Abstract:
The entire right, title and interest in and to this application and all subject matter disclosed and/or claimed therein, including any and all divisions, continuations, reissues, etc., thereof are, effective as of the date of execution of this application, assigned, transferred, sold and set over by the applicant(s) named herein to Deere &amp; Company, a Delaware corporation having offices at Moline, Ill. 61265, U.S.A., together with all rights to file, and to claim priorities in connection with, corresponding patent applications in any and all foreign countries in the name of Deere &amp; Company or otherwise.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention concerns a measuring arrangement that is arranged to interact with a material that is to be investigated in order to detect at least one component contained in the material, and that can be fastened to a vehicle by means of a retaining arrangement, so that the measuring arrangement can be operated in the condition in which it is fastened to the retaining arrangement in order to analyze material handled and/or processed on the part of the vehicle.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,990 proposes a measuring arrangement that is attached to an agricultural machine. The harvested crop flows past the measuring arrangement and is investigated by the measuring arrangement in regard to certain characteristics such as moisture, or the contents of certain organic components. It is proposed that the measuring arrangement be attached within the machine or to a slide outside of the machine. The sensor described is used exclusively on the harvesting machine.  
         [0003]     Furthermore similar measuring arrangements are known, that are applied in a stationary arrangement, for example, in order to analyze food samples (see EP 0 511 184A).  
         [0004]     For the analysis of components of organic material, appropriate measuring arrangements as a rule include sensors that operate in the range of wave lengths of the near infra-red (NIR), they are equipped with light sources and analyzers. Sensors of this type are relatively costly and expensive. In applications in which organic materials are to be analyzed both during the harvest as well as in a stationary applications, the acquisition of two sensors has been shown to be required.  
         [0005]     The problem underlying the invention is seen in the need to avoid the disadvantages described above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     According to the present invention, there is provided an improved crop measuring arrangement for use with a crop harvester.  
         [0007]     It is proposed that the measuring arrangement be configured so that it can be removed from the vehicle and used separately from the vehicle.  
         [0008]     In this way the measuring arrangement can be used on the vehicle, on the one hand, in order to analyze material conveyed or processed by the latter, on the other hand it can also be removed from the vehicle and used for a stationary analysis of other materials. Thereby this measuring arrangement can be applied to every type of vehicle (for example, wood harvesting machines, wood processing vehicle, self-propelled, attached or towed harvesting machines, such as combines, forage harvesters or balers, forage mixing vehicles, sowing machines, manure distributing systems, as well as stationary applications, for example, in the office, on a vehicle weighing scale, cereal crop take-up arrangements or elevator installations, or for the analysis of daily feed rations, or in an automobile or a truck for mobile quality control. An advantage lies in the fact that the measuring arrangement can be applied in extensive applications within one business, particularly an agricultural business. Thereby the time period for the application of the measuring arrangement is extended from a few weeks of the harvest to the entire year.  
         [0009]     The analysis of materials can be performed, for example, by an optical sensor. As a rule such sensors operate in the near infra-red region. The measuring arrangement can operate in transmission and/or reflection mode and/or in any desired other wave length region.  
         [0010]     The measuring arrangement is fastened to a retaining arrangement on the vehicle, that makes it possible to bring the material that is to be investigated into an area in which it can be analyzed by the measuring arrangement; hence an arrangement for the presentation of the sample is available. When it is in a condition in which it is separate from the vehicle, the measuring arrangement could be used without any additional retaining arrangement and could, for example, be held manually in a position in which it interacts with the material that is to be investigated. If, however, a second retaining arrangement is used there for the measuring arrangement as well, this arrangement is appropriately equipped with an arrangement for the presentation of the sample. During the measurement, the sample may be in either a resting or a moving condition.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The drawing shows an embodiment of the invention that shall be described in greater detail in the following.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic left side view of a harvesting machine equipped with a measuring arrangement.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged cross section of the measuring arrangement fastened to a crop delivery duct of the harvesting machine.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a view showing the measuring arrangement with a second retaining arrangement and a computer for the evaluation of the measurement results. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     The embodiment shown is applied to a harvesting machine  10  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) and, alternatively, to a stationary measurement container ( FIG. 3 ). The harvesting machine  10 , shown in  FIG. 1  in the form of a self-propelled forage harvester, is supported on a frame  12  that is carried by front and rear wheels  14  and  16 . The harvesting machine  10  is controlled from an operator&#39;s cab  18  from which a harvested crop take-up arrangement  20  can be viewed. Crop, such as corn, grass or the like, taken up from the ground by the take-up arrangement  20  is conducted to a chopper drum  22  which chops the crop into small pieces and delivers it to a conveying arrangement  24 . The crop leaves the harvesting machine  10  through a discharge duct  26  to an accompanying trailer. A post-chopper reduction arrangement  28  is mounted between the chopper drum  22  and the conveying arrangement  24 , and conducts the crop to be conveyed tangentially to the conveying arrangement  24 .  
         [0016]     Several sensors are provided on the harvesting machine  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , for the measurement of the harvested crop flowing through the harvesting machine  10  per unit of time, the so-called throughput. A first throughput sensor  30  measures the spacing between two rough pressing rolls  32  that are arranged between the harvested crop take-up arrangement  20  and the chopper drum  22 , between which the harvested crop is conveyed, using a linear or rotary resistance (potentiometer) actuated by the spring-loaded rough pressing rolls  32 . Moreover the rotational speed of one of the rough pressing rolls  32  is measured by means of a second sensor  34 . In addition sensors can measure the drive torque of the conveying arrangement  24  as well as that of the post-chopper reduction arrangement  28 .  
         [0017]     An on-board computer  40  connected to a display arrangement  38  is used to record and evaluate the data measured.  
         [0018]     In order to calculate a yield, additional data are required for the actual forward propulsion velocity and the width of operation. The forward propulsion velocity can be derived from data of the forward propulsion arrangements of the harvesting machine  10  or detected by a radar sensor  48 . By using a global positioning sensor (GPS)  42  for the detection of the actual position, the yield can be mapped specific to partial areas by means of the on-board computer  40 .  
         [0019]     According to the invention, a measuring arrangement  46  is provided for the measurement of certain components contained in the harvested crop. It determines the percentage of these components in the harvested crop and operates optically in a reflection mode in the visual range and/or the near infra-red range. Thereby moisture, raw protein, fat contents etc. of the harvested crop can be determined, geo-referenced, stored in memory and displayed by the display arrangement  38 . Moreover, the measuring arrangement  46  is arranged to detect further parameters of the harvested crop, particularly the fiber length, the fiber content and the contents of solid matter.  
         [0020]     The attachment of the measuring arrangement  46  to the discharge duct  26  is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 2 . The flat wall of the discharge duct  26  extending transverse to the direction of operation is provided on its upper side with a circular or rectangular opening  50  around which a flange  52  extends on the outside of the wall. The flange  52  is bolted, welded or otherwise fastened to the wall  26 . In the case where the opening  50  is circular, the measuring arrangement  46  is provided with a cylindrical housing  54  that extends in the interior of the flange  52 . A further flange  56  is provided on the outside of the housing  54  that is rigidly connected with the housing  54  and lies in contact upon the flange  52 . A bolted connection  58  retains the flange  56  of the housing  54  to the flange  52  of the wall  26 . In place of a bolted connection  58 , any other connection could be selected, preferably a connection that is easily and rapidly connected and disconnected.  
         [0021]     An electronic unit  60  is located within the housing  54  at its upper end and contains switching elements for the supply of current for the measuring arrangement  46 , for data transmission over a bus system  64  and for evaluation of the measurement results. The electronic unit  60  is connected to the bus system  64  of the harvesting machine  10  over a removable electric plug-in connection  62 , to which the on-board computer  40  is also connected. As a rule, the bus system  64  operates according to a standard such as CAN ISO 11783. The measuring arrangement  46  announces its presence to the display arrangement  38  with its own site or alternatively only with values that are displayed on another site.  
         [0022]     Furthermore, a light source  66  is located within the housing  54  and radiates light downward by means of a collimator  68 . The light travels through a pane  70 , that is transparent to light, located on the underside of the housing  54 , and travels into the conveying channel  72  in the discharge duct  26 , through which harvested crop  74  is conveyed. Light reflected by the harvested crop  74  falls upon detectors  76 , that are shielded from the light source  66  by a non-transparent barrel  78 . The detectors  76  are able to detect the reflectivity of the harvested crop  74  in specific wave lengths, that is, they are configured as spectrometers. For this purpose, filters, grating, or dispersive elements can be used that are known in themselves. The electronic unit  60  calculates the contents of certain specific components such as moisture, starch, enzyme soluble organic components, inorganic mineral components, raw protein, oil and the like. The measured values are transmitted to the on-board computer  40  over the bus system  64 . The computer  40  maps the data as a function of their location and transmits the data to the display arrangement  38 , where they can be displayed.  
         [0023]     The flange  52  and the bolted connection  58  together with the plug-in connection  62  form a first retaining arrangement  80 , for the measuring arrangement  46 , which can be disconnected. After releasing the bolted connection  58 , the measuring arrangement  46  can be removed from the discharge duct  26  without any further steps. If the harvesting machine  10  is to be operated without the measuring arrangement  46 , the opening  50  is preferably closed by a blind flange.  
         [0024]     As is shown in  FIG. 3 , the measuring arrangement  46  that was shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , can also be used at any other desired location. In  FIG. 3 , it is attached to a stationary or portable container  82  which may be a sample container. The portable container  82  is provided with a retaining arrangement  84  at a side wall to which the measuring arrangement  46  is fastened. In its configuration, the retaining arrangement  84  corresponds to the retaining arrangement  80  of  FIG. 2 . The measuring arrangement  46  is connected by the plug-in connection  62  and a cable  86  and, as a rule, over an appropriate interface, to a computer  88  which is connected, in addition, to a keyboard  90  and a monitor  92 .  
         [0025]     In this way, the result is that the measuring arrangement  46  can be used during the harvesting operation on the harvesting machine  10 , in order to detect the contents of the harvested crop  74  with respect to various components. When not in use, for example, at night, the technically sophisticated and costly measuring arrangement  46  can easily be removed from the harvesting machine  10  in order to store it in a safe place protected against atmospheric influences. In addition it can also be attached to the container  82 . Samples stored in the container that consist, for example, of harvested crop of any desired type, can be investigated with the same measuring arrangement  46 . The results of the measurement are displayed on the monitor  92  and stored in memory on a memory device in the computer  88 . It is also conceivable that the measuring arrangement  46  itself could be provided with an input and a display arrangement, in order to operate it as an individual implement independently of any other implements. The input and monitoring arrangement can be removable and connected to the plug-in connection  62 . These can also provide the current supply by means of the electrical network, batteries or the vehicle battery.  
         [0026]     In some applications the signals transmitted by the detectors  76  may require differing evaluations depending on which retaining arrangement is used for the measuring arrangement  46 . In other words, calibration values of the measuring arrangement depend on its attachment. In order to avoid errors arising from this fact, without having to provide a manual input, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electronic unit  60  of the measuring arrangement  46  is provided with information about the retaining arrangement  80  or  84  to which the measuring arrangement  46  is attached at that particular time. This information may consist of data that are transmitted over the bus system  64  or the cable  86 . In other embodiments this information is transmitted by means of flanges  52  and is detected by the sensors of the measuring arrangement  46 , for example, optically, mechanically or magnetically. Alternatively the measuring arrangement  46  could detect whether it is on the harvesting machine  10  or is used in individual operation ( FIG. 3 ) on the basis of the other devices connected to the bus system  64 . The bus system  64  also permits a diagnosis of the measuring arrangement  46 .  
         [0027]     Moreover the form of the data transmitted by the measuring arrangement  46  can depend on the question whether it is applied on the harvesting machine  10  or is stationary. In that way, differing protocols can be used for data transmission or other data formats could be used. Therefore the information in which form the data are transmitted is, appropriately, a function of the information about the retaining arrangement  80  or  84  to which the measuring arrangement  46  is attached at any given time in the manner described above.  
         [0028]     Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.