Combine header equipped with an automated header transport system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12004440-B2
Application number	US-202117350413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2021
Priority date	Dec 17, 2018
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A header including at least one support and transport wheel assembly having an axle and two wheels. The wheel assembly is coupled to the main body of the header by an actuating system that has two actuator mechanisms. When changing from the field mode to the transport mode, the first actuator mechanism brings the wheel assembly forward from a position behind the header, after the header has been lifted up from the ground. After completion of this first movement, a second actuator mechanism swivels the wheel assembly to a position that is transversal to the header, after which the header is lowered to the ground. The two-step approach enables the changeover between field mode and transport mode without pivoting or otherwise moving the header relative to the feeder. The wheel axle may be pivotably suspended from a frame element that executes the swiveling movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-propelled agricultural working machine having at the front of the machine a feeder configured to be moved up or down, and a header that is detachably coupled to the front of the feeder, wherein the header has a back wall and at least one support and transport wheel assembly, the transport wheel assembly having an axle and two wheels attached at the two ends of the axle, the transport wheel assembly being movable between a field position wherein the axle is essentially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the header and a transport position wherein the axle is transversal to the longitudinal direction, wherein the header includes an actuating system configured to move the wheel assembly from the field position to the transport position and vice versa, and wherein the actuating system comprises:
a first frame element and a first actuator mechanism coupled between the first frame element and the back wall of the header, wherein the first actuator mechanism is configured to actuate a forward movement of the first frame element from a position behind the back wall of the header to a forward position and vice versa, when the header is lifted up to a given height by the feeder; and,
a second frame element and a second actuator mechanism coupled between the first and the second frame element, wherein the axle of the wheel assembly is coupled to the second frame element, and wherein the second actuator mechanism is configured to actuate a swivel movement of the second frame element and thereby of the axle and the wheels, relative to the first frame element, when the first frame element is in the forward position, the swivel movement being configured to bring the wheel assembly to or from a position wherein the axle is transversal to the longitudinal direction of the header.

2. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the axle of the wheel assembly is pivotably suspended from the second frame element, so that the axle is freely pivotable relative to the second frame element when the wheel assembly is lifted up from the ground.

3. The working machine according to claim 2 , wherein the axle is pivotable relative to the second frame element, about a pivot axis that is essentially perpendicular to the axle.

4. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the axle is coupled to the second frame element in an out-of-center location of the axle.

5. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first actuator mechanism comprises:
two arms having ends which are pivotably coupled to the header and to the first frame element in two respective pairs of pivot axes which are essentially perpendicular to the arms, the 4 pivot axes defining a parallelogram in a plane perpendicular to the arms, regardless of the pivotal positions of the arms; and
a variable length actuator pivotably coupled between a first pivot on the header and a second pivot on one of the arms.

6. The working machine according to claim 5 , wherein one of the arms of the parallelogram-mechanism is hook-shaped to avoid collision of the arm with a drive axle that is part of the header.

7. The working machine according to claim 5 , wherein the first actuator mechanism comprises two pairs of the two arms, wherein both pairs of arms are pivotable about the 4 pivot axes, wherein the first arms of the two pairs are fixedly connected at their ends by spindles or equivalent connections, and wherein the second arms of the two pairs are positioned on either side of the first arms.

8. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the second actuator mechanism comprises an arm fixed to the first or second frame element, and a variable length actuator coupled between a first pivot on the arm and a second pivot on the other frame element.

9. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the header comprises a deployable support arm and the axle of the wheel assembly includes a receptacle configured to receive the end of the deployable support arm when the arm is in a deployed state, and when the wheel assembly is lowered to the ground after moving from the field position to the transport position by the consecutive actions of the first and second actuator mechanism.

10. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first actuator mechanism is configured to control the height of the header when the working machine is in the field mode.

11. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein one wheel assembly comprises a deployable drawbar that is pivotable between an essentially vertical storage position and an essentially horizontal deployed position, the wheel assembly further having a drawbar actuator configured to actuate a pivoting movement of the drawbar between the two positions, and wherein the second actuator mechanism and the drawbar actuator are configured so that the pivoting movement of the drawbar is synchronized with the swivel movement of the second frame element, so that the drawbar is brought from the storage position to the deployed position and vice versa when the axle of the wheel assembly swivels towards the transversal position of the axle and vice versa.

12. The working machine according to claim 11 , wherein the header has two of the support and transport wheel assemblies on either side of the feeder, the transport wheel assemblies being designated as front and rear wheel assemblies.

13. A self-propelled agricultural working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the header comprises two of the support and transport wheel assemblies on either side of the feeder, designated as front and rear wheel assemblies, wherein the wheels of the wheel assemblies are pivotable relative to their respective axles and about axes which are transversal to the axles, in order to steer the wheel assemblies, and wherein:
the front wheel assembly includes:
a pivotable base that is pivotably connected to a central location of the axle of the front wheel assembly, the base being pivotable about an essentially vertical axis, and optionally a drawbar coupled to the pivotable base;
a first tie rod arrangement configured to transfer the pivotal position of the base to the wheels of the front wheel assembly; and,
a first variable length actuator pivotably coupled to the axle of the front wheel assembly and to one of the wheels of the front wheel assembly;

the rear wheel assembly includes:
a second tie rod arrangement configured to transfer the pivotal position of one rear wheel to the other rear wheel; and
a second variable length actuator pivotably coupled to the axle of the rear wheel assembly and to one of the wheels of the rear wheel assembly, and wherein the operation of the variable length actuators of the front and rear wheel assemblies are synchronized so as to synchronize the pivotal positions of the wheels of the front and rear wheel assemblies.

14. The working machine according to claim 13 , wherein the machine is a combine harvester or a forage harvester.

15. A detachable header for an agricultural working machine in accordance with claim 1 .

16. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the second actuator mechanism is configured to actuate the swivel movement of the second frame element and thereby of the axle and the wheels, while the first frame element, header and feeder remain stationary.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Jongmans Dré W J
• Missotten Bart M A
• De Ceunynck Kenneth
• Reubens Sam
• Tallir Frederik
• Van Overschelde Pieter
• Desmyter Michiel

Classifications

• A01D75/002

  Carriers for the transport of harvesters or mowers · CPC title

• A01D41/141

  Automatic header control · CPC title

• A01D67/00

  Undercarriages or frames specially adapted for harvesters or mowers (coupling arrangements between animal or tractor and harvester or mower A01B59/00); Mechanisms for adjusting the frame (adjusting devices for the cutter-bar A01D34/28); Platforms · CPC title

• A01D41/145

  Header lifting devices · CPC title

• A01D41/14

  Mowing tables · CPC title