Transport wheel arrangement for a crop harvesting header

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12010937-B2
Application number	US-202016837630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2020
Priority date	Apr 1, 2020
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

A header for a crop harvesting machine includes front and rear wheel arrangements that pivot about respective upright axis between a field orientation and a perpendicular transport orientation, while having respective suspensions arrangements movable between different suspended heights. A biasing spring provides lift assist to carry weight of the wheel arrangement during adjustment of the suspension elevation while being isolated from the suspension once set at any one elevation. The front wheel arrangement includes an anti-rotation latch that locks the front wheel in the field orientation automatically upon disconnection of a hitch arm. A second wheel of the rear wheel arrangement can be held in a raised position relative to a first wheel in a field orientation. Load bearing surfaces between the suspended rear wheels and the header frame abut one another when latching to the header frame to isolate the suspension from the header frame in the transport orientation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A header for a crop harvesting machine comprising:
a header frame having an elongate support structure arranged across a width of the header;
a mounting assembly attached to the header frame for releasably mounting the header frame on a vehicle in an operating position of the header for movement across ground carrying a crop to be harvested such that, when mounted on the vehicle, the header frame is supported on the vehicle in front of the vehicle for movement with the vehicle in a forward working direction transverse to the width of the header frame;
the header frame having a plurality of support arms mounted on the support structure and extending therefrom forwardly of the working direction;
a cutter bar extending across the width of the header having a cutter knife thereon for cutting a standing crop to be deposited into the header frame as the header is moved forwardly over the ground;
a feed draper mounted on the header frame for carrying the deposited crop along the header frame for collection at a discharge area of the header frame;
a first wheel arrangement on the header frame adjacent a first end of the header frame;
a second wheel arrangement on the header frame adjacent a second end of the header frame;
at least one of the first and second wheel arrangements comprising a suspended wheel arrangement, the suspended wheel arrangement comprising:
a wheel frame supporting a respective ground wheel thereon for rolling movement about a wheel axis of the ground wheel;
a suspension linkage supporting the wheel frame to be movable relative to the header frame;
the suspension linkage being movable between a plurality of different operating positions corresponding to different elevations of the wheel of the suspended wheel arrangement relative to the header frame;
the suspension linkage including a suspension member for resiliently suspending the wheel frame relative to the header frame in at least one of the plurality of operating positions of the suspension linkage;
at least one of the plurality of operating positions corresponding to the wheel frame supporting the wheel of the suspended wheel arrangement below a bottom side of the header frame so as to support the header frame spaced above the ground for rolling movement on the wheel along the ground; and
a biasing-linkage acting on the suspension linkage of the suspended wheel arrangement as the suspension linkage is displaced between the plurality of different operating positions in opposition to a weight of the wheel frame suspended from the header frame;
the biasing-linkage being movable into a locked condition when located in at least one of the plurality of operating positions of the suspension linkage, the biasing linkage being isolated from the suspension linkage such that the biasing linkage does not act on the suspension linkage in the locked condition; wherein:
a first of the plurality of operating positions of the suspended wheel arrangement comprises a storage position in which the wheel is supported above the ground engaging surface of the header frame; and
a second of the plurality of operating positions comprises a gauge position in which (i) the wheel frame supports the wheel of the suspended wheel arrangement below a bottom side of the header frame so as to support the header frame spaced above the ground for rolling movement on the wheel along the ground in the forward working direction of the header frame, and (ii) the suspension member resiliently suspends the wheel frame relative to the header frame.

2. The header according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of operating positions of the suspended wheel arrangement comprises a transport position in which the wheel is supported on the wheel frame for pivotal movement between a transport rolling orientation in which the wheel axis of the respective wheel is oriented in the forward working direction of the header frame and a field rolling orientation in which the wheel axis of the respective wheel is oriented transversely to the forward working direction for rolling of the wheel in the forward working direction.

3. The header according to claim 2 further comprising a latching arrangement arranged to selectively fix the wheel frame relative to the header frame such that the wheel frame is not resiliently suspended relative to the header frame by the suspension linkage in the transport position.

4. The header according to claim 1 wherein the header frame includes at least one ground engaging member having a ground engaging surface arranged to engage the ground and at least partially support the header thereon as the header is displaced across the ground in the operating position of the header, and wherein the suspended wheel arrangement is in the storage position.

5. The header according to claim 1 wherein a third of the plurality of operating positions comprises a second gauge position, wherein the wheel of the suspended wheel arrangement is resiliently suspended at a different elevation relative to the header frame in each of the two gauge positions.

6. The header according to claim 1 wherein the wheel frame of the suspended wheel arrangement comprises a swing arm pivotally coupled to the header frame and supporting the wheel thereon such that the wheel varies in elevation relative to the header frame as the swing arm pivots relative to the header frame, and wherein the suspension linkage is operatively connected between the swing arm and the header frame.

7. The header according to claim 1 wherein an adjustment portion of the suspension linkage is adjustably movable relative to a designated one of the header frame or the wheel frame so as to displace the suspension linkage between the plurality of different operating positions, the suspension linkage further comprising stops on the designated one of the header frame or the wheel frame that selectively fix the adjustment portion relative to the designated one of the header frame or the wheel frame such that biasing linkage is prevented from acting on the suspension linkage while the wheel frame remains resiliently suspended relative to the header frame by the suspension linkage in at least one of the operating positions of the suspension linkage.

8. The header according to claim 7 wherein the stops selectively fix the adjustment portion of the suspension linkage relative to the designated one of the header frame or the wheel frame such that biasing linkage is prevented from acting on the suspension linkage in each of the plurality of operating positions of the suspension linkage.

9. The header according to claim 7 wherein said designated one of the header frame or the wheel frame includes a track formed thereon and the adjustment portion of the suspension linkage comprises a follower supported for sliding movement along the track between the different operating orientations, the biasing linkage acting to displace the follower in one direction along the track.

10. The header according to claim 9 wherein at least some of the stops comprise detents formed along the track so as to be arranged to receive the follower selectively therein.

11. The header according to claim 10 wherein the biasing linkage acts on the follower transversely to the track in a direction which urges the follower into the detents.

12. The header according to claim 1 further comprising a hitch arm for connection at the first end of the header frame so as to apply a pulling force to the header from a tractor in a transport position of the header frame, the first wheel arrangement adjacent the first end of the header frame comprising the suspended wheel arrangement.

Assignees

• Macdon Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Lyons Russell George
• Beamish Glen Frank

Classifications

• A01D75/002

  Carriers for the transport of harvesters or mowers · CPC title

• A01D41/145 Primary

  Header lifting devices · CPC title

• A01B63/006

  Lateral adjustment of wheels · CPC title

• A01B73/005 Primary

  for endwise transportation, i.e. the direction of transport being substantially perpendicular to the direction of agricultural operation (A01B73/02 takes precedence) · CPC title