Patents by Inventor Eric L. Walker

Eric L. Walker 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: 12324372
    Abstract: A cleaning system for an agricultural harvester includes: at least one sieve; a cleaning blower directed at the at least one sieve and configured to supply a cleaning air flow directed at the at least one sieve; and a conveyor assembly configured to supply crop material to the at least one sieve. The conveyor assembly includes: a conveyor frame; a shaker coupled to the conveyor frame and configured to shake the conveyor frame; and an endless conveyor carried by the conveyor frame and including a conveyor loop with a substantially solid surface and a conveyor driver coupled to the conveyor loop, the conveyor driver being configured to selectively rotate the conveyor loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Justin Becker, Robert Garrett, Michael Wenger, Eric L. Walker, Zachary Harmon, Brian Abreu
  • Publication number: 20250127087
    Abstract: An agricultural system for accounting for hill-drift steering during row guidance may include a harvester having a header supported forward of a main frame along a fore-aft direction. The agricultural system may further include a location detecting system that generates location data indicative of a location of at least two points of the harvester, where the at least two points may be spaced apart from each other and from a front end of the header along the fore-aft direction. The agricultural system may additionally include a computing system that receives the location data, determines an instantaneous heading of the harvester and an actual direction of travel of the harvester based at least in part on the location data, and performs a control action based at least in part on an angle between the instantaneous heading and the actual direction of travel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2024
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Inventors: Cory Douglas Hunt, Eric L. Walker
  • Patent number: 12225849
    Abstract: A combine has a grain sample sensor for detecting frequencies of impacts of separated grain on the grain sample sensor, a grain loss sensor for detecting frequencies of impacts of residue and lost grain on the grain loss sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive, from the grain sample sensor, the frequencies of the impacts of the separated grain, receive, from the grain loss sensor, the frequencies of the impacts of the residue and the lost grain, set a detection frequency band based on the frequencies of the impacts of the separated grain, filter the frequencies of the impacts of the residue and the lost grain based on the detection frequency band, determine, from the filtered frequencies, grain loss information, and indicate the grain loss information to an operator of the combine, or control the combine based on the grain loss information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Eric L. Walker, Matthew D'Amicantonio, Ericson Santos
  • Publication number: 20240049638
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes: a harvester frame; an agricultural header coupled with the harvester frame, the agricultural header including a plurality of deck plates; and a control system operatively coupled with the harvester frame and the agricultural header, the control system including: at least one sensor coupled with the agricultural header and configured for: detecting a crop material condition associated with a harvesting operation, the crop material condition being a crop material diameter; outputting a crop material condition signal corresponding to the crop material condition; a controller operatively coupled with the at least one sensor and configured for: receiving the crop material condition signal; determining an operative parameter of the plurality of deck plates based at least in part on the crop material condition signal and at least one offset condition signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Eric Fredricks, Matthew D'Amicantonio, Bryan B. Finley, Eric L. Walker, Lane Darrow
  • Patent number: 11737392
    Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame and at least one row unit supported by the frame. The at least one row unit including has at least one deck assembly. The at least one deck assembly has a plurality of plates defining an outer periphery for contacting a crop material. Adjacent ones of the plurality of plates at least partially overlap and are movable with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Eric L. Walker
  • Publication number: 20230189709
    Abstract: A cleaning system for an agricultural harvester includes: at least one sieve; a cleaning blower directed at the at least one sieve and configured to supply a cleaning air flow directed at the at least one sieve; and a conveyor assembly configured to supply crop material to the at least one sieve. The conveyor assembly includes: a conveyor frame; a shaker coupled to the conveyor frame and configured to shake the conveyor frame; and an endless conveyor carried by the conveyor frame and including a conveyor loop with a substantially solid surface and a conveyor driver coupled to the conveyor loop, the conveyor driver being configured to selectively rotate the conveyor loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Justin Becker, Robert Garrett, Michael Wenger, Eric L. Walker, Zachary Harmon, Brian Abreu
  • Publication number: 20230180661
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a frame and a crop cleaning assembly supported on the frame. The crop cleaning assembly, in turn, includes an oscillating component configured to oscillate relative to the frame in a manner that conveys crop material across the oscillating component. Furthermore, the agricultural harvester includes a RADAR sensor configured to emit an output signal directed at the crop material present on the oscillating component and detect an echo signal reflected by the crop material present on the oscillating component. Additionally, the agricultural harvester includes a computing system communicatively coupled to the RADAR sensor. In this respect, the computing system is configured to determine a thickness of the crop material present on the oscillating component based on detected echo signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Eric L. Walker, Cory Douglas Hunt, Bart Lenaerts
  • Publication number: 20230072664
    Abstract: An embodiment includes a combine having a grain sample sensor for detecting frequencies of impacts of separated grain on the grain sample sensor, a grain loss sensor for detecting frequencies of impacts of residue and lost grain on the grain loss sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive, from the grain sample sensor, the frequencies of the impacts of the separated grain, receive, from the grain loss sensor, the frequencies of the impacts of the residue and the lost grain, set a detection frequency band based on the frequencies of the impacts of the separated grain, filter the frequencies of the impacts of the residue and the lost grain based on the detection frequency band, determine, from the filtered frequencies, grain loss information, and indicate the grain loss information to an operator of the combine, or control the combine based on the grain loss information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Eric L. WALKER, Matthew D'AMICANTONIO, Ericson SANTOS
  • Patent number: 11369060
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle including at least one threshing rotor and an auger bed located underneath the at least one threshing rotor. The auger bed has a working position and a cleaning position. The auger bed includes a frame, a plurality of augers rotatably coupled to and supported by the frame, and a trough portion moveably connected to the frame. In the working position the bottom surface of the trough portion is positioned underneath the plurality of augers and in the cleaning position the entire trough portion is moved relative to the frame so that the bottom surface of the trough portion is not positioned underneath at least a portion of the plurality of augers, creating an open space underneath the portion of the plurality of augers for allowing an unwanted material to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Curtis F. Hillen, Herbert M. Farley, Andrews V. Lauwers, Robert S. Boyd, III, Eric L Walker
  • Patent number: 11032969
    Abstract: A crop dividing device for an agricultural header including a hood and a divider connected to the hood. The divider includes a base member pivotally connected to the hood. The base member includes a receiving section. The divider also includes an ear dam member receivable in the receiving section. The ear dam member is positionable in between a first position for increasing an overall slope of the divider and a second position for decreasing the overall slope of the divider. The ear dam member is connected to the receiving section in the first position, and the ear dam member is connected to one of the hood and base member in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Eric L. Walker, Kyle Lauff, Brian P. Crow, John P. Roeder
  • Patent number: 11013177
    Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle includes: a header frame; at least two row dividers carried by the header frame and defining a gap therebetween; and a crop material saver disposed in the gap and including a pair of saver flaps, each of the saver flaps being positioned such that the saver flaps co-act as a one-way pass-through to allow crop material flow past the saver flaps in an admission direction and inhibit crop material flow past the saver flaps in an inhibited direction opposite the admission direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Eric L. Walker
  • Publication number: 20200323132
    Abstract: A crop dividing device for an agricultural header including a hood and a divider connected to the hood. The divider includes a base member pivotally connected to the hood. The base member includes a receiving section. The divider also includes an ear dam member receivable in the receiving section. The ear dam member is positionable in between a first position for increasing an overall slope of the divider and a second position for decreasing the overall slope of the divider. The ear dam member is connected to the receiving section in the first position, and the ear dam member is connected to one of the hood and base member in the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Eric L. Walker, Kyle Lauff, Brian P. Crow, John P. Roeder
  • Patent number: 10716257
    Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle including a header frame, and at least one row unit supported by the header frame. The at least one row unit including a pair of gatherers configured for conveying a crop material. Each gatherer including a chain and a plurality of plates connected to the chain. The plurality of plates at least partially overlap to define a conveying floor that has a continuous upper portion for receiving and transporting a dislodged crop material and an outer periphery for gathering the crop material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Eric L. Walker
  • Publication number: 20200221640
    Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame and at least one row unit supported by the frame. The at least one row unit including has at least one deck assembly. The at least one deck assembly has a plurality of plates defining an outer periphery for contacting a crop material. Adjacent ones of the plurality of plates at least partially overlap and are movable with respect to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Eric L. Walker
  • Patent number: 10687466
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle comprises a chassis, a header carried by the chassis, an actuator system including a plurality of actuators linked to a frame of the header and configured to adjust an orientation of the header, a GPS device configured to output a GPS position of the vehicle, and a controller. The header includes a frame and one or more sensors carried by the frame. The controller is electrically coupled to the one or more sensors, the actuator system, and the GPS device. The controller is configured to receive from a memory a final orientation of the header associated with a GPS position at a second location on a last pass that is closest in distance to a GPS position at an upcoming location on the current pass, and activate one or more actuators to re-orient the header before the vehicle arrives at the upcoming location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Reed, Eric L. Walker
  • Publication number: 20200170188
    Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle includes: a header frame; at least two row dividers carried by the header frame and defining a gap therebetween; and a crop material saver disposed in the gap and including a pair of saver flaps, each of the saver flaps being positioned such that the saver flaps co-act as a one-way pass-through to allow crop material flow past the saver flaps in an admission direction and inhibit crop material flow past the saver flaps in an inhibited direction opposite the admission direction
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Eric L. Walker
  • Publication number: 20200037505
    Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle including a header frame, and at least one row unit supported by the header frame. The at least one row unit including a pair of gatherers configured for conveying a crop material. Each gatherer including a chain and a plurality of plates connected to the chain. The plurality of plates at least partially overlap to define a conveying floor that has a continuous upper portion for receiving and transporting a dislodged crop material and an outer periphery for gathering the crop material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Eric L. Walker
  • Publication number: 20190254234
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle including at least one threshing rotor and an auger bed located underneath the at least one threshing rotor. The auger bed has a working position and a cleaning position. The auger bed includes a frame, a plurality of augers rotatably coupled to and supported by the frame, and a trough portion moveably connected to the frame. In the working position the bottom surface of the trough portion is positioned underneath the plurality of augers and in the cleaning position the entire trough portion is moved relative to the frame so that the bottom surface of the trough portion is not positioned underneath at least a portion of the plurality of augers, creating an open space underneath the portion of the plurality of augers for allowing an unwanted material to pass therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Curtis F. Hillen, Herbert M. Farley, Andrews V. Lauwers, Robert S. Boyd, III, Eric L Walker
  • Publication number: 20190230855
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle comprises a chassis, a header carried by the chassis, an actuator system including a plurality of actuators linked to a frame of the header and configured to adjust an orientation of the header, a GPS device configured to output a GPS position of the vehicle, and a controller. The header includes a frame and one or more sensors carried by the frame. The controller is electrically coupled to the one or more sensors, the actuator system, and the GPS device. The controller is configured to receive from a memory a final orientation of the header associated with a GPS position at a second location on a last pass that is closest in distance to a GPS position at an upcoming location on the current pass, and activate one or more actuators to re-orient the header before the vehicle arrives at the upcoming location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Reed, Eric L. Walker
  • Patent number: 10334783
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester row unit has side-by-side stalk rolls oriented to receive crop stalks. Each of the stalk rolls have a forward section with an annular base tapered towards the forward end and spiral auger flights that overlap one another and cooperate with adjacent bases to positively move crop stalks in an aft direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Eric L. Walker, Brian P. Crow, Dariusz Adamczyk, Eric Fredricks, Jonathan E. Ricketts