Skid shoe for a header of an agricultural harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9861036-B2
Application number	US-201414331494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2014
Priority date	Jul 15, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A header for an agricultural harvester including a skid shoe that is resistant to penetration into soil. The skid shoe includes a central portion having a fore end, an aft end, and first and second lateral sides extending between the fore and aft ends. At least a first upwardly directed surface extends from the first lateral side and defines a first soil deflecting surface configured to resist penetration of the skid shoe into soil. The header includes a chassis that experiences upwardly and radially directed applied loads during operation, including during turning of the header. The skid shoe is operable to receive such loads while effectively deflecting soil as the header traverses a field being harvested. As a result of the upwardly directed surface of the skid shoe, less damage is inflicted on the field and the crop growing therein.

First claim

We claim:

1. A skid shoe for a header of an agricultural harvester comprising:
a fore end;
an aft end;
a central region spanning in a fore and aft direction a continuously curved side cross-sectional profile, having:
first and second lateral sides extending between the fore and aft ends,

wherein the fore end extends asymmetrically from the central region relative to a centerline of the central region; and
a first upwardly directed surface extending from the first lateral side having a forward terminus spaced from a terminus of the fore end and defining a first soil deflecting surface configured to resist penetration of the skid shoe into soil, wherein the first upwardly directed surface is disposed at an acute angle with respect to a plane defined by and tangentially intersecting the central region as measured from the first soil deflecting surface.

2. The skid shoe of claim 1 , wherein the central region has a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface in facing engagement with a ground surface.

3. The skid shoe of claim 1 , further comprising a second upwardly directed surface extending from the second lateral side and defining a second soil deflecting surface configured to resist penetration of the skid shoe into soil.

4. The skid shoe of claim 3 , wherein the second upwardly directed surface is disposed at an acute angle with respect to a plane tangential to the central region as measured from the second soil deflecting surface.

5. The skid shoe of claim 1 , wherein the first upwardly directed surface is formed by an upwardly directed flange extending from a lateral most end of the central region.

6. The skid shoe of claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an elevation of the central region with respect to the header.

7. The skid shoe of claim 6 , wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises at least one support arm extending upwardly from the central region, the support arm including a plurality of spaced apart apertures for attaching to the header.

8. The skid shoe of claim 1 , wherein the central region has a substantially constant lateral width between the fore end and the aft end.

9. The skid shoe of claim 1 , wherein the fore end ends at an upwardly directed terminus.

10. An agricultural harvester having a header that includes a skid shoe, comprising:
a chassis having an upwardly directed applied load; and
the skid shoe connected to the chassis for deflecting the applied load when the harvester moves in a forward direction, the skid shoe including:
a central portion having a fore end including an upwardly directed terminus aligned with a fore end of the harvester, an aft end aligned with an aft end of the harvester and first and second lateral sides extending between the fore and aft ends configured for deflecting the upwardly directed applied load when the central portion rests evenly on ground, wherein the fore end extends asymmetrically from the central portion relative to a centerline of the central portion, and
a first upwardly directed surface extending from the first lateral side having a terminus spaced from a terminus of the fore end and defining a first soil deflecting surface configured to resist penetration of the skid shoe into soil.

11. The header of claim 10 , wherein the fore end is laterally offset from the centerline of the central portion.

12. The agricultural harvester of claim 10 , wherein the fore end is positioned above the aft end during use.

13. The agricultural harvester of claim 10 , further comprising an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an elevation of the central portion with respect to the header about a plurality of discrete positions.

14. A header for an agricultural harvester comprising:
a chassis receiving an upwardly directed applied load; and
a skid shoe connected to the chassis, the skid shoe including:
a central portion, a fore end extending asymmetrically from the central portion relative to a centerline of the central portion, an aft end and first and second lateral sides extending between the fore and aft ends deflecting the upwardly directed applied load, and
a first upwardly directed surface extending from the first lateral side and defining a first soil deflecting surface deflecting the upwardly directed applied load when the central portion rests evenly on ground and configured to resist penetration of the skid shoe into soil, wherein the first upwardly directed surface has a forward terminus located behind the fore end, and
an adjustment mechanism including a support arm directly connected to the central portion, the support arm to the header to affix an elevation of the central portion with respect to the chassis about a plurality of discrete positions.

15. The header of claim 14 , wherein the skid shoe further comprises a second upwardly directed surface extending from the second lateral side and defining a second soil deflecting surface configured to resist penetration of the skid shoe into soil.

16. The header of claim 14 , wherein the chassis further receives a radially directed applied load and the skid shoe deflects the radially directed applied load.

17. The header of claim 14 , wherein:
the central portion has a substantially constant width,
the fore end is offset toward one of the first and second lateral sides, the fore end including:
a width less than the width of the central portion, and
an upwardly directed terminus.

18. The header of claim 14 , wherein the adjustment mechanism is positioned adjacent to the aft end.

19. A skid shoe for a header of an agricultural harvester comprising:
a central portion with a continuously curved side cross-sectional profile in a fore and aft direction having:
a fore end extending asymmetrically from the central portion relative to a centerline of the central portion,
an aft end, and
first and second lateral sides extending between the fore and aft ends;

a first upwardly directed surface extending from the first lateral side and defining a first soil deflecting surface configured to resist penetration of the skid shoe into soil;
a second upwardly directed surface extending from the second lateral side and defining a second soil deflecting surface configured to resist penetration of the skid shoe into soil,
wherein the first and second upwardly directed surfaces are disposed at acute angles with respect to a plane defined by and tangentially intersecting the central portion as measured from the first soil deflecting surface,
wherein the first and second upwardly directed surfaces are formed by an upwardly directed flange extending from a lateral most end of the central portion, and
wherein the first and second upwardly directed surfaces each have a forward terminus located behind a terminus of the fore end; and
an adjustment mechanism comprising at least one support arm extending upwardly from the central portion, the support arm including a plurality of spaced apart apertures for attaching to the header.

20. The skid shoe of claim 19 , wherein the support arm is positioned adjacent to the aft end.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Totten Nathaniel Kip
• Harkcom Melanie W
• Runkle Kyle Kenning

Classifications

• A01D43/107 Primary

  Mounting means · CPC title

• A01D41/141

  Automatic header control · CPC title

• A01D34/664

  Disc cutter bars · CPC title

• A01D34/74

  Cutting-height adjustment · CPC title

• A01D43/10

  with means for crushing or bruising the mown crop · CPC title