Cotton harvester blockage detection method and flow sensor therefor
US5063729A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 19, 1990 |
| Grant date | Nov 12, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 19, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S56/15
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A cotton path blockage detector has an acoustic output directed toward the discharge door floor on the cotton picking unit directly behind and to one side of the stream of cotton coming off a doffer. When the unit is operating properly, the floor area is generally clear of cotton and a first distance signal is provided. When a blockage occurs, the area begins to fill with cotton and debris, causing a decrease in the monitored distance. A threshold distance signal which is less than the distance signal to the floor causes an alarm to be activated to warn the operator of a plug. To prevent false alarms where the blockage may only be temporary, a slew rate limitation is built into the processing circuit. In another aspect of the invention, the signal radiated into the cotton conveying path is reflected by cotton, and a doppler circuit detects the presence of a doppler shift in frequency indicating moving cotton in the path. Absence of the doppler shaft indicates either the unit is off or the unit is plugged upstream of the detector. Detection of cotton in the path with a corresponding doppler frequency shift indicates acceptable operation, while detection of cotton with no frequency s…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.