AN AGRICULTURAL MACHINE

Abstract: In an agricultural machine provided with a drivable soil and/or crop working member there is provided a storage medium (1), connected to the agricultural machine, in which a desired relation between the rpm of the working member and the driving speed of the agricultural machine is stored. The agricultural machine is provided with means (2 - 6) for regulating, on the basis of the relation stored, the rpm of the working member in dependence of the current driving speed of the agricultural machine. In this manner, the optimum rpm for the driven soil and/or crop working member can always be set at any driving speed, which results in an improved soil and/or crop working.

Description: AN AGRICULTURAL MACHINE The invention relates to an agricultural machine as claimed in the preamble of claim 1. With such agricultural machines (e.g. rake machines, rotary harrows or mowing machines) the working members are driven at a certain number of revolutions per minute (called hereinafter rpm). The invention aims at providing an improved agricultural machine. According to the invention this is achieved by the measures mentioned in the characterizing part of claim 1. In this manner, the optimum rpm for the driven working members can always be set at any driving speed, which results in an improved soil and/or crop working. The invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. Figure 1 shows a diagram of a measuring and control system for an agricultural machine according to the invention. Figure 1 shows a diagram of a measuring and control system for a first embodiment of the agricultural machine according to the invention. The (non-shown) agricultural machine is provided with at least one drivable soil and/or crop working member. There is provided a storage medium 1, connected to the agricultural machine, in which a relation between the rpm of the working member and the driving speed of the agricultural machine is stored. The storage medium 1 may e.g. be constituted by a computer memory. The storage medium 1 is not necessarily directly fastened to the agricultural machine, but may also be provided elsewhere (e.g. on the tractor of the agricultural machine). It is connected directly or indirectly (e.g. in a wireless manner) to the agricultural machine. The relation stored may consist of a series of values for the driving speed and a corresponding series of values for the rpm. The relation may also comprise a functional relationship which associates each value of the driving speed in a certain interval with a corresponding value for the rpm of the working member. Preferably, the relation links an optimum value for the rpm to each value for the driving speed. These optimum values may be predetermined, e.g. by the manufacturer, by means of tests with the agricultural machine. The agricultural machine is provided with means for regulating, on the basis of the relation stored in the storage medium 1, the rpm of the working member in dependence of the current driving speed of the agricultural machine, so that the rpm is always set automatically in an optimum manner. In a preferred embodiment, for various values of at least one working parameter, there is stored each time a corresponding relation between the rpm and the driving speed. The working parameters may comprise e.g. the type of soil and/or the type of crop and/or the amount of crop and/or the humidity of the crop. The working parameter(s) is/are adjustable, as a result of which the corresponding relation is selected. For each value of a working parameter there is stored in the storage medium 1 a relation between the driving speed and the rpm, on the basis of which the rpm of the working member is regulated. The working parameter(s) may be manually adjustable by a user. When the humidity of a crop to be raked is adjustable as a working parameter, the user can choose, with the aid of a selector button on the storage medium 1, e.g. a value from 1 to 5, the value 1 corresponding to dry crop and the value 5 to very wet crop. It is also possible that the agricultural machine is provided with measuring means for measuring a guantity which is relevant to at least one working parameter, said measuring means being suitable for automatically adjusting the working parameter ( s ) . As a quantity may be measured e.g. the conductivity, density or resistance of e.g. the type of soil or the crop. For that purpose the measuring means may comprise e.g. a conductivity sensor, a measuring pin for the density or a measuring device with an angular deflection for the amount of crop. In this manner the working parameters can be adjusted automatically, as a result of which the correct relation in the storage medium 1 is selected automatically, by means of which the rpm of the working member is regulated automatically. The working member may e.g. be constituted by a rotary harrow, a crushing rotor of a mowing machine, a mowing disc of a mowing machine, a rake device or a tedder member of a tedder. As a preferred embodiment there will be described hereinafter a rake machine in which, according to the invention, the rpm of the rake members is regulated in dependence of the driving speed of the agricultural machine. A sensor 2 for measuring the current driving speed of the agricultural machine is provided on the agricultural machine itself, on the tractor or elsewhere. The agricultural machine is further provided with a sensor 3 for measuring the current rpm of the working member. The storage medium 1 and the sensors 2, 3 are connected (directly or indirectly, e.g. in a wireless manner) to a control valve 4. There is further provided a hydraulic pump 5 which is driven e.g. via a power take-off shaft of the tractor. Finally there is provided a hydraulic motor 6 which is suitable for driving the rake member. The hydraulic motor 6 is actuated by the hydraulic pump 5, while the control valve 4 leads part of the oil, flowing from the hydraulic pump 5 to the hydraulic motor 6, back to the hydraulic pump 5. By regulating exactly, by means of the control valve 4, the proportion between the amount of oil flowing to the hydraulic motor and the amount of oil flowing back to the hydraulic pump 5, in dependence of the signals from the sensors 2 and 3 and the relation stored in the storage medium 1, the rpm of the rake member can each time be set accurately. In an embodiment of the invention, there are provided signal means, which are connected to the agricultural machine, for giving a warning signal when the driving speed of the agricultural machine goes beyond the bounds of a permitted speed interval. In this manner the user is warned when he is driving too fast or too slowly. In a further embodiment, the working member can be controlled by means of a curved path, the position of the curved path being adjustable in dependence of the working parameter(s) . In this manner a further optimization of the crop working can be achieved. Of course, there are other ways of regulating the rpm in accordance with the desired relation stored in the storage medium 1, e.g. by means of variable speed gears known per se.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An agricultural machine provided with at least one drivable soil and/or crop working member, characterized in that there is provided a storage medium (1), connected to the agricultural machine, in which a relation between the rpm of the working member and the driving speed of the agricultural machine is stored, and the agricultural machine is provided with means (2 - 6) for regulating, on the basis of the relation stored, the rpm of the working member in dependence of the current driving speed of the agricultural machine. 2. An agricultural machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that for various values of at least one working parameter there is stored each time a corresponding relation between the rpm and the driving speed. 3. An agricultural machine as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the working parameter (s) is/are adjustable, as a result of which the corresponding relation(s) is/are selectable. 4. An agricultural machine as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the working parameter(s) is/are manually adjustable by a user. 5. An agricultural machine as claimed in claim 3 or 4 , characterized in that the agricultural machine is provided with measuring means for measuring a quantity which is relevant to at least one working parameter, said measuring means being suitable for adjusting the working parameter ( s ) . 6. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the working parameter(s) comprise(s) the type of soil and/or the type of crop and/or the amount of crop and/or the humidity of the crop. 7. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the working member is ground- drivable. 8. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the means (2 - 6) for regulating the rpm of the working member comprise a hydraulic motor (6) and/or an electric motor. 9. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 , characterized in that there is provided a sensor (2) for measuring the current driving speed of the agricultural machine. 10. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the agricultural machine is provided with a sensor (3) for measuring the current rpm of the working member. 11. An agricultural machine as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the agricultural machine is provided with a control valve (4) connected to the storage medium (1), the driving speed sensor (2) and the rpm sensor (3). 12. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that there are provided signal means, which are connected to the agricultural machine, for giving a warning signal when the driving speed of the agricultural machine goes beyond the bounds of a permitted speed interval. 13. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that the working member can be controlled by means of a curved path, the position of the curved path being adjustable in dependence of the working parameter ( s ) . 14. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the working member is constituted by a rotary harrow. 15. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the working member is constituted by a crushing rotor of a mowing machine. 16. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the working member is constituted by a mowing disc of a mowing machine. 17. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the working member is constituted by a rake member of a rake machine. 18. An agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the working member is constituted by a tedder member of a tedder . 19. A storage medium suitable for being applied in an agricultural machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 - 18.

Inventors: VAN DER LELY ALEXANDER, VAN DER LELY OLAF, VAN DER LELY, ALEXANDER, VAN DER LELY, OLAF
Applicants: LELY ALEXANDER V D, LELY OLAF V D, LELY RES HOLDING, LELY RESEARCH HOLDING AG, VAN DER LELY, ALEXANDER, VAN DER LELY, OLAF
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A01B79
IPC codes: A01B33, A01B35, A01B67, A01B79, A01D69