Row follower

A pair of horizontal rods mounted to be very close to the ground run on either side of a row of stalks. The rods are mounted under harvesting equipment which would harvest the crop from the stalks. The rods are independently biased toward the row so that each of the rods contact and slide along the stalks. The rods are at least partially supported by pendants which hang from the harvesting equipment. The lateral movement of one of the pendants is measured to determine the deviation of the vehicle from the row.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
None. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
(1) Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a guidance system for agricultural land tractors 
and more particularly to that part of the system which senses the stalks 
along the rows which the tractor is to follow particularly in harvesting 
the crop. Farmers raising row crops are those having ordinary skill in the 
art. 
(2) Description of the Related Art 
Tractor guidance systems have been developed over a long period of time. 
This development shows that generally there are three elements to a 
guidance system for a tractor. These are broken down into (1) path 
sensors; (2) deviation detectors which measure the deviation as sensed by 
the sensor; and (3) steering means to guide the tractor responsive to the 
detected deviation. This particular patent relates to the path sensor. 
There are many patents which relate to guiding a tractor along a furrow in 
the field. Examples of these would include BECK U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,716 
and KNIGHT U.S. Pat. No. 1,868,360 who discloses what is believed to be 
basically a furrow follower. Although in a broad sense, "the path" means 
the line or row on the ground the tractor is to follow, in this particular 
application it is related only to a row of stalks. 
Some of the stalk followers are called, wands, particularly if they are 
very light and are used to guide the tractor along a young crop wherein 
the stalk of the plants do not have sufficient maturity and strength to 
withstand greater pressures and force exerted against them. 
Also, the applicants are aware of certain row followers used and mounted on 
harvesters, particularly one wherein a horseshoe like bracket is mounted 
above a stripper over one row of cotton and extends around the stripper to 
have a stalk feeler which runs along the stalks of cotton. The two 
elements feel the row, one of which feels one side of the row of cotton 
stalks and the other feels the other side of the row of cotton stalks. The 
two feeler elements are held together by the spring pressure of the horse 
shoe. The top or bight of the horseshoe is pivoted above the stripper 
mechanism. The rotational movement of the horseshoe about the pivot is 
used to indicate the deviation of the tractor and the row as described 
above. This horseshoe system would normally feel the row of stalks 
immediately beneath the stripper, which is to say that they would feel the 
stalks after the cotton bolls had been stripped from the stalk. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
(1) Progressive Contribution to the Art 
This invention has a separate and independent feeler rod which feels or 
touches one side of a row of stalks and another separate and independent 
feeler rod which feels or touches the other side of the row of stalks. 
These two rods are mirror mates to each other. I.e., one is identical to 
the other except left-handed or right-handed thereof. 
The main contact area with a stalk are elongated straight horizontal rods 
which are pressed against the stalk at ground level or slightly above 
ground level. The row follower is particularly designed to run upon 
harvesting equipment and more particularly to a cotton harvester. On a 
cotton harvester, the front of the stripper will run very low. Normally 
the front of the stripper will have a skid so that the front of the 
stripper can skid along the earth. Each of the feeler rods is attached to 
the cotton stripper by a horizontal link to permit lateral movement of the 
front. The rear of the row follower or rod is supported by a pendant which 
is pivoted at its upper-most part to the bottom side of the stripper. The 
rear of the stripper will be elevated above the front so there is ample 
clearance for the pendant to be pivoted. A spring extends between each of 
the pendants and the bottom of the stripper to pull the row followers 
toward one another to clamp the stalks between them. 
In stripping cotton, the cotton stalk is run between two rotating rollers 
which have brushes or flaps thereon which take the bolls off of the stalk 
of cotton. For best operation, the stalks of cotton should pass 
immediately between the two rotating rollers. Deviation from this path as 
much as one quarter of an inch (1/4") results in an inferior harvesting 
operation. A deviation of more than a fraction of an inch will result in 
some of the cotton being knocked free of the stalk and not being caught 
and collected to be conveyed to a basket. Instead, it will be thrown upon 
the ground. 
Obviously if the tractor is to be guided mechanically, it can be guided no 
more accurately than the row follower is capable of following exactly a 
row of stalks. 
Sometimes there is a blank in the row of stalks because of faulty planting 
or cultivation. Normally this will occur only in one row and the adjacent 
row will not be blank. In the event of a one-row blank, it is highly 
desirable that the guidance system use the adjacent row as a guide. This 
is possible by placing row followers on adjacent rows and connecting the 
pendants together with a stiff leg. 
(2) Objects of this Invention 
An object of this invention is to move a land vehicle along a row of 
agricultural crops. 
Other objects of this invention are to feel a row of stalks so that the 
lateral deviation between the vehicle and the row may be detected. 
Further objects are to achieve the above with devices that are sturdy, 
compact, durable, lightweight, simple, safe, efficient, versatile, 
ecologically compatible, energy conserving, and reliable, yet inexpensive 
and easy to manufacture, install, operate, and maintain. 
The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects, uses, and 
advantages thereof, will clearly appear from the following description and 
from the accompanying drawings, the different views of which are not 
necessarily scale drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings, there may be seen an agricultural land vehicle 
in the form of tractor 10 in a field. As illustrated, the tractor will 
have harvesting equipment in the form of a cotton stripper thereon having 
four stripper units 16 in the form of heads. Each stripper head will 
follow one row of stalks 14 (FIG. 5) to harvest the crop. In the case of 
cotton, of course, the crop would be the bolls of cotton. In the event the 
crop was some other crop such as corn, the crop to be harvested would be 
ears of corn and the harvesting unit would be a corn harvester. 
The harvester unit 16 will have front 18 which operates close to the 
ground. As noted skid 12 prevents the harvester unit from digging into the 
ground. The harvesting unit will angle upward from the front 18 so that 
there is rear 20 which is elevated above the ground. 
For efficient harvesting it is desirable to operate the harvesting unit so 
that stripping elements 22 are in an exact relationship to the rows of 
stalks 14. 
The tractor will move along the row of stalks and therefore have a 
direction of travel indicated by arrow A. 
Those with ordinary skill in the art will understand that the equipment 
described to this point is old and well known to the art. 
This invention relates to an improved structure to feel or touch the row of 
stalks 14 to aid in guiding them by locating the relationship between the 
row and the harvesting unit. 
The structure according to this invention includes first rod 24 and second 
rod 26 mounted as a pair. Each rod will have front 28 and rear 30. The 
rods 24 and 26 are mirror mates to each other. I.e., rod 24 is a mirror 
mate to rod 26 and rod 26 is a mirror mate to rod 24. Each rod will have 
straight trailing portion 32 which is parallel to and proximate of the 
like straight trailing portion 32 of its mate. Each rod 24 and 26 is 
curved outward in a horizontal direction at the front 28 thereof. The pair 
of rods therefore will have throat 34 between the outward curved portions 
at the front 28. This outward curved portion will serve to guide the pair 
along the row of stalks with one rod 24 on one side of the row of stalks 
14 and the other rod 26 on the other side of the row of stalks. 
By mirror mates, it is meant that the two elements are identical except one 
being a right-hand part and the other being a left-hand part. 
First link 36 is pivoted to the front of first rod 24. Second link 38 is 
pivoted to the front 28 of second rod 26. Each of the links 36 and 38 have 
leading end 40 and trailing end 42. It is the trailing end 42 of each link 
that is connected to the front 28 of the rods. The leading end 40 of each 
of the links 36 and 38 is pivoted to a part of the agricultural vehicle, 
specifically the front 18 of the harvesting unit. Each link will be 
horizontal. I.e., the extreme front portion 28 of each of the rods 24 and 
26 will be on the same level as the front 18 of the harvester 16 where the 
pivot connection is made. Inasmuch as the front 18 of the harvesting unit 
16 is near or rides on skid 12 along the ground, therefore the rods 24 and 
26 will also be very near or ride along the ground. The links 36 and 38 
will be short in comparison with the links of the rods 24 and 26. Normally 
the links will be no more than about 1/5 of the length of the rods. 
First support pendant 44 is attached near the rear 30 of the straight 
trailing portion 32 of the first rod 24. Second support pendant 46 is 
attached near the rear 30 of the straight trailing portion 32 of the 
second rod 26. Each of the pendants, at its lower part 48 is angled away 
from its mate so that it is spaced away from the row 14 of stalks (FIG. 
5). It will be understood that just as the rods 24 and 26 are mates, that 
also the links 36 and 38 will be mirror mates and the support pendants 44 
and 46 will be mirror mates. 
The angling away of the pendants 44 and 46 is desirable inasmuch as the 
cotton stalk 14 will have branches thereon. The pendant angling away from 
the rod will prevent undue interference of the branches with the pendant 
and rods. (FIG. 5) 
Upper part 50 of each pendant 44 and 46 is pivoted to said agricultural 
vehicle. I.e., the upper part 50 of the first support pendant 44 is 
pivoted to the rear 20 of the harvester unit 16. Likewise the upper part 
50 of the second support pendant 46 is pivoted at pivot 51 at its upper 
portion to the rear 20 of the harvester unit 16. 
The pivots of the pendants to the harvester unit are such that the pendants 
can move as shown by arrow B in a plane which is normal or transverse of 
the direction of travel of the tractor as shown by arrow A. 
Clip 52 is attached to each of the pendants 44 and 46 at about the 
mid-point thereof. Helical tension spring 54 extends from the clip to the 
harvesting unit 16. The spring 54 is attached to the harvesting unit 
inboard of the pivot 51. Therefore, the spring 54 forms a bias means 
interconnecting each of the pendants 44 and 46 to the agricultural vehicle 
in the form of the tractor 10 by the harvesting unit 16 to urge each 
pendant 44 and 46 and the rods 24 and 26 toward its mate. If there is no 
intervening stalks or other objects between the trailing portions 32 of 
the rods 24 and 26, the trailing portions of the rods will be in contact 
with one another and held in such position by the springs 54. However, in 
operation, as the tractor goes down the row of stalks the stalks will be 
between the two rods. If the tractor 10 is not following the row exactly, 
the stalks will cause the rods to deviate either to the right or to the 
left, thereby indicating that the tractor is not correctly aligned with 
the row of stalks. 
Bell crank 56 is connected to the pendant at about the clip 52 or slightly 
thereabove. The pitman extends to arm 58 of transmitter 60 which is 
attached to the harvesting unit 16. As the pendant 44 Arrow B moves in 
response to deviation, the movement is transferred by the pitman 56 and 
arm 58 to the transmitter 60 whereby the transmitter then produces a 
signal response indicating the deviation. 
Those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that the transmitter 
60 could produce an electrical, hydraulic mechanical or other signal which 
could be used to also indicate deviation of the pendant 44. It will be 
understood that the arm 58, pitman 56, and transmitter 60, are a portion 
of a detecting means interconnecting the pendant 44 and the agricultural 
vehicle 10 to detect the movement Arrow B normal to the direction of 
travel indicated by arrow A. 
First brace 62 extends from the front 28 of the first rod 24 to the upper 
part 50 of the first support pendant 44 to add rigidity to the arm and 
pendant structure. Likewise, second brace 64 extends from the front 28 of 
the second rod 26 to the upper part 50 of the second support pendant 46 to 
add rigidity to the arm and pendant structure. 
It will be understood that the agricultural vehicle in the form of tractor 
10 usually has at least two harvesting units 16. Also it will be 
understood that two of the structures to feel the row crop could be used, 
one of said structures attached to each of the adjacent harvesting units 
16. It will be understood that there would be a right pendant of the left 
harvesting unit 16 adjacent to a left pendant of the right harvesting unit 
16, and therefore these two pendants would be adjacent. Also, it will be 
understood that if the row of stalks results from a row of seed planted by 
two planters upon the same tool bar attached to a tractor, that the two 
rows of stalks should always have the exact same spacing one from the 
other. Therefore, stiff leg 66 could be connected from one adjacent 
pendant to the other and the two pendants should operate in unison under 
all normal circumstances. However, in certain adverse conditions, there 
may be a skip or a vacant place in one row of stalks where no stalks 
occurred. In such an event, there would be nothing to indicate whether the 
tractor had deviated from its prescribed path because of the absence of 
stalks in the row. However, if the two pendants were connected by a stiff 
leg and one of the pendants so connected had the pitman 56 attached 
thereto to operate the transmitter 60, if one or the other row had stalks 
therein the tractor 10 would still be guided in its prescribed path. 
Therefore it will be understood that the row follower as described above 
will follow the row of stalks and it will follow the row of stalks as 
immediately adjacent to the ground even during the time that the crop upon 
the stalks is being harvested. I.e., even as the harvesting unit 16 is 
stripping the bolls of cotton from the cotton plant the straight trailing 
portions 32 will be guiding themselves along the stalks adjacent to the 
ground so that the tractor follows the row accurately. 
The embodiment shown and described above is only exemplary. We do not claim 
to have invented all the parts, elements or steps described. Various 
modifications can be made in the construction, material, arrangement, and 
operation, and still be within the scope of our invention. 
The restrictive description and drawings of the specific examples above do 
not point out what an infringement of this patent would be, but are to 
enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The limits of 
the invention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by and 
defined in the following claims.