Abstract: A combine harvester includes a housing having a rear hood and defining an interior, a blower for generating an air stream in a substantially rearward direction, and a cleaning system separating residue from a crop material such that the residue is transported via the air stream rearwardly to be discharged from the housing. A chopper rotor assembly is disposed within the interior below the rear hood and includes a chopper rotor having a plurality of blades for chopping the residue as it is received via the air stream. A chopper housing is disposed within the interior and defines an inlet of the chopper rotor for receiving the residue and an outlet spaced rearward from the chopper rotor for discharge of the chopped residue from the interior of the housing. An air gap through which the air stream may exit the interior is defined between the rear hood and chopper rotor.

Abstract: An agricultural machine assembly with a driver assistance system. The agricultural machine assembly includes the driver assistance system, and an agricultural work machine and an attachment adapted to the agricultural work machine and designed as an agricultural baler. The agricultural work machine and the attachment each comprise working units which may be actuated for setting parameters (P). The driver assistance system optimizes operation and is configured to form a work machine setting device and a baler setting device. The work machine setting device and the baler setting device are configured to optimize the mode of operation of the agricultural work machine and the agricultural baler depending on each other.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for a virtual sensor that determines an amount of grain loss during operation of a combine harvester without any direct measurement of grain loss. An electronic controller is configured to determine values for a set of operating conditions including a plurality of sensor values and actuator settings. The electronic controller then applies an artificial neural network that is configure to receive as inputs the values for the set of operating conditions and to produce as an output a value indicative of an estimate amount of grain loss.

Abstract: An agricultural baler with at least one traction drive for driving working units of the agricultural baler is disclosed. At least one tensioning device is assigned to the traction drive with the at least one tensioning device comprising a tensioning member for adjusting a tensioning force exerted using the tensioning device on a traction means of the at least one traction drive. The agricultural baler may be characterized in that the tensioning member comprises a piston/cylinder unit, with a piston of the piston/cylinder unit being connected directly or indirectly via an additional lever to a tensioning means of the tensioning device, via which the tensioning force is applied to the traction means of the at least one traction drive. A lubricant, such as a lubricating grease, may be supplied to the piston/cylinder unit for adjusting the tensioning force exerted on the traction means.

Abstract: A square baler that comprises at least one ram movably arranged in a pressing channel between end positions and a drivetrain which is designed to drive at least the ram. The drivetrain has a torque input connection through which torque is supplied to the drivetrain. The drivetrain comprises a transmission device arranged downstream from the torque input connection and has at least one flywheel. The transmission device has a first power splitter that is connected to the torque input connection, and two reduction gears that are assigned to the ram and are connected in parallel to one another to the first power split. At least one flywheel is connected upstream from each reduction gear. A shiftable clutch device is interposed between the first power split and the at least one flywheel and engages the at least one flywheel when the square baler is initially operated or during a startup process.

Abstract: A gear assembly for a square baling press. The gear assembly drives a ram arranged movably between end positions in a pressing channel of the square baling press and at least one additional working unit of the square baling press. The gear assembly comprises two side gears and at least one reduction gear that is downstream from the particular side gear and may be connected on the output side to a crankshaft on which the ram is mounted. At least one flywheel is interposed between the particular side gear and the reduction gear downstream thereof. At least one of the reduction gears comprises a shiftable overload clutch which is designed to brake the reduction gears downstream from the flywheels to a standstill when a mechanical overload occurs.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a wrapping process of a round bale is disclosed. The round bale rotates in a bale chamber of a round baler with elastic wrapping material being removed from a supply roller using a tensioning device and guided during the wrapping process by at least one guide roller. The round bale is wrapped with the wrapping material pretensioned by the tensioning device with an adjustable wrapping tension predetermined by the control unit. A sensor assembly may sense the actual value for a force resulting from the wrapping tension, which is compared with a target value for the force resulting from the wrapping tension, which is determined during the performance of at least one preceding wrapping operation and specific to the wrapping material. The control unit controls the tensioning device depending on the deviation determined by the comparison of the actual value and the target value.

Abstract: A mobile machine includes a propulsion subsystem that propels the mobile machine across an operational environment. The mobile machine also includes machine monitoring logic that receives a sensor signal indicative of a value of a sensed machine variable and operator monitoring logic that receives an operator sensor signal indicative of a value of a sensed operator variable. The mobile machine also includes performance index generator logic that receives the sensed machine variable and the sensed operator value and generates a performance index based on the sensed machine variable and the sensed operator value. The mobile machine also includes optimization system that accesses historic circumstantial data and receives the performance index and generates an optimization signal based on the performance index, and the historic circumstantial data and control signal generator logic that generates a control signal based on the optimization signal to perform a machine operation.

Abstract: A combine harvester includes a housing having a rear hood and defining an interior, a blower for generating an air stream in a substantially rearward direction, and a cleaning system separating residue from a crop material such that the residue is transported via the air stream rearwardly to be discharged from the housing. A chopper rotor assembly is disposed within the interior below the rear hood and includes a chopper rotor having a plurality of blades for chopping the residue as it is received via the air stream. A chopper housing is disposed within the interior and defines an inlet of the chopper rotor for receiving the residue and an outlet spaced rearward from the chopper rotor for discharge of the chopped residue from the interior of the housing. An air gap through which the air stream may exit the interior is defined between the rear hood and chopper rotor.

Abstract: A method for operating a round baler and a round baler are disclosed. The round baler has a baling chamber having a variable diameter and is bounded by a rotating pressing means. The pressing means is driven and/or guided by rollers, wherein some of the rollers are adjusted by a first and second clamping arms, each of which are pivotably mounted on the housing side. The first and second clamping arms are adjusted by actuators so that a compaction pressure is generated with which the pressing means acts to form a round bale. To regulate the compaction pressure, a pressure relief valve is given an adjustable limit pressure value to transition from a closed position into an open position. The limit pressure value lies above a pressure value which corresponds to a target pressing means tension to achieve the compaction pressure.

Abstract: A round baler and a method for operating a round baler are disclosed. The round baler has a variable diameter and is bounded by an endlessly rotating pressing means. The pressing means is guided by a plurality of rollers, wherein a loop of the pressing means is guided by a first clamping arm mounted on the housing side and by a second clamping arm mounted on the housing side. The first and second clamping arms are adjusted by actuators so that at least one compaction pressure is generated with which the pressing means acts to form a round bale. A control unit automatically controls the actuators depending on a compaction power curve, accounting for operating parameters and/or environmental parameters of the round baler, thereby maintaining a substantially stable operating point during the shaping process, in which the required compaction power and the available drive power are substantially equal.

Abstract: A combine harvester includes a housing having a rear hood and defining an interior, a blower for generating an air stream in a substantially rearward direction, and a cleaning system separating residue from a crop material such that the residue is transported via the air stream rearwardly to be discharged from the housing. A chopper rotor assembly is disposed within the interior below the rear hood and includes a chopper rotor having a plurality of blades for chopping the residue as it is received via the air stream. A chopper housing is disposed within the interior and defines an inlet of the chopper rotor for receiving the residue and an outlet spaced rearward from the chopper rotor for discharge of the chopped residue from the interior of the housing. An air gap through which the air stream may exit the interior is defined between the rear hood and chopper rotor.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) grain mass and constituent measurement system utilized onboard a combine harvester includes an RF sensor subsystem for capturing RF sensor readings of a harvested grain within an area of the combine harvester. A memory stores an RF characteristic database, which contains RF characteristic testing data collected for tested grain samples over one or more tested frequency ranges. A controller, operably coupled to the RF sensor subsystem and to the memory, is configured to: (i) receive the RF sensor readings from the RF sensor subsystem; (ii) determine grain mass and a first constituent content of the currently-harvested grain based, at least in part, on an analytical comparison between the RF sensor readings and the RF characteristic testing data; and (iii) perform at least one action in response to determining the grain mass and the first constituent content of the harvested grain.

Abstract: A combine harvester includes a housing, a separating system mounted within the housing for separating a seed material from a straw material, a cleaning system including a cleaning fan configured to produce a motive flow of air, a straw chopper operable to chop the straw material from the separating system into a chopped straw material, a spreading system positioned downstream of the straw chopper and configured to disperse the chopped straw material outside of the housing of the combine harvester, and an air discharge channel located downstream of the straw chopper and above the spreading system and configured to discharge a portion of the motive flow of air produced by the cleaning fan.

Abstract: A harvester includes a chassis, a separation frame movably supported by the chassis and upon which crop material is deposited, a reciprocating drive operably coupled to the separation frame to reciprocate the separation frame, a control system, a sensor programmed to produce a signal indicative of a tilt of the chassis relative to a gravitational direction, and programmed to provide the signal to the control system, and an adjustable link operably coupled between the separation frame and the chassis to adjust a pivot point of the separation frame. The control system is programmed to determine a change in tilt of the chassis based on the signal from the sensor. The controller is programmed to adjust the adjustable link to modify the pivot point of the separation frame in response to the change in tilt of the chassis.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) grain mass and constituent measurement system utilized onboard a combine harvester includes an RF sensor subsystem for capturing RF sensor readings of a harvested grain within an area of the combine harvester. A memory stores an RF characteristic database, which contains RF characteristic testing data collected for tested grain samples over one or more tested frequency ranges. A controller, operably coupled to the RF sensor subsystem and to the memory, is configured to: (i) receive the RF sensor readings from the RF sensor subsystem; (ii) determine grain mass and a first constituent content of the currently-harvested grain based, at least in part, on an analytical comparison between the RF sensor readings and the RF characteristic testing data; and (iii) perform at least one action in response to determining the grain mass and the first constituent content of the harvested grain.

Abstract: A mobile machine includes a propulsion subsystem that propels the mobile machine across an operational environment. The mobile machine also includes machine monitoring logic that receives a sensor signal indicative of a value of a sensed machine variable and operator monitoring logic that receives an operator sensor signal indicative of a value of a sensed operator variable. The mobile machine also includes performance index generator logic that receives the sensed machine variable and the sensed operator value and generates a performance index based on the sensed machine variable and the sensed operator value. The mobile machine also includes optimization system that accesses historic circumstantial data and receives the performance index and generates an optimization signal based on the performance index, and the historic circumstantial data and control signal generator logic that generates a control signal based on the optimization signal to perform a machine operation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for a virtual sensor that determines an amount of grain loss during operation of a combine harvester without any direct measurement of grain loss. An electronic controller is configured to determine values for a set of operating conditions including a plurality of sensor values and actuator settings. The electronic controller then applies an artificial neural network that is configure to receive as inputs the values for the set of operating conditions and to produce as an output a value indicative of an estimate amount of grain loss.

Abstract: A self-learning grain sensing system for an agricultural harvester includes a first grain sensor having a first sensing surface responsive to first impacts of grain upon the first sensing surface, wherein the first grain sensor generates first electrical pulses in response to the first impacts; a second grain sensor having a second sensing surface responsive to second impacts of grain upon the second sensing surface, and wherein the second grain sensor generates second electrical pulses in response to the second impacts; and a control system configured to receive the first electrical pulses from the first grain sensor, derive control parameters from the first electrical pulses, and apply those control parameters to the second electrical pulses.

Abstract: A separating and cleaning mechanism for an agricultural combine may include: a return pan. The return pan includes a textured floor, two augers, and two motors coupled to the two augers, respectively, to selectively drive the motors in rotation independently. The textured floor may oscillate in a fore-and-aft direction to move grain toward the two augers.