Header height control system and apparatus
AssigneeCNH America LLC
InventorsPhilip J. Ehrhart, Douglas R. Otto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and apparatus for controlling height of a header of a work machine such as an agricultural windrowing machine or a harvesting machine, which includes height control cylinders jointly or individually operable for raising or lowering the opposite ends of a header to achieve a desired overall height or angle of tilt in relation to the surface of a field or pasture to be cut, and which allow the header to be raised, and lowered to the previously selected cut height, without changing the lengths of the cylinders, so as to be usable in combination with an optional header lift and/or float system.
Claims9
A height control system for a header of a work machine, comprising:
- header support apparatus connecting a header to a frame of a work machine, the apparatus including first and second height control cylinders disposed in supporting relation to opposite first and second end portions of the header, respectively,
- the height control cylinders, each having a body portion and a movable rod extendible therefrom, being controllably variable in length for supporting the first and second end portions of the header at selectable heights relative to the frame, respectively, each of the height control cylinders being connected to the frame by a connection which allows the height control cylinder and the end portion of the header supported thereby to be lifted from a selected height without changing the length of the height control cylinder;
- and
- an operator control system in connection with the height control cylinders and operator controllable for individually or jointly varying the lengths of the height control cylinders for positioning the end portions of the header at one selected height or different selected heights relative to the frame,
- at least one lift cylinder connected between the frame and the header support apparatus and controllably variable in length for lifting the header from a selected height and lowering the header thereto without a change in the lengths of the height control cylinders, and
- the control system configured to have a lift mode wherein the rod of the at least one lift cylinder is actuated to apply an upward force to the header such that the height control cylinders and connected header are moved upwardly from the selected height established by the height control cylinders, the rod of each height control cylinder maintaining a fixed extended length from the body and upon removal of the upward force to the header by the lift cylinder, the header and height cylinders return to the selected height.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.