Patents by Inventor Eric E. Veikle

Eric E. Veikle 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).

  • 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
  • Patent number: 10806084
    Abstract: An unloading system for a harvester is described as including a crop delivery apparatus, an unloading structure, a belt, and a deflector. The crop delivery apparatus has an outlet through which a flow of crop material is expelled. The unloading structure receives the flow of crop material from the outlet of the crop delivery apparatus and includes a conveyor tube portion extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a passage therethrough with an open intake end. The belt extends into from the intake end through the passage for transporting the flow of crop material through the conveyor tube portion. The deflector extends within the unloading structure from an upstream end to a downstream end such that at least a portion of the flow of crop material received from the crop delivery apparatus contacts the deflector and is directed towards at least a portion of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Eric E. Veikle
  • Patent number: 10806085
    Abstract: An unloading system for a harvester is described as including a crop delivery apparatus, an unloading structure and a belt. The crop delivery apparatus defines an outlet and is configured and positioned to propel a flow of crop material through the outlet such that a least a portion of the crop material is deposited onto the belt. The unloading structure is configured to receive the crop material from the crop delivery apparatus and has a structure including a conveyor tube portion extending along a longitudinal axis, the conveyor tube portion defining a passage therethrough having an open intake end. The belt extends from the intake end through the passage for transporting the crop material through the conveyor tube portion. A projection of the longitudinal axis of the conveyor tube portion of the unloading structure passes through an internal cross-sectional area defined by the outlet of the crop delivery apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Eric E. Veikle
  • Patent number: 10485180
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes an auger assembly including an auger having an auger shaft defining an axis of rotation and a fighting carried by the auger shaft, the auger being configured to rotate the fighting in a sweeping path about the axis of rotation and convey cleaned crop material toward the crop material elevator; an auger trough placed adjacent to the auger to hold crop material in the sweeping path; and an auger cover held above the sweeping path that is configured to direct flung crop material toward the auger and/or the auger trough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jason R. Coppinger, Tyler D. Brockel, Clay Alan Reinecke, Craig A. Murray, William L. Cooksey, Eric E. Veikle
  • Publication number: 20190335666
    Abstract: An unloading system for a harvester is described as including a crop delivery apparatus, an unloading structure and a belt. The crop delivery apparatus defines an outlet and is configured and positioned to propel a flow of crop material through the outlet such that a least a portion of the crop material is deposited onto the belt. The unloading structure is configured to receive the crop material from the crop delivery apparatus and has a structure including a conveyor tube portion extending along a longitudinal axis, the conveyor tube portion defining a passage therethrough having an open intake end. The belt extends from the intake end through the passage for transporting the crop material through the conveyor tube portion. A projection of the longitudinal axis of the conveyor tube portion of the unloading structure passes through an internal cross-sectional area defined by the outlet of the crop delivery apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventor: Eric E. Veikle
  • Publication number: 20190335665
    Abstract: An unloading system for a harvester is described as including a crop delivery apparatus, an unloading structure, a belt, and a deflector. The crop delivery apparatus has an outlet through which a flow of crop material is expelled. The unloading structure receives the flow of crop material from the outlet of the crop delivery apparatus and includes a conveyor tube portion extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a passage therethrough with an open intake end. The belt extends into from the intake end through the passage for transporting the flow of crop material through the conveyor tube portion. The deflector extends within the unloading structure from an upstream end to a downstream end such that at least a portion of the flow of crop material received from the crop delivery apparatus contacts the deflector and is directed towards at least a portion of the belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventor: Eric E. Veikle
  • Patent number: 10257984
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester (10) defining a longitudinal axis (LI) includes a chassis; at least one ground engaging traction member carried by the chassis (12); a cleaning system (26) carried by the chassis that is configured to clean crop material; and a generally vertical crop material elevator (60) carried by the chassis. The crop material elevator (60) includes a housing (78) having an inlet (76) formed therethrough; a driving loop (88) held within the housing; a plurality of paddles (90) connected to the driving loop; and a rotating element (92) configured to rotate the plurality of paddles about an axis of rotation that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis. The agricultural harvester (10) also includes a crop material conveyor (70) configured to supply cleaned crop material to the inlet of the crop material elevator from the cleaning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jason R. Coppinger, Pieter Vandevelde, Eric E. Veikle, Pieter J. P. Willem, Cale N. Boriack
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20180279558
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes an auger assembly including an auger having an auger shaft defining an axis of rotation and a fighting carried by the auger shaft, the auger being configured to rotate the fighting in a sweeping path about the axis of rotation and convey cleaned crop material toward the crop material elevator; an auger trough placed adjacent to the auger to hold crop material in the sweeping path; and an auger cover held above the sweeping path that is configured to direct flung crop material toward the auger and/or the auger trough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Jason R. Coppinger, Tyler D. Brockel, Clay Alan Reinecke, Craig A. Murray, William L. Cooksey, Eric E. Veikle
  • Patent number: 10076079
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester is described, the harvester comprising a processor for receiving a flow of harvested crop and processing the harvested crop, an on-board tank for storing the processed crop, and a loading arrangement for transporting the flow of processed crop from the feeder to the on-board tank. The loading arrangement comprises an auger, the auger comprising a lower section with an inlet for receiving the flow of processed crop and an upper section with an outlet. The auger further comprises a tubular housing and an auger fighting mounted inside the tubular housing for, during use, transporting the flow of processed crop from the lower section to the upper section and outputting the processed crop via the outlet of the upper section. A clearance between the housing and the auger fighting is larger in the lower section of the auger compared to the upper section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Stefaan Ballegeer, Frank R. G. Duquesne, Eric E. Veikle, Pieter J. P. Willem
  • Patent number: 9955629
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a chassis; a cleaning system carried by the chassis and is configured to clean crop material; and a crop material elevator carried by the chassis that is supplied with cleaned crop material from the cleaning system. The crop material elevator includes: a housing including a boot portion at a bottom of the housing, the boot portion defining a bulbous shape on at least a conveyance side of the housing; a driving loop held within the housing and configured to rotate; a driving element linked to the driving loop and configured to rotate the driving loop; and a plurality of paddles carried by the driving loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Pieter Vandevelde, Eric E. Veikle
  • 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: 20170339833
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester (10) defining a longitudinal axis (LI) includes a chassis; at least one ground engaging traction member carried by the chassis (12); a cleaning system (26) carried by the chassis that is configured to clean crop material; and a generally vertical crop material elevator (60) carried by the chassis. The crop material elevator (60) includes a housing (78) having an inlet (76) formed therethrough; a driving loop (88) held within the housing; a plurality of paddles (90) connected to the driving loop; and a rotating element (92) configured to rotate the plurality of paddles about an axis of rotation that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis. The agricultural harvester (10) also includes a crop material conveyor (70) configured to supply cleaned crop material to the inlet of the crop material elevator from the cleaning system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Jason R. Coppinger, Pieter Vandevelde, Eric E. Veikle, Pieter J.P. Willem, Cale N. Boriack
  • 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: 9736985
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes an auger assembly including an auger having an auger shaft defining an axis of rotation and a flighting carried by the auger shaft, the auger being configured to rotate the flighting in a sweeping path about the axis of rotation; and an auger trough placed adjacent to the auger to hold crop material in the sweeping path and having a bottom below the sweeping path. The auger trough has a first portion on a first side of the bottom and a second portion on a second side opposite the first side of the bottom, with the second portion of the auger trough having an end directed toward the first portion in a direction of the sweeping path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Pieter Vandevelde, Daniel T. Turner, Karl R. Linde, Eric E. Veikle
  • Publication number: 20170000033
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a chassis; a cleaning system carried by the chassis and is configured to clean crop material; and a crop material elevator carried by the chassis that is supplied with cleaned crop material from the cleaning system. The crop material elevator includes: a housing including a boot portion at a bottom of the housing, the boot portion defining a bulbous shape on at least a conveyance side of the housing; a driving loop held within the housing and configured to rotate; a driving element linked to the driving loop and configured to rotate the driving loop; and a plurality of paddles carried by the driving loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Applicant: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: Pieter Vandevelde, Eric E. Veikle
  • Patent number: 9526211
    Abstract: An agricultural harvesting system including a chassis, an agricultural product moving device coupled to the chassis, an airflow system, a cleaning system and an airflow characterizing system. The cleaning system is configured to receive the agricultural product from the moving device. The cleaning system is configured to receive an airflow from the airflow system. The airflow characterizing system is at least partially positioned in the airflow, and is configured to measure an airflow profile across the cleaning system. The airflow characterizing system includes a plurality of sensors that determine airflow by measuring a thermal transfer from the sensors to the airflow. The airflow characterizing system being configured to maintain a substantially constant electrical resistance of the sensors as the airflow varies. The airflow characteristics are measured in the cleaning system and are used to improve the cleaning capacity of the harvesting system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Craig E. Murray, Tyler L. Nelson, Eric E. Veikle, Kevin S. Schwinn
  • Publication number: 20160345502
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester is described, the harvester comprising a processor for receiving a flow of harvested crop and processing the harvested crop, an on-board tank for storing the processed crop, and a loading arrangement for transporting the flow of processed crop from the feeder to the on-board tank. The loading arrangement comprises an auger, the auger comprising a lower section with an inlet for receiving the flow of processed crop and an upper section with an outlet. The auger further comprises a tubular housing and an auger fighting mounted inside the tubular housing for, during use, transporting the flow of processed crop from the lower section to the upper section and outputting the processed crop via the outlet of the upper section. A clearance between the housing and the auger fighting is larger in the lower section of the auger compared to the upper section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Stefaan Ballegeer, Frank R.G. Duquesne, Eric E. Veikle, Pieter J.P. Willem
  • Publication number: 20160316632
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes an auger assembly including an auger having an auger shaft defining an axis of rotation and a flighting carried by the auger shaft, the auger being configured to rotate the flighting in a sweeping path about the axis of rotation; and an auger trough placed adjacent to the auger to hold crop material in the sweeping path and having a bottom below the sweeping path. The auger trough has a first portion on a first side of the bottom and a second portion on a second side opposite the first side of the bottom, with the second portion of the auger trough having an end directed toward the first portion in a direction of the sweeping path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Pieter Vandevelde, Daniel T. Turner, Karl R. Linde, Eric E. Veikle