Apparatus and method for adjusting an agricultural header based on a sensed crop load
A header height control system for an agricultural vehicle includes an actuator for moving a header of the agricultural vehicle relative to a chassis of the vehicle, a sensor for detecting a crop pushing condition at the header, and a controller that receives signals from the sensor and is also operably connected to the actuator for activating the actuator. When the sensor detects the crop pushing condition and communicates the crop pushing condition to the controller, the controller is configured to activate the actuator to raise or tilt the header from a starting position and, after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, return the header back to the starting position.
1 . A header height control system of an agricultural vehicle, the header height control system comprising:
an actuator directly connected to a feederhouse of the agricultural vehicle,
wherein the agricultural vehicle comprises a chassis and a header being releasably connected to the feederhouse such that the feederhouse and header move together, and
wherein the actuator moves the feederhouse along with the header relative to the chassis of the agricultural vehicle;
a sensor that detects a crop pushing condition at the header; and
a controller that receives signals from the sensor and is also operably connected to the actuator, wherein when the sensor detects the crop pushing condition and communicates the crop pushing condition to the controller, the controller activates the actuator that raises or tilts the feederhouse along with the header from a starting position such that the header releases a crop pile causing the crop pushing condition and, after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, returns the feederhouse along with the header back to the starting position.
2 . The header height control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a load cell.
3 . The header height control system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a piston and cylinder arrangement.
4 . The header height control system of claim 3 , wherein the sensor is positioned either on the piston, within the cylinder or is in fluid communication with fluid contained within the cylinder.
5 . The header height control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned on the header in detecting a crop pushing condition at the header.
6 . The header height control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned on a cutter bar of the header in detecting a crop pushing condition at the header.
7 . The header height control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor detects a crop pushing condition at the header when a force applied onto the header by crops on the ground exceeds a pre-determined value.
8 . The header height control system of claim 7 , wherein the force is measured at a faceplate of the feederhouse of the vehicle, the actuator, a fluid that powers the actuator, or a cutter bar of the header.
9 . The header height control system of claim 7 , wherein the force is measured at a faceplate of the feederhouse of the vehicle, and wherein the faceplate is sandwiched between the feederhouse of the vehicle and the header.
10 . The header height control system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor is positioned between the faceplate and the header.
11 . The header height control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor for visually detecting the crop pushing condition.
12 . The header height control system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is less than five seconds.
13 . An agricultural vehicle comprising a chassis, a header, a feederhouse and the header height control system of claim 1 in controlling a position of the feederhouse and the header relative to the chassis.
14 . A combine harvester comprising the header height control system of claim 1 .
15 . A method of operating a header height control system of an agricultural vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting a crop pushing condition at a header of the agricultural vehicle using a sensor,
wherein the agricultural vehicle comprises a chassis, a feederhouse, and the header being releasably connected to the feederhouse such that the feederhouse and header move together; and
in response to detecting the crop pushing condition by the sensor, activating an actuator that raises or tilts the feederhouse along with the header from a starting position such that the header releases a crop pile causing the crop pushing condition and, after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, re-activating the actuator that returns the feederhouse along with the header back to the starting position.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the detecting comprises measuring a force applied by pushed crop onto a faceplate of the feederhouse, and wherein the faceplate is sandwiched between the feederhouse and the header.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the sensor is positioned between the faceplate and the header.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the activating comprises activating the actuator that raises and tilts the feederhouse.