Patents by Inventor Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
Jeffrey C. Trowbridge 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).
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Patent number: 12082529Abstract: A wheel assembly of a harvester header includes a latch and a pin. The pin is configured to engage the latch while a wheel of the wheel assembly is at a first position and the pin is configured to disengage the latch while the wheel of the wheel assembly is at a second position. Engagement of the pin and the latch is configured to block movement of the wheel relative to a frame of the harvester header.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2019Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventors: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge, Jeffrey D. Thomas, Joel Timothy Cook
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Publication number: 20230284561Abstract: An agricultural system includes a header comprising a gauge wheel and a frame, in which the gauge wheel and the frame are coupled to a hydraulic cylinder that is configured to adjust the gauge wheel relative to the frame. The agricultural system also includes a hydraulic circuit fluidly coupled to the hydraulic cylinder, in which the hydraulic circuit is configured to control a fluid flow into and out of the hydraulic cylinder to adjust the gauge wheel relative to the frame, and the hydraulic circuit includes an accumulator configured to enable an amount of fluid in the hydraulic cylinder to change during a harvesting operation of the agricultural system such that the gauge wheel may oscillate from a set position during the harvesting operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2021Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventor: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Patent number: 11691824Abstract: A detection system for an agricultural header includes a belt that has at least one physical feature driven by a roller at a roller rotational speed. The detection system also includes a sensor that detects a physical feature as it passes the sensor during rotation of the belt. The detection system further includes a controller that receives a signal indicating a first pulse of a first time a physical feature passes the sensor during the rotation of the belt and a second pulse of a second time a physical feature passes the sensor during the rotation of the belt. The controller further determines a pulse frequency based on the first and second times and calculates a belt rotational speed based on the pulse frequency. The controller compares the belt rotational speed to the roller rotational speed and provides an output if the roller rotational speed exceeds a threshold.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2020Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventors: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge, Cory Douglas Hunt
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Patent number: 11503764Abstract: A sickle knife drive for an agricultural vehicle generally includes a first pump, a first motor, a second motor and a drive manifold having a plurality of connections used for connecting to other devices of the sickle knife drive and/or to devices outside of the sickle knife drive. Operation of the first pump in a forward direction causes the first motor to drive a sickle knife gearbox to cut a crop. During the forward direction, the second motor provides cooling to the fluid circuit. When the first pump direction is reversed, the agricultural vehicle supplements a fluid flow to the fluid circuit to clear any jammed crop from the sickle knives.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2019Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventor: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Patent number: 11412661Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a controller configured to receive at least one wing angle signal indicative of an angle at least one wing with respect to a center section of a header. The controller is also configured to receive a wing height position signal indicative of a distance between the at least one wing and a soil surface, determine whether the angle of the at least one wing exceeds an angle limit threshold based at least in part on the wing angle signal, and output a tilt signal to a tilt actuator in response to determining the angle of the wing exceeds the angle limit threshold. The tilt signal is indicative of instructions to maintain the distance between the at least one wing and the soil surface within a target distance threshold.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2019Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventors: Cory D. Hunt, Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Patent number: 11304370Abstract: A system and method for reversing a rotational direction of an auger of a header. The system includes a fluid line for delivering fluid to a motor that drives the auger. A directional flow control valve is connected to the fluid line and is movable between a first state in which the valve is configured to deliver the fluid to the motor in a first fluid direction to cause the motor to move the auger in a first rotational direction, and a second state in which the valve is configured to deliver the fluid to the motor in a second fluid direction that is different from the first fluid direction to cause the motor to move the auger in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2019Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventors: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge, Cory Douglas Hunt
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Publication number: 20220053693Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2021Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: Ryan T. Gahres, Jeffrey B. Fay, II, Albert Childs, Jeffrey C. Trowbridge, Jeff Thomas, Jethro Martin, Cory Douglas Hunt, Joel T. Cook
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Publication number: 20220007576Abstract: A header of a harvester includes a header segment, a center section, an actuator coupling the header segment to the center section, and a controller. The header segment includes a cutter bar configured to cut crops and the header segment includes a first portion of a conveyor assembly. The center section includes a second portion of the conveyor assembly, in which the center section is configured to receive crops from the header segment via the first portion of the conveyor assembly, and the second portion of the conveyor assembly is configured to transport the received crops to a crop processing system of the harvester. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a target position of the header segment and the controller is configured to control the actuator to adjust the header segment to the target position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2019Publication date: January 13, 2022Inventors: Cory D. Hunt, Glenn Aesaert, Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Publication number: 20220007578Abstract: A wheel assembly of a harvester header includes a latch and a pin. The pin is configured to engage the latch while a wheel of the wheel assembly is at a first position and the pin is configured to disengage the latch while the wheel of the wheel assembly is at a second position. Engagement of the pin and the latch is configured to block movement of the wheel relative to a frame of the harvester header.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2019Publication date: January 13, 2022Inventors: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge, Jeffrey D. Thomas, Joel Timothy Cook
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Publication number: 20210352847Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a controller configured to receive at least one wing angle signal indicative of an angle at least one wing with respect to a center section of a header. The controller is also configured to receive a wing height position signal indicative of a distance between the at least one wing and a soil surface, determine whether the angle of the at least one wing exceeds an angle limit threshold based at least in part on the wing angle signal, and output a tilt signal to a tilt actuator in response to determining the angle of the wing exceeds the angle limit threshold. The tilt signal is indicative of instructions to maintain the distance between the at least one wing and the soil surface within a target distance threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2019Publication date: November 18, 2021Inventors: Cory D. Hunt, Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Publication number: 20210237982Abstract: A detection system for an agricultural header includes a belt that has at least one physical feature driven by a roller at a roller rotational speed. The detection system also includes a sensor that detects a physical feature as it passes the sensor during rotation of the belt. The detection system further includes a controller that receives a signal indicating a first pulse of a first time a physical feature passes the sensor during the rotation of the belt and a second pulse of a second time a physical feature passes the sensor during the rotation of the belt. The controller further determines a pulse frequency based on the first and second times and calculates a belt rotational speed based on the pulse frequency. The controller compares the belt rotational speed to the roller rotational speed and provides an output if the roller rotational speed exceeds a threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2020Publication date: August 5, 2021Inventors: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge, Cory Douglas Hunt
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Patent number: 11073346Abstract: A header for an agricultural harvester is disclosed. The header comprises a frame, a cooler assembly support by the frame for cooling a hydraulic system of the header, and a hydraulic system. The cooler assembly includes an air pre-cleaner for receiving air and outputting a flow of air, a rotary fan downstream the air pre-cleaner, and a heat exchanger downstream and in fluid communication with a first air output of the rotary fan. The rotary fan includes an air intake in fluid communication with the air pre-cleaner for receiving the flow of air, a first air output in fluid communication with the air intake, and a second air output in fluid communication with the air intake and spaced from the first air output. The hydraulic system is downstream the heat exchanger and receives an output flow of air from the cooler assembly.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2019Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventor: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Patent number: 11051453Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame, a reel rotatably mounted to the frame, and a reel drive assembly operably connected to the reel. The reel drive assembly rotates the reel in a first drive configuration and a second drive configuration. The reel drive assembly includes a first drive operably connected to the reel, and a second drive selectively connected to the reel such that the second drive is disconnected from the reel in the first drive configuration and the second drive is operably connected to the reel in parallel with the first drive in the second drive configuration.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2018Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventor: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Publication number: 20210120743Abstract: A system and method for reversing a rotational direction of an auger of a header. The system includes a fluid line for delivering fluid to a motor that drives the auger. A directional flow control valve is connected to the fluid line and is movable between a first state in which the valve is configured to deliver the fluid to the motor in a first fluid direction to cause the motor to move the auger in a first rotational direction, and a second state in which the valve is configured to deliver the fluid to the motor in a second fluid direction that is different from the first fluid direction to cause the motor to move the auger in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2019Publication date: April 29, 2021Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLCInventors: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge, Cory Douglas Hunt
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Publication number: 20200236853Abstract: A sickle knife drive for an agricultural vehicle generally includes a first pump, a first motor, a second motor and a drive manifold having a plurality of connections used for connecting to other devices of the sickle knife drive and/or to devices outside of the sickle knife drive. Operation of the first pump in a forward direction causes the first motor to drive a sickle knife gearbox to cut a crop. During the forward direction, the second motor provides cooling to the fluid circuit. When the first pump direction is reversed, the agricultural vehicle supplements a fluid flow to the fluid circuit to clear any jammed crop from the sickle knives.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2019Publication date: July 30, 2020Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLCInventor: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Publication number: 20200146217Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame, a reel rotatably mounted to the frame, and a reel drive assembly operably connected to the reel. The reel drive assembly rotates the reel in a first drive configuration and a second drive configuration. The reel drive assembly includes a first drive operably connected to the reel, and a second drive selectively connected to the reel such that the second drive is disconnected from the reel in the first drive configuration and the second drive is operably connected to the reel in parallel with the first drive in the second drive configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2018Publication date: May 14, 2020Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLCInventor: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Patent number: 10647197Abstract: A ground drive hose routing system and method for a self-propelled agricultural product applicator utilize segments of a hose arrangement that are constrained to lie and move primarily in only one direction, to isolate horizontal hose movement related to track-width adjustment from vertical hose movement resulting from action of suspension members. For steerable wheels, an additional pivotable segment is utilized to accommodate turning motion while maintaining isolation between other primarily horizontally and vertically constrained movable segments of the hose arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventor: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Publication number: 20190271514Abstract: A header for an agricultural harvester is disclosed. The header comprises a frame, a cooler assembly support by the frame for cooling a hydraulic system of the header, and a hydraulic system. The cooler assembly includes an air pre-cleaner for receiving air and outputting a flow of air, a rotary fan downstream the air pre-cleaner, and a heat exchanger downstream and in fluid communication with a first air output of the rotary fan. The rotary fan includes an air intake in fluid communication with the air pre-cleaner for receiving the flow of air, a first air output in fluid communication with the air intake, and a second air output in fluid communication with the air intake and spaced from the first air output. The hydraulic system is downstream the heat exchanger and receives an output flow of air from the cooler assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2019Publication date: September 5, 2019Inventor: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Patent number: D868948Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2018Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventors: Jimmie D. Clifford, Jeffrey C. Trowbridge
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Patent number: D869615Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2018Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventor: Jeffrey C. Trowbridge