US 11,812,696 B2
Methods for operating an agricultural harvester including an elevator assembly with a storage hopper having a conveyor therein
Alessandro Roberto Pereira, Piracicaba (BR); Marcelo dos Santos de Oliveira Silva, Sorocaba (BR); Jean Carlos Pereira de Camargo, Piracicaba (BR); and Anderson Antonio Moreno, Piracicaba (BR)
Assigned to CNH Industrial America LLC, New Holland, PA (US)
Filed by CNH Industrial America LLC, New Holland, PA (US)
Filed on Mar. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/193,567.
Application 17/193,567 is a division of application No. 16/174,966, filed on Oct. 30, 2018, granted, now 10,959,376.
Prior Publication US 2021/0185922 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
Int. Cl. A01D 45/10 (2006.01); A01D 61/02 (2006.01); A01D 41/12 (2006.01)
CPC A01D 45/10 (2013.01) [A01D 61/02 (2013.01); A01D 41/1208 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a harvester, the harvester comprising a chopper assembly and an elevator assembly downstream of the chopper assembly, the elevator assembly including an elevator extending between a proximal end and a distal end, the elevator assembly further including a storage hopper extending from the elevator housing at a location adjacent to the distal end of the elevator, the storage hopper comprising a conveyor extending within the storage hopper between a first end and a second end, the method comprising:
initially operating the harvester in a discharge harvesting mode such that harvested crops processed by the chopper assembly are received at the proximal end of the elevator and subsequently expelled from the distal end of the elevator, with the harvested crops then being conveyed between the first and second ends of the conveyor, before being subsequently discharged from the harvester through a discharge opening defined by the storage hopper;
receiving an operator input associated with operating the harvester in a storage harvesting mode; and
upon receipt of the operator input, at least one of reducing a speed of the conveyor or halting operation of the conveyor such that the harvested crops expelled from the distal end of the elevator accumulate within a storage volume defined by the storage hopper.