassis, and a crop material elevator for receiving crop material that has passed through the cleaning system. The crop material elevator has a top-most end, a bottom-most end, a first inlet between the top-most end and the bottom-most end, and a second inlet between the top-most end and the first inlet. The agricultural harvester also includes an auger system for supplying crop material from the cleaning system to the crop material elevator. The auger system includes a first auger defining an auger axis for supplying crop material to the first inlet, a second auger defining a second auger axis, and a crop material conveyor for supplying crop material from the second auger to the second inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Herbert M. Farley, Cale N. Boriack, William M. McCully, Denver R. Yoder, Pieter Vandevelde, Clayton E. Banks, Eric E. Veikle
  • Publication number: 20210345551
    Abstract: A system for controlling the aggressiveness of a tailings processor that re-threshes tailings received from the grain cleaning system in an agricultural harvester is provided with at least one imaging device to image a grain sample. At least a portion of the grain sample has at least once passed through the tailings processor. A controller is connected to the imaging device and to an arrangement to automatically adjust the aggressiveness of the tailings processor. The controller is configured to automatically adjust the aggressiveness of the tailings processor using the arrangement, based on based on the level of broken grain and/or unthreshed grain determined from the image from the at least one imaging device by comparing the level of broken grain and/or unthreshed grain to the desired level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Clayton E. Banks, JR., Dré W.J. Jongmans, Thomas Mahieu, Bart M.A. Missotten, William Mark McCully
  • Patent number: 11076533
    Abstract: A system for controlling the aggressiveness of a tailings processor that re-threshes tailings received from the grain cleaning system in an agricultural harvester is provided with at least one imaging device to image a grain sample. At least a portion of the grain sample has at least once passed through the tailings processor. A controller is connected to the imaging device and to an arrangement to automatically adjust the aggressiveness of the tailings processor. The controller is configured to automatically adjust the aggressiveness of the tailings processor using the arrangement, based on information provided by the at least one imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Clayton E. Banks, Jr., Dré W. J. Jongmans, Thomas Mahieu, Bart M. A. Missotten, William Mark McCully
  • Patent number: 11019767
    Abstract: A foldable auger having a first and second auger assemblies, each having a respective housing, auger screw and rotation axis. A pivot joins the assemblies, and is configured to permit the second auger assembly to fold relative to the first auger assembly. A first drive coupler is located at an end of the first auger screw and offset from the first axis, and a second drive coupler is located at an end of the second auger screw and offset from the second axis. A drive sleeve is rigidly connected to the end of the second auger screw. The drive sleeve has at least one slot that slidingly receives the second drive coupler. The second drive coupler is movable between a first position in driving connection with the first drive coupler, and a second position not in driving connection with the first drive coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Clayton E. Banks, Jr., Cooper Linde, William Mark McCully
  • Publication number: 20200128736
    Abstract: A foldable auger having a first and second auger assemblies, each having a respective housing, auger screw and rotation axis. A pivot joins the assemblies, and is configured to permit the second auger assembly to fold relative to the first auger assembly. A first drive coupler is located at an end of the first auger screw and offset from the first axis, and a second drive coupler is located at an end of the second auger screw and offset from the second axis. A drive sleeve is rigidly connected to the end of the second auger screw. The drive sleeve has at least one slot that slidingly receives the second drive coupler. The second drive coupler is movable between a first position in driving connection with the first drive coupler, and a second position not in driving connection with the first drive coupler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Clayton E. Banks, JR., Cooper Linde, William Mark McCully
  • Patent number: 10448568
    Abstract: An unloading auger locking mechanism for use by an agricultural harvester, allowing the secure retainment of an unloading auger while it is in its stored position, accomplished by the passive locking between a latch assembly mounted on the unloading auger and an actuated hook assembly on the chassis, further allowing the unlocking of the mechanism by remote actuation. Locking and unlocking of the unloading auger can therefore be accomplished without the operator leaving the cab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: William M. McCully, Clayton E. Banks, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20190274254
    Abstract: A system for controlling the aggressiveness of a tailings processor that re-threshes tailings received from the grain cleaning system in an agricultural harvester is provided with at least one imaging device to image a grain sample. At least a portion of the grain sample has at least once passed through the tailings processor. A controller is connected to the imaging device and to an arrangement to automatically adjust the aggressiveness of the tailings processor. The controller is configured to automatically adjust the aggressiveness of the tailings processor using the arrangement, based on information provided by the at least one imaging device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Clayton E. Banks, Jr., Dré W.J. Jongmans, Thomas Mahieu, Bart M.A. Missotten, William Mark McCully
  • Patent number: 10368488
    Abstract: A system for sensing harvested crop levels within an agricultural harvester may include a crop tank configured to receive harvested crop. The system may further include a sensor configured to emit a sensor beam into the crop tank for reflection off of the top surface of the harvested crop. Additionally, the system may include a reflection panel positioned at a minimum detectable crop level within the crop tank. The reflection panel may be configured to reflect the sensor beam when the current crop level is vertically below the minimum detectable crop level. A center of the reflection panel may be positioned closer to the sensor than an outer edge of the reflection panel such that the reflection panel diffuses the sensor beam as it reflects off of the reflection panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Justin M. Becker, Mark D. Dilts, Michael Minnich, Clayton E. Banks, Jr., Denver R. Yoder
  • Publication number: 20190082596
    Abstract: In one aspect, a system for sensing harvested crop levels within an agricultural harvester may include a crop tank configured to receive harvested crop. The system may further include a sensor configured to emit a sensor beam into the crop tank for reflection off of the top surface of the harvested crop. Additionally, the system may include a reflection panel positioned at a minimum detectable crop level within the crop tank. The reflection panel may be configured to reflect the sensor beam when the current crop level is vertically below the minimum detectable crop level. A center of the reflection panel may be positioned closer to the sensor than an outer edge of the reflection panel such that the reflection panel diffuses the sensor beam as it reflects off of the reflection panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Justin M. Becker, Mark D. Dilts, Michael Minnich, Clayton E. Banks, JR., Denver R. Yoder
  • Patent number: 10225988
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a chassis, a cleaning system carried by the chassis, a crop material elevator supplied with crop material that has passed through the cleaning system and has a first inlet and a second inlet, and an auger system supplying the crop material from the cleaning system to the crop material elevator. The auger system includes a first auger defining an auger axis that extends in a conveying direction toward the crop material elevator and is configured to supply crop material to the first inlet, a second auger defining a second auger axis that extends in the conveying direction, and a crop material conveyor configured to supply crop material from the second auger to the second inlet generally transverse to the second auger axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Herbert M. Farley, Cale N. Boriack, William M. McCully, Denver R. Yoder, Pieter Vandevelde, Clayton E. Banks, Jr., Eric E. Veikle
  • Publication number: 20190037774
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a chassis, a cleaning system carried by the chassis, and a crop material elevator for receiving crop material that has passed through the cleaning system. The crop material elevator has a top-most end, a bottom-most end, a first inlet between the top-most end and the bottom-most end, and a second inlet between the top-most end and the first inlet. The agricultural harvester also includes an auger system for supplying crop material from the cleaning system to the crop material elevator. The auger system includes a first auger defining an auger axis for supplying crop material to the first inlet, a second auger defining a second auger axis, and a crop material conveyor for supplying crop material from the second auger to the second inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Herbert M. Farley, Cale N. Boriack, William M. McCully, Denver R. Yoder, Pieter Vandevelde, Clayton E. Banks, Eric E. Veikle
  • Patent number: 10143131
    Abstract: A system for discharging residue from an agricultural combine to a ground surface. The system including a spreader operatively connected to a rear end of the agricultural combine. The spreader having one or more impellers each having an axis of rotation and a housing. The impellers are operatively connected to the housing for rotating therein. The housing has an inlet for receiving a flow of residue, an outlet configured about a lateral side of the housing for discharging the flow of residue, and one or more residue flow distributors each pivotably movable in a direction generally parallel with the axis of rotation. Each flow distributor is configured to guide the discharged flow of residue sidewardly away from the spreader to the ground surface. The rotation of the one or more impellers discharge a flow of residue received through the inlet out through the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Nathan E. Isaac, Kevin Frederick Knapp, Austin L. Jackson, William Mark McCully, Clayton E. Banks, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10028444
    Abstract: A combine harvester having a crop processing mechanism and an elevator assembly is provided. The elevator assembly conveys harvested crop to the crop processing mechanism. The elevator assembly includes an elevator housing, an endless conveyor mounted for rotation within the elevator housing about a shaft, and a sprocket stripper mounted adjacent the shaft. The sprocket stripper includes a beveled or tapered edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: William Mark McCully, Clayton E. Banks, Jr., Eric Emerson Veikle
  • Patent number: 9949435
    Abstract: A grain tank level sensing system for a combine which harvests grain. The combine includes an upwardly open grain tank fillable with harvested grain and a cover that is displaceable for closing off the open grain tank. An actuator displaces the cover between an open and close position and either single or dual ultrasonic sensors continuously detect the level of grain in the tank and generate a signal proportional to the level of grain in the grain tank. A control system receives the signal from the ultrasonic sensors and generates an indication of the level in the tank to a monitor and/or disables the actuator to initiate the closing function when the grain tank is full.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Clayton E. Banks, Jr., Michael A. Conrad, William M. McCully
  • Patent number: 9877431
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes: a chassis; a cleaning system carried by the chassis; a crop material elevator supplied with crop material that has passed through the cleaning system; and an auger supplying the crop material from the cleaning system to the crop material elevator. The auger includes: an auger axle configured to rotate and defining an auger axis of rotation; a first flighting having a first helical direction and configured to be rotated by the auger axle; a second flighting having a second helical direction opposite to the first helical direction, the second flighting configured to be rotated so as to direct crop material conveyed by the first flighting back toward the first flighting; and a thrower connected to the first flighting and the second flighting and configured to convey crop material transversely relative to the auger axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Pieter Vandevelde, Clayton E. Banks, Jr., Denver R. Yoder, Eric E. Veikle
  • Publication number: 20170332555
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a chassis, a cleaning system carried by the chassis, a crop material elevator supplied with crop material that has passed through the cleaning system and has a first inlet and a second inlet, and an auger system supplying the crop material from the cleaning system to the crop material elevator. The auger system includes a first auger defining an auger axis that extends in a conveying direction toward the crop material elevator and is configured to supply crop material to the first inlet, a second auger defining a second auger axis that extends in the conveying direction, and a crop material conveyor configured to supply crop material from the second auger to the second inlet generally transverse to the second auger axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Herbert M. Farley, Cale N. Boriack, William M. McCully, Denver R. Yoder, Pieter Vandevelde, Clayton E. Banks, JR., Eric E. Veikle
  • Patent number: 9775297
    Abstract: A bubble up auger includes a tubular housing, a screw auger and a baffle. The tubular housing includes an inlet opening having a first width end adjacent a first end of the tubular housing and a second width end opposite the first width end. The baffle extends from the inlet opening, outwardly from the central longitudinal axis of the tubular housing and towards the first end of the tubular housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Eugene Ricketts, William Mark McCully, Clayton E. Banks, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20170105342
    Abstract: An unloading auger locking mechanism for use by an agricultural harvester, allowing the secure retainment of an unloading auger while it is in its stored position, accomplished by the passive locking between a latch assembly mounted on the unloading auger and an actuated hook assembly on the chassis, further allowing the unlocking of the mechanism by remote actuation. Locking and unlocking of the unloading auger can therefore be accomplished without the operator leaving the cab.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: William M. McCully, Clayton E. Banks, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20160286723
    Abstract: A grain tank level sensing system for a combine which harvests grain. The combine includes an upwardly open grain tank fillable with harvested grain and a cover that is displaceable for closing off the open grain tank. An actuator displaces the cover between an open and close position and either single or dual ultrasonic sensors continuously detect the level of grain in the tank and generate a signal proportional to the level of grain in the grain tank. A control system receives the signal from the ultrasonic sensors and generates an indication of the level in the tank to a monitor and/or disables the actuator to initiate the closing function when the grain tank is full.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Clayton E. Banks, Jr., Michael A. Conrad, William M. McCully