Patents by Inventor John A. Dighton

John A. Dighton 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: 10827676
    Abstract: A harvester including a frame supported by a drive assembly for movement along a support surface, a head unit coupled to the harvester and configured to selectively harvest crop material, a camera coupled to the frame and configured to generate one or more images of a field of view, and a controller in operable communication with the camera and the head unit, where the controller is configured to determine one or more crop attributes based at least in part on the one or more images produced by the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: John A. Dighton, Bryan E. Dugas, Rahul Gunda, Peter A. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20200337232
    Abstract: A method for mapping an agricultural crop in a field is provided. The method comprising receiving signals, with a control unit on an agricultural machine, from a yield sensor, which senses a yield characteristic of the crop, and a processing sensor, which senses a processing characteristic of the crop, associated with an agricultural work machine; determining the presence of a void crop plant using the received signals; determining a location of the void crop plant using at least a time and a location of the agricultural work machine; and generating a void crop map showing the location of the void crop within the field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Sebastian Blank, Peter A. Johnson, John A. Dighton
  • Patent number: 10806079
    Abstract: A method of moving a component of a harvester that includes a topper for cutting top portions of crops, a conveyor for transporting the cut stalks of the crops, a primary hood, and a secondary hood, each of the primary and secondary hoods operable to direct the cut top portions of the crops away from the conveyor. The method includes selecting a cutting mode of operation from the following modes of operation: circular cutting mode and face cutting mode; selecting a crop position from the following crop positions: crop at right and crop at left; selecting at least one component from the following components: the conveyor, the primary hood, or the secondary hood; and in response to selecting at least one component, automatically moving the selected at least one component to one of a first operational position or a second operational position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Rahul Gunda, Bryan E. Dugas, John A. Dighton, Peter A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10736271
    Abstract: A method of collecting material with a harvester when a storage vehicle is spaced from the harvester includes moving material from the field into the basket, actuating the conveyor for a first time period when the sensed parameter is above the set amount, transporting a first portion of the material a first distance with the actuated conveyor, after the first time period has elapsed, stopping the conveyor to store the first portion of the material on the conveyor, after the first time period has elapsed, if the conveyor can store more material, actuating the conveyor for a second time period, transporting a second portion of the material a second distance with the actuated conveyor and transporting the first portion of the material a third distance with the actuated conveyor, and if the conveyor cannot store more material, alerting an operator that the conveyor is full.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Peter A. Johnson, Bryan E. Dugas, John A. Dighton, Rahul Gunda
  • Publication number: 20200178467
    Abstract: A hood assembly for a fan that has a base section, a discharge nozzle pivotally coupled to the base section, and a motor coupled between the base section and the discharge nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: John A. Dighton, Matthew J. Hansen
  • Publication number: 20200137958
    Abstract: A harvester includes a main frame supported on a ground surface for transport along the ground surface, an inlet for receiving a crop, and a separator for separating the crop into a first portion and a second portion. The separator includes a hood having an outlet, and a fan operable to generate an airflow through the outlet. The hood of the separator is movable relative to the main frame between a transport position and a harvest position. In the transport position, the hood is positioned at a first height above the ground surface. In the harvest position, the hood is positioned at a second height, greater than the first height, above the ground surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Matthew Hansen, Dusk Mixon, John Dighton, Jeffrey Simoneaux, Eric Richard, Beau Downey, Marcie Words, Andrew Brauning, Blain Cazenave
  • Publication number: 20190261564
    Abstract: A method of moving a component of a harvester that includes a topper for cutting top portions of crops, a conveyor for transporting the cut stalks of the crops, a primary hood, and a secondary hood, each of the primary and secondary hoods operable to direct the cut top portions of the crops away from the conveyor. The method includes selecting a cutting mode of operation from the following modes of operation: circular cutting mode and face cutting mode; selecting a crop position from the following crop positions: crop at right and crop at left; selecting at least one component from the following components: the conveyor, the primary hood, or the secondary hood; and in response to selecting at least one component, automatically moving the selected at least one component to one of a first operational position or a second operational position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Rahul Gunda, Bryan E. Dugas, John A. Dighton, Peter A. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20190230856
    Abstract: A harvester including a frame supported by a drive assembly for movement along a support surface, a head unit coupled to the harvester and configured to selectively harvest crop material, a camera coupled to the frame and configured to generate one or more images of a field of view, and a controller in operable communication with the camera and the head unit, where the controller is configured to determine one or more crop attributes based at least in part on the one or more images produced by the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: John A. Dighton, Bryan E. Dugas, Rahul Gunda, Peter A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10317272
    Abstract: A harvesting system includes a crop unloading machine having a volume measurement device configured to measure a volume of harvested crops, and a crop transport vehicle including a weight sensor configured to sense a weight of the harvested crops. The crop transport vehicle can receive crops from the crop unloading machine. The crop transport vehicle communicates the sensed weight to the crop unloading machine and the crop unloading machine calculates a crop yield based upon the sensed weight, the volume and a state of the crop unloading machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Mehul P. Bhavsar, John A. Dighton
  • Publication number: 20190124848
    Abstract: A method of collecting material with a harvester when a storage vehicle is spaced from the harvester includes moving material from the field into the basket, actuating the conveyor for a first time period when the sensed parameter is above the set amount, transporting a first portion of the material a first distance with the actuated conveyor, after the first time period has elapsed, stopping the conveyor to store the first portion of the material on the conveyor, after the first time period has elapsed, if the conveyor can store more material, actuating the conveyor for a second time period, transporting a second portion of the material a second distance with the actuated conveyor and transporting the first portion of the material a third distance with the actuated conveyor, and if the conveyor cannot store more material, alerting an operator that the conveyor is full.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Peter A. Johnson, Bryan E. Dugas, John A. Dighton, Rahul Gunda
  • Publication number: 20180335335
    Abstract: A harvesting system includes a crop unloading machine having a volume measurement device configured to measure a volume of harvested crops, and a crop transport vehicle including a weight sensor configured to sense a weight of the harvested crops. The crop transport vehicle can receive crops from the crop unloading machine. The crop transport vehicle communicates the sensed weight to the crop unloading machine and the crop unloading machine calculates a crop yield based upon the sensed weight, the volume and a state of the crop unloading machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Mehul P. Bhavsar, John A. Dighton
  • Patent number: 9788485
    Abstract: A control system for a sugarcane harvester. The sugarcane harvester comprises lower feed rollers and upper feed rollers configured to feed cut sugarcane through the sugarcane harvester. An elevator is configured to transport sugarcane out of the sugarcane harvester at an elevator speed. The control system controls the elevator speed based on a crop mass flow through the plurality of lower and upper feed rollers. The control system comprises at least one crop mass flow feedback device providing a crop mass flow feedback signal indicative of the crop mass flow. A controller is in communication with the at least one crop mass flow feedback device and configured to lower the elevator speed when the crop mass flow feedback signal indicates a lower crop mass flow and raise the elevator speed when the crop mass flow feedback signal indicates a higher crop mass flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul I. Craig, John A Dighton
  • Publication number: 20170112059
    Abstract: A control system for a sugarcane harvester. The sugarcane harvester comprises lower feed rollers and upper feed rollers configured to feed cut sugarcane through the sugarcane harvester. An elevator is configured to transport sugarcane out of the sugarcane harvester at an elevator speed. The control system controls the elevator speed based on a crop mass flow through the plurality of lower and upper feed rollers. The control system comprises at least one crop mass flow feedback device providing a crop mass flow feedback signal indicative of the crop mass flow. A controller is in communication with the at least one crop mass flow feedback device and configured to lower the elevator speed when the crop mass flow feedback signal indicates a lower crop mass flow and raise the elevator speed when the crop mass flow feedback signal indicates a higher crop mass flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Paul I. Craig, John A. Dighton
  • Patent number: 9370213
    Abstract: A multi-purpose flexible clip for gripping a medium to which it is affixed consisting of a thin, one-piece high density material shaped in a rectangle having a front facing side and being folded over to form a backside thereby creating a resistant clip, said backside having two holes formed therein for access to said medium for gripping said medium for removal from said medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventors: Jessica Brooke Dighton, Anthony John Dighton
  • Patent number: D724487
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Lickety Klip Wear, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony John Dighton, Jessica Brooke Dighton