US 12,433,197 B2
Harvesting machine cutter head with automated posture-based reel finger pitch adjustment
Daniel S. Hoffman, Bettendorf, IA (US); Cristiano Engelmann, Horizontina (BR); Anthony J. Knepper, Asbury, IA (US); Justin C. Freehill, Fenton, IL (US); Duane M. Bomleny, Geneseo, IL (US); and Corwin M. Puryk, Bettendorf, IA (US)
Assigned to DEERE & COMPANY, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Sep. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/466,047.
Prior Publication US 2023/0070185 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. A01D 57/03 (2006.01); A01D 41/14 (2006.01); A01D 57/04 (2006.01)
CPC A01D 57/03 (2013.01) [A01D 41/141 (2013.01); A01D 41/145 (2013.01); A01D 57/04 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A harvesting machine, comprising:
a cutter head including:
a cutter bar for cutting crop from a ground surface;
a reel located above the cutter bar and being rotatable about an axis of rotation, the reel comprising a plurality of reel arms each having a plurality of fingers thereon to engage the crop; and
an actuator configured to adjust a pitch of the plurality of fingers with respect to the reel arms; and
a controller operably connected with the cutter head, the controller configured to:
receive an input on a posture of the cutter head relative to the ground surface, the input on the posture of the cutter head including an angle of the cutter bar relative to the ground surface; and
operate the actuator to automatically control the pitch of the plurality of fingers based on the received input on the posture of the cutter head to rotate the plurality of fingers toward a more horizontal orientation as the cutter bar tilts forward toward the ground surface and to rotate the plurality of fingers toward a more vertical orientation as the cutter bar tilts backward away from the ground surface.