Means for converting a pickup on a crop treating machine between field and transport positions

In a machine for treating crop material during movement across a field and being of the type which includes a frame, crop material receiving and treating means mounted on said frame and means for delivering said crop material from the field to said receiving and treating means, an improved means for converting said machine between field and transport positions which comprises:

• means supporting said delivering means on said receiving and treating means in an operating field position, in a non-operating transport position and for pivotal movement relative thereto between said positions, said pivotal movement of said delivering means being within a plane extending in a generally transverse relationship to the direction of machine movement across the field and about a pivotal axis from which said supporting means is disposed at a spaced location, said machine having a first width when said delivering means is in its operating field position in which it is supported in a generally horizontal plane and said machine having a second width less than its first width when said delivering means is in its non-operating transport position in which it is supported in a generally upright plane;
• and
• a ground wheel mounted from, and carried by, said delivering means for additionally supporting said delivering means when in its operating field position, said wheel being adjustable, when said delivering means is in its non-operating transport position, between a first position in which said wheel generally extends outside of the limits of said second width of said machine and a second position in which said wheel is generally within the limits of said second width of said machine.

In a machine for treating crop material during movement across a field and being of the type which includes a frame, crop material receiving and treating means mounted on said frame and means for delivering said crop material from the field to said receiving and treating means, an improved means for converting said machine between field and transport positions which comprises:

• means supporting said delivering means on said receiving and treating means in an operating field position, in a non-operating transport position and for pivotal movement relative thereto between said positions, said pivotal movement of said delivering means being within a plane extending in a generally transverse relationship to the direction of machine movement across the field and about a pivotal axis from which said supporting means is disposed at a spaced location, said supporting means including circular track means at least partially encircling, and having a center of curvature coincident with, said pivotal axis and being fixedly mounted to one of said delivering means and said receiving and treating means, and track follower means fixedly mounted to the other of said delivering means and said receiving and treating means and coupled to said circular track means for supporting said delivering means on said receiving and treating means and for allowing relative movement between said track follower means and said circular track means in pivotally moving said delivering means relative to said receiving and treating means between said field and transport positions.

An improved means for converting a mobile agricultural machine between field and transport positions, said machine being of the type having a base component and another component intended to be moved in relation to said base component to convert said machine between its field and transport positions, said improved converting means comprising:

• track means at least partially defining a circle and being fixedly mounted to one of said base component and said another component;
• a plurality of angularly spaced apart track follower elements fixedly mounted to the other of said base component and said another component and movably coupled to said circular track means for allowing relative movement between said plurality of track follower elements and said circular track means to provide pivotal movement of said another component relative to said base component and thereby convert said machine between its field and transport positions;
• and
• means pivotally coupling said base component and said another component to each other at the center of curvature of said circular track means, said center being coincident with the axis of pivotal movement of said another component relative to said base component.