Breakaway rigid header height control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12484474-B2
Application number	US-202318094575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2023
Priority date	Jan 9, 2023
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A rigid height control system configured to be coupled to a header includes a rigid arm pivotally coupled to a shaft. The rigid arm includes an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end is configured to engage a ground surface. The rigid height control system includes a metal channel guide coupled to the shaft and a magnet embedded within the rigid arm adjacent the upper end. The magnet is configured to keep the rigid arm attached to the metal channel guide via a magnetic force so that the lower end engages the ground surface when the agricultural harvester travels in a forward direction. The magnet is configured, when the agricultural harvester travels in a reverse direction causing a force exerted by the ground surface on the rigid arm to exceed the magnetic force, to allow a release of the rigid arm from the metal channel guide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A rigid height control system configured to be coupled to a header of an agricultural harvester, comprising:
a rigid arm pivotally coupled to a shaft, wherein the rigid arm comprises an upper end and a lower end, and wherein the lower end is configured to engage a ground surface; a metal channel guide coupled to the shaft; and a magnet embedded within the rigid arm adjacent the upper end, wherein the magnet is configured to keep a back surface of the upper end of the rigid arm attached to the metal channel guide via a magnetic force so that the lower end engages the ground surface when the agricultural harvester travels in a forward direction, and the magnet is configured, when the agricultural harvester travels in a reverse direction causing a force exerted by the ground surface on the rigid arm to exceed the magnetic force, to allow a release of the back surface of the rigid arm from the metal channel guide to enable the rigid arm to swing forward and upward.

2 . The rigid height control system of claim 1 , further comprising a skid shoe, wherein the skid shoe is configured to couple the rigid height control system to a cutter bar of the header.

3 . The rigid height control system of claim 2 , wherein the rigid arm, when released from the metal channel guide, swings into a slot of the skid shoe.

4 . The rigid height control system of claim 1 , wherein the metal channel guide has two sidewalls flanking a rear wall to define a recess, and the magnet is configured to keep the upper end of the rigid arm disposed within the recess of the metal channel guide via the magnetic force so that the lower end engages the ground surface when the agricultural harvester travels in the forward direction.

5 . The rigid height control system of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is coupled to a sensor configured to detect a rotational position of the shaft to determine a height between the header and the ground surface.

6 . The rigid height control system of claim 1 , wherein, after the release of the back surface of the rigid arm from the metal channel guide and swinging of the rigid arm forward and upward, upon lifting the header the rigid arm is configured to swing back until the back surface of the upper end of the rigid arm reattaches to the metal channel guide via the magnet.

7 . The rigid height control system of claim 1 , wherein a top end of the metal channel guide is configured to act as a mechanical stop to limit the swinging of the rigid arm forward and upward upon release of the back surface of the rigid arm from the metal channel guide.

8 . The rigid height control system of claim 1 , comprising a spring to bias a rotation of the rigid arm toward the metal channel guide.

9 . A header of an agricultural harvester, comprising:
a frame; a cutter bar coupled to the frame; and a rigid height control system configured to determine a height between the header and a ground surface when the header operates in a rigid condition, wherein the rigid height control system comprises:
a skid shoe coupling the rigid height control system to the cutter bar;
a rigid arm pivotally coupled to a shaft, wherein the rigid arm comprises an upper end and a lower end, and wherein the lower end is configured to engage the ground surface;
a metal channel guide coupled to the shaft; and
a magnet embedded within the rigid arm adjacent the upper end, wherein the magnet is configured to keep a back surface of the upper end of the rigid arm attached to the metal channel guide via a magnetic force so that the lower end engages the ground surface when the agricultural harvester travels in a forward direction, and the magnet is configured, when the agricultural harvester travels in a reverse direction causing a force exerted by the ground surface on the rigid arm to exceed the magnetic force, to allow a release of the back surface of the rigid arm from the metal channel guide to enable the rigid arm to swing forward and upward.

10 . The header of claim 9 , wherein the rigid arm, when released from the metal channel guide, swings into a slot of the skid shoe.

11 . The header of claim 9 , wherein the metal channel guide has two sidewalls flanking a rear wall to define a recess, and the magnet is configured to keep the upper end of the rigid arm disposed within the recess of the metal channel guide via the magnetic force so that the lower end engages the ground surface when the agricultural harvester travels in the forward direction.

12 . The header of claim 9 , wherein the shaft is coupled to a sensor configured to detect a rotational position of the shaft to determine the height between the header and the ground surface.

13 . The header of claim 9 , wherein, after the release of the back surface of the rigid arm from the metal channel guide and swinging of the rigid arm forward and upward, upon lifting the header the rigid arm is configured to swing back until the back surface of the upper end of the rigid arm reattaches to the metal channel guide via the magnet.

14 . The header of claim 9 , wherein a top end of the metal channel guide is configured to act as a mechanical stop to limit the swinging of the rigid arm forward and upward upon release of the back surface of the rigid arm from the metal channel guide.

15 . The header of claim 9 , comprising a spring to bias a rotation of the rigid arm toward the metal channel guide.

16 . An agricultural harvester, comprising:
a header; and a rigid height control system coupled to the header, wherein the rigid height control system is configured to determine a height between the header and a ground surface when the header operates in a rigid condition, and wherein the rigid height control system comprises:
a rigid arm pivotally coupled to a shaft, wherein the rigid arm comprises an upper end and a lower end, and wherein the lower end is configured to engage the ground surface;
a metal channel guide coupled to the shaft; and
a magnet embedded within the rigid arm adjacent the upper end, wherein when the agricultural harvester travels in a forward direction the rigid arm is configured to be in a working position where the lower end engages the ground surface due to magnetic force between the magnet and the metal channel guide, and when the agricultural harvester travels in a reverse direction causing a force exerted by the ground surface on the rigid arm to exceed the magnetic force the rigid arm is configured to be in a breakaway position where the rigid arm is swung forward and upward.

17 . The agricultural harvester of claim 16 , wherein the rigid height control system comprises a skid shoe configured to couple the rigid height control system to the header, and wherein the rigid arm is disposed in a slot of the skid shoe when in the breakaway position.

18 . The agricultural harvester of claim 16 , wherein, when the rigid arm is in the breakaway position, upon lifting the header the rigid arm is configured to swing back into the working position.

19 . The agricultural harvester of claim 16 , wherein the metal channel guide has two sidewalls flanking a rear wall to define a recess, and the magnet is configured to keep the upper end of the rigid arm disposed within the recess of the metal channel guide via the magnetic force so that the lower end engages the ground surface when the rigid arm is in the working position.

20 . The agricultural harvester of claim 16 , wherein a top end of the metal channel guide is configured to act as a mechanical sto

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Noll Blaine Robert
• Cook Joel Timothy

Classifications

• A01D34/04

  with cutters at the front · CPC title

• A01D41/141

  Automatic header control · CPC title

• A01D34/243 Primary

  Mechanical lifting devices (A01D34/26 takes precedence) · CPC title