Side-shifting rear-mounted mower with load cell sensor
A system including an agricultural vehicle, a rear-mounted mower coupled to the agricultural vehicle by a rear hitch, a front-mounted mower coupled to the agricultural vehicle by a front hitch, and a control system. The control system is configured to control the rear-mounted mower by obtaining a signal from a sensor positioned on the front hitch coupled to the front-mounted mower. Then assigning a value to the signal, determining if the value exceeds a threshold, transmitting an instruction to adjust the rear-mounted mower laterally, and executing the instruction by adjusting the rear-mounted mower laterally to a lateral position.
1. A system comprising:
an agricultural vehicle;
a rear-mounted mower coupled to the agricultural vehicle by a rear hitch;
a front-mounted mower coupled to the agricultural vehicle by a front hitch; and
a control system configured to control the rear-mounted mower, the control system comprising processing circuitry configured to:
obtain a signal from a sensor, the sensor positioned on the front hitch coupled to the front-mounted mower, wherein the signal corresponds to a lateral load applied to the front-mounted mower;
assign a value to the signal;
determine if the value exceeds a threshold;
upon determining that the value exceeds the threshold, transmit an instruction to adjust the rear-mounted mower laterally; and
execute the instruction by adjusting the rear-mounted mower laterally to a lateral position.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a load cell.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure a lateral load exerted on the front-mounted mower.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain a second signal, from a second sensor positioned on the front hitch, wherein the second sensor is configured to measure a lateral load on the front-mounted mower.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to adjust the rear-mounted mower to the lateral position by adjusting the rear hitch coupled to the rear-mounted mower.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, upon the value not exceeding the threshold, transmit a second instruction to adjust the rear-mounted mower laterally to a central position.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a steering angle from the value.
8. A control system comprising processing circuitry configured to:
obtain a signal from a sensor, the sensor positioned on a front hitch coupled to a front-mounted mower, wherein the signal corresponds to a lateral load applied to the front-mounted mower;
assign a value to the signal;
determine if the value exceeds a threshold;
upon determining that the value exceeds the threshold, transmit an instruction to adjust a rear-mounted mower laterally; and
execute the instruction by adjusting the rear-mounted mower laterally to a lateral position.
9. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is a load cell.
10. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure a lateral load on the front-mounted mower.
11. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain a second signal from a second sensor and assign a second value to the second signal.
12. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to adjust the rear-mounted mower to the lateral position by adjusting a rear hitch coupled to the rear-mounted mower.
13. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, upon the value not exceeding the threshold, transmit a second instruction to adjust the rear-mounted mower laterally to a central position.
14. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a steering angle from the value.
15. A method comprising:
obtaining, by a processor, a signal from a sensor positioned on a front hitch coupled to a front-mounted mower, wherein the signal corresponds to a lateral load applied to the front-mounted mower;
assigning, by the processor, a value to the signal;
determining, by the processor, if the value exceeds a threshold;
upon determining that the value exceeds the threshold, transmitting, by the processor, an instruction to adjust a rear-mounted mower laterally; and
executing, by the processor, the instruction by adjusting the rear-mounted mower laterally to a lateral position.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sensor is a load cell.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure a lateral load on the front-mounted mower.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising obtaining, by the processor, from a second sensor positioned on the front-mounted mower, wherein the second sensor is configured to measure a lateral load on the front-mounted mower.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising adjusting the rear-mounted mower to the lateral position by adjusting a rear hitch coupled to the rear-mounted mower.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising transmitting a second instruction to adjust the rear-mounted mower laterally to a central position upon the value not exceeding the threshold.