Patent ID: 6874304

Claim:
In a harvesting machine including crop transporting and processing components for causing a stream of crop to flow through the machine, a crop throughput measuring device including a first sensor associated with said crop transporting and processing components for emitting a first output signal coupled to a control unit for use in calculating the crop throughput and a second sensor located at least adjacent said stream of crop for detecting the presence of said crop stream and for emitting a second output signal containing information on whether or not crop material is flowing through said harvesting machine, with said second output signal being coupled to said control unit for use in calculating the crop throughout such that the latter is computed to be zero when no crop flow is sensed by said second sensor, the improvement comprising: said second sensor being designed for detecting vibrations produced during the processing and/or transporting of the crop flow in the harvesting machine; and said second sensor further being used to sense a spacing between adjacent ones of said crop transporting and processing components with said second output signal being used also to establish information used in adjusting said spacing between said adjacent ones of said crop transporting and processing components.