Combine headers with fold up cutterbars
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorJoel T. Cook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A draper header includes a draper frame and a reel arm. The reel arm is coupled to a reel and pivotally coupled to the draper frame. The draper header further includes a cutterbar pivotally coupled to the draper frame. The reel arm and the cutterbar are configured to pivot about the draper frame to adjust a side profile aspect ratio of the draper header from a first aspect ratio to a second aspect ratio. A height of the first aspect ratio is less than a height of the second aspect ratio, and a width of the first aspect ratio is greater than a width of the second aspect ratio.
Claims19
A draper header, comprising:
- a draper frame;
- a reel arm coupled to a reel and pivotally coupled to the draper frame;
- a cutterbar pivotally coupled to the draper frame;
- and
- a first actuator coupled to the reel arm and the reel, the first actuator configured to slide the reel along a length of the reel arm to adjust a distance between the draper frame and the reel;
- wherein the reel arm and the cutterbar are configured to pivot about the draper frame to adjust a side profile aspect ratio of the draper header from a first aspect ratio to a second aspect ratio, wherein a height of the first aspect ratio is less than a height of the second aspect ratio and a width of the first aspect ratio is greater than a width of the second aspect ratio, and wherein reducing the distance between the draper frame and the reel by the first actuator reduces a distance between the reel and a knife of the cutterbar when the side profile aspect ratio of the draper header is the second aspect ratio.
A method for configuring a draper header for shipping, comprising:
- pivoting a reel arm of the draper header about a draper frame of the draper header from a first reel arm position to a second reel arm position, wherein the reel arm of the draper header is coupled to a reel and is pivotally coupled to the draper frame of the draper header;
- pivoting a cutterbar of the draper header about the draper frame of the draper header from a first cutterbar position to a second cutterbar position, wherein the cutterbar of the draper header is pivotally coupled to the draper frame of the draper header;
- and
- sliding the reel along a length of the reel arm using a first actuator coupled to the reel arm and the reel in order to adjust a distance between the draper frame and the reel,
- wherein pivoting the reel arm of the draper header from the first reel arm position to the second reel arm position and pivoting the cutterbar of the draper header from the first cutterbar position to the second cutterbar position adjust a side profile aspect ratio of the draper header from a first aspect ratio to a second aspect ratio,
- wherein a height of the first aspect ratio is less than a height of the second aspect ratio and a width of the first aspect ratio is greater than a width of the second aspect ratio, and
- wherein reducing the distance between the draper frame and the reel by the first actuator reduces a distance between the reel and a knife of the cutterbar when the side profile aspect ratio of the draper header is the second aspect ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.