Patent ID: 7249449

Claim:
A monitor system for a cotton harvester including a harvesting unit for removing cotton crop material from a field and an air duct system for propelling the removed crop material away from the harvesting unit, the air duct system having a maximum material conveying capacity, the monitor system including air pressure sensor means for providing an air duct system air pressure indication indicative of the amount of cotton material in the air duct system, and means responsive to the system pressure indication providing automatic control of the harvester to operate the air duct system generally at or near the maximum material conveying capacity, wherein the air duct system propels harvested cotton material to a driven harvested crop material processor, means for providing a processor drive signal indicative of material processor drive loading, and second means responsive to the air duct system air pressure indication and the drive signal for facilitating adjustment of an operating speed of the harvester dependent on the air duct system pressure indication and the processor drive signal to optimize usage of duct system and material processor capacities while preventing material overload in either of the duct system and the material processor; and wherein the second means responsive to the air duct system air pressure indication and the drive signal for facilitating adjustment of an operating speed includes a harvester speed controller automatically controlling forward harvester speed to facilitate automatic operation at speeds wherein at least one of the duct system and the material processor is operating near maximum capacity.