US 8,025,312 B1Granted

Agricultural header transport kit

AssigneeAGCO Corporation

InventorsRobert Honas, Christopher T. Sauerwein, Randy Lohrentz

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Abstract

An agricultural header assembly broadly includes a header and a header transport assembly. The header is disposed in a transport orientation when a rigid beam thereof is out of vertical alignment with the header center of gravity. The transport assembly includes first and second pairs of spaced apart wheels shiftably connected to the rigid beam for movement between a transport position and a field position. The first and second pairs of wheels define respective first and second midpoints therebetween when in the transport position. The first and second midpoints are each disposed in general vertical alignment with the header center of gravity when the header is in the transport orientation to substantially balance the header on the transport assembly.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An agricultural header assembly to be carried across a field by an implement in a normal operational direction and being removable from the implement for transport, said header assembly comprising:

a header operable to cut and convey crop as the header assembly is moved across the field, said header including—
a header frame including a rigid beam extending laterally relative to the normal operational direction;
a crop-cutting assembly mounted to the header frame and extending laterally along the frame;
a crop-conveying assembly supported on the header frame rearwardly of the crop-cutting assembly and configured to convey crop severed by the crop-cutting assembly,
said header being in a transport orientation when the rigid beam is out of vertical alignment with the header center of gravity;
and
a transport assembly operable to support the header in the transport orientation when the header assembly is removed from the implement, said transport assembly including—
a first pair of spaced apart wheels shiftably connected to the rigid beam for movement between a transport position and a field position,
said first pair of wheels defining a first midpoint therebetween when in the transport position,
said first midpoint being disposed in general vertical alignment with the header center of gravity when the header is in the transport orientation to substantially balance the header on the transport assembly, with one of the first wheels being closer to the rigid beam than the other of the first wheels.

7 more elements

A header transport assembly operable to provide mobile support to an agricultural header when the header is in a transport orientation, where the header includes a header frame with a rigid beam extending laterally thereacross, with the header being in the transport orientation when the rigid beam is out of vertical alignment with the header center of gravity, said header transport assembly comprising:

a first pair of spaced apart wheels shiftably connectable to the rigid beam for movement between a transport position and a field position, with the first pair of wheels defining a first midpoint therebetween when in the transport position;
and
a second pair of spaced apart wheels shiftably connectable to the rigid beam for movement between the transport and field positions, with the second pair of wheels defining a second midpoint therebetween when in the transport position,
said first and second midpoints each being configured to be disposed in general vertical alignment with the header center of gravity when the header is in the transport orientation to substantially balance the header on the transport assembly when connected thereto, with one of the first wheels being closer to the rigid beam than the other of the first wheels and one of the second wheels being closer to the rigid beam that the other of the second wheels.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.