US-12619266-B2 - Windrower implement with merger attachment

US12619266B2US 12619266 B2US12619266 B2US 12619266B2US-12619266-B2

Abstract

A windrower implement includes a merger attachment positioned rearward of an implement head. The merger attachment includes a conveyor positioned to receive discharged crop material from the implement head and convey the crop material to a laterally offset location. A crop sensor is operable to detect data related to a current characteristic of the cut crop material. A merger controller is operable to receive data from the crop sensor related to the current characteristic of the cut crop material, determine a desired windrow width based on the data from the crop sensor related to the current characteristic of the cut crop material, and then control a current speed of the conveyor based the desired windrow width.

Inventors

Mahesh Somarowthu
MOHAN A. VADNERE
Ashwini Phalke

Assignees

DEERE & COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230719

Claims (16)

1 . A windrower implement comprising: a frame extending along a central longitudinal axis between a forward end and a rearward end relative to a direction of travel during operation; an implement head attached to the frame proximate the forward end thereof, wherein the implement head is operable to cut standing crop material and discharge cut crop material in a rearward direction along the central longitudinal axis; a merger attachment coupled to the frame rearward of the implement head, wherein the merger attachment includes a conveyor positioned relative to the implement head to receive discharged crop material from the implement head and convey the discharged crop material to a laterally offset location on a discharge side of the frame relative to the central longitudinal axis; a crop sensor operable to detect data related to a current characteristic of the cut crop material; a merger controller disposed in communication with the crop sensor and the merger attachment, the merger controller having a processor and a memory having a merger control algorithm stored thereon, wherein the processor is operable to execute the merger control algorithm to: receive data from the crop sensor related to the current characteristic of the cut crop material; determine a desired windrow width based on the data from the crop sensor related to the current characteristic of the cut crop material; correlate the desired windrow width to an associated speed of the conveyor, wherein the associated speed of the conveyor increases with an increase in the desired windrow width, and wherein the associated speed of the conveyor decreases with a decrease in the desired windrow width; and control a current speed of the conveyor based the desired windrow width.
2 . The windrower implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the crop sensor includes one of a moisture sensor operable to sense a moisture content of the cut crop material, a flow sensor operable to sense data related to a mass flow rate of the cut crop material, a crop type sensor operable to sense data related to a plant type of the cut crop material, a camera operable to capture an image of the cut crop material, a Near InfraRed sensor operable to capture an image of the cut crop material in a Near InfraRed light spectrum, a lidar sensor, and a radar sensor.
3 . The windrower implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the current characteristic of the cut crop material includes one of a moisture content of the cut crop material, a plant type of the cut crop material, a stem length of the cut crop material, a mass flow rate of the cut crop material, a pre-cut height of the standing crop material, and a density of the cut crop material.
4 . The windrower implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the processor is operable to execute the merger control algorithm to receive data related to a weather forecast.
5 . The windrower implement set forth in claim 4 , wherein the processor is operable to execute the merger control algorithm to determine the desired windrow width based on the data related to the weather forecast.
6 . The windrower implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the processor is operable to execute the merger control algorithm to control the speed of the conveyor to the associated speed of the conveyor correlated to the desired windrow width.
7 . The windrower implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the desired width of the windrow increases with an increase in a moisture content of the cut crop material.
8 . The windrower implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the desired width of the windrow decreases with a decrease in a moisture content of the cut crop material.
9 . The windrower implement set forth in claim 1 , wherein the processor is operable to execute the merger control algorithm to receive a user override input commanding a defined speed of the conveyor.
10 . The windrower implement set forth in claim 9 , wherein the processor is operable to execute the merger control algorithm to override the controlled current speed of the conveyor based the desired windrow width and control the speed of the conveyor to achieve the defined speed of the conveyor.
11 . A method of controlling a merger attachment of a windrower implement, the method comprising: sensing data with a crop sensor related to a current characteristic of a cut crop material; determining a desired windrow width with a merger controller based on the data from the crop sensor related to the current characteristic of the cut crop material; correlating the desired windrow width to an associated speed of the conveyor, wherein the associated speed of the conveyor increases with an increase in the desired windrow width, and wherein the associated speed of the conveyor decreases with a decrease in the desired windrow width; and controlling a current speed of a conveyor of the merger attachment to achieve the desired windrow width.
12 . The method set forth in claim 11 , wherein sensing data with the crop sensor related to a current characteristic of the cut crop material includes one of sensing data related to a moisture content of the cut crop material, sensing data related to a plant type of the cut crop material, sensing data related to a stem length of the cut crop material, sensing data related to a mass flow rate of the cut crop material, sensing data related to a standing pre-cut height of the crop material, and sensing data related to a density of the cut crop material.
13 . The method set forth in claim 11 , further comprising the step of receiving data related to a weather forecast with the merger controller.
14 . The method set forth in claim 13 , wherein the step of determining the desired windrow width with the merger controller based on the data from the crop sensor related to the current characteristic of the cut crop material further includes determining the desired windrow width with the merger controller based on the data from the crop sensor related to the current characteristic of the cut crop material and on the data related to the weather forecast.
15 . The method set forth in claim 11 , further comprising receiving a user override input commanding a defined speed of the conveyor.
16 . The method set forth in claim 15 , further comprising overriding the controlled current speed of the conveyor based the desired windrow width and controlling the speed of the conveyor to achieve the defined speed of the conveyor.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure generally relates to a windrower implement having a merger attachment, and a method of controlling the merger attachment. BACKGROUND A windrower implement is an agricultural machine that cuts standing crop material while moving through a field, and forms the cut crop material into a swath or windrow. Typically, the windrower implement forms the windrow on and along a general longitudinal centerline of the windrower implement, generally between the left and right ground engaging devices, e.g., tires or tracks. The windrower implement may be equipped with a merger attachment. The merger attachment is configured to form the windrow laterally offset from the centerline of the windrower implement, generally outside the left or right ground engaging devices. The merger attachment may be deployed to form the windrow at an offset position relative to the centerline of the windrower implement, or may be stowed and disengaged, whereby the windrow is formed generally along the centerline of the windrower implement. When harvesting crop material from a field, the windrower implement typically makes several parallel passes through the field with each pass cutting a width of the crop material. An operator of the windrower implement may control the windrower implement to execute a single pass windrow configuration in which the operator keeps the merger attachment continuously disengaged for each respective pass such that each respective pass through the field generates a respective windrow aligned with the longitudinal centerline of the windrower implement during that respective pass. The operator may alternatively control the windrower implement to execute a double pass windrow configuration in which the operator disengages the merger attachment while executing a belly pass, whereby the windrow is formed along the centerline of the windrower implement. After completing the belly pass, the operator aligns the windrower implement immediately adjacent to the belly pass with the merger attachment deployed to execute a first merger pass. While executing the first merger pass, the merger attachment deposits the crop material from the first merger pass on or next to the windrow formed from the belly pass, thereby placing the windrow from two adjacent passes through the field together as a single windrow. The merger attachment may include a conveyor which moves the crop material laterally relative to the central longitudinal axis. A distance the crop material is discharged relative to the conveyor is dependent upon a speed of the conveyor. Increasing the speed of the conveyor increases the distance the crop material is discharged from the conveyor, thereby creating a wider and thinner windrow. Decreasing the speed of the conveyor decrease the distance the crop material is discharged from the conveyor, thereby creating a narrower and thicker windrow. SUMMARY A windrower implement is provided. The windrower implement includes a frame extending along a central longitudinal axis between a forward end and a rearward end relative to a direction of travel during operation. An implement head is attached to the frame proximate the forward end thereof. The implement head is operable to cut standing crop material and discharge cut crop material in a rearward direction along the central longitudinal axis. A merger attachment is coupled to the frame rearward of the implement head. The merger attachment includes a conveyor positioned relative to the implement head to receive discharged crop material from the implement head and convey the crop material to a laterally offset location on a discharge side of the frame relative to the central longitudinal axis. A crop sensor is operable to detect data related to a current characteristic of the cut crop material. A merger controller is disposed in communication with the crop sensor and the merger attachment. The merger controller has a processor and a memory having a merger control algorithm stored thereon. The processor is operable to execute the merger control algorithm to receive data from the crop sensor related to the current characteristic of the cut crop material, determine a desired windrow width based on the data from the crop sensor related to the current characteristic of the cut crop material, and then control a current speed of the conveyor based the desired windrow width. In one aspect of the disclosure, the crop sensor may include, but is not limited to, one of a moisture sensor operable to sense a moisture content of the cut crop material, a flow sensor operable to sense data related to a mass flow rate of the cut crop material, a crop type sensor operable to sense data related to a plant type of the cut crop material, a camera operable to capture an image of the cut crop material, a Near InfraRed sensor operable to capture an image of the cut crop material in the Near InfraRed light spectrum, a lidar sensor, and a radar sensor. In one aspect of the di