Patent ID: 8010262

Claim:
An apparatus for automatically controlling the settings of an adjustable crop spreader of an agricultural combine that operates between a harvest mode and a headland mode, comprising: a sensor to sense at least one of a position of a residue deflector of a residue discharge system and a speed of the residue discharge system; an actuator operatively connected to the residue deflector to adjustably change the position of the residue deflector; a controller operatively connected to the sensor, the actuator, and the residue discharge system, the controller having: a memory, a speed input device for controlling the speed of the residue discharge system; a position input device for controlling the position of the residue discharge system, and a mode input device for inputting one of a headland mode and a harvest mode, wherein the controller is configured to store in the memory at least one of a first position and a first speed of the residue discharge system when the combine is traveling in a first direction of travel and the controller receives an input to change to headland mode, store in the memory at least one of a second position and a second speed of the residue discharge system when the combine is traveling in a second direction of travel and the controller receives an input to change to headland mode, responsively control the residue discharge system to change the at least one of the position and the speed of the residue discharge system to the first position or the first speed when the combine is traveling in the second direction and the controller receives an input to change to headland mode, and responsively control the residue discharge system to change the at least one of the position and the speed of the residue discharge system to the second position or the second speed when the combine is traveling in the first direction and the controller receives an input to change to headland mode.