Windrower with quick header attachment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016128261-A1
Application number	US-201514874625-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An agricultural work vehicle is operable to be advanced along the ground to sever a swath of standing forage plants and to lay the severed forage material into a windrow. The agricultural work vehicle includes a powered chassis, a harvesting header, and a quick-attachment header adapter. The header adapter is shiftably supported by the powered chassis and is configured to selectively support the harvesting header. The header adapter includes an adapter frame, having end supports and a center support, and a selectively actuatable latch assembly supported on the adapter frame. The latch assembly is associated with at least one of the supports to releasably secure the harvesting header to the adapter frame when the latch assembly is engaged and permit disconnection from the adapter frame when the latch assembly is disengaged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An agricultural work vehicle comprising:
a powered chassis operable to be driven across the ground; a harvesting header shiftably supported by and movable with the powered chassis forwardly across the ground to cut forage plants, said harvesting header including a header frame with a pair of end connectors and a center connector located between the end connectors; and a quick-attachment header adapter shiftably supported by the powered chassis and configured to selectively support the harvesting header, said header adapter including an adapter frame and a selectively actuatable latch assembly supported on the adapter frame,
said adapter frame including a pair of laterally spaced end supports, each associated with one of the end connectors of the header frame, and a center support located laterally between the end supports and associated with the center connector of the header frame, with the connectors being at least in part supported on the supports,
said latch assembly being associated with at least one of the supports to releasably secure the harvesting header to the adapter frame when the latch assembly is engaged and permit disconnection from the adapter frame when the latch assembly is disengaged.

2 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said latch assembly is associated with one of the end supports to secure the one end support to a corresponding one of the end connectors when the latch assembly is engaged and to permit separation of the one end support and the one end connector from one another when the latch assembly is disengaged.

3 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said one end support includes a jaw that presents a jaw slot,
said jaw slot including an open face that permits the jaw slot to slidably receive the one end connector, said latch assembly securing the one end connector at least partly within the jaw slot when the latch assembly is engaged and permitting removal of the one end connector from the jaw slot when the latch assembly is disengaged.

4 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said latch assembly includes a latch shiftably mounted to the jaw and shiftable between a closed position associated with engagement of latch assembly and an open position associated with disengagement of the latch assembly, said latch at least partly extending across the open face in the closed position and being at least partly retracted from the open face in the open position.

5 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said latch assembly further includes a spring that urges the latch toward the closed position and a latch handle spaced from the latch and a linkage that operably connects the latch handle and the latch.

6 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 5 , wherein:
said latch is handle spaced vertically and rearwardly from the latch; said latch handle and said latch are slidable in respective sliding directions transverse to one another; and said linkage includes a pivotal link causing one of the latch handle and the latch to slide in response to sliding movement of the other one of the latch handle and the latch.

7 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said end supports being spaced forwardly of the center support and attached to the end connectors in a supporting position underneath the header.

8 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 7 , wherein:
said header adapter including a beam that extends laterally to interconnect the end supports and the center support; and said end supports depending from the beam so that the end supports are spaced below the center support.

9 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said end supports each include a jaw that presents an open jaw slot, with said jaw slots opening upwardly to slidably receive the end connectors.

10 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said center support includes a hook that presents an open hook slot, said hook slot opening upwardly to slidably receive the center connector.

11 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
another latch assembly, each of said latch assemblies being associated with a respective one of the end connectors to secure the end supports to corresponding ones of the end connectors when the latch assemblies are engaged and to permit separation of the end supports and the end connectors from one another when the latch assemblies are disengaged.

12 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of said end supports are pivotally attached to a respective end connector and said center support are pivotally attached to the header center connector,

13 . The agricultural work vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said powered chassis includes a pair of laterally spaced powered lift arms and a central link located laterally between the lift arms, with each of said end supports being attached to a corresponding one of the lift arms and said center support being attached to the central link.

14 . A quick-attachment header adapter operable to be shiftably supported by a powered agricultural work vehicle chassis and configured to selectively support a harvesting header that includes a header frame with a pair of end connectors and a center connector located between the end connectors, said header adapter comprising:
an adapter frame and a selectively actuatable latch assembly supported on the adapter frame; said adapter frame including a pair of laterally spaced end supports, each operable to be associated with one of the end connectors of the header frame, and a center support located laterally between the end supports and operable to be associated with the center connector of the header frame, with the connectors being at least in part supported on the supports; and said latch assembly being associated with at least one of the supports to releasably secure the harvesting header to the adapter frame when the latch assembly is engaged and permit disconnection from the adapter frame when the latch assembly is disengaged.

15 . The quick-attachment header adapter as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said latch assembly is associated with one of the end supports to secure the one end support to a corresponding one of the end connectors when the latch assembly is engaged and to permit separation of the one end support and the one end connector from one another when the latch assembly is disengaged.

16 . The quick-attachment header adapter as claimed in claim 14 , wherein:
said one end support including a jaw that presents a jaw slot; said jaw slot including an open face that permits the jaw slot to slidably receive the one end connector; and said latch assembly operable to secure the one end connector at least partly within the jaw slot when the latch assembly is engaged and to permit removal of the one end connector from the jaw slot when the latch assembly is disengaged.

17 . The quick-attachment header adapter as claimed in claim 16 ,
said latch assembly including a latch shiftably mounted to the jaw and shiftable between a closed position associated with engagement of latch assembly and an open position associated with disengagement of the latch assembly, said latch at least partly extending across the open face in the closed position and being at least partly retracted from the open face in the open position.

18 . The quick-attachment header adapt

Assignees

• Agco Corp

Inventors

• Figger Robert L

Classifications

• A01B59/006 Primary

  Latched hooks · CPC title

• A01B59/064

  for connection to the front of the tractor · CPC title

• A01D67/005

  Arrangements of coupling devices · CPC title