Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to earth-working equipment, such as an agricultural implement pulled by a tractor, and more particularly to a method for controlling a hydraulic system that operates a hitch that couples the agricultural implement to the tractor. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A variety of agricultural implements are available to be pulled by a tractor for working earth in a farm field in which crops will be or have been planted. The implement is connected to a standard three-point hitch with right and left drag links on the rear of the tractor and the hitch can be operated to raise and lower the implement. The hitch is hydraulically driven by a system that typically provides one or both of position control and draft or load control. 
     The position control maintains the implement at a constant working depth in spite of differences in soil conditions. When employing solely position control, an operator input device is set to establish a desired vertical position of the three-point hitch with respect to a geometric plane established by the tractor. The operator input device sends a command signal to the hydraulic system to either raise or lower the hitch. A position feedback system senses the actual hitch position and stops the raising or lowering once the desired position is reached. This position is maintained by the control system until manually changed by the operator. A problem with maintaining a fixed position of the implement is that hard soil or an obstruction can exert such a large force that the tractor engine stalls. 
     Draft control raises and lowers the hitch during plowing so that the draft force that the implement exerts on the hitch remains constant, despite irregularities in the soil. Thus the draft control enables the working implement to operate effectively without stalling of the tractor engine even in the presence of obstacles such as stones. A tractor employing only draft control has a force sensor connected with the hydraulic system that elevates or lowers the implement hitch. This mechanism raises the hitch as the draft force increases and lowers the hitch as the draft force decreases. An operator input device establishes one or more parameters, such as the force threshold that must occur before the implement is raised of lowered. 
     In certain situations, each of these control techniques alone is not entirely satisfactory. Thus, some previous control systems employed both position and draft control. In that case, the position of the hitch is raised and lowered in response to changes in the sensed draft force, but the position is held within a range set by operator defined upper and lower threshold positions. The threshold range expands and contracts based on a draft setting provided by the operator. As the draft force increases, the hitch begins to rise until the upper threshold position is reached or until the draft force decreases. As the force decreases, the hitch lowers until the lower threshold position is reached or until the draft force increases. 
     The operator draft setting is influenced by a number of factors, including type of implement, commanded depth, soil composition, and soil moisture content. There often is no correlation between the operator setting and the specific position and draft force. These factors make the operator draft setting a trial and error proposition. 
     Another concern relates to adverse control effects that result from lateral forces acting on the implement. Some implements act to roll soil toward one side of the vehicle creating a load with a resultant force vector oriented at a significant angle away from the direction of vehicle travel. A hitch with right and left drag links observes this type of loading as positive load force on one drag link and negative load force on the opposite drag link. If these load forces are sensed and merely averaged, the control system does not recognize a change in loading and does not respond to changes in draft load, or operates at a significantly reduced level of sensitivity to these loading conditions. 
     As a consequence, there is a need for a hydraulic control system that provides an enhanced combination of position and draft control. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A vehicle has a hitch for towing an implement that can be raised and lowered by movement of the hitch. The hitch is moved by operating a valve to control the flow of fluid to and from a hydraulic actuator which is mechanically coupled to the hitch. 
     A method for controlling a hitch comprises defining a draft setpoint that specifies an amount draft force desired to be exerted on the hitch. During operation of the vehicle a first draft force acting on one side of the hitch is sensed and a second draft force acting on another side of the hitch is sensed. A draft load is derived as a function of a greater one of the first draft force and the second draft force and a difference between the first and second draft forces. The draft load and the draft setpoint then are employed to produce a draft force error. For example, the draft force error is based on the difference between the draft load and the draft setpoint. The valve is operated in response to the draft force error to selectively raise and lower the hitch and thus the implement attached to the hitch. 
     Another aspect of the present method involves defining a draft force setpoint in response to actual operating conditions encountered by the vehicle while pulling an implement through specific soil conditions. At that time, a first plurality of samples of the first draft force and a second plurality of samples the second draft force are sensed. For example the first and second draft force may be sensed on opposite lateral sides of the hitch. Then, a first average of the first plurality of samples and a second average of the second plurality of samples are calculated. The draft setpoint is derived as a function of a greater one of the first average and the second average and a difference between those averages. In a particular embodiment of the present method deriving the draft setpoint involves adding the greater one of the first average and the second average to a term based on an absolute value of the difference between the first and second averages. 
     During subsequent operation of the vehicle, the draft load is similarly derived by adding the greater of the first draft force and the second draft force to a term based on an absolute value of the difference between the first and second draft forces. 
     Another aspect of the present method derates the draft force and the resultant error value as the hitch approaches a limit of its possible motion. For example, there is a upper position beyond which the hitch cannot be physically raised. The control system also defines an upper threshold position above which the hitch is not desired to move while working a particular farm field. Draft forces acting on the hitch may cause the control system to raise the hitch above the upper threshold position, in which event the draft load is reduced proportionally. In particular, the draft load is reduced, derated, based on a first relationship between the actual position of the hitch and the upper limit position, and in response to a second relationship between the threshold position and the upper limit position. For example, a first difference between the actual hitch position and the upper limit position, and a second difference between the upper threshold position and the upper limit position are calculated. The draft load is multiplied by a ratio of the first difference to the second difference and the product becomes a new draft load value that is used to determine the draft force error. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a tractor pulling an agricultural implement; 
         FIG. 2  shows a typical three-point hitch on the tractor for attaching an implement; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of the hydraulic system for operating the three-point hitch; 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart depicting the process by which the draft control system is configured for a particular implement and specific soil conditions; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart depicting the draft control process used while the agricultural implement is working the soil in a farm field. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With initial reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an implement  10 , such as a multiple blade agricultural plow, is connected by a three-point hitch  12  to the rear of a tractor  14 . The hitch  12  comprises right and left drag links  16  and  18 , the proximal ends of which are pivotally attached to the tractor frame  17  by pins  15 . A pair of lift arms  20  and  22 , connected to the drag links  16  and  18  by lift links  24  and  25 , control the elevation of the drag links. Two hydraulic actuators  27  and  28 , in this case single acting lift hydraulic cylinders, are connected between the lift arms  20  and  22  and the tractor frame  17  to pivot the lift arms up and down with respect to that frame. 
     The distal ends of the drag links  16  and  18  are respectively attached to vertically extending legs  29  and  30  of a coupler  26  that has a cross bar  32  connected between the upper ends of the legs. A link hydraulic cylinder  34  is attached at one end to the cross bar  32  and at the other end to the tractor frame  17  by a pin  35 . A pair of lower lift hooks  36  and  38  project rearward from the bottom ends of legs  29  and  30  and an upper lift hook  40  is positioned in the middle of a cross bar  32 . The lift arms  20  and  22  move the coupler  26  bi-directionally along a principal axis “A” of coupling motion, which in this case is vertical. 
     The lower and upper lift hooks  36 ,  38  and  40  cooperate with mating parts on a hitch structure of the implement  10 . Specifically the lower lift hooks  36  and  38  engage the lower hitch pins that extend laterally with respect to the frame of the implement. The implement also has a laterally extending upper hitch pin that is received in the upper lift hook  40  when the implement  10  is coupled to the tractor  14 . The trio of lift hooks  36 ,  38  and  40  form the three points of the hitch  12 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , the control system  50  for operating the three point hitch  12  comprises a hydraulic section  52  and an electronic section  68 . The hydraulic section  52  includes a tank  54 , which holds hydraulic fluid, and a pump  56 , that when driven by the engine of the tractor  14  sends pressurized hydraulic fluid from the tank through a supply line  58 . A supply line  58  is connected to an electrohydraulic three-position, three-way valve  60  and tank return line  62  couples the valve to the tank  54 . The valve  60  has a workport  65  connected to the head chambers of the two lift hydraulic actuators  27  and  28 . 
     The valve  60  is operated by a solenoid  64  that is energized by an electric current from a controller  66  within the electronic section  68  of the control system  50 . The controller  66  is a microcomputer-based device that includes memory for storing software and data for a hitch control program. The controller further comprises a driver circuit that produces a variable electric current level for driving the solenoid  64  to proportionally operate the electrohydraulic valve  60 . In addition, the controller  66  has analog and digital input ports for receiving signals from several sensors and operator input devices on the tractor  14 . 
     The controller  66  receives a signal from a position sensor  70  that indicates the vertical position of the coupler  26  of the three point hitch  12 . Any of several types of sensing mechanisms can be employed. For example, the position sensor  70  may be a linear device connected to one of the lift hydraulic actuators  27  or  28  to produce a signal as the piston rod extends and contracts from the cylinder body. Alternatively, a rotational type position sensor can be connected to one of the lift arms  20  or  22  to provide a signal indicating the rotational position of that arm with respect to the tractor frame  17 . With both of these sensing techniques, the signal from the position sensor  70  indicates a position that is geometrically related to the vertical position of the hitch coupler  26  with respect to the tractor frame  17 . The controller  66  also receives signals from right and left draft force sensors  71  and  72 . These sensors may be conventional clevis pin type sensors which are incorporated into the pins  15  that couple the left and right drag links  16  and  18  to the tractor frame  17 . The present control system  50  is being described in the context of left and right sensors which have the advantage of measuring the different forces being exerted on both lateral sides of the three point hitch  12 . Alternatively, a single clevis pin sensor can be used in the pin  35  that connects the link hydraulic cylinder  34  to the tractor frame  17 . Other types of sensors can be utilized to produce electrical signals indicating the magnitude of the draft force acting on the three point hitch  12 . 
     A human interface  74  also produces signals that are applied to inputs of the controller  66 . The human interface  74  enables the operator of the tractor  14  to set configuration settings for and send commands to the controller, thereby defining operation of the hydraulic section  52 . In particular as will be describes, input switches  75  and a display screen  77  are used to define a desired depth position for the implement and range of positions in which the implement may be freely moved as the draft forces change. A mix input device  76  on the human interface  74  adjusts the draft force sensitivity and control system gain values, as will be described. For example, the mix input device  76  is a knob that is rotated between two extreme positions indicating zero sensitivity and maximum sensitivity and produces either a digital or analog signal indicating the position of that knob. 
     When it is desired to use the implement in a farm field, the operator places the control system  50  into mode in which a configuration routine  80  depicted in  FIG. 4  is executed by the controller  66 . In this configuration mode, the tractor operator manipulates the human interface  74  at step  82  to define a desired depth position for the implement  10  in the soil and thus the desired position of the hitch  12 . At step  84 , the operator also uses the human interface  74  to set an upper threshold position and a lower threshold position, thereby defining a range of positions in which the hitch  12  may move up and down as soil conditions change. The mix input device  76  also is placed into the desired setting for the sensitivity of the draft control process at step  85 . In other words, the mix setting specifies how quickly and to what degree the control system responds to changes in the draft forces acting on the hitch. That mix setting is indicated by an electrical signal designating a numerical value (MIX). Placing the knob of the mix input device  76  at one extreme position produces a minimum MIX value, whereas the other extreme position produces a maximum MIX value. Intermediate positions of the knob produce proportional values between the minimum and maximum MIX values. 
     Then at step  86  the operator starts to move the tractor  14  forward causing the implement  10  to dig into the soil until reaching the desired depth position at step  88 , which is determined by the signal read from the position sensor  70  by the controller  66 . 
     Upon reaching the desired depth position, the controller  66  at step  90  sets a configuration timer to a predefined period of time, such as two seconds, for example. During this period, the position of the hitch  12  is held fixed and the controller periodically reads the signals from the right and left draft force sensors  71  and  72  at step  92 . At step  94  the newly acquired samples are averaged with other samples taken by the configuration routine thereby calculating separate averages for the right and left draft forces. Then a determination is made at step  96  whether the configuration timer period has elapsed. If not, the configuration routine  80  returns to read the draft force sensors again and obtain another pair of data samples for use in calculating the right and left draft force averages. This process determines how much load on the hitch is created by the soil conditions in the particular farm field. 
     Eventually, the configuration timer expires at which point the configuration routine  80  advances to step  98  to produce a draft setpoint. It should be appreciated that with certain kinds of implements, especially plows, there can be a large difference between the draft forces exerted on opposite lateral sides of the hitch  12 . This difference increases as the pulling load on the implement  10  becomes greater. Therefore, the draft setpoint is produced by taking this lateral difference into account. The draft setpoint is computed according to Equation (1):
 
Draft Setpoint=Maximum(Average Right Draft Force,Average Left Draft Force)+Gain*abs(Average Right Draft Force−Average Left Draft Force)  (1)
 
where the “Maximum” term selects the greater of the right and left draft force averages, Gain is a predefined factor that specifies the sensitivity of the force difference, and the “abs” term selects the absolute value of the difference between the right and left draft force averages. Once the Draft Setpoint has been derived, the configuration routine  80  terminates.
 
     This automatic determination of the draft setpoint, based on the actual draft forces encountered while the implement is working the soil, eliminates the need for the operator to make manual adjustments to the position and mix settings during tractor operation. This provides consistent plowing operation while the implement works an entire farm field. 
     As the operator continues to drive the tractor with the implement working the soil, the controller  66  executes a hitch control routine  100  depicted by the flowchart in  FIG. 5 . The execution makes continuing passes through this routine, periodically reading the draft forces from the sensors  71  and  72  and the position of the implement from the position sensor  70 . The sensor data are used to operate the control valve  60  in a manner wherein a constant draft force is exerted on the implement  10 . 
     The controller  66  reads the signals from the position sensor  70  and the force sensors  71  and  72  and derives values for the actual hitch position and the left right and left draft forces at step  102 . Next at step  104 , the draft force values are used in Equation (2) to calculate the present, actual collective draft force (referred to as the Draft Load) that is exerted on the implement.
 
Draft Load=Maximum(Right Draft Force,Left Draft Force)+Gain1*abs(Right Draft Force−Left Draft Force)  (2)
 
where Gain1 is a predefined factor that specifies the sensitivity of the force difference.
 
     This Draft Load value is used to control the position of the implement  10 , unless the draft force is so great that its use results in the control system raising the implement beyond the upper threshold position set by the configuration routine  80 . Below the upper threshold position, if the Draft Load value is greater than the Draft Setpoint, the implement is raised to bite a lesser amount into the soil, in an attempt to reduce the draft forces exerted on the hitch  12 . If only this simply control technique is used, however, it is possible under very dense soil conditions or simply because of hitch geometry that the draft force could cause the implement to be raised out of the soil. To prevent this from happening, the hitch control routine  100  derates the Draft Load value as computed above, when the actual position of the implement reaches the upper threshold position. In other words, when the implement is raised a significant distance above the desired depth position, the responsiveness to the derivation of the Draft Load from the Draft Setpoint is reduced. 
     Whether the Draft Load value needs to be derated is determined at step  106  where the actual position of the hitch  12 , as indicated by the signal from the position sensor  70 , is compared to the threshold position set by the operator. If the actual position is below that threshold position, the Draft Load value is used unchanged by setting a variable designated “Hitch Draft Load” equal to the Draft Load value at step  107  before advancing to step  110 . If, however, the actual hitch position is above the threshold position, the program execution branches to step  108  at which the Draft Load value is derated. The amount of that derating, or reduction in the Draft Load value that is used in the control process, is determined based on how much the actual position is above the upper threshold position. The Draft Load value is derated in proportion to that amount as given by Equation (3): 
                     Hitch   ⁢           ⁢   Draft   ⁢           ⁢   Load     =       (         Upper   ⁢           ⁢   Limit   ⁢           ⁢   Position     -     Actual   ⁢           ⁢   Position           Upper   ⁢           ⁢   Limit   ⁢           ⁢   Position     -     Upper   ⁢           ⁢   Threshold   ⁢           ⁢   Position         )     *   Draft   ⁢           ⁢   Load             (   3   )               
where the Upper Limit Position is the highest position to which the implement can be physically raised with respect to the tractor as determined by the mechanical design of the three point hitch  12 . Nevertheless, another position may be defined as the Upper Limit Position.
 
     Then at step  110 , the Hitch Draft Load value, as determined at either step  107  or  108 , is employed to calculate a Draft Force Error according to Equation (4):
 
Draft Force Error=(Hitch Draft Load−Draft Setpoint)*Gain2  (4)
 
where Gain2 is a factor that specifies the sensitivity of the force error and is defined by position of the mix input device  76 . The Draft Force Error indirectly provides an indication of the degree that the position of the implement  10  must be changed from the present position so that the draft force being exerted on the hitch  12  will equal the Draft Force setpoint. The arithmetic sign of the Draft Force Error denotes the direction that the hitch should be moved.
 
     Thus, at step  112 , the Draft Force Error value is inspected to determine if it is positive, indicating that the implement needs to be raised to reduce the draft forces. If such is the case, the hitch control routine  100  branches to step  114  where an inspection is made whether the hitch  12  has already been raised to its upper limit position. In that event, the control routine closes the electrohydraulic valve  60  at step  115  to terminate further application of pressurized fluid to the hydraulic actuators  27  and  28  that may be occurring, before returning to step  102 . Otherwise, if the hitch  12  still can be physically raised, the hitch control routine  100  branches from step  114  to step  116  at which the controller  66  sends a signal to open the electrohydraulic valve  60  in case it is presently closed. This opening the valve applies pressurized fluid from the supply line  58  to the workport  65  and thus into the head chambers of the lift hydraulic actuators  27  and  28 . This causes the three point hitch  12  to raise the implement  10 . The hitch control routine  100  then returns to step  102  to commence another execution pass. 
     Alternatively, if a non-positive value of the Draft Force Error is found at step  112 , execution of the hitch control routine branches to step  118  where the Draft Force Error is inspected to determine if it is negative, indicating that the implement  10  should be lowered. If that is the case, the hitch control routine branches to step  120  where a determination is made whether the hitch position is at its lower limit, i.e. the lowest physically possible position due to the mechanical constraints of the three point hitch. If the hitch  12  at the lower limit, the control process branches to step  115  at which the electrohydraulic valve is closed before returning directly to step  102 . Otherwise if the analysis at step  120  indicates that the hitch  12  still can be physically lowered, the hitch control routine  100  branches to step  122 . Now the controller  66  opens the valve  60  to a position in which the workport  65  is connected to the tank return line  62 , thereby releasing fluid from the lift hydraulic actuators  27  and  28 . This release of fluid causes the three point hitch  12  to lower the implement  10  due to gravity. The hitch control routine then returns to step  102  to repeat another execution pass. 
     It is possible that at step  118  the Draft Force Error value is found to be non-negative, which occurs when the value is zero. In this case, the Hitch Draft Force is at the draft force setpoint and no position adjustment of the implement is required. Now execution of the hitch control routine  100  advances to step  124  at which the controller  66  ensures that the electrohydraulic valve  60  is closed before returning to step  102  to commence another pass through the routine. 
     The foregoing description was primarily directed to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Although some attention was given to various alternatives within the scope of the invention, it is anticipated that one skilled in the art will likely realize additional alternatives that are now apparent from disclosure of embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined from the following claims and not limited by the above disclosure.

Technology Category: 1