Patents by Inventor Simon Beelaert

Simon Beelaert 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: 20240373786
    Abstract: In a harvester/header combination according to the invention, the header is a crop pick-up header (2) coupled to a forage harvester (1). The header comprises a frame (10) and a rotatable reel (13) configured to collect crops from the ground, a rotatable auger (20) provided with two oppositely wound helicoidal flights (26), and one or more windguard rolls (15). The auger is rotatable with respect to a pair of support arms (21) which are themselves pivotable relative to the frame, so that the pivoting movement of the arms results in lowering or raising the auger (20). According to the invention, the header comprises at least one set of actuators (18.19) capable of actively raising the auger and the windguard roll(s) and the harvester/header combination comprises a control unit (46) configured to execute a sequence of steps for removing a foreign object from the header, after detection of the object and stoppage of the harvester's feed rolls (51).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Simon BEELAERT, Jeffrey BLANCKE, Stijn VAN BELLEGHEM, Pieter WILLEMS
  • Publication number: 20240324512
    Abstract: A control system for an agricultural harvester includes a crop inlet with infeed rollers for collecting crop from a pickup assembly connected to the harvester; and a lift assembly for moving the pickup assembly from an operational configuration, in which the pickup assembly is operable to pick up crop from the ground and to convey the picked-up crop to the crop inlet of the harvester, to a non-operational configuration. The control system includes a detector for detecting a foreign object in the collected crop; and one or more controllers configured to (i) receive a signal from the detector that is indicative of a foreign object in the collected crop while the pickup assembly is in the operational configuration; and (ii) control the lift assembly to raise the pickup assembly, away from the crop on the ground, to the non-operational condition, in dependence on the received signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2024
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventors: Simon Beelaert, Jeffrey Blancke, Pieter Willems, Stijn Van Belleghem
  • Publication number: 20240196798
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a header with a pickup mechanism for picking up crop from a field and a feeder for feeding the crop into the agricultural harvester for further processing. The feeder is pivotably connected to a chassis of the agricultural harvester via at least one lift cylinder. The header is connected to the feeder for pivoting therewith and includes a pickup mechanism supported by a frame. The header further includes at least one wheel for supporting the frame on the ground. A sensor is configured to detect a ground surface composition in an area behind the pickup mechanism, while a control system is operably coupled to the at least one lift cylinder and the sensor, and configured to operate the at least one lift cylinder to adjust a pressure that the header exerts on the ground in dependence of the detected ground surface composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2023
    Publication date: June 20, 2024
    Applicant: CNH Industrial Belgium N.V.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Blancke, Simon Beelaert, Frederik Demon, Stijn Van Belleghem
  • Publication number: 20240180082
    Abstract: A pickup assembly (10) for an agricultural vehicle (1) includes: a frame (200); a pickup drum (210) carried by the frame (200) and carrying a plurality of tines (211); and a windguard assembly (220) carried by the frame (200) and comprising a first roller (221) and a second roller (222) carried in front of the pickup drum (210), the first roller (221) and the second roller (222) each being pivotable relative to the frame (200) to adjust a respective relative position to the pickup drum (210). The first roller (221) is pivotable about a first pivot (223) defining a first pivot axis (FPA) that is coaxial with an axis of rotation (SAR) of the second roller (222) when the second roller (222) is at a position closest to the pickup drum (210) such that the relative position of the first roller (221) is adjustable without adjusting the relative position of the second roller (222) when the second roller (222) is at the position closest to the pickup drum (210).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Simon BEELAERT, Jeffrey BLANCKE, Stijn VAN BELLEGHEM
  • Publication number: 20240172593
    Abstract: A pickup assembly (10) for an agricultural vehicle (1), in particular a forage harvester or a baler, includes: a frame (200); a pickup drum (210) carried by the frame (200) and carrying a plurality of tines (211); and a windguard assembly (220) carried by the frame (200) and including a roller (221) carried in front of the pickup drum (210) and defining a roller axis (RA). A guidance plate (230) is provided that is pivotable about a pivot axis (PA) that is coaxial with the roller axis (RA).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Simon BEELAERT, Jeffrey BLANCKE, Stijn VAN BELLEGHEM
  • Publication number: 20240138309
    Abstract: A pickup assembly for an agricultural harvester includes a pickup assembly frame including a forward portion and a rearward portion. A pair of gauge wheels are attached to the forward portion of the pickup assembly frame, and at least one support wheel is attached to the rearward portion of the pickup assembly frame. The relative position of the support wheel is adjustable with respect to the pickup assembly frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Jeffrey Blancke, Stijn Van Belleghem, Simon Beelaert
  • Patent number: 11457566
    Abstract: A crop discharge speed control system for a harvesting vehicle having a crop accelerator and a spout that receives crop material and directs the crop material to a targeted destination. The crop accelerator imparts an increased velocity to the crop material. The control system includes a crop velocity sensor, a controller, and a variable speed drive. The sensor is coupled to the spout of the vehicle for detecting a velocity of the crop material in the spout. The sensor produces a velocity signal representative of the velocity of the crop material. The variable speed drive is drivingly coupled to the crop accelerator. The controller varies the speed of the crop accelerator by controlling the variable speed drive, as it controls the variable speed drive to maintain a selected velocity of the crop material dependent upon a modulation of the velocity signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Bart De Smedt, Didier Verhaeghe, Jeroen Vermander, Simon Beelaert
  • Publication number: 20200214205
    Abstract: A crop discharge speed control system for a harvesting vehicle having a crop accelerator and a spout that receives crop material and directs the crop material to a targeted destination. The crop accelerator imparts an increased velocity to the crop material. The control system includes a crop velocity sensor, a controller, and a variable speed drive. The sensor is coupled to the spout of the vehicle for detecting a velocity of the crop material in the spout. The sensor produces a velocity signal representative of the velocity of the crop material. The variable speed drive is drivingly coupled to the crop accelerator. The controller varies the speed of the crop accelerator by controlling the variable speed drive, as it controls the variable speed drive to maintain a selected velocity of the crop material dependent upon a modulation of the velocity signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Bart De Smedt, Didier Verhaeghe, Jeroen Vermander, Simon Beelaert