Crop harvesting machine header suspension system

Claim 2

In a crop harvesting machine of the type which includes a mobile frame adapted to move across a field and an elongated crop material harvesting header, an improved pair of assemblies laterally spaced apart along said frame for suspending respective opposite lateral ends of said header from said frame, each of said assemblies comprising: lower means pivotally mounting a lower portion of one of said opposite lateral ends of said header to a lower portion of said frame; an elongated arm pivotally mounting an upper portion of one of said opposite lateral ends of said header to an upper portion of said frame, said arm being pivotally mounted at an intermediate portion thereof on said upper frame portion and having first and second portions on either side of said intermediate portion which respectively extend in general alignment with but in generally opposite directions from the location of pivotal mounting of said arm on said upper frame portion, said first portion of said arm being pivotally connected to said upper portion of said respective one of said opposite lateral ends of said header; and resilient means coupled to said second portion of said arm and extending therefrom generally downwardly and coupled to said lower frame portion so as to counterbalance the weight of said respective one of said opposite lateral ends of said header and thereby support said respective one header opposite lateral end in an operating position relative to the field, while at the same time enable said respective one header opposite lateral end to vertically move relative to the other header opposite lateral end and floatingly follow the contour of the field independently of said other opposite lateral end, as said mobile frame moves across the field.

Claim 3

The machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said lower means comprises an elongated link interconnecting said lower portion of one of said lateral ends of said header and said lower frame portion.

Claim 4

The machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said resilient means comprises spring means.

Claim 5

A crop harvesting machine, comprising: a mobile frame adapted to move across a field; an elongated header for harvesting crop material from the field; lower link means pivotally interconnecting a lower portion of said header and a lower portion of said frame; upper link means pivotally interconnecting an upper portion of said header and an upper portion of said frame, said upper link means being pivotally mounted on said upper frame portion and having first and second portions which respectively extend in generally opposite directions from the location of pivotal mounting of said upper link means on said upper frame portion, said first portion being pivotally connected to said upper header portion; resilient means coupled to said second portion of said upper link means and extending therefrom generally downwardly and coupled to said lower frame portion so as to counterbalance the weight of said header and thereby support said header in an operating position relative to the field; means mounted on said frame and being actuatable to effect upward lifting of said header relative to the field for positioning said header in a raised, non-operating position; said lower frame portion mounts rotatable ground engaging wheels and is pivotally mounted to said upper frame portion about a generally horizontal axis; said resilient means is coupled between said second portion of said upper link means and said lower frame portion so as to cause pivoting of said upper link means and thereby upward lifting of said header relative to said field upon pivoting of said lower frame portion relative to said upper frame portion in a first predetermined direction; and said lift means is disposed between said upper frame portion and said lower frame portion and actuatable for pivoting said lower frame portion relative to said upper frame portion in said first predetermined direction.

Claim 6

A crop harvesting machine, comprising: a mobile frame adapted to move across a field; an elongated header for harvesting crop material from the field; lower link means pivotally interconnecting a lower portion of said header and a lower portion of said frame; upper link means pivotally interconnecting an upper portion of said header and an upper portion of said frame, said upper link means being pivotally mounted on said upper frame portion and having first and second portions which respectively extend in generally opposite directions from the location of pivotal mounting of said upper link means on said upper frame portion, said first portion being pivotally connected to said upper header portion; resilient means coupled to said second portion of said upper link means and extending therefrom generally downwardly and coupled to said lower frame portion so as to counterbalance the weight of said header and thereby support said header in an operating position relative to the field; means mounted on said frame and being actuatable to effect upward lifting of said header relative to the field for positioning said header in a raised, non-operating position; said lower frame portion mounts rotatable ground engaging wheels and is pivotally mounted to said upper frame portion about a generally horizontal axis; said resilient means is coupled between said second portion of said upper link means and said lower frame portion so as to cause pivoting of said upper link means and thereby upward lifting of said header relative to said field upon pivoting of said lower frame portion relative to said upper frame portion in a first predetermined direction; and said lift means is disposed between said upper frame portion and said lower frame portion and actuatable for pivoting said lower frame portion relative to said upper frame portion in said first predetermined direction.

Claim 7

The machine as recited in claim 4, wherein: said lower frame portion is normally disposed in a predetermined position relative to said upper frame portion such that said pivoting of said lower frame portion from said predetermined position relative to said upper frame portion in said first predetermined direction causes upward lifting of said upper frame portion relative to the field and, via said resilient means, concurrently causes pivoting of said upper link means and thereby upward lifting of said header relative to said upper frame portion, whereby said header is lifted upwardly from the field at a faster rate than said upper frame portion.

Claim 8

The machine as recited in claim 4, wherein said lift means comprises a hydraulic cylinder.

Claim 9

A crop harvesting machine, comprising: a mobile frame adapted to move across a field in a forward direction, said frame including a main portion extending transversely to said forward direction and a pair of spaced apart side portions being respectively fixed to said frame main portion and extending generally downwardly therefrom; an elongated header disposed forwardly of said frame and extending transversely to said forward direction for harvesting crop material from the field as said mobile frame advances forwardly; a pair of spaced apart lower links respectively pivotally interconnecting corresponding lower opposite lateral end portions of said header and lower parts of said frame side portions, each one of said lower links being pivotally movable independently of the other; a pair of spaced apart upper links respectively pivotally interconnecting corresponding upper opposite lateral end portions of said header and parts of said frame, said latter frame parts being located adjacent where said frame side portions are fixed to said frame main portion, each one of said upper links being pivotally mounted on one of said respective frame parts for movement independent of the other and having front and rear portions which respectively extend forwardly and rearwardly from said one frame part, said front portion of each upper link being pivotally connected to one of said upper opposite lateral end portions of said header; and a pair of resilient means, each being coupled to said rear portion of one of said upper links and extending therefrom generally downwardly and coupled to said lower part of one of said frame side portions so as to counterbalance the weight of a respective one of said opposite lateral end portions of said header and thereby support said respective one lateral end portion of said header in an operating position relative to the field, while at the same time enable said respective one lateral end portion of said header to vertically move relative to the other lateral end portion thereof and floatingly follow the contour of the field, as said mobile frame moves across the field.

Claim 10

A crop harvesting machine, comprising: a mobile frame adapted to move across a field in a forward direction, said frame including a main portion extending transversely to said forward direction and a pair of spaced apart side portions being respectively fixed to said frame main portion and extending generally downwardly therefrom; an elongated header disposed forwardly of said frame and extending transversely to said forward direction for harvesting crop material from the field as said mobile frame advances forwardly; a pair of spaced apart lower links respectively pivotally interconnecting corresponding lower opposite lateral end portions of said header and lower parts of said frame side portions, each one of said lower links being pivotally movable independently of the other; a pair of spaced apart upper links respectively pivotally interconnecting corresponding upper opposite lateral end portions of said header and parts of said frame, said latter frame parts being located adjacent where said frame side portions are fixed to said frame main portion, each one of said upper links being pivotally mounted on one of said respective frame parts for movement independent of the other and having front and rear portions which respectively extend forwardly and rearwardly from said one frame part, said front portion of each upper link being pivotally connected to one of said upper opposite lateral end portions of said header; and a pair of resilient means, each being coupled to said rear portion of one of said upper links and extending therefrom generally downwardly and coupled to said lower part of one of said frame side portions so as to counterbalance the weight of a respective one of said opposite lateral end portions of said header and thereby support said respective one lateral end portion of said header in an operating position relative to the field, while at the same time enable said respective one lateral end portion of said header to vertically move relative to the other lateral end portion thereof and floatingly follow the contour of the field, as said mobile frame moves across the field.

Claim 11

The machine as recited in claim 7, wherein said upper links each comprises an elongated arm interconnecting said respective upper header portion, said respective frame part and said respective resilient means.

Claim 12

The machine as recited in claim 7, wherein: said header delivers said crop material rearwardly; and a pair of upper and lower elongated rolls is generally horizontally mounted on said frame transversely to said forward direction and rearwardly of said header for receiving said harvested crop material being delivered rearwardly by said header and conditioning said crop material as it moves rearwardly into a bite defined between said rolls.

Claim 13

The machine as recited in claim 7, wherein said header includes an elongated flexible floor across which said crop material is delivered rearwardly, said floor being pivotal about an axis defined along its forward longitudinal edge; and a pair of links, each link being fixed to one of said lower links and pivotally connected to said floor for pivoting said floor about its axis and thereby maintaining said floor aligned with said bite of said rolls, whereby said harvested crop material will be delivered to said bite of said rolls although said header floatingly follows uneven field contours as said mobile frame moves across the field.

Claim 14

A crop harvesting machine, comprising: a mobile frame adapted to move across a field in a forward direction; an elongated header disposed forwardly of said frame for harvesting crop material from the field and for delivering said crop material rearwardly as said mobile frame advances forwardly, said heater including an elongated flexible floor across which said crop material is delivered rearwardly, said floor being pivotal about an axis defined along its forward longitudinal edge; a pair of upper and lower elongated rolls generally horizontally mounted on said frame rearwardly of said header for receiving said harvested crop material being delivered rearwardly by said header and conditioning said crop material as it moves rearwardly into a bite defined between said rolls; means for suspending said header from said frame so as to allow said header to move in a generally vertical direction and thereby floatingly follow the contour of the field as said frame moves across the field, said means including spaced apart lower links pivotally interconnecting respective lower portions of said header and lower parts to said frame; and a plurality of links, each link being fixed to one of said lower links and pivotally connected to said header floor for pivoting said floor about its axis and thereby maintaining said floor aligned with said bite of said rolls, whereby said harvested crop material will be delivered to said bite of said rolls although said header floatingly follows uneven field contours as said frame moves across the field. .Iadd. 12. A crop harvesting machine, comprising: a mobile frame adapted to move across a field in a forward direction; an elongated header disposed forwardly of said frame and extending transversely to said forward direction for harvesting crop material from the field and delivering said crop material rearwardly as said mobile frame advances forwardly; a pair of upper and lower elongated rolls generally horizontally mounted on said frame rearwardly of said header, not weight bearing upon said lower links set forth below, for receiving said harvested crop material being delivered rearwardly by said header and conditioning said crop material as it moves rearwardly into the bite defined between said rolls; and means for suspending said header from said frame for substantially complete independent movement of said header during field operation relative to said frame and rolls, said means for suspending including a pair of spaced apart lower links respectively pivotally interconnecting corresponding lower opposite lateral end portions of said header and said frame, each one of said lower links being pivotally movable independently of the other, a pair of spaced apart upper links respectively pivotally interconnecting corresponding upper opposite lateral end portions of said header and said frame, each one of said upper links being pivotally mounted on said frame for movement independent of the other, and resilient means connected to said frame and operably supporting the lateral end portions of said header so as to counterbalance the weight of a respective one of said opposite lateral end portions of said header and thereby support said respective one lateral end portion of said header in an operating position relative to the field while at the same time enabling said respective one lateral end portion of said header to vertically move relative to the other lateral end portion thereof and floatingly follow the contour of the field as said mobile frame moves across the field. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. The machine as recited in claim 12 wherein: each of said upper links includes a front and a rear portion which respectively extend forwardly and rearwardly from the pivot connection thereof to said frame, said front portion pivotally connected to a respective lateral end portion of said header; and said resilient means comprises a pair of spring means each of which interconnect a respective rear portion of one of said upper links with said frame. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. The machine as recited in claim 13, wherein: said header further includes an elongated flexible floor across which said crop material is delivered rearwardly, said floor being pivotable about an axis defined along its forward longitudinal edge. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 15. A crop harvesting machine comprising: a mobile frame adapted to move across a field in a forward direction; an elongated header disposed forwardly of said frame and extending transversely to said forward direction for harvesting crop material from the field as said mobile frame advances forwardly; a pair of spaced apart lower links respectively pivotally interconnecting corresponding lower opposite lateral end portions of said header and said frame, each one of said lower links being pivotally movable independently of the other; a pair of spaced apart upper links respectively pivotally interconnecting corresponding upper opposite lateral end portions of said header and said frame, each one of said upper links being pivotally mounted on said frame for movement independent of the other; resilient means connected to said frame and operably supporting the lateral end portions of said header so as to counterbalance the weight of a respective one of said opposite lateral end portions of said header and thereby support said respective one lateral end portion of said header in an operating position relative to the field, while at the same time enabling said respective one lateral end portion of said header to vertically move relative to the other lateral end portion thereof and said frame and said rolls mentioned below and floatingly follow the contour of the field as said mobile frame moves across the field; and a pair of upper and lower elongated rolls generally horizontally mounted on said frame transversely to said forward direction and rearwardly of said header, not weight bearing upon said lower links, to receive harvested crop material being delivered rearwardly by said header and condition said crop material as it moves rearwardly into the bite defined between said rolls, whereby said header, during field operation, moves substantially completely independently of said frame and rolls. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 16. The machine as recited in claim 15 wherein: each of said upper links includes a front and a rear portion which respectively extend forwardly and rearwardly from the pivot connection thereof to said frame, said front portion pivotally connected to a respective lateral end portion of said header; and said resilient means comprises a pair of spring means each of which interconnect a respective rear portion of one of said upper links with said frame. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. The machine of claim 16 wherein: said header further includes an elongated flexible floor across which said crop material is delivered rearwardly, said floor being pivotable about an axis defined along its forward longitudinal edge. .Iaddend.