Windrow shield control system for a header of an agricultural harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9565800-B2
Application number	US-201414479571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2014
Priority date	Sep 8, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

An agricultural harvester is provided which includes a chassis and harvesting wheels, transport wheels and windrow shields connected to the chassis. The transport wheels are deployed in concert with the windrow shields in order to avoid damage to the windrow shields during placement of the transport wheels into an operative, ground contacting position. A first actuator opens and closes the windrow shields for field and transport operations and windrow shield positioning mechanisms are configured to dispose the windrow shields in a plurality of cut crop opening widths when the windrow shields are in an open position. The first actuator is operated remotely in-cab to eliminate need for the harvester operator to dismount the harvester and open and close the windrow shields for field and road transport operations. The windrow shield positioning mechanisms may be manually adjusted or automatically adjusted in-cab.

First claim

We claim:

1. A header for an agricultural harvester comprising:
a chassis;
first and second spaced apart windrow shields, each having a proximal end pivotably connected to the chassis and a distal end, the distal ends of the first and second spaced apart windrow shields defining an opening width for passage of cut crop material; and
a windrow shield positioning mechanism comprising:
a linkage assembly comprising:
a central control arm having first and second ends,
a first crank member pivotably connected to the chassis and the first end of the central control arm,
a second crank member pivotably connected to the chassis and the second end of the central control arm,
a first lateral control arm pivotably connected to both of the first crank member and the first windrow shield,
a second lateral control arm pivotably connected to both of the second crank member and the second windrow shield;

the linkage assembly coupling the first and second windrow shields for movement between an open position and a closed position, the linkage assembly further comprising a windrow shield positioning adjuster configured to dispose the distal ends of the windrow shields in a plurality of cut crop material opening widths; and
a first actuator operatively connected to the linkage assembly and configured to move the windrow shields between open and closed positions independent of the cut crop material opening width.

2. The header of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is operatively connected to the central control arm.

3. The header of claim 1 , further comprising a third crank member pivotably connected to the first actuator, the chassis and the central control arm, wherein movement of the third crank member in a first direction causes movement of the windrow shields toward the open position and movement of the third crank member in a second direction causes movement of the windrow shields toward the closed position.

4. The header of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is operatively connected to at least one of the first and second crank members, and wherein movement of the first and second crank members in a first direction causes movement of the windrow shields toward the open position and movement of the first and second crank members in a second direction causes movement of the windrow shields toward the closed position.

5. The header of claim 1 , wherein the windrow shield positioning adjuster comprises:
a plurality of spaced apart holes provided on an elongate portion of the first crank member for receiving a first end of the first lateral control arm and establishing a desired open position of the first windrow shield; and
a plurality of spaced apart holes provided on an elongate portion of the second crank member for receiving a first end of the second lateral control arm and establishing a desired open position of the second windrow shield.

6. The header of claim 5 , wherein the elongate portions of the first and second crank members are arcuate shaped elongate portions.

7. The header of claim 6 , wherein a curve defined by the plurality of spaced apart holes of the arcuate shaped elongate portion of the first crank member has a radius equal to a length of the first lateral control arm, and wherein a curve defined by the plurality of spaced apart holes of the arcuate shaped elongate portion of the second crank member has a radius equal to a length of the second lateral control arm.

8. The header of claim 1 , wherein the windrow shield positioning adjuster further comprises a second actuator operatively connected to the first windrow shield for moving the first windrow shield to a desired open position independently of the second windrow shield and a third actuator operatively connected to the second windrow shield for moving the second windrow shield to a desired open position independently of the first windrow shield.

9. The header of claim 8 , wherein the first crank member includes an elongate slot for receiving a first end of the second actuator that connects the first lateral control arm to the first crank member elongate slot for establishing a desired open position of the first windrow shield, and wherein the second crank member includes an elongate slot for receiving a first end of the third actuator that connects the second lateral control arm to the second crank member elongate slot for establishing a desired open position of the second windrow shield.

10. The header of claim 9 , wherein the elongate slots of the first and second crank members are arcuate shaped elongate slots.

11. The header of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second windrow shields is operable to pivot from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees with respect to the chassis.

12. The header of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second windrow shields is operable to pivot from about 10 degrees to about 85 degrees with respect to the chassis.

13. A header for an agricultural harvester comprising:
a chassis;
first and second spaced apart windrow shields, each having a proximal end pivotably connected to the chassis and a distal end, the distal ends of the first and second spaced apart windrow shields defining an opening width for passage of cut crop material; and
a windrow shield positioning mechanism comprising:
a linkage assembly coupling the first and second windrow shields for movement between an open position and a closed position, the linkage assembly comprising:
a central control arm having first and second ends,
a first crank member pivotably connected to the chassis and the first end of the central control arm,
a second crank member pivotably connected to the chassis and the second end of the central control arm,
a first lateral control arm pivotably connected to the first crank member and pivotably connected to the first windrow shield, and
a second lateral control arm pivotably connected to the second crank member and pivotably connected to the second windrow shield;

a first actuator operatively connected to the linkage assembly and configured to move the windrow shields between open and closed positions independent of the cut crop material opening width, and
a windrow shield positioning adjuster configured to dispose the distal ends of the windrow shields in a plurality of cut crop material opening widths, the windrow shield positioning adjuster comprising:
a plurality of spaced apart holes provided on an elongate portion of the first crank member for receiving a first end of the first lateral control arm and establishing a desired open position of the first windrow shield, and
a plurality of spaced apart holes provided on an elongate portion of the second crank member for receiving a first end of the second lateral control arm and establishing a desired open position of the second windrow shield.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Fay Ii Jeffrey B
• Deshpande Nakul Vilas

Classifications

• A01D57/28 Primary

  Windrower attachments with tines · CPC title

• A01D43/06 Primary

  with means for collecting, gathering or loading mown material {(A01D43/086 takes precedence)} · CPC title