Abstract: A self-propelled lawn mower has an on-board battery, an electric blade motor for rotating a grass cutting blade, said blade motor being operationally connected to the battery, an electric drive motor for propelling the lawn mower along a grass surface to be cut, said drive motor being operationally connected to the battery, and a control unit for controlling at least the operation of the electric drive motor and of the blade motor. There is provided a speed monitor for monitoring the speed of the drive motor. This monitor is also connected to the control unit. There is also provided a motion speed selector for selecting a predetermined speed for the drive motor. The motion speed selector is also connected to the control unit. A total energy monitor is provided for monitoring the total energy consumption of the battery. The total energy consumption is the electrical energy consumed by the drive motor plus the electrical energy consumed by the blade motor.

Abstract: In a self-propelled agricultural working machine having working units whose working parameters are adjustable, moving at a ground speed that is regulated automatically as a function of at least one crop-material parameter and/or one working parameter of the working machine using a forward-travel regulator, and having at least one control, operating, and display unit, with which the crop-material parameters and/or the working parameters of the working machine may be adjusted and displayed, the operator of the working machine has access to information regarding the state of the forward-travel regulator when the ground speed is being regulated using a forward-travel regulator. For this purpose, the crop-material parameter and/or working parameter of the working machine that currently limits the ground-speed control via the forward-travel regulator is displayed directly to the operator of the working machine in the control, operating, and display unit.

Abstract: A agricultural working machine includes at least one device for picking up crop material and transferring it to at least one intake conveyor mechanism that feeds the crop material to at least one downstream working unit that processes the crop material, and at least one drive engine with an engine control unit, the drive engine driving the at least one intake conveyor mechanism and the at least one working unit. At maximum crop-material throughput, the engine speed of the agricultural working machine is reduced and the ground speed is increased, and therefore the associated agricultural working machine it is ensured that the agricultural harvesting machine is able to process high crop-material throughputs with a lower specific energy requirement.

Abstract: In a swather formed by a tractor and attached heeder for cutting standing crop to form a swath, reel speed and optionally draper speed are controlled relative to ground speed by a control system including a manually operable input and display available to the operator. The control system can be used in an automatic mode to set an index value for an actual difference in reel speed relative to ground speed and to vary reel speed accordingly. In this mode a manually operable control varies the index. The control system can be switched by the operator to manual in which case the same control varies the actual reel speed. Minimum reel speed can be set by the same control and when operative the automatic system does not allow reel speed to fall below the minimum set value despite the values of index and ground speed.

Abstract: A method of controlling a multiengine harvester including the steps of operating the harvester in a first mode, operating the harvester in a second mode, and selecting less than all of the power absorbing loads to be driven. In the first mode, the harvester is operated using a first engine and a second engine to drive the plurality of power absorbing loads. In the second mode, the harvester is operated with the second engine being uncoupled from all of the power absorbing loads. In the selecting step, less than all of the power absorbing loads are selected to be driven dependent upon the sensed load on the first engine while operating in the second mode. The first engine is incapable of driving all of the power absorbing loads.

Abstract: A computer-controlled method of controlling the speed of an agricultural harvester load that is coupled to an agricultural harvester engine by a power transmitting arrangement having various output speeds. The method includes the steps of electronically receiving a desired new load speed from an operator when the engine is operating at an initial engine speed, and electronically driving the power transmitting arrangement through a sequence of the various output speeds until the actual speed of the agricultural harvester load and the actual speed of the agricultural harvester engine are in the same ratio to each other as the desired new load speed and the initial engine speed.

Abstract: A system for determining slippage of row unit or chopping unit slip clutches of a corn head includes a microcomputer coupled to at least one vibration sensor and a display or aural annunciator. A slipping clutch or group of clutches including a slipping clutch may be identified by recognizing a speed dependent predominant frequency. A slipping clutch or group of clutches including a slipping clutch may be identified by comparing magnitudes or times of receipt of vibrations from a pair of sensors. A slipping clutch or group of clutches including a slipping clutch may also be identified by comparing vibrations received from a single sensor with known location identifying magnitudes.

Abstract: An electronic engine speed control system for a grass mowing machine powered by an internal combustion engine includes a microcontroller providing an output signal to an engine speed actuator for the engine, a pedal position sensor connected to a foot pedal and providing a voltage input signal to the microcontroller based on the position of the foot pedal, a PTO clutch switch providing a signal input to the microcontroller indicating if a PTO clutch is engaged, and a lever position sensor connected to a hand lever and having a range of positions including an Automatic mode position and a plurality of Manual mode positions.

Abstract: The agricultural harvesting machine having a crop picking head includes a pickup conveyer which can be driven so as to pick up the harvested crop at a first adjustable speed, a discharge conveyer which can be driven so as to receive the harvested crop picked up by the pickup conveyer, transport the harvested crop, and discharge the harvested crop at a second adjustable speed, and a feed-in conveyer disposed in a feed-in channel of the harvesting machine that can be driven so as to receive the harvested crop from the discharge conveyer, transport the harvested crop, and discharge the harvested crop to a harvested crop processing unit at a third adjustable speed. The third speed and the first speed are independent of one another, and the second speed is defined by the first and third speeds and falls in a range between the first and third speeds.

Abstract: A computer-controlled method of controlling the speed of an agricultural harvester load that is coupled to an agricultural harvester engine by a power transmitting arrangement having various output speeds. The method includes the steps of electronically receiving a desired new load speed from an operator when the engine is operating at an initial engine speed, and electronically driving the power transmitting arrangement through a sequence of the various output speeds until the actual speed of the agricultural harvester load and the actual speed of the agricultural harvester engine are in the same ratio to each other as the desired new load speed and the initial engine speed.

Abstract: A agricultural working machine includes at least one device for picking up crop material and transferring it to at least one intake conveyor mechanism that feeds the crop material to at least one downstream working unit that processes the crop material, and at least one drive engine with an engine control unit, the drive engine driving the at least one intake conveyor mechanism and the at least one working unit. At maximum crop-material throughput, the engine speed of the agricultural working machine is reduced and the ground speed is increased, and therefore the associated agricultural working machine it is ensured that the agricultural harvesting machine is able to process high crop-material throughputs with a lower specific energy requirement.

Abstract: In a lawnmower engine speed control system having an actuator moving a throttle valve and a controller controlling operation of the actuator such that the engine speed becomes equal to a predefined desired engine speed, it is determined whether the lawnmower is under a mowing operation based on a value indicative of a load of the engine including an operation rate or output of the engine, the desired engine speed is changed based on a result of determination, thereby enabling to lower noise, to boost fuel efficiency, and to simplify operation by making manual regulation of engine speed unnecessary, while ensuring stable operation free from engine speed variance.

Abstract: A walk-behind greens mower having a mobile structure and a ground engaging traction member rotatably coupled to the mobile structure. The ground engaging traction member imparts traction movement to the mobile structure for movement on the ground at a ground speed. An internal combustion engine is supported on the mobile structure and outputs a driving force to the ground engaging traction member. A bed knife is supported by the mobile structure having a cutting edge that cooperates with a grass cutting reel rotatably supported on the mobile structure. An electric motor supported on the mobile structure rotatably driving the grass cutting reel at a rotational speed that can vary depending upon the detected ground speed.

Abstract: Yield monitor apparatus and method for a forage processing machinery are provided according to the invention. The yield monitor measures a forage yield by measuring a forage volume increment accumulation. In one embodiment of the invention, the yield monitor includes a volume increment accumulation measuring device generating a volume increment accumulation signal substantially related to a forage mass and a computer that receives the volume increment accumulation signal. The computer generates a yield amount based upon the accumulation signal, a forage processing machinery groundspeed, and forage processing machinery intake parameters. The yield monitor may generate a yield amount, with the yield amount capable of being stored and displayed to a forage processing machinery operator. Alternatively, the yield monitor may generate a groundspeed control signal that is used by the forage processing machinery to control a forage processing machinery groundspeed or other forage processing machinery parameters.

Abstract: A system for propelling a combine over the ground and driving other components of the combine includes an engine driving a transmission via a hydrostatic drive system. A microprocessor stores a work table and a road table for controlling engine speed. A gear selector operates a switch to select one of the tables and a throttle control operates switches to select a speed value from the selected table. When working a field, the work table is selected so that the engine runs at speeds in a range suitable for driving the other components. For transport of the combine the road table is selected so that the engine may run at a speed higher than speeds suitable for driving the other components. For a given setting of the throttle control, the engine is controlled to run at either a first or second speed depending on the setting of the gear select lever.

Abstract: A function management system includes a programmable control unit that can automatically coordinate combine traction functions and/or implement functions. In a learn mode, the operator performs a sequence of manual manipulations of the operator controlled traction and implement devices, and the control unit records and then stores information pertaining to the sequence of device operations. In an execute mode, the control unit automatically performs the sequence of device operations so that the sequence of operations occurs at the same intervals at which they were learned.

Abstract: A system for harvester speed control includes a header position sensor connected to a processor. If the header is lowered during crop cutting, harvester speed is immediately decreased to prevent a sudden increase in material downstream of the feeder house input. The percentage speed reduction preferably is approximately equal to the estimated percentage increase in material for the given height change as set manually by the operator, calculated during a brief calibration process, or derived utilizing an adaptive learning technique. Signals from a throughput transducer and from harvesting quality transducers such as grain loss transducers are communicated to the processor to determine desired harvester speed.