Float arm support
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsBryan R. Yanke, Duane M. Bomleny, Benjamin M. Lovett, Michael L. Vandeven, Eric D. Taflinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A float arm support system may include a float arm supporting an active member, the float arm being pivotable about a first axis, a skid shoe to bear against and follow local ground contours of the underlying terrain while supporting the active member of the float arm above the underlying terrain and a powered actuator. The skid shoe may be coupled to the float arm between the first axis and the active member. The powered actuator may be operably coupled to the skid shoe to vertically move the skid shoe to adjust a spacing at which the skid shoe supports the active member of the float arm relative to the underlying terrain.
Claims20
A float arm support system comprising:
- a float arm supporting an active member, the float arm being pivotable about a first axis;
- a skid shoe to bear against and follow local ground contours of the underlying terrain while supporting the active member of the float arm above the underlying terrain, the skid shoe being coupled to the float arm between the first axis and the active member;
- and
- a powered actuator operably coupled to the skid shoe to vertically move the skid shoe to adjust a spacing at which the skid shoe supports the active member of the float arm relative to the underlying terrain.
A method comprising:
- movably supporting a float arm carrying an active member about a first axis;
- and
- increasing a spacing between the float arm relative to underlying terrain by vertically lowering a skid shoe carried by the float arm with a powered actuator.
A harvester head comprising:
- a support assembly supporting a cutter bar and a reciprocatively supported knife;
- a skid shoe to bear against and follow local ground contours of the underlying terrain while supporting the cutter bar above the underlying terrain, the skid shoe being pivotably coupled to the frame about a second axis parallel to the first axis between the first axis and the cutter bar;
- and
- a powered actuator operably coupled to the skid shoe to selectively pivot the skid shoe about the second axis to adjust a spacing at which the skid shoe supports the cutter bar relative to the underlying terrain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.