Header height control apparatus

A combine and floating header apparatus comprising:

• a feeder house pivotally attached at a rear end thereof to a front end of the combine about a substantially horizontal feeder axis;
• a feeder house actuator operative to selectively pivot the feeder house up and down about the feeder axis;
• a header flexibly attached at a rear end thereof to a front end of the feeder house for cutting crop and feeding the cut crop into the feeder house;
• a crop intake attached along a front end of the header;
• a right float pan pivotally attached at a front end thereof about a substantially horizontal axis to an underside of a right portion of the header at a right front attachment location in proximity to the crop intake, the right float pan extending rearward under the header;
• a right pan actuator attached to the right float pan and to the header, the right pan actuator operative to selectively move a rear end of the right float pan up and down, and operative to maintain the rear end of the right float pan in a selected vertical position relative to the header such that the right portion of the header slides along the ground on the right float pan;
• a left float pan pivotally attached at a front end thereof about a substantially horizontal axis to an underside of a left portion of the header at a left front attachment location in proximity to the crop intake, the left float pan extending rearward under the header;
• a left pan actuator attached to the left float pan and to the header, the left pan actuator operative to selectively move a rear end of the left float pan up and down, and operative to maintain the rear end of the left float pan in a selected vertical position relative to the header such that the left portion of the header slides along the ground on the left float pan;
• a float mechanism supporting the header such that the header can float up and down independently of the combine in a float range wherein only a portion of the header's weight is carried on the float pans;
• wherein the float pans curve down from the front attachment locations and then curve upward towards the rear end of the header such that when the rear end of the float pans are raised the crop intake moves lower and a contact area between the float pans and the ground moves forward toward the crop intake.