Agricultural machine with folding header

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10070575-B2
Application number	US-201615229912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2016
Priority date	Aug 5, 2016
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

An agricultural harvester includes a chassis and a header carried by the chassis. The header includes: a center section supporting at least one center cutter and having a pair of lateral ends; a wing section linked to one of the lateral ends of the center section and supporting at least one wing cutter, the wing section being vertically moveable relative to the center section between a harvesting position and a transport position, the wing section being pivotable about a generally vertical pivot axis in the transport position and substantially prevented from pivoting about the pivot axis in the harvesting position; and an actuator linked to the wing section and configured to vertically move the wing section from the harvesting position to the transport position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural harvester, comprising:
a chassis; and
a header carried by said chassis, said header including:
a center section supporting a center cutter and having a pair of lateral ends;
a wing section linked to one of said lateral ends of said center section and supporting at least one wing cutter, said wing section being vertically moveable relative to said center section between a harvesting position and a transport position, said wing section being pivotally coupled to said center section about a generally vertical pivot axis in said transport position and substantially prevented from pivoting about said pivot axis in said harvesting position by way of one of an abutment of a lateral end of said center section with a lateral end of said wing section and a pivot tube having a laterally extending stop; and
a pivoting actuator linked to said wing section and to said center section, the pivoting actuator moves said wing section along said generally vertical pivot axis from said harvesting position to said transport position.

2. The agricultural harvester according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second wing section linked to the other of said pair of lateral ends of said center section and supporting at least one second wing cutter, said second wing section being vertically moveable relative to said center section between a second wing harvesting position and a second wing transport position, said second wing section being pivotally coupled to the center section about a generally vertical second pivot axis in said second wing transport position and substantially prevented from pivoting about said second pivot axis in said second wing harvesting position by way of an abutment of an other lateral end of said center section with a lateral end of said second wing section; and
a second pivoting actuator linked to said second wing section and said center section, the pivoting actuator moves said second wing section along said second vertical pivot axis from said second wing harvesting position to said second wing transport position.

3. The agricultural harvester according to claim 2 , wherein said transport position and said second wing transport position are both above a top surface of said center section.

4. The agricultural harvester according to claim 2 , wherein said wing section has a first vertically moveable wheel attached thereto and said second wing section has a second vertically moveable wheel attached thereto.

5. The agricultural harvester according to claim 4 , wherein said first vertically moveable wheel contacts the ground when said wing section is in said transport position and said second vertically moveable wheel contacts the ground when said second wing section is in said second wing transport position.

6. The agricultural harvester according to claim 1 , wherein said wing section is prevented from pivoting about said pivot axis in said harvesting position by said abutment against said linked lateral end of said center section.

7. The agricultural harvester according to claim 1 , wherein said wing section is vertically moveable along said pivot axis.

8. The agricultural harvester according to claim 7 , wherein said wing section includes said pivot tube linked to said center section, said pivot tube including said laterally extending stop which prevents pivoting of said wing section in said harvesting position.

9. The agricultural harvester according to claim 8 , wherein said laterally extending stop includes at least one arc shaped slot and said center section includes at least one pin placed in said at least one arc shaped slot.

10. An agricultural harvester, comprising:
a chassis; and
a header carried by said chassis, said header including:
a center section supporting a center cutter and having a pair of lateral ends, said center section being vertically moveable relative to said chassis between a harvesting position and a transport position;
a wing section linked to one of said lateral ends of said center section and supporting at least one wing cutter, said wing section being pivotally coupled about a generally vertical pivot axis to said center section, said wing section includes a laterally extending stop which prevents pivoting of said wing section when said center section is in said harvesting position, said laterally extending stop includes at least one arc shaped slot and said center section includes at least one pin placed in said at least one arc shaped slot; and
an actuator linked to said center section to vertically move said center section from said harvesting position to said transport position.

11. The agricultural harvester according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a second wing section linked to the other of said pair of lateral ends of said center section and supporting at least one second wing cutter, said second wing section being pivotally coupled about a generally vertical second pivot axis to the center section when said center section is in said transport position.

12. The agricultural harvester according to claim 11 , wherein said transport position of said center section is above a top surface of both said wing section and said second wing section.

13. The agricultural harvester according to claim 10 , wherein said wing section is prevented from pivoting about said pivot axis in said harvesting position by abutment against said linked lateral end of said center section.

14. A method of preparing an agricultural vehicle for transport, said agricultural vehicle including a chassis and a header linked to said chassis which includes a center section supporting a center cutter and having a pair of lateral ends and a wing section linked to one of said lateral ends of said center section and supporting at least one wing cutter, said method comprising the steps of:
raising one of said center section and said wing section relative to the other section from a harvesting position to a transport position, the section being raised being referred to as a raised section when raised, said raising step including vertically raising one of said center section and said wing section along a generally vertical axis; and
pivoting said wing section about said generally vertical axis to said transport position when said raised section has been raised, said generally vertical axis being a generally vertical pivot axis, said wing section only being pivoted about said generally vertical pivot axis when said raised section has been raised.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said wing section is said raised section.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said wing section is vertically raised along said generally vertical pivot axis from said harvesting position to said transport position.

17. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of vertically extending wheels from an end of said wing section opposite the generally vertical pivot axis as said wing section is raised.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Wenger Bradley J
• Long Zachary
• Roberts Craig D
• Lauwers Andrew V
• Noll Blaine R
• Rayfield James F
• Conroy John J

Classifications

• A01D34/04

  with cutters at the front · CPC title

• A01B73/065 Primary

  to a position essentially forward of the axis, in relation to the direction of travel · CPC title

• A01D41/144

  Foldable headers · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title

• A01B73/06

  foldable about a vertical axis · CPC title