Adjustable header flotation mechanism
AssigneeFord New Holland, Inc.
InventorBryant F. Webb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flotation mechanism for use on a crop harvesting machine having a header suspended from the frame thereof by flotation springs is disclosed wherein a hydraulic cylinder interconnects the frame and at least one of the springs to allow selective adjustment of the weight of the header supported from the frame. The extensible hydraulic cylinder is operable to vary the length of at least one of the flotation springs while the crop harvesting machine is in operation and movable over the ground.
Claims20
In a harvesting machine having a frame adapted for movement over the ground;
- a crop harvesting header supported from said frame for generally vertical movement relative thereto;
- a header lift mechanism interconnecting said header and said frame for selectively raising said header off the ground;
- and flotation means interconnecting said frame and said header to support at least a portion of the weight of said header from said frame, the improvement comprising:
- adjustment means operatively associated with said flotation means for selectively varying the amount of weight of said header to be supported from said frame while said frame is moving over the ground, said adjustment means operating independently of said header lift mechanism.
A crop harvesting machine comprising:
- a frame adapted for movement over the ground;
- a crop harvesting header supported from said frame for movement relative thereto, said crop harvesting header being engageable with the ground;
- a header lift mechanism interconnecting said header and said frame for selectively raising said header off the ground;
- flotation means interconnecting said frame and said header to support at least a portion of the weight of said header from said frame, said flotation means being selectively variable to vary the portion of the weight of said crop harvesting header carried by said frame and thereby selectively vary the portion of the weight of said crop harvesting header exerted upon the ground;
- and
- adjustment means operatively associated with said flotation means for selectively varying the amount of weight of said header to be supported from said frame while said frame is moving over the ground, said alignment means operating independently of said header lift mechanism.
A crop harvesting machine comprising:
- a frame adapted for movement over the ground;
- a crop harvesting header supported from said frame for movement relative thereto, said crop harvesting header being engageable with the ground;
- a first flotation spring means interconnecting said frame and said header to support at least a portion of the weight of said header from said frame, said first flotation spring means being selectively variable to vary the portion of the weight of said crop harvesting header carried by said frame and thereby selectively vary the portion of the weight of said crop harvesting header exerted upon the ground;
- and
- a second floatation spring means interconnecting said frame and said header and being selectively operable to support at least a portion of the weight of said header from said frame in addition to the operation of said first flotation spring means, said second flotation spring means including a second spring coupled to a linear actuator anchored to said frame and having an extensible ram operably connected to said second spring, the movement of said extensible ram varying the effective length of said second spring to vary the amount of weight of said header to be supported from said frame by said second spring.
The harvesting machine of claim 190 wherein said first flotation spring means includes a plurality of individual first springs interconnecting said header and said frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.