Title: Automatic steering system for row-crop harvester and sensor therefor

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1. An automatic steering system for a standing-crop harvester having a chassis adapted to travel along the ground in a transport direction determined by guide wheels on said chassis and carrying a cutter for cutting a swath in the crop, said system comprising:

front sensor means on said chassis to one side of and ahead of said cutter in said transport direction for detecting the edge of uncut standing crop and generating an output corresponding to the position of said edge relative to said chassis;

back sensor means on said chassis to the other side of and behind said cutter in said transport direction for detecting the edge of a swath made by said cutter and generating an output corresponding to the position of the swath edge relative to said chassis;

steering means on said chassis operable by said outputs and connected to said guide wheels for guiding said chassis along the edge of said uncut crop; and

cutout means including a detector on said chassis ahead of said cutter and inboard of both of said front and back sensor means and connected between said front sensor means and said steering means for disconnecting said front sensor means from said steering means during detection of a gap in said crop ahead of said cutter and between said front and back sensor means and for simultaneously connecting said back sensor means to said steering means for operating said steering means with said output of said back sensor means.

2. The steering system defined in claim 1, further comprising steering-lock means for disconnecting said steering means from said guide wheels and maintaining said harvester on its momentary course on detection of no standing drop by said back sensor means.

3. The steering system defined in claim 2 wherein said back sensor means is adjustably displaceable on said chassis transverse to said transport direction.

4. The steering system defined in claim 2 wherein said steering-lock means includes a relay connected in said steering means and an end switch operating said relay and connected to said back sensor.

5. The steering system defined in claim 2, further comprising a pair of crop detectors on said chassis in front of said cutter spaced apart transversely to said transport direction and means for stopping said harvester on detection of no crop by both of said detectors, one of said detectors being in front of said front sensor and constituting part of said cutout means.

6. The steering system defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said sensor means includes a sensor comprising a support on said chassis, an arcuate and flexible rod having one end secured to said support and extending backwardly therefrom in said transport direction, and a strain-gauge bonded to said rod adjacent said one end.

Other info:

Inventors: Stampfer, Michael (Gottmadingen, DT)
Graeber, Ewald (Weiterdingen, DT)
Oni, Helmut (Gottmadingen, DT)
Ruede, Ernst (Bietingen, DT)

Application Number: 532859
Filing Date: 1974-12-16
Publication_date: 1976-04-27
Assignee: Maschinenfabrik FAHR AG (Gottmadingen, DT)
Primary Class(es): 56/10.2F 180/401
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

1980553	Nov, 1934	Salisbury	180/79.
2981355	Apr, 1961	Rabuse	180/79.
3381456	May, 1968	Taylor	180/79.
3402784	Sep, 1968	Roberso, et al.	180/79.
3425197	Feb, 1969	Kita	180/79.
3498403	Mar, 1970	Kohls	180/98.
3583514	Jun, 1971	Taylor	172/3.
3606933	Sep, 1971	Rushing et al.	180/98.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Wood, Jr., M. H.
Assistant Examiner: Rubenstein, Jack D.
Attorney: Ross; Karl F., Dubno; Herbert