Abstract:
An agricultural harvester for harvesting crop material and generating residue for distribution by a spreader. A pair of deflectors are moveable by actuators to direct residue between a right limit and a left limit. An initial selection deflection selection is made and a control system compares the accurate actual heading of the agricultural harvester to the initial selection for controlling the residue pattern in accordance with prevailing winds.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to method and apparatus for controlling the return of crop residue to a field, and more particularly to systems that correct for changes in wind direction. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    An agricultural harvester, such as a combine, is a machine that is used to harvest agricultural crops such as grain. The object is to efficiently engage in several processes to severe the crop material as it stands in the field, pass it through a processing unit and separate the desired crop material from the residue that is distributed by a spreader from the aft end of the agricultural harvester. The crop residue is returned to the field desirably in a pattern that uniformly distributes it across the width of the swath of agricultural crop harvested. 
         [0005]    It is desirable that the crop residue only be distributed where crops have previously been harvested. This becomes difficult when there is a wind blowing across the heading of the agricultural harvester. Depending upon the direction, the wind can blow the residue over crop material that has not been harvested and may damage it. 
         [0006]    To alleviate this problem, deflectors have been adopted for the spreaders that can be adjusted right and left or center so as to properly distribute the crop material. Usually this is done manually in one form by an operator and in other cases has been done in a semi-automated fashion. However, the current systems lack the accuracy in automated control to more closely accommodate variations in heading and wind direction. 
         [0007]    What is needed in the art, therefore, is a control system for residue deflection that more closely accommodates changes in conditions that effect the direction of the residue without operator intervention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present seeks to control residue deflection in a way that frees an operator to focus on the agricultural harvester heading. 
         [0009]    The invention, in one form, is a system for controlling residue distribution from an operator controlled agricultural harvester including a spreader apparatus for discharging the residue in a direction opposite to the heading of travel of the agricultural harvester. A pair of deflectors is positioned adjacent the spreader and adjustable to direct residue in between and up to a right limit and a left limit relative to the heading of the agricultural harvester. Actuators are provided for controlling the deflectors to direct the residue up to and between the right and left limits. A control system accurately determines the actual heading of the agricultural harvester and controls the actuators as a function of a comparison of the actual heading of the agricultural harvester relative to a prior operator selection. 
         [0010]    In another form, the invention is an operator controlled agricultural harvester including a frame, ground wheels for supporting the frame for movement over a field, with at least a portion of the wheels being steerable to change the heading of the agricultural harvester. A power unit and power train connect to at least a portion of the ground wheels for propulsion over the field. A crop gathering and processing apparatus is mounted on the frame for collecting crop material and generating residue. A spreader apparatus is mounted on the frame for discharging residue in a direction opposite to the heading of travel of the agricultural harvester. A pair of deflectors is mounted on the frame adjacent the spreader and adjustable to direct residue in between and up to a right limit and left limit relative to the heading of the agricultural harvester. Actuators are mounted on the frame for controlling the deflectors to direct the residue up to and between the right and left limits. A control system is positioned on the frame for accurately determining the actual heading of the agricultural harvester and controlling the actuators as a function of a comparison of the actual heading of the agricultural harvester relative to a prior operator selection. 
         [0011]    Yet another form of the invention is a method for controlling residue distribution from an operator controlled agricultural harvester having a spreader apparatus for discharging residue in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the agricultural harvester and a pair of deflectors adjacent the spreader and adjustable in between and up to a right and left limit relative to the heading of the agricultural harvester. The method includes the steps of making a deflection selection for the deflectors, subsequently accurately determining the actual heading of the agricultural harvester, and comparing the actual heading of the agricultural harvester to the prior deflection selection to correct the deflection of the deflectors. 
         [0012]    The present invention has the benefit of an automated control of residue direction with minimal operator input. 
         [0013]    Another advantage is that it does so in a simplified and effective form. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an embodiment of an agricultural harvester in the form of a agriculteral harvester which may include a crop residue system of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a fragmentary plan view of a agricultural harvester of  FIG. 1  taken on lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  and showing a residue spreader apparatus; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a schematic drawing of the direction control of the residue spreader apparatus of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  shows the path of the agricultural harvester of  FIGS. 1-3  utilizing the control system and method of the present invention; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is shows a graph of the operation of the system of  FIGS. 1-4 . 
       
    
    
       [0020]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one embodiment of the invention in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  shows an agricultural harvester  20  which includes the usual harvesting apparatus (not all of which is shown to facilitate an understanding of the invention). An axially oriented crop processing system  22  receives harvested crop. A crop residue treatment and distribution system  24 , with a crop residue spreader  26  is positioned at the aft end of agricultural harvester  20 . The crop processing system includes a cylindrical threshing rotor  28  that conveys a flow of crop material in a helical flow path. As the crop material is moved through the processing apparatus  22 , the desired crop such as grain or other material is loosened and separated from crop residue such as husk and pods in a cleaning system located beneath the threshing rotor  28 . The crop processing system  22  includes a blower  32 , schematically depicted to aid in the separation of the desired crop from the crop residue. The blower  32  has a duct  34  extending aft in the agricultural harvester  20  towards the cleaning system and the crop residue treatment and distribution system  24 . 
         [0022]    Another duct  36  directs the crop residue stream towards a pair of spreader devices  42 , shown in  FIG. 2 . Spreader devices  42  include side-by-side disks  44  each journaled for rotation about a vertical axis and positioned laterally with respect to one another. Disks  44  have a plurality of bats  46  that act like vanes to positively direct crop residue in a lateral direction. A cone  48  extends vertically upward from each disk  44  and provides a cover for a motor  50  for each disk. The motor output shafts (not shown) cause the disks  44  to rotate as needed. Motor  50  may be in any one of a number of forms including hydraulic, air, electrical and a mechanical interconnection to a remotely positioned motor. Rotation of disks  44  is set up so that when viewed from above and looking towards the front of the agricultural harvester  20  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the right side disk rotates counterclockwise and the left disk rotates clockwise so that they propel crop residue between them aft and around and laterally. 
         [0023]    A left deflector  52  pivotally connected to the agricultural harvester  20  at point  56  and a right deflector  54  pivotally connected to the agricultural harvester  20  at  58  are positioned adjacent the spreader devices  42 . The deflectors  52  and  54  are shown as pivoting around an axis that is generally parallel to the rotational axis of the disk  44  and pivotal between limits  52  A and  54  A and the solid representation of deflector  52  and dashed line  54  B. The deflectors  52  and  54  are pivoted by the control system shown in  FIG. 3  to provide directional control of the residue discharged from the spreader devices  42 . 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the deflectors  52  and  54  are shown in schematic form connected to their pivot points  56  and  58 . The deflectors  52  and  54  are displaced by left actuator  60  and right actuator  62  through left actuator output chaff  64  and right actuator output shaft  66 , respectively. Mechanical interconnections  68  and  70  respectively connect the right and left actuators to the right and left deflectors  52  and  54 . It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the mechanical interconnection may take any one of a number of mechanical forms. 
         [0025]    The actuators  60  and  62  receive control inputs from lines  72  and  74 , respectively. Lines  72  and  74  extend to a control unit  76  that incorporates an accurate heading section  78  to generate a signal reflecting the calculated heading of the agricultural harvester  20 . An operator input unit  80  supplies a signal to control units  76  via line  82 . The signal generated by the heading section  78  is compared to the signal resulting from the operator selection device  80  to produce inputs to actuators to  60  and  62  to produce a left setting, center setting and right setting for the spreader devices  42 . 
         [0026]    The heading section  78  is preferably a GNSS system (Global Navigation Satellite System) which provides an accurate heading of the agricultural harvester  20 . This is key to enabling the control system to accurately, and in real time, control the deflection of the residue from the spreader devices  42  in response to heading changes of the agricultural harvester. It is preferable that the accuracy of the heading function be improved by the use of optional implementations in section  84  through line  86 , both shown in dashed lines. Additional inputs may be the addition of inertial guidance to GNSS, ground speed sensors, steering angle sensors, magnetometers, vehicle kinematic models, moving average filter and a wind sensor. 
         [0027]    The actuators may be in a form compatible with the control unit  76  to achieve the appropriate left, center and right control states. These may be hydraulic, air or electric as appropriate. 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  illustrates the operation and method of the control system of  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 4 , the wind direction is shown as  88  and the agricultural harvester is proceeding north in a cross wind relationship. The control system, to operate, is set into a left mode or right mode manually. As illustrated, the operator set the deflectors manually into a right mode at  90  to compensate for the wind direction  88 . At that point, the automation is engaged and the heading of the agricultural harvester  20  is compared to the operator selected mode to provide control inputs to the actuators and thus the deflectors. As the agricultural harvester turns into the wind at the end of the pass, the control system automatically selects a default center mode in which the residue pattern is distributed uniformly in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the agricultural harvester. As the agricultural harvester  20  makes a 180° turn relative to its initial direction, the control system automatically sets the deflector condition to be in a left mode so as to compensate for the wind direction  88 . The additional pass and transition into the wind at the bottom of  FIG. 4  causes the deflectors to be set in the center mode and then when the heading is changed 180° the spreader automatically remembers the last manual adjustment and will set the direction accordingly, in this case the right mode. It should be noted that the operator may manually adjust the spreader deflectors in between the turns as at  92  and the system is set up so that it remembers the last manual setting and adjusts the deflection based on the last setting. In the event that the operator makes no manual adjustments, the control of deflection spaced on the last operator selected setting and it is possible to have at any time thereafter an operator manual adjustment from the operator as at  94 . Thus, the control of deflection is based on an accurate heading of the agricultural harvester  20  compared to the manual setting made by the operator. This allows the operator to focus on the harvesting function and relieves him from the attention required to ensure that the residue pattern only falls on portions of the field that were previously harvested. 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  shows graphically the compensation for the operation illustrated in  FIG. 4  where the automation began in right compensation. Control bands, or hysteresis, illustrated by dashed lines  96 , ensure that the control system will not hunt and that control inputs to the defectors will take place only after a given threshold change. 
         [0030]    The control system operation as viewed in  FIGS. 4 and 5  shows a system in which the state of the deflectors is either left, center or right. Alternatively, it is possible to control the deflectors  52  and  54  in proportion to the magnitude of the comparison between the actual heading and the prior selection. In other words, the deflectors  52  and  54  would be adjusted to more closely follow the path of the agricultural harvester  10  as it continues through the 180° turn at the end of a pass. In addition, it is possible to more closely track the path of the agricultural harvester  10  when circumventing geographical features such as a creek following an irregular path. 
         [0031]    The system illustrated above incorporates many of the hardware items already found in agricultural harvesters and enables a greatly increased accuracy in automation of the control of residue. It does so in an efficient and effective manner. 
         [0032]    While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.