Patents by Inventor Curtis Hillen

Curtis Hillen 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: 20230371429
    Abstract: In an agricultural combine including a rotor of a threshing system, a concave positioned beneath the rotor, a rotor cage positioned above the rotor, a drive controllably operable for rotating the rotor in opposite first and second rotational directions, a control in operative control of the drive, and a sensor for sensing information representative of load conditions opposing rotation of the rotor, a method for deslugging the threshing system of the agricultural combine includes the steps of (i) sensing information representative of load conditions opposing rotation of the rotor above a pre-determined threshold, which indicates a slugging condition; (ii) activating an actuator, which adjusts one or more components to move from an initial position to a deslugging position; (iii) rotating the rotor; and (iv) sensing information representative of load conditions opposing rotation to determine whether the slugging condition still exists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Edmund N. Holt, II, Curtis Hillen
  • Publication number: 20230210055
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a threshing system having a rotor, a rotor cage surrounding the rotor and including a concave, and a transition cone defining an infeed to the rotor cage. The transition cone has a conical inner surface extending in an axial direction between an upstream end and a downstream end of the cone. A vane is mounted to the conical inner surface of the transition cone. The vane protrudes radially from the conical inner surface, and extends along an axial direction between the upstream end and the downstream end. The vane has a body extending along an axis and a cross-sectional shape that is not constant along the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Sollenberger, Wayne T. Flickinger, Curtis Hillen
  • Publication number: 20230070987
    Abstract: An embodiment includes a combine having a header with a motor driving a blade for harvesting crop, a power receiving connector connected to the motor, where the power receiving connector supplies power to drive the motor, and a mechanical connector. The combine also includes a feeder housing with an opening for receiving the harvested crop from the header, a power supplying connector connected to a power plant of the combine, and a mechanical actuator. A controller controls the combine by attaching the header to the feeder housing by lifting the header such that the power receiving connector and the power supplying connector are automatically mated, and such that the mechanical actuator and the mechanical connector are mated, and controlling the power plant to generate and supply electrical power or hydraulic power to the power supply connector, which is supplied to the motor of the header via the power receiving connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Curtis Hillen, Nathan E. Isaac, Wayne T. Flickinger
  • Patent number: 11382273
    Abstract: A threshing system for a combine harvester includes a support bracket that is configured to be attached to a threshing rotor cylinder of the threshing system and a rasp bar that is configured to be mounted to the support bracket. A channel is formed in one of the rasp bar and the support bracket for receiving a surface of the other of the rasp bar and the support bracket, wherein engagement between the channel and the surface limits movement of the rasp bar on the support bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Nathan E. Isaac, Michael Minnich, Curtis Hillen, Cale Boriack
  • Patent number: 11277970
    Abstract: A combine harvester includes a header assembly configured for collecting a crop, a threshing assembly coupled to the header assembly and configured for separating grains of the crop from material other than grain, and a cleaning assembly positioned in association with the threshing assembly and configured for separating the grains from chaff. The cleaning assembly includes a fan assembly having a fan housing with a fan output duct and a fan mounted to the fan housing, and one or more cleaning sieves. The fan assembly is configured to blow air across the one or more cleaning sieves via the fan output duct. The fan output duct includes at least one segmented air deflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Ricketts, Curtis Hillen
  • Publication number: 20210127583
    Abstract: A threshing system for a combine harvester includes a support bracket that is configured to be attached to a threshing rotor cylinder of the threshing system and a rasp bar that is configured to be mounted to the support bracket. A channel is formed in one of the rasp bar and the support bracket for receiving a surface of the other of the rasp bar and the support bracket, wherein engagement between the channel and the surface limits movement of the rasp bar on the support bracket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Nathan E. Isaac, Michael Minnich, Curtis Hillen, Cale Boriack
  • Patent number: 10721865
    Abstract: A combine harvester includes one or more threshing rotors (5) mounted in the harvester, a grain pan (7) and a set of sieves (8), and a drive mechanism configured to drive a longitudinal reciprocating motion of the grain pan (7) and superimpose a lateral reciprocating motion component on the longitudinal reciprocating motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Frank R. G. Duquesne, Curtis Hillen, Paul E. M. Snauwaert
  • Publication number: 20190343051
    Abstract: A combine harvester includes a header assembly configured for collecting a crop, a threshing assembly coupled to the header assembly and configured for separating grains of the crop from material other than grain, and a cleaning assembly positioned in association with the threshing assembly and configured for separating the grains from chaff. The cleaning assembly includes a fan assembly having a fan housing with a fan output duct and a fan mounted to the fan housing, and one or more cleaning sieves. The fan assembly is configured to blow air across the one or more cleaning sieves via the fan output duct. The fan output duct includes at least one segmented air deflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan Ricketts, Curtis Hillen
  • Publication number: 20180242522
    Abstract: A combine harvester includes one or more threshing rotors (5) mounted in the harvester, a grain pan (7) and a set of sieves (8), and a drive mechanism configured to drive a longitudinal reciprocating motion of the grain pan (7) and superimpose a lateral reciprocating motion component on the longitudinal reciprocating motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Frank R.G. Duquesne, Curtis Hillen, Paul E.M. Snauwaert