Jerry D Littke

6475081, Nov 5, 2002

Mar 20, 2001

09/812651

Bruce Alan Coers - Hillsdale IL
Joseph Albert Teijido - East Moline IL
Daniel James Burke - Cordova IL
Travis Shuji Tsunemori - Geneseo IL
John Victor Peterson - Erie IL
William F. Cooper - Hawley MN
Jerry Dean Littke - Hillsboro ND
Janos Kis - Lajosmizse, HU

Deere Company - Moline IL

A01D 7518

460 7, 460 6, 56 146, 56 102 G

An agricultural combine having a supporting structure that is driven by ground engaging wheels at a harvesting speed by a propulsion assembly. The combine is also provided with a threshing assembly that is driven by a variable torque sensing drive. The variable torque sensing drive is manipulated by pressurized hydraulic fluid. A hydraulic sensor in hydraulic communication with the variable torque sensing drive provides an actual hydraulic pressure signal that is directed to an electronic controller. An operator control in the operators cab of the combine provides a loss rate signal that is also directed to the electronic controller. The electronic controller converts the loss rate signal into a desired hydraulic pressure signal. The electronic controller regulates the forward speed (harvesting speed) of the combine so that the desired hydraulic pressure signal is equal to the actual pressure signal. The harvesting speed regulation can be modified or overridden by moisture signals from a moisture sensor located in the feederhouse for sensing the moisture content of harvested crop.

6583754, Jun 24, 2003

Oct 31, 2001

09/984821

Karl-Heinz O. Mertins - Davenport IA
Jerry Dean Littke - Hillsboro ND
William Flavis Cooper - Fargo ND
Rick Allen Worrel - McKinney TX

Deere Company - Moline IL

G01S 1308

342104, 342 70, 342194, 342195, 342196, 340429, 340444

A vehicle speed sensing system includes an RF transceiver coupled to an antenna for transmitting an RF signal towards the terrain over which the vehicle moves and for receiving a reflected Doppler signal therefrom. The transceiver generates a time-domain in-phase reference signal I and a time-domain quadrature signal Q which is offset in phase by 90 degrees from the reference signal I. A digital signal processor which receives the I and Q signals, and uses a complex fast Fourier transform routine to convert the time domain I and Q signals to frequency domain values I(f) and Q(f). The digital signal processor further processes the I(f) and Q(f) values and generates a speed a direction signal which is unaffected by vehicle vibrations.

6591591, Jul 15, 2003

Jul 30, 2001

09/918266

Bruce Alan Coers - Hillsdale IL
Jerry Dean Littke - Hillsboro ND

Deere Company - Moline IL

A01F 1200

56 102G, 56 102 R, 460 6, 701 50

A system for harvester speed control includes a header position sensor connected to a processor. If the header is lowered during crop cutting, harvester speed is immediately decreased to prevent a sudden increase in material downstream of the feeder house input. The percentage speed reduction preferably is approximately equal to the estimated percentage increase in material for the given height change as set manually by the operator, calculated during a brief calibration process, or derived utilizing an adaptive learning technique. Signals from a throughput transducer and from harvesting quality transducers such as grain loss transducers are communicated to the processor to determine desired harvester speed.

6592453, Jul 15, 2003

Sep 27, 2001

09/967654

Bruce Alan Coers - Hillsdale IL
Daniel James Burke - Cordova IL
William F. Cooper - Fargo ND
Jerry Dean Littke - Hillsboro ND
Karl-Heinz O. Mertins - Davenport IA

Deere Company - Moline IL

A01F 1200

460 4, 460 1, 56 1026, 56 102 C, 701 50

A combine with a throughput dependent speed control includes an angle sensor responsive to uphill, downhill and sidehill slopes. When the combine is angled from a level position, harvest speed is lowered to prevent grain losses from increasing above a target level. The control continuously learns tilt angle, loss and throughput correlation, and the speed reduction is selected based upon the learned correlation. In the preferred embodiment, throughput is estimated utilizing rotor variable drive actuator pressure (RVDAP), and a target RVDAP is modified for short periods of time in accordance with the learned correlation.

6951514, Oct 4, 2005

Mar 20, 2001

09/813264

Bruce Alan Coers - Hillsdale IL, US
Daniel James Burke - Cordova IL, US
William F. Cooper - Fargo ND, US
Jerry Dean Littke - Hillsboro ND, US
Karl-Heinz Mertins - Davenport IA, US

Deere & Company - Moline IL

A01D075/18

460 1, 460 6, 56 102 R

An agricultural combine having a supporting structure that is driven by ground engaging wheels at a harvesting speed by a propulsion assembly. The combine is also provided with crop processing assemblies for processing a harvested crop. A feederhouse directs the harvested crop material to the crop processing assemblies. A feederhouse force sensor senses the force exerted by the harvested crop material as it passes through the feederhouse. The feederhouse force signal is directly related to crop throughput. An operator control in the operator's cab of the combine provides a loss rate signal that is also directed to the electronic controller. The electronic controller converts the loss rate signal into a desired feederhouse force signal. The electronic controller regulates the forward speed or harvesting speed of the combine so that the desired feederhouse force signal is equal to the actual feederhouse force signal. The harvesting speed regulation can be modified or overridden by moisture signals from a moisture sensor located in the feederhouse for sensing the moisture content of harvested crop.

59631392, Oct 5, 1999

Apr 1, 1998

9/053185

Jerry Littke - Fargo ND

Case Corporation - Racine WI

G08B 2100

340684

A flow monitoring system for a particulate feeder having first and second metering devices that meter particulate material from first and second bins, respectively, to a material flow tube, includes a first sensor supported and configured to generate a first flow signal in response to the absence of particulate material within the first metering device; a second sensor supported and configured to generate a second flow signal in response to the absence of particulate material within the second metering device; a third sensor supported adjacent the first bin and configured to generate a first fill signal indicating a level of particulate material within the first bin; a fourth sensor configured to generate a second fill signal indicating the level of particulate material within the second bin; a controller coupled to a first, second, third and fourth sensors and configured to generate a first alarm signal in response to receiving the first flow signal and a second alarm signal in response to receiving a second flow signal and a notification device coupled to the controller and configured to produce a first alarm in response to the first alarm signal and a second alarm in response to the second alarm signal. Preferably, the controller is configured to generate the first visual display based on the first fill signal and the first flow signal to simultaneously indicate the amount of material within the first bin and whether the material within the first bin is bridging. The controller is also preferably configured to generate a second visual display based on the second fill signal and the second flow signal to simultaneously indicate the amount of material within the second bin and whether the material within the second bin is bridging.