Note : Les revendications sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A self-propelled agricultural combine for harvesting
a crop from a field, and processing the crop to separate grain
from straw and chaff, the combine comprising:
a chassis;
a propulsion means mounted on the chassis;
ground engaging means for supporting the chassis from the
ground and propelling the chassis across a field when the
ground engaging means is rotated by the propulsion means;
harvesting means extending outwardly from the chassis for
harvesting a crop from a field;
threshing and separating means located in the chassis for
separating grain from straw and chaff of the harvested crop;
a clean grain compartment mounted on the chassis, the
clean grain compartment receives the grain separated from the
straw and chaff by the threshing and separating means;
an unloading tube pivotally mounted to the chassis so
that the unloading tube can pivot about a pivot axis defined
by a pivot pin fixedly mounted to the unloading tube, the
unloading tube can be pivoted from a substantially
longitudinally aligned storage position with the chassis, to
an unloading position where it extends outwardly from the
combine for loading clean grain into a receiving truck;
positioning means for positioning the unloading tube from
the storage position to the unloading position, and conversely
from the unloading position to the storage position;
a conveying means is used to remove grain from the clean
grain compartment and direct it to the unloading tube; and
an unloader positioning control switch for controlling
the positioning means of the unloading tube, the control
switch is fixedly mounted to the chassis substantially axially
with the pivot axis and is provided with a means for detecting
the position of the unloading tube and in response to
detecting the unloading tube in either the storage or
unloading position the control switch deactivates the
positioning means, the means for detecting the position of the
unloader tube comprises a key depending from the control
switch which engages a slot formed in the pivot pin.
2. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 1
further comprising a two-position operator switch having a
first position for activating the positioning means to move
the unloader tube from the storage position to the unloading
position and a second position for activating the positioning
means to move the unloader tube from the unloading position to
the storage position.
3. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 2
wherein the positioning means comprises a linear hydraulic
actuator which is coupled to a pump and an associated
hydraulic fluid sump, valving means are provided for
controlling the routing of pressurized fluid to the actuator,
the valving means being operatively coupled to the operator
switch.
4. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 3
wherein the valving means comprises a three-position closed
center directional control valve for controlling the hydraulic
fluid flow to the linear hydraulic actuator, the three-
position valve having an expanding position, a retracting
position and a checked position.
5. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 4
wherein the valving means is further provided with a two-
position valve located fluidically between the three-position
valve and the pump, the two-position valve fluidically couples
the pump directly to the sump when the three-position valve is
in a checked position.
6. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 5
wherein the three-position valve is provided with a first and
second positioning solenoids and the two-position valve is
provided with a third positioning solenoid.
7. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 6
wherein the control switch is an electric switch assembly, the
control switch is provided with a first switch element and a
second switch element, one of the switch elements is closed
when the other is opened, when the first switch element is
closed and the second switch element opened electricity from a
source of electrical energy is coupled to the first and third
solenoids thereby opening the two-position valve so that
hydraulic fluid from the pump is directed to the three-
position valve which is moved to its retracting position so
that the positioning means moves the unloading tube from the
unloading position to the storage position.
8. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 7
wherein when the unloading tube substantially reaches the
unloading position or the storage position, the control switch
resets, that is when the unloading tube substantially reaches
the unloading position from the storage position, the key
contacting the slotted pivot pin opens the first switch
element and closes the second switch element, conversely when
the unloading auger substantially reaches the storage
position, the key contacting the slotted pivot pin closes the
first switch element and opens the second switch element.
9. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 8
wherein the operator switch is a two-position latching
electrical switch having an expand position and a retract
position, the operator switch is electrically positioned
between the source of electrical energy and the control
switch, an operator manipulates the operator switch to move
the unloading tube in and out, however, the operator switch
becomes locked-out when the control switch is reset by the
unloading tube substantially approaching the unloading
position or the storage position.
10. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 9
wherein the control switch is provided with a third switch
element which is closed when the unloading tube is
substantially in its unloading position, the third switch
element when closed, activates an indicator light alerting the
operator that the unloading tube is in the unloading position.
11. A self-propelled agricultural combine for harvesting
a crop from a field, and processing the crop to separate grain
from straw and chaff, the combine comprising:
a chassis;
a propulsion means mounted on the chassis;
ground engaging means for supporting the chassis from the
ground and propelling the chassis across a field when the
ground engaging means is rotated by the propulsion means;
harvesting means extending outwardly from the chassis for
harvesting a crop from a field;
threshing and separating means located in the chassis for
separating grain from straw and chaff of the harvested crop;
a clean grain compartment mounted on the chassis, the
clean grain compartment receives the grain separated from the
straw and chaff by the threshing and separating means;
an unloading tube pivotally mounted to the chassis so
that the unloading tube can pivot about a pivot axis, the
unloading tube can be pivoted from a substantially
longitudinally aligned storage position with the chassis, to
an unloading position where it extends outwardly from the
combine for loading clean grain into a receiving truck;
positioning means for positioning the unloading tube from
the storage position to the unloading position, and conversely
from the unloading position to the storage position;
a conveying means is used to remove grain from the clean
grain compartment and direct it to the unloading tube; and
an unloader positioning control system for controlling
the positioning means of the unloading tube, the control
system having an unloader position electric control switch
which is provided with a means for detecting the position of
the unloading tube and in response to detecting the tube in
substantially either the storage or unloading position, the
control switch deactivates the positioning means, the system
also having a two-position electric operator switch having a
first position for activating the positioning means to move
the unloader tube from the storage position to the unloading
position and a second position for activating the positioning
means to move the unloader tube from the unloading position to
the storage position.
12. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 11
wherein the control switch assembly is provided with a first
switch element and a second switch element, one of the switch
elements is closed when the other is opened, when the first
switch element is closed and the second switch element opened,
electricity from a source of electrical energy is coupled to
the positioning means for moving the unloading tube from the
storage position to the unloading position, conversely when
the first switch element is opened and the second switch
element is closed, electricity from a source of electrical
energy is coupled to the positioning means for moving the
unloading tube from the unloading position to the storage
position.
13. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 12
wherein the unloading tube substantially reaches the unloading
position or the storage position, the control switch resets,
that is when the unloading tube substantially reaches the
unloading position from the storage position, the key
contacting the slotted pivot pin opens the first switch
element and closes the second switch element, conversely when
the unloading auger substantially reaches the storage
position, the key contacting the slotted pivot pin closes the
first switch element and opens the second switch element.
14. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 13
wherein the operator switch is a two-position latching
electrical switch having an expand position and a retract
position, the operator switch is electrically positioned
between the source of electrical energy and the control
switch, an operator manipulates the operator switch to move
the unloading tube in and out, however, this switch becomes
locked-out when the control switch is reset by the unloading
tube substantially approaching the unloading position or the
storage position.
15. An agricultural combine as defined by claim 14
wherein the control switch is provided with a third switch
element which is closed when the unloading tube is
substantially in its unloading position, this switch when
closed activates an indicator light alerting the operator that
the unloading tube is in the unloading position.