Automatic reel height control for a harvester header having a flexible cutterbar
AssigneeSperry Rand Corporation
InventorRichard P. Bernhardt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An agricultural harvester having a header pivotally connected to the forward end of said harvester and said header having a flexible floating cutterbar on the forward lower edge thereof and a rotary reel mounted for automatically adjustable movement toward and from said cutterbar by power means to prevent accidental contact between the same. The harvester also includes power means to elevate the header to enable the same to effect desired spacing from the surface of a field when the contour is such as to require the same. Sensing means responsive to the surface of a field control the operation of the respective power means for said reel and header automatically.
Claims14
An agricultural harvester having a forward end, a header supported on said forward end and including a reel rotatable about a horizontal axis on said header and a flexible cutterbar supported on said header normally below the level of the path of movement of said reel, and power means operable to move the axis of said reel vertically relative to said cutterbar, in combination with control means operable automatically to energize said power means to space said reel above the highest portion of said flexible cutterbar during harvesting operation thereof to prevent contact between said reel and cutterbar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.