Patent ID: 7881844

Claim:
Apparatus for controlling a propulsion driveline of an agricultural windrower, comprising: a FNR lever assembly including a FNR lever having a neutral position and movable from the neutral position in a first direction through a range of positions to a position fully moved in the first direction, and the FNR lever being movable from the neutral position in a second direction through a range of positions to a position fully moved in the second direction, and at least one sensor disposed and operable for sensing positions of the FNR lever as the lever is moved in the first and second directions and outputting signals representative thereof; and a programmable control module in connection with the at least one sensor and with apparatus for controlling a speed of the propulsion driveline, the control module being programmed and operable for receiving the signals outputted by the at least one sensor and generating transfer function signals for determining speed command signals to be outputted to the apparatus for controlling the speed of the propulsion driveline as a function of the received signals, the transfer function signals for a first range movements of the FNR lever having a first slope, and the transfer function signals for a second range of movements of the FNR lever farther from the neutral position than the first range having a second slope, the control module configured and operable to automatically calculate a transition point between the slopes as a function of the locations of a neutral position and a position fully moved in at least one of the first and second directions determined during the calibration of the FNR lever and corresponding to each range such that a value of the first slope is maintained at a value less than the second slope wherein automatically calculated values of first slopes do not exceed values of corresponding second slopes such that movements of the lever closer to the neutral position in at least one direction having the first slope are maintained to result in lower changes in speed of the propulsion driveline than the movements further from the neutral position having the second slope.