By Resilient Or Universal-action Hitch Patents (Class 56/15.7)
  • Patent number: 11419268
    Abstract: A multi-segment header for an agricultural harvester including a multi-segment chassis and a backsheet supported by each of the multi-segment chassis. The multi-segment header further includes a backsheet extension assembly that has a backsheet extension mounted adjacent a top end of each backsheet, and an articulating joint extending between adjacent backsheet extensions. The articulated backsheet extension assembly follows upward and downward movement of the backsheets of the multi-segment chassis and blocks grain from passing over the backsheets and going unharvested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Herbert M. Farley, Stephen Todderud, Joel T. Cook, Cory M. Conway
  • Patent number: 10980171
    Abstract: A mower can include a control system that is configured to detect when the mower is turning or will be turned and can adaptively support one or more mower decks during the turn to transfer weight from the mower decks to the mower's tires. This transfer of weight will increase the traction of the mower's tires while also minimizing the yawing force caused by the mower decks thereby preventing the mower from slipping during the turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: FireFly Automatix, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Aposhian, Eric E. Aston, William M. Decker, Samuel H. Drake
  • Patent number: 9148999
    Abstract: A header for an agricultural machine includes a middle section disposed on a main frame and two side sections adjacent the middle section, a flexible knife bar extending across the width of the header and a conveying device behind the knife bar and designed at the side sections as an endless belt disposed adjacent to the middle section for transporting crop cut by the knife bar laterally. The side sections have supporting arms pivotably disposed on the main frame to support the knife bar of a side section and are rigidly connected to the knife bar. Each supporting arm is connected to the main frame permitting swivelling about a first rotational axis in the vertical direction and about a second rotational axis extending perpendicular to the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Fuechtling
  • Publication number: 20150059308
    Abstract: A combined device for windrowing and for baling by pressing, particularly of hay, intended to be connected to a tractor equipped with a three-point hitch and with a power takeoff, includes hitching elements (10), a single frame (12) on wheels (54-1, 54-2) including windrowing elements (14) and elements (16) for receiving and supporting a baler (18). The device also includes a second variant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: KAMF
    Inventor: Jean-Michel ROUX
  • Publication number: 20140150392
    Abstract: A pull-type agricultural implement has a beam with drawbar hitch pivotable relative to the beam about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis extending in the travel direction. The drawbar hitch has a receptacle for a tractor drawbar. The receptacle enables pivoting of the drawbar about an axis that is horizontal and transverse to the travel direction relative to the drawbar hitch in a locked position. Guiding and adjusting plates in the receptacle allow adjustment of the receiving width of the receptacle to different drawbar dimensions. From a first position, in which the plates limit lateral play of a drawbar with large cross-section relative to the travel and working direction to a minimum, the guiding and adjusting plates are transferable and lockable in a second position, in which the plates limit lateral play of a drawbar with small cross-section relative to the travel direction to a minimum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: MASCHINENFABRIK BERNARD KRONE GMBH
    Inventor: Andreas Afting
  • Publication number: 20120151892
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a swivel drawbar hitch comprising a first cradle having a first pivot mechanism located ahead of a connection between a drawbar and the swivel drawbar hitch, the swivel drawbar hitch further comprising an elongated second cradle coupled to the first cradle and further having a second pivot mechanism, the first cradle pivotable about a horizontal axis of the swivel drawbar hitch, the elongated second cradle pivotable about a longitudinal axis of the swivel drawbar hitch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: AGCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stanley R. Clark, Dwight E. Nickel
  • Patent number: 7980338
    Abstract: A power take off (PTO) driveline shaft of an agricultural implement may be securely stowed when not in use using a PTO driveline storage device. The storage device is pivotably mounted to the frame of the agricultural implement, such as the hitch, and may be rotated from its own stowed position to a position to provide support for the PTO driveline shaft when the PTO driveline shaft is not connected to the PTO of a tractor or other machine having a PTO output. The storage device includes an arm having a first end that is mounted to the hitch and has a second end that is adapted to fit against the PTO driveline shaft when the device is being used to stow the PTO driveline shaft. When not in use, the storage device may be rotated clear of the PTO driveline shaft and pivoted to a position where it may be securely stowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: CNH Canada, Ltd.
    Inventors: Darwin Steffensen, Stanley W. Ylioja, Phillip A. Reiber
  • Patent number: 7971417
    Abstract: An elective down pressure system for cutting units of a grass mowing machine with lift and lower mechanisms connected to the lift arms with lost motion couplings that may be set to either a downforce position in which the lift and lower mechanisms urge the lift arms to apply downforce to the cutting units while they are on the ground surface, or a no downforce position in which the lift and lower mechanisms discontinue urging the lift arms to apply downforce once the cutting units are on the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Todd Allen Link
  • Patent number: 7937919
    Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine includes a feeder housing and a cutting platform attached to the feeder housing. The cutting platform includes at least one platform section, each of which includes a frame, a plurality of float arms pivotally coupled with the frame, an endless belt carried by the plurality of float arms, and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders. Each hydraulic cylinder is associated with a respective float arm and includes a rod, a piston and a fluid chamber on a side of the piston providing a passive stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Bruce Alan Coers, Paul David Marvin
  • Patent number: 7866133
    Abstract: The vertically swingable header of a farm machine utilizes a flotation mechanism having a torsion bar as the source of lifting force. The torsion bar is mounted on the header rather than the base machine and is operably coupled with the base machine through loading apparatus that includes a cam and cam follower system. An alternative embodiment utilizes a cam track fixedly mounted on the base machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Funk, Michael J. Dresher, Edward W. Esau, Thomas G. Schrag
  • Patent number: 7730705
    Abstract: A mower deck lift mechanism for a lawn mower includes a mower deck, a linkage mechanism for movably mounting the mower deck to the frame for raising and lowering movement relative to the frame, and an electro-hydraulic actuator assembly connected to the linkage mechanism for raising and lowering the mower deck relative to the frame. The actuator assembly is an integrated unit including a hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly connected to the linkage mechanism, a pump for supplying pressurized fluid to the piston-cylinder assembly, and an electric motor for driving the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Thomas Kubinski
  • Publication number: 20090249758
    Abstract: A mower for cutting grass and which is attached to a vehicle may include a mounting frame member for connecting to the vehicle, a rotatable mowing member to rotate behind a vertical obstacle, a swingarm member to connect to the mounting frame member and the rotatable mowing member. The mower may include a biasing member to bias the rotatable mower member, and the biasing member may include a spring to bias the rotatable mower member. The mower may include a hitch connecting member to connect to the frame member, and mower may include a long arm member to connect to the rotatable mower member. The long arm member may be connected to a movable arm member to move the rotatable mower member, and the long arm member may be connected to a traverse arm member. The rotatable mower member may include a round shaft member to allow the rotatable mower member to move in and out and under the fence and around the obstacle, and the rotatable mower member may include a hydraulic mower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Inventor: Darryll Duane Weeden
  • Patent number: 7555885
    Abstract: The vertically swingable header of a farm machine utilizes a flotation mechanism having a torsion bar as the source of lifting force. The torsion bar is mounted on the header rather than the base machine and is operably coupled with the base machine through loading apparatus that includes a cam and cam follower system. An alternative embodiment utilizes a cam track fixedly mounted on the base machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Funk, Michael J. Dresher, Edward W. Esau, Thomas G. Schrag
  • Publication number: 20070209530
    Abstract: A rotobaler is provided with an inclination sensor that recognizes an inclination to the side as well as in the longitudinal direction. This inclination sensor generates a signal coupled to a computer that, in turn, controls a display arrangement in order to indicate whether a base that is to be unloaded from the rotobaler can be safely unloaded considering the existing inclination of the rotobaler. In the event an unsafe inclination is present, either the computer sends out a control signal which blocks an operation for depositing the bale on the ground, or causes the bale to be oriented in such a way during the discharge process that the longitudinal centerline of the bale is parallel to the inclination of the slope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventor: Jean Viaud
  • Publication number: 20030131573
    Abstract: A pull-behind mower for cutting ground vegetation. The mower generally includes a rolling frame and a mowing deck. The deck is independently articulatable relative to the frame on two distinct pivot axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventor: Alan F. Washburn
  • Patent number: 6578270
    Abstract: A bush cutting machine including an automatic braking mechanism having a brake drum formed integrally with a clutch case which houses a centrifugal clutch. When the number of rotations of a clutch drum decreases, at least two braking members press against the brake drum, whereby the clutch drum stops rotating, and a cutting blade also stops rotating automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenjiro Hiratsuna, Akito Kono, Takao Kobayashi, Atsushi Kojima
  • Patent number: 6463723
    Abstract: A mower attachment for a tractor having a base plate that can be attached to the tractor; an inner arm rotatably attached to the base plate, wherein the inner arm has an end plate; an outer plate attached to the end plate of the inner arm; a mower yoke attached to the outer plate; and an oscillating sickle with a sickle head and a cutterbar, wherein the sickle head rotatably nests in the mower yoke, and the cutterbar can rotate more than about 140° while the sickle is operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Inventor: Herbert Lee Mattingly
  • Patent number: 6412570
    Abstract: A pull-type implement has operating components that are driven by a mechanical drive line on the tongue of the implement. An upper gear box is fixed to the front end of the tongue and a lower gear box swivels relative to the upper gear box about an upright axis passing through the two gear boxes. A hitch that establishes a draft connection between the tongue and the draw bar of a towing tractor has a fore-and-aft receiver that extends beneath the lower gear box and has a lower pivotal connection with the tongue at that location. A mast fixed to and projecting upwardly from the receiver has an upper pivotal connection with the tongue at a location above the upper gear box. The receiver has a forwardly facing socket that loosely receives the draw bar to permit the draw bar to swing up and down to a limited extent about a transverse axis and rotate side-to-side to a limited extent about a fore-and-aft axis when the draw bar is retained within the socket by a locking pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventors: Martin E. Pruitt, James W. Schroeder, Jeffrey S. Funk
  • Patent number: 6347502
    Abstract: A cutter assembly positioning mechanism provides an improved positioning mechanism and control for a riding lawn mower. Specifically, the mechanism optimizes the speed and accuracy of positioning the cutter assembly in the desired position and allows the operator to raise and lower the cutter assembly without sacrificing control of the mower. The lawn mower has a frame including an actuator adapted to be coupled to the frame, a cutter assembly adapted to be movable relative to the frame for adjusting a cutting height and a first flexible member interconnecting the actuator and the cutter assembly. The actuator is operable to extend and retract thereby raising and lowering the cutter assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Textron Inc.
    Inventor: Roelof H. deVries
  • Patent number: 6269619
    Abstract: Mower including a suspension device connecting a harvesting mechanism to a chassis and allowing the harvesting mechanism a heightwise movement with respect to the chassis. The mower further including a lightening device associated with the harvesting mechanism and including two elastically deformable members extending transversely to a direction of forward travel during work, each elastically deformable member acting, via a first of its ends, on a corresponding end of the harvesting mechanism. The mower including a centralized device for adjusting the lightening force exerted on the harvesting mechanism, where the device is coupled to the second ends of the elastically deformable members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Kuhn S.A.
    Inventors: Martin Walch, Bernard Wattron