Abstract: A method and system for automatically correcting a steering command from an auto guidance system to adjust for misalignments between the crop rows and the header due to errors which may include, but are not limited to a stack up of errors from the remote positioning system information translation, planter and harvester machine centerline differences, harvesting and planting pattern differences, and the like, that integrates row sensor information into the auto guidance system.

Abstract: Vehicles, in particular self-propelled agricultural harvesting machines such as forage harvesters or combine harvesters designed to pick up and process crops, include transfer devices that transfer all of the harvested crop material to a hauling vehicle or an attached hauling container. The discharge device is equipped with a control device for performing automatic or manual adjustments, and the self-propelled agricultural harvesting machine is equipped with a navigation system for determining the positions of the vehicles involved. To transfer the crop material to the hauling vehicle without loss, the crop discharge flow is directed only to a defined permissible tolerance region on the hauling container. The tolerance region is located within the hauling container contour and is bounded by edge zones, which are “keep-out” zones for the transfer.

Abstract: A compact three-bar linkage steering probe assembly, particularly useful with ultra-narrow row cotton harvester units, includes two vertical rocker arms pivotally connected to a harvester row unit at mid-point locations and upper ends connected by a cross link to generally constrain the arms for rocking in unison. Crop guides connected to the lower ends of the rocker arms follow the bases of the plant stalks as the row of plants enter the unit. The vertical arms are maintained within spacer tubes which prevent interference with adjacent rows of plants and which assure the arms are not disturbed by the adjacent rows. A sensor responsive to rotation of the rocker arms is located at the central pivotal connection. Arm leaf springs or a spring biased adjustable upper cross link provides probe flexibility for accommodating different plant stalk sizes.

Abstract: An adjusting device for a sensor unit mounted on a field machine, or a harvester or tractor, and an associated method for positioning the field machine and sensor unit for locating a working edge of a field. The sensor unit can be mounted on a cutter bar assembly of a field machine via a supporting arm. The sensor unit may be adjusted horizontally or vertically. The sensor produces a signal that is communicated to a steering control unit to guide the field machine along the working edge of the field. The position or alignment of the sensor unit relative to a working edge of the field may be indicated on a two-dimensional display.

Abstract: A device on a mobile agricultural machine for contactless scanning of contours extending over the ground, such as the contour of a swath of crop material. In this case there is used a laser distance measuring device consisting of a laser beam transmitting and receiving device which determines the distance from a contour point by measuring the running time of a laser scanning beam emitted and reflected at the contour point. The laser scanning beams are pivoted within a certain angular range stepwise or continuously in a scanning beam plane. In this case the laser distance measuring device is mounted with an orientation on the agricultural machinery such that the scanning beam plane is inclined to the ground at an acute angle forwards in the direction of travel. With the aid of an analyzer, the position of the contour point corresponding to each pivot angle, based upon the measured distance and the arrangement and orientation of the laser distance measuring device on the agricultural machine, can be determined.

Abstract: A position-finding device for locating the position of a working edge, especially the edge of a crop, wherein the position-finding signal therefrom is supplied in the form of a steering adjustment value to an electrically controlled steering device in an agricultural machine, and wherein the device comprises a first sub position-finding device including a transmitter and a receiver whose zone of reflection extends mainly over the field that has not yet been worked, especially the not yet harvested field, and a second sub position-finding device including a further transmitter and a further receiver whose differing reflection zone is aligned such as to overlap both sides of the working edge, wherein the two reflection zones partially overlap and the two transmitters are simultaneously triggered by a pulse whereby the two receivers accordingly receive overlapping partial reception signals originating from the two transmitters and reflected by the unworked field.