Apparatus for a harvesting machine

Abstract

Apparatus for a harvesting machine comprising a cutter bar, a reel assembly including a reel, and a rear table comprising a feeding auger and a feeding elevator, with the rear table being pivotable relative to the harvesting machine about a first horizontal axis of rotation. A pair of reel carrying arms are pivotally mounted about an axis of rotation on the rear table, and a movable feeding apron is mounted in front of the rear table. A cutter bar is provided at a leading end of the movable feeding apron, and a pair of levers are hingedly mounted on the rear table about a second horizontal axis of rotation. The levers have front arms and rear arms, with the sides of the feeding apron being connected to the front arms. A first hydraulic arrangement is mounted relative to the machine for pivotally moving the rear table about the first horizontal axis, and a second hydraulic arrangement is provided for supporting the reel assembly and causing pivotal movement of the pair of reel carrying arms. The second hydraulic arrangement extends between the pair of reel carrying arms and the movable feeding apron. A third hydraulic arrangement is connected to the rear arms of the levers for counter-balancing the feeding apron and the reel assembly supported by the feeding apron about the second axis of rotation. Ground following members are connected under the movable feeding apron for causing the feeding apron to follow a ground contour when the machine is advanced while at the same time raising or lowering the reel via the pair of reel carrying arms. In this way, collisions between the reel and the cutter bar are avoided when the cutter bar is working in a lower position and the feeding apron is raised by the ground following members due to elevation of the ground contour.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.