Patent ID: 8863483
Filing Date: 2014-10-21
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. A swather comprising: a crop header for cutting a standing crop comprising: a header frame; a cutter extending across a front cutter bar of the header frame for cutting the crop; and a transport system operable to transport the crop to a central discharge opening of the header so as to form a swath; a tractor for carrying the header comprising: a tractor frame having a first end and a second end; ground wheels for supporting the tractor in movement across the ground including a pair of transversely spaced first wheels at the first end; a mounting assembly carried on the tractor frame at the first end of the tractor frame for supporting the header; a spring float assembly attached to the mounting assembly at a position on the mounting assembly so as to connect the header frame to the mounting assembly and so as to allow floating movement of the header frame relative to the mounting system over a range of floating movement; a lift arrangement for providing raising and lowering movement of said position on the mounting assembly relative to the tractor so as to change a distance of said position on the mounting assembly from the ground, said lift arrangement being arranged to hold the mounting assembly in fixed position determined by the lift arrangement to prevent float of the mounting assembly under loads from the header; the first ground wheels and the mounting assembly being arranged such that the swath when discharged from the central discharge opening the swath passes between the first ground wheels and components of the mounting assembly so as to be deposited as a swath behind the tractor; wherein the mounting assembly is arranged to hold a frame of the spring float assembly in a position which is fixed in height relative to the mounting assembly so that the frame of spring float assembly moves upwardly and downwardly with the mounting assembly; the spring float assembly including a first and a second support arms spaced transversely of the header each extending forwardly from a respective one of first and second pivot connections on the spring float assembly to the header for supporting a respective one of first and second sides of the header; the spring float assembly including first and a second resilient spring assemblies each of which flexes in response to the floating movement with each spring assembly being arranged on a respective side of the mounting system and engaging a respective one of the first and second support arms; the spring float assembly including said first and second resilient spring assemblies and said first and second pivot connections being mounted so as to be raised and lowered by said raising and lowering movement of said position on the mounting assembly; a detector for providing an output signal indicative of a position of the header within the range of floating movement relative to a position fixed in height relative to the mounting assembly; and a control system responsive to said output signal from said detector for controlling the lift arrangement, the control system including components arranged so as to raise and lower the lift arrangement with an objective to maintain the signal constant.