Flex Arm Air Bag Linkage
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorJoel T. Cook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame, at least one cutter bar movably coupled to the frame, and an adjustment system coupled to the frame and the at least one cutter bar. The adjustment system is configured to adjust a position of the at least one cutter bar. The adjustment system includes at least one linkage assembly. The linkage assembly includes a first link member and a second link member. Each of the first and second link members are rotationally coupled to the frame. The adjustment system also includes at least one fluid spring coupled to the first link member and the second link member such that the at least one linkage assembly translates a substantially linear movement of the at least one fluid spring to adjust the at least one cutter bar.
Claims20
A flexible header for an agricultural vehicle, comprising:
- a frame;
- at least one cutter bar movably coupled to the frame;
- and
- an adjustment system coupled to said frame and said at least one cutter bar, and configured to adjust a position of said at least one cutter bar, said adjustment system including:
- at least one linkage assembly including a first link member and a second link member, each said first link member and second link member being rotationally coupled to said frame;
- and
- at least one fluid spring coupled to said first link member and said second link member such that said at least one linkage assembly translates a substantially linear movement of said at least one fluid spring to adjust said at least one cutter bar.
A method for adjusting a flexible cutter bar of a header having a frame, comprising the steps of:
- providing an adjustment system coupled to the frame and the flexible cutter bar, and configured to adjust a position of the flexible cutter bar, said adjustment system including at least one linkage assembly including a first link member and a second link member, each said first link member and second link member being rotationally coupled to the frame, and at least one fluid spring coupled to said first link member and said second link member such that said at least one linkage assembly translates a substantially linear movement of said at least one fluid spring to adjust the flexible cutter bar;
- preloading said adjustment system to bias a position of the flexible cutter bar;
- and
- adding or subtracting a fluid from said at least one fluid spring to adjust said flexible cutter bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.