Lockout system for header
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorAlex Brimeyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and apparatuses for articulating float arms of a harvester header between a flexible configuration and a rigid configuration are disclosed. The systems and apparatuses include a locking tube that experiences no torque or approximately no torque when the float arms are in the rigid configuration. Further, the systems and apparatuses also avoid adjustments to ensure that float arms are fully retracted, such as into abutting contact with another portion of a header.
Claims18
A harvester header comprising:
- a frame;
- a plurality of float arms pivotably coupled to the frame;
- a knife coupled to distal ends of the float arms;
- and
- a locking system moveable between a flexible configuration in which at least one of the plurality of float arms is pivotable relative to the frame and a rigid configuration in which the at least one of the plurality of float arms is pivotably fixed relative to the frame, the locking system comprising:
- a rotatable component rotatably coupled to the frame;
- a tensioner comprising:
- a first end pivotably coupled to the rotatable component;
- and
- a second end pivotably coupled to a float arm of the plurality of float arms;
- and
- a linkage comprising:
- a first link fixedly attached to the rotatable component;
- and
- a second link extending between the first link and the tensioner, the second link comprising:
- a first end pivotably coupled to the first link;
- and
- a second end pivotably attached to the first end of the tensioner with a pin,
- wherein rotation of the rotatable component in a first direction causes the at least one of the plurality of float arms to become pivotably fixed relative to the frame, placing the locking system in the fixed configuration, and wherein rotation of the rotatable component in a second direction, opposite the first direction, causes the at least one of the float arms to become pivotable relative to the frame, placing the locking system into the flexible configuration.
A method of actuating a float arm of a harvester header between a flexible configuration in which a knife of the harvester header is able to flex along a length thereof and a rigid configuration in which the knife is prevented from flexing along the length thereof, the method comprising:
- rotating a rotatable component that laterally extends along a length of a harvester header about a centerline of the rotatable component, a float arm of the harvester header pivotably coupled to the rotatable component;
- and
- one of retracting a first shaft in a first direction in response to rotation of the rotatable component in a first rotational direction, the retraction of the first shaft in the first direction pivoting the float arm into abutting contact with a portion of a frame of the harvester header in response to rotation of the rotatable component in the first rotational direction or extending the first shaft in a second direction, opposite the first direction, in response to rotation of the rotatable component in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, the extension of the first shaft in the second direction pivoting the float arm away from abutting contact with the portion of the frame of the harvester header in response to rotation of the rotatable component in a second rotational direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.