Patent ID: 8402730
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. An agricultural crop merging machine configured to move in a direction of travel in a field, the merging machine comprising: a trailer frame including at least one axle, at least one trailer wheel coupled to the at least one axle and configured to rotate about a main axis of rotation and to roll along a field surface, and a drawbar assembly coupled to the at least one axle; a header assembly including a header frame, at least one header ground-engaging unit coupled to the header frame, a pick-up assembly coupled to the header frame, and a cross-conveyor assembly coupled to the header frame adjacent to the pick-up assembly, the pick-up and cross-conveyor assemblies being configured to cooperate to lift crop materials off the field surface and move the crop materials laterally to discharge onto the field surface to form a windrow; and a suspension assembly disposed between the trailer frame and header assembly, the suspension assembly being coupled to the header assembly and trailer frame and configured to allow the header assembly to pivot, relative to the trailer frame, about a first axis of rotation perpendicular to the main axis of rotation of the at least one wheel and to pivot about a second axis of rotation parallel to the main axis of rotation of the at least one wheel to follow a contour of the field surface, wherein the suspension assembly includes a pivot frame extending from the trailer frame to the header assembly, the pivot frame being coupled to the header assembly via a first pivot that allows the header assembly to pivot about the first axis of rotation, the pivot frame being coupled to the trailer frame via a second pivot that allows the header assembly to pivot about the second axis of rotation.