Control arrangement for crop discharging device of an agricultural harvesting machine

US7063614B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Deere & Company · US

Inventors

• Claus-Josef Vogelgesang · Mandelbachtal, DE
• Peter Schaefer · Pfungstadt, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 5, 2004
• Grant date: Jun 20, 2006
• Expiry date: Mar 5, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A01D43/087
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A crop discharging device, such as a discharge spout for a crop chopping machine, has a crop input end mounted for swiveling about an inclined upright axis and for pivoting vertically about a horizontal axis. The discharge spout also includes a vertically adjustable flap at its discharge end for directing the flow of crop from the spout. A first actuator is provided for effecting movement of the spout about the upright axis, a second actuator is provided for effecting movement of the spout about the horizontal axis and a third actuator is provided for effecting movement of the flap. A control arrangement, which includes a memory into which a preset correlation table, or the like may be loaded, is provided for automatically controlling the position of the second actuator as a function of the position of the first actuator so as to maintain a given discharge height. In the same way, the control arrangement is capable of automatically controlling the third actuator as a function of the operation of the second actuator so as to maintain a desired direction of flow of the crop from the spout during adjustment of the height of the discharge end of the spout.