| abstract |
A combine for processing crop materials includes a frame, a main body, ground support devices, a device for propelling the combine at a ground speed, an operator's station, a header including a reel rotatable at a reel speed, a feeder portion including a conveyor movable at a feeder speed, a threshing portion including a rotor rotatable at a rotor speed, a grain cleaning portion including a cleaning air fan rotatable at a cleaning air fan speed with adjustable outlet restrictions, and chaffer and grain sieves. An instrument and control system, which includes a data processing unit (DPU), a memory apparatus, an input device, an actuator, and a machine vision apparatus, monitors processing of crop materials and automatically adjusts combine settings in response thereto. A method of controlling the operations of a combine includes (a) viewing crop materials with a machine vision apparatus, (b) generating an image signal corresponding to an image of the crop materials, (c) transmitting the image signal to a DPU, (d) comparing the image signal to a setpoint within the DPU and generating an output signal corresponding to the difference therebetween, and (e) transmitting the output signal to an actuator configured to change a combine setting. |