Swathboard control with windrow merger attachment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10091935-B2
Application number	US-201715460421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Apr 4, 2016
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A windrower has a crop merger attachment with a conveyor configured to receive crop material from a crop conditioning mechanism and direct the crop material to a side of the windrower, the crop merger attachment being mounted for adjusting movement between a lowered and a raised position. The windrower has a swathboard mounted for adjusting movement between a fully raised position in which the crop material passes beneath the swathboard for engagement with the merger attachment and a lowered position in which the crop material down to the ground under the merger attachment under the windrower. A control system automatically adjusts movement of the swathboard when movement of the merger attachment is detected.

First claim

At least the following is claimed:

1. A windrower having a mechanism for conditioning crop material severed from the field and for discharging the crop material in a rearwardly directed stream as the windrower moves across the field, the windrower comprising:
a header comprising a crop cutting mechanism and the crop conditioning mechanism;
a crop merger attachment comprising a conveyor configured to receive crop material from the crop conditioning mechanism and direct the crop material to a side of the windrower to form a windrow on the ground to the side of the windrower, the crop merger attachment being mounted for adjusting movement between an operational, lowered position in which the crop material is directed onto the conveyor and a non-operational, raised position in which the stream of crop material is directed away from the crop merger attachment;
a transverse swathboard between said crop conditioning mechanism and the crop merger attachment along substantially the full width of the conditioning mechanism, said swathboard being mounted for adjusting movement between a fully raised position in which the stream of crop material passes beneath the swathboard for engagement with the merger attachment to form a windrow on the ground to the side of the windrower and a fully lowered position in which the swathboard diverts the stream of crop material down to the ground under the merger attachment under the windrower;
a position sensor configured to detect movement of the crop merger attachment between the lowered and raised positions of the crop merger attachment; and
a control system operably coupled with the position sensor and the swathboard for automatically effecting said adjusting movement of the swathboard when movement of the merger attachment is detected.

2. The windrower of claim 1 further comprising an actuator configured to move the swathboard between the raised position and the lowered position, the control system comprising actuable device controls for controlling said actuator.

3. A method of operating a windrower with a header coupled thereto, the method comprising:
mowing crop with the header;
adjusting a height of a merger attachment to a lowered position;
automatically adjusting a position of a swathboard to a raised position in response to lowering the merger attachment;
adjusting the height of the merger attachment to a raised position; and
automatically adjusting the position of the swathboard to a lowered position in response to raising the merger attachment.

Assignees

• Agco Corp

Inventors

• Treffer Douglas R
• Nafziger Brendon C
• Glade Mark M

Classifications

• A01D82/02

  Rollers for crop conditioners · CPC title

• A01D43/077

  with auxiliary means, e.g. fans, for transporting the mown crop · CPC title

• A01D84/00

  Haymakers not provided for in a single one of groups A01D76/00 - A01D82/00 · CPC title

• A01D57/20 Primary

  with conveyor belts · CPC title

• A01D34/667

  Means for directing the cut crop · CPC title