US 12,336,456 B2
Control system and method for increasing rotor speed during combine rotor start-up
Haibo Guo, Naperville, IL (US); Nicholas J. Laufenberg, Glen Ellyn, IL (US); and Michael Rush, Lancaster, PA (US)
Assigned to CNH Industrial America LLC, New Holland, PA (US)
Filed by CNH Industrial America LLC, New Holland, PA (US)
Filed on Nov. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/527,704.
Prior Publication US 2023/0148477 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. A01F 12/56 (2006.01); A01F 7/06 (2006.01); F16H 47/04 (2006.01)
CPC A01F 12/56 (2013.01) [F16H 47/04 (2013.01); A01F 7/06 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. In an agricultural vehicle having an engine; a threshing rotor; a planetary gear assembly including (i) a first gear that is mechanically connected to an output shaft of the engine, (ii) a second gear, and (iii) a carrier that is mechanically connected to both the first gear and the second gear, the carrier also being connected to the rotor for driving the rotor; a clutch having an input member that is either directly or indirectly connected to the output shaft of the engine and an output member that is connected to the first gear; and a fluid circuit including (i) a reversible pump that receives power from the engine and (ii) a motor that is fluidly connected to the pump and has an output shaft that is connected to the second gear for driving the second gear, a method of rotating the rotor during a start-up procedure for the rotor, said method comprising the following steps in the following order:
(a) operating the pump to drive the motor in a forward direction, which rotates the second gear in a forward direction, which rotates the carrier in a forward direction, which rotates the rotor in a forward direction, all while the first gear remains stationary;
(b) partially engaging the clutch to rotate the output member of the clutch, which rotates the first gear, which rotates the carrier in concert with the second gear of step (a) while the rotor continues to rotate in the forward direction; and
(c) operating the pump on the fluid circuit to drive the motor in a reverse direction, which rotates the second gear in a reverse direction while the carrier and the rotor continue to rotate in their respective forward directions, which step yields a constant acceleration of the rotor within a predetermined tolerance over steps (a) through (c).