Height positioning and adjustment system for an agricultural implement

An agricultural implement for use with a propulsion unit, said agricultural implement configured to be connected to said propulsion unit, said agricultural implement comprising:

• a main frame having a main frame weight, said propulsion unit configured and operable to support at least a portion of said main frame weight;
• an operational unit;
• a unit support apparatus configured to interconnect said operational unit to said main frames;
• a height adjustment apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element, said height adjustment apparatus connected to said unit support apparatus, said at least one terrain contact element operable to be positioned to contact the terrain surface level at a terrain contact element contact region such that said at least one terrain contact element supports the unit support apparatus at a vertical separation distance of the unit support apparatus above the terrain surface, said height adjustment apparatus being operable to adjust the vertical separation distance of the unit support apparatus above the terrain surface, and thereby adjust the position of the operational unit to adjust a vertical separation distance of the operational unit above the terrain surface.

An agricultural apparatus comprising:

• (c) a propulsion unit;
• (d) an implement connected to said propulsion unit, said implement comprising:
• (v) a main frame having a main frame weight, said propulsion unit configured and operable to support at least a portion of said main frame weight;
• (vi) an operational unit;
• (vii) a unit support apparatus configured to interconnect said operational unit to said main frame,
• (viii) a height adjustment apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element, said height adjustment apparatus connected to said unit support apparatus, said at least one terrain contact element operable to be positioned to contact the terrain surface level at a terrain contact element contact region such that said at least one terrain contact element supports the unit support apparatus at a first vertical separation distance of the unit support apparatus above the terrain surface and supports said operational unit at a second vertical separation distance above the terrain surface, said height adjustment apparatus being operable to adjust the first vertical separation distance of the unit support apparatus above the terrain surface, and thereby adjust the position of the operational unit to adjust the second vertical separation distance of the operational unit above the terrain surface.

A method of operating an agricultural apparatus, said agricultural apparatus comprising:

• (a) a propulsion unit;
• (b) an implement connected to said propulsion unit, said implement comprising:
• (1) a main frame having a main frame weight, said propulsion unit configured and operable to support at least a portion of said main frame weight;
• (2) an operational unit;
• (3) a unit support apparatus configured to interconnect said operational unit to said main frame;
• (4) a height adjustment apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element, said height adjustment apparatus connected to said unit support apparatus, said at least one terrain contact element operable to be positioned to contact the terrain surface level at a terrain contact element contact region such that said at least one terrain contact element supports the unit support apparatus at a vertical separation distance of the unit support apparatus above the terrain surface, said height adjustment apparatus being operable to adjust the vertical separation distance of the unit support apparatus above the terrain surface, and thereby adjust the position of the operational unit to adjust a vertical separation distance of the operational unit above the terrain surface.
• said method comprising operating the height adjustment apparatus to vary the vertical separation distance between the unit support apparatus above the terrain surface and thereby adjust a vertical separation distance between the operational unit and the terrain surface.

An agricultural apparatus comprising:

• i. a propulsion unit;
• ii. an implement mounted on said propulsion unit, said implement comprising:
• (a) a main frame having a main frame weight, said propulsion unit configured and operable to support at least a portion of said main frame weight;
• (b) a terrain surface following apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element having at least one terrain contact region, said terrain contact element being forced towards the terrain surface;
• (c) a height adjustment apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element, said at least one terrain contact element of said height adjustment apparatus having a terrain contact region operable to be positioned to contact the terrain surface level at a terrain contact location such that said terrain contact element of said height adjustment apparatus is operable to support said terrain contact element such that said least one terrain contact region of the terrain following apparatus is positioned at a vertical separation distance above the terrain surface, said height adjustment apparatus operable to adjust the magnitude of said vertical separation distance;
• iii. a frame height positioning system operable to control and adjust the height of said main frame relative to said propulsion unit;
• iv. a sensor system operable to provide sensor signals to the frame height positioning system dependent upon a position of the terrain contact element of the terrain surface following apparatus and indicative of the level of the terrain surface;
• wherein said apparatus is operable:
• to determine a height set point for said frame height positioning system;
• using the height adjustment apparatus, adjust the position of the terrain contact element of the height adjustment apparatus in relation to the terrain surface such that the terrain contact region of the terrain contact element of the height adjustment apparatus follows the level of the terrain surface and the at least one terrain contact element region of the terrain following apparatus follows a path vertically offset from and above the path of the terrain contact element region of the height adjustment apparatus.

A method of operating an agricultural apparatus, said agricultural apparatus comprising:

• i. a propulsion unit;
• ii. an implement mounted on said propulsion unit, said implement comprising:
• (a) a main frame having a main frame weight, said propulsion unit configured and operable to support at least a portion of said main frame weight;
• (b) a terrain surface following apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element;
• (c) a height adjustment apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element, said at least one terrain contact element of said height adjustment apparatus operable to be positioned to contact the terrain surface level at a terrain contact location such that said terrain contact element of said height adjustment apparatus is operable to support said terrain contact element such that said least one terrain contact region is positioned at a vertical separation distance above the terrain surface, said height adjustment apparatus operable to adjust the magnitude of said vertical separation distance;
• (d) a frame height positioning system operable to control and adjust the height of said main frame relative to said propulsion unit;
• (e) a sensor system operable to provide sensor signals to the frame height positioning system dependent upon a position of the terrain contact element of the terrain following apparatus and indicative of the level of the terrain surface,
• wherein said method comprises:
• (I) establishing a height set point for said frame height positioning system of the position of the main frame relative to the propulsion unit;
• (II) after having established the height set point, then using the height adjustment apparatus to adjust the height of the terrain contact region of the terrain contact element of the height adjustment apparatus above the terrain surface such that the terrain contact region of the terrain contact element of the height adjustment apparatus follows the level of the terrain surface and the terrain contact element of the terrain following apparatus follows a path vertically offset from and above the path of the terrain contact element of the height adjustment apparatus.

A method of operating an agricultural apparatus, said agricultural apparatus comprising:

• i. a propulsion unit;
• ii. an implement mounted on said propulsion unit, said implement comprising:
• (a) a transversely extending main frame having a main frame weight, said propulsion unit configured and operable to support at least a portion of said main frame weight;
• (b) a transversely extending cutter bar, said cutter bar comprising a plurality of cutting devices disposed transversely along said cutter bar and operable for cutting crop material, said cutter bar having a terrain contact surface region;
• (c) a cutter bar support apparatus configured to interconnect said transversely extending cutter bar to said main frame, said cutter bar support apparatus comprising a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented paddles, each of said paddles being rigidly interconnected to said transversely extending cutter bar proximate one distal end region and pivotally interconnected to said main frame proximate an interior end region;
• (d) a height adjustment apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element, said at least one terrain contact element of said height adjustment apparatus being operable to be positioned to contact the terrain surface level at a terrain contact location such that said terrain contact element will contact the terrain surface to support the cutter bar contact region at a vertical separation distance above the terrain surface, said height adjustment apparatus operable to adjust the magnitude of the vertical separation distance;
• iii. a frame height positioning system operable to control and adjust the height of said main frame relative to said propulsion unit;
• iv. a sensor system operable to provide signals to the frame height control positioning system indicative of the height of the cutter bar above the terrain surface, wherein said sensor signals are dependent upon the pivot angle of the paddles relative to a component of the main frame;
• wherein said method comprises:
• establishing a height set point for said frame height positioning system;
• while the frame height positioning system is operating to move the main frame towards the height set point and maintain the height set point, then using the height adjustment apparatus to adjust the height of the terrain contact element relative to the terrain surface.

A method of operating an agricultural apparatus, said agricultural apparatus comprising:

• i. a propulsion unit;
• ii. an implement mounted on said propulsion unit, said implement comprising:
• (a) a main frame having a main frame weight, said propulsion unit configured and operable to support at least a portion of said main frame weight;
• (b) a terrain surface following apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element;
• (c) a height adjustment apparatus comprising at least one terrain contact element, said at least one terrain contact element of said height adjustment apparatus operable to be positioned to contact the terrain surface level at a terrain contact location such that said terrain contact element of said height adjustment apparatus is operable to support said terrain following apparatus such that said least one terrain contact element of said terrain surface following apparatus is positioned at a vertical separation distance above the terrain surface, said height adjustment apparatus being operable to adjust the magnitude of said vertical separation distance;
• (d) a frame height positioning system operable to control and adjust the height of said main frame relative to said propulsion unit;
• (e) a sensor system operable to provide sensor signals to the frame height positioning system dependent upon a position of the terrain contact element of the terrain following apparatus and indicative of the level of the terrain surface;
• wherein said method comprises:
• establishing a height set point for said frame height positioning system;
• while the frame height positioning system is operating to move the main frame towards the height set point and maintain the height set point, then using the height adjustment apparatus to adjust the height of the terrain contact element of the height adjustment apparatus relative to the terrain surface.