Patent Publication Number: US-2023143706-A1

Title: Reel adjustment for an agricultural header

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The disclosure relates generally to a header for an agricultural system. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     A harvester may be used to harvest crops, such as barley, beans, beets, carrots, corn, cotton, flax, oats, potatoes, rye, soybeans, wheat, or other plant crops. During operation of the harvester, the harvesting process may begin by removing a portion of a plant from a field using a header of the harvester. The header may cut the plant and transport the cut crops to a processing system of the harvester. Certain headers include a cutter bar assembly configured to cut a portion of each crop (e.g., a stalk), thereby separating the cut crop from the soil. The cutter bar assembly may extend along a substantial portion of a width of the header at a forward end of the header. The header may also include one or more belts positioned behind the cutter bar assembly relative to the direction of travel of the harvester. The belt(s) are configured to transport the cut crops to an inlet of the processing system. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
     Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimed subject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter, but rather these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms of the disclosure. Indeed, the disclosure may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below. 
     In some embodiments, a header for an agricultural system includes a frame, a bracket movably coupled to the frame, a reel assembly coupled to the bracket, and a cutter bar assembly rotatably coupled to the frame and coupled to the bracket such that movement of the cutter bar assembly relative to the frame is configured to drive corresponding movement of the bracket and the reel assembly relative to the frame. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a side view of an embodiment of an agricultural system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of an embodiment of a header that may be employed within the agricultural system of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of an embodiment of a linkage system that may be employed in the header of  FIG.  2   , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective rear view of an embodiment of the linkage system of  FIG.  3   , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG.  5    is a side view of an embodiment of the linkage system of  FIG.  3   , in which the linkage system includes a biasing member, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Any examples of operating parameters and/or environmental conditions are not exclusive of other parameters/conditions of the disclosed embodiments. 
     The process of farming typically begins with planting seeds within a field. Over time, the seeds grow and eventually become harvestable crops. Typically, only a portion of each crop is commercially valuable, so each crop is harvested to separate the usable material from a remainder of the crop. For example, a harvester may cut crops within a field via a header, which may include a flexible draper header. The flexible draper header may include a cutter bar assembly configured to cut the crops. As the cutter bar assembly cuts the crops, a conveyor coupled to draper deck(s) of the header moves the cut crops toward a crop processing system of the harvester. For example, the conveyor on the side draper deck(s) may move the cut crops toward an infeed draper deck at a center of the header. A conveyor on the infeed draper deck may then move the cut crops toward the crop processing system. The crop processing system may include a threshing machine configured to thresh the cut crops, thereby separating the cut crops into certain desired agricultural materials, such as grain, and material other than grain (MOG). The desired agricultural materials may be sifted and then accumulated into a tank. When the tank fills to capacity, the desired agricultural materials may be collected from the tank. The MOG may be discarded from the harvester (e.g., via a spreader) by passing through an exit pipe or a spreader to fall down onto the field. 
     In some embodiments, portions of the cutter bar assembly may move so as to follow a contour of the field. For example, the cutter bar assembly may be flexible to remain in contact with the field during operations. Furthermore, the header of the harvester includes a reel assembly configured to prepare crops to be cut by the cutter bar assembly and/or to direct the cut crops toward the conveyor(s). As an example, the reel assembly may be positioned adjacent to the cutter bar assembly and may be configured to guide the crops toward the cutter bar assembly to facilitate cutting the crops with the cutter bar assembly. In certain embodiments, the position of the reel assembly is adjustable relative to the cutter bar assembly so as to enable the reel assembly to effectively guide the crops toward the cutter bar assembly. However, in some circumstances, the cutter bar assembly and the reel assembly may interfere with one another. For instance, the cutter bar assembly may contact part of the reel assembly, thereby limiting an effectiveness of the cutter bar assembly, the reel assembly, and the header. 
     Thus, it is now recognized that enabling the reel assembly to move to avoid contact with the cutter bar assembly may provide various advantages. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a linkage system that mechanically links the reel assembly with the cutter bar assembly. The linkage system may enable movement of the cutter bar assembly to mechanically drive corresponding movement of the reel assembly. For example, the linkage system may maintain a distance between the reel assembly and the cutter bar assembly to avoid contact between the reel assembly and the cutter bar assembly. As a result, the linkage system may enable the reel assembly and the cutter bar assembly to operate more effectively, thereby improving operation of the harvester. 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG.  1    is a side view of an embodiment of an agricultural system  100 , which may be a harvester (e.g., agricultural harvester). The agricultural system  100  includes a chassis  102  configured to support a header  200  (e.g., agricultural header) and an agricultural crop processing system  104 . As described in greater detail below, the header  200  is configured to cut crops and to transport the cut crops toward an inlet  106  of the agricultural crop processing system  104  for further processing of the cut crops. The agricultural crop processing system  104  receives the cut crops from the header  200  and separates desired crop material from crop residue. For example, the agricultural crop processing system  104  may include a thresher  108  having a cylindrical threshing rotor that transports the crops in a helical flow path through the agricultural system  100 . In addition to transporting the crops, the thresher  108  may separate certain desired crop material (e.g., grain) from the crop residue, such as husks and pods, and may enable the desired crop material to flow into a cleaning system  114  (such as sieves) located beneath the thresher  108 . The cleaning system  114  may remove debris from the desired crop material and transport the desired crop material to a storage tank  116  within the agricultural system  100 . When the storage tank  116  is full, a tractor with a trailer on the back may pull alongside the agricultural system  100 . The desired crop material collected in the storage tank  116  may be carried up by an elevator and dumped out of an unloader  118  into the trailer. The crop residue may be transported from the thresher  108  to a crop residue handling system  110 , which may process (e.g., chop/shred) and remove the crop residue from the agricultural system  100  via a crop residue spreading system  112  positioned at an aft end of the agricultural system  100 . To facilitate discussion, the agricultural system  100  and/or its components may be described with reference to a lateral axis or direction  140 , a longitudinal axis or direction  142 , and a vertical axis or direction  144 . The agricultural system  100  and/or its components may also be described with reference to a direction of travel  146 . 
     As discussed in detail below, the header  200  includes a cutter bar assembly  210  configured to cut the crops within the field. The header  200  also includes a reel assembly  220  configured to engage the crops to prepare the crops to be cut by the cutter bar assembly  210  and/or to urge crops cut by the cutter bar assembly  210  onto a conveyor system that directs the cut crops toward the inlet  106  of the agricultural crop processing system  104 . The reel assembly  220  includes a reel having multiple fingers extending from a central framework. The central framework is driven to rotate such that the fingers engage the crops and urge the crops toward the cutter bar assembly  210  and the conveyor system. Additionally, the reel may be supported by multiple arms (e.g., reel arms) that are coupled to a frame  201  of the header  200 . Each of the arms may be coupled to the frame  201  via a respective pivot joint. For example, one pivot joint is configured to enable a first arm of the multiple arms to pivot (e.g., about the lateral axis  140 ) relative to the frame  201 , and another pivot joint is configured to enable a second arm of the multiple arms to pivot (e.g., about the lateral axis  140 ) relative to the frame  201 . 
       FIG.  2    is a perspective view of an embodiment of the header  200  that may be employed within the agricultural system  100  of  FIG.  1   . In the illustrated embodiment, the header  200  includes the cutter bar assembly  210  configured to cut a portion of each crop (e.g., a stalk), thereby separating the crop from the soil. The cutter bar assembly  210  is positioned at a forward end of the header  200  relative to the longitudinal axis  142  of the header  200 . As illustrated, the cutter bar assembly  210  extends along a substantial portion of a width of the header  200  (e.g., along the lateral axis  140 ). The cutter bar assembly  210  may include a blade support, a stationary guard assembly, and a moving blade assembly. In such embodiments, the moving blade assembly is fixed to the blade support (e.g., above the blade support along the vertical axis  144  of the header  200 ), and the blade support/moving blade assembly is driven to oscillate relative to the stationary guard assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, the blade support/moving blade assembly is driven to oscillate by a driving mechanism  211  positioned at a center portion of the header  200 . However, in other embodiments, the blade support/moving blade assembly may be driven by another suitable mechanism (e.g., located at any suitable position on the header  200 ). As the agricultural system  100  is driven through the field, the cutter bar assembly  210  engages crops within the field, and the moving blade assembly cuts the crops (e.g., the stalks of the crops) in response to engagement of the cutter bar assembly  210  with the crops. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the header  200  includes a first conveyor section  202  on a first lateral side of the header  200  and a second conveyor section  203  on a second lateral side of the header  200  opposite the first lateral side. The conveyor sections  202 ,  203  may be separate from one another. For instance, the first conveyor section  202  may extend along a portion of the width of the header  200  and the second conveyor section  203  may extend along another portion of the width of the header  200 . Each conveyor section  202 ,  203  is driven to rotate by a suitable drive mechanism, such as an electric motor or a hydraulic motor. The first conveyor section  202  and the second conveyor section  203  are driven such that a top surface of each conveyor section  202 ,  203  moves laterally inward to a center conveyor section  204  positioned between the first conveyor section  202  and the second conveyor section  203  along the lateral axis  140 . The center conveyor section  204  may also be driven to rotate by a suitable drive mechanism, such as an electric motor or a hydraulic motor. The center conveyor section  204  is driven such that the top surface of the center conveyor section  204  moves rearwardly relative to the direction of travel  146  toward the inlet. As a result, the conveyor sections  202 ,  203 ,  204  transport the cut crops through the inlet to the agricultural crop processing system for further processing of the cut crops. Although the illustrated header  200  includes two conveyor sections  202 ,  203  configured to direct the cut crops toward the center conveyor section  204 , there may be any suitable number of conveyor sections in additional or alternative embodiments directing the cut crops toward the center conveyor section. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the crops cut by the cutter bar assembly  210  are directed toward the conveyor sections  202 ,  203  at least in part by the reel assembly  220 , thereby substantially reducing the possibility of the cut crops falling onto the surface of the field. The reel assembly  220  includes a reel  221  having multiple fingers or tines  222  extending from a central framework  223 . The central framework  223  is driven to rotate such that the fingers  222  move (e.g., in a circular pattern). The fingers  222  are configured to engage the crops and urge the cut crops toward the conveyor sections  202 ,  203  to facilitate transportation of the cut crops to the agricultural crop processing system. 
     As illustrated herein, the cutter bar assembly  210  is flexible along the width of the first and second conveyor sections  202  and  203 . In an exemplary alternative embodiment, the cutter bar assembly  210  is flexible along an entire width of the cutter bar assembly  210 . 
     As discussed in detail below, the cutter bar assembly  210  is supported by multiple arm assemblies distributed (e.g., spaced apart) along the width of the header  200 . In some embodiments, the frame  201  of the header  200  may be movably coupled to the chassis of the agricultural system. Each arm assembly of the cutter bar assembly  210  is mounted to the frame  201  and includes an arm coupled to various components (e.g., the blade support, the stationary guard assembly, and the moving blade assembly) of the cutter bar assembly  210 . The arm may rotate and/or move the cutter bar assembly  210  along the vertical axis  144  relative to the frame  201 , thereby enabling the cutter bar assembly  210  to flex during operation of the agricultural system. Thus, the cutter bar assembly  210  may follow the contours of the field, thereby enabling the cutting height (e.g., the height at which each crop is cut) to be substantially constant along the width of the header  200 . 
     Furthermore, the reel assembly  220  is coupled to the cutter bar assembly  210  via a linkage system  226 , which is coupled to the frame  201  of the header  200 . For example, the linkage system  226  may include one or more brackets  228  to which the reel assembly  220  is coupled and to which the arm assemblies of the cutter bar assembly  210  are coupled. Movement of the arm assemblies (e.g., rotational movement) may move the one or more brackets  228 , thereby driving corresponding movement of the reel assembly  220 . As an example, movement of at least a portion of the moving blade assembly of the cutter bar assembly  210  in an upward direction along the vertical axis  144  causes movement of the arm assembly and drives rotation of at least one of the one or more brackets  228  relative to the frame  201 , thereby raising the reel assembly  220  along the vertical axis  144  relative to the frame  201 . Accordingly, movement of the moving blade assembly of the cutter bar assembly  210  in the upward direction drives (e.g., automatically drives via the one or more brackets  228 ) movement of the reel assembly  220  in the upward direction. In this way, the one or more brackets  228  may maintain a distance between the cutter bar assembly  210  (e.g., the moving blade assembly of the cutter bar assembly  210 ) and the reel assembly  220  (e.g., the reel of the reel assembly  220 ) to block the cutter bar assembly  210  from contacting the reel assembly  220  as the agricultural system travels through the field. 
     In some embodiments, the reel assembly  220  may include reel sections that correspond with cutter bar sections of the cutter bar assembly  210 . For instance, the cutter bar assembly  210  may include a first cutter bar section  230  (e.g., at a first lateral portion of the header  200  and/or generally aligned with the first conveyor section  202 ) and a second cutter bar section  232  (e.g., at a second lateral portion of the header  200  and/or generally aligned with the second conveyor section  203 ). The reel assembly  220  may include a first reel section  234  (e.g., at the first lateral portion of the header  200  and/or generally aligned with the first conveyor section  202 ) corresponding to and/or generally aligned with the first cutter bar section  230  and a second reel section  236  (e.g., at the second lateral portion of the header  200  and/or generally aligned with the second conveyor section  203 ) corresponding to and/or generally aligned with the second cutter bar section  232 . 
     Movement of the cutter bar sections  230 ,  232  may drive respective movement of the reel sections  234 ,  236 . That is, the first cutter bar section  230  may drive movement of the first reel section  234  via respective bracket(s)  28  positioned between and coupling the first cutter bar section  230  and the first reel section  234 , but the first cutter bar section  230  may not drive movement of the second reel section  236 . Similarly, the second cutter bar section  232  may drive movement of the second reel section  236  via respective bracket(s) positioned between and coupling the second cutter bar section  232  and the second reel section  236 , but the second cutter bar section  232  may not drive movement of the first reel section  234 . To this end, a first linkage system  226 A may include a first bracket  228 A (e.g., positioned at a first lateral edge portion  238  of the header  200 ) that couples the first cutter bar section  230  and the first reel section  234  to one another, and a second linkage system  226 B may include a second bracket  228 B (e.g., positioned at a second lateral edge portion  240  of the header  200 ) that couples the second cutter bar section  232  and the second reel section  236  to one another. By way of example, the first linkage system  226 A may extend laterally from the first lateral edge portion  238  to or toward the center conveyor section  204 , and the second linkage system  226 B may extend from the second lateral edge portion  240  to or toward the center conveyor section  204 . Movement of the arm assemblies of the first cutter bar section  230  may drive movement of the first bracket  228 A to move the first reel section  234 , and movement of the arm assemblies of the second cutter bar section  232  may drive movement of the second bracket  228 B to move the second reel section  236 . In this manner, movement of each reel section  234 ,  236  may correspond to and may occur automatically in response to movement of the respective cutter bar sections  230 ,  232 . As a result, different parts of the reel assembly  220  (e.g., across the width of the header  200 ) may move independently of one another, which may enable the reel assembly  220  to follow movement of the cutter bar assembly  210  more closely to improve the effectiveness of the header  200 . 
       FIG.  3    is a side view of an embodiment of the linkage system  226  that may be employed in the header  200  of  FIG.  2   . The linkage system  226  includes the bracket  228 , which includes an L-shape in the illustrated embodiment. However, additional or alternative brackets may include any suitable geometry. An arm  260  of an arm assembly  262  of the cutter bar assembly  210  is coupled to a first section  264  of the bracket  228 . The arm  260  may also be coupled (e.g., pivotably coupled) to the frame  201  via a pivot  266  (e.g., a pin that extends along the lateral axis  140 ). The arm  260  may include a surface  268  (e.g., upper surface) that supports a conveyor  270  (e.g., a belt). The arm  260  may support a blade  272  (e.g., of the moving blade assembly). A reel arm  274  of the reel assembly  220  is coupled to a second section  276  of the bracket  228 . The reel arm  274  supports a central framework  223  having multiple fingers or tines  222 . During operation of the header, the central framework  223  may rotate to cause the fingers  222  to engage the crops and urge the crops toward the blade  272  and the conveyor  270 . As such, the reel assembly  220  facilitates cutting and transportation of the crops for processing. 
     The bracket  228  may indirectly couple the reel assembly  220  and the arm assembly  262  with one another such that movement of the arm assembly  262  causes corresponding movement of the reel assembly  220 . For example, during operation of the header, the arm  260  may be positioned such that the blade  272  is at a distance relative to the ground. As the header follows the ground, the contour of the ground may cause the blade  272  to move along the vertical axis  144 , thereby causing the arm  260  to rotate about the pivot  266 . Rotation of the arm  260  may then cause movement of the bracket  228 . For example, the bracket  228  may be rotatably coupled to the frame  201  (shown in phantom lines) via a first link  279  and a second link  280 , which may each be coupled to a third section  282  of the bracket  228  between the first section  264  and the second section  276 . Each link  279 ,  280  is rotatably coupled at one end portion to the bracket  228  (e.g., via an interface, such as a key-slot interface) and at another end portion to the frame  201  of the header. 
     The arm  260  may include an insert  284  (e.g., a pin) configured to extend into or through an opening  286  (e.g., a slot a groove) of the first section  264  of the bracket  228 . It should be noted that the interface that couples the arm  260  to the bracket  228  may have other configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the insert may be provided on the bracket and the opening may be provided on the arm. Raising the blade  272  along the vertical axis  144  (e.g., in response to a bump on the ground or elevated portion of the ground as the agricultural system travels through the field) may cause the arm  260  to rotate in a first rotational direction  288  about the pivot  266 , thereby lowering the insert  284  along the vertical axis  144 . Lowering of the insert  284  along the vertical axis  144  may cause the insert  284  to exert a force on the bracket  228  (e.g., via contact between the insert  284  and the opening  286 ) that may cause the bracket  228  to rotate about the frame  201  in the first rotational direction  288  about a pivot point  290  (e.g., a virtual pivot point) via the first link  279  and the second link  280 . In additional or alternative embodiments, the insert may constantly maintain contact with a part of the bracket (e.g., a bottom portion bordering the opening due to a gravitational force), until the contour of the ground causes the arm to pivot and therefore move the insert and drive rotation of the bracket. 
     Moreover, the reel arm  274  may be substantially fixedly (e.g., non-rotatably) coupled to the bracket  228  such that rotation of the bracket  228  in the first rotational direction  288  causes the reel arm  274  to rotate in the first rotational direction  288 , thereby raising the central framework  223  and the fingers  222 . As a result, the bracket  228  may maintain a distance  292  between the fingers  222  and the blade  272  (e.g., within a distance range) to block contact between the fingers  222  and the blade  272 . As used herein, the distance  292  may refer to a minimum distance between the fingers  222  and the blade  272  at a particular position of the arm assembly  262  relative to the bracket  228  and during operation of the header. That is, during operation of the header, the central framework  223  may rotate and cause the fingers  222  to be in constant rotational movement relative to the blade  272 , thereby constantly changing the distance between each finger  222  extending off the central framework  223 . The distance  292  is the minimum possible distance between one of the fingers  222  and the blade  272  as the central framework  223  rotates. 
     Similarly, lowering the blade  272  along the vertical axis  144  (e.g., in response to a dip in the ground or lower portion of the ground as the agricultural system travels through the field) may cause the arm  260  to rotate in a second rotational direction  294 , opposite the first rotational direction  288 , about the pivot  266 , thereby raising the insert  284  along the vertical axis  144 . Raising the insert  284  along the vertical axis  144  may cause the insert  284  to exert a force on the bracket  228  (e.g., via contact between the insert  284  and the opening  286 ) that may cause the bracket  228  to rotate relative to the frame  201  in the second rotational direction  294  about the pivot point  290 , thereby driving the reel arm  274  to rotate in the second rotational direction  294  and lowering the central framework  223  and the fingers  222 . Therefore, the bracket  228  may also maintain the distance  292  (e.g., within the distance range) so as to position the fingers  222  relative to the arm assembly  262  in order to facilitate operation of the header. 
     In this manner, the bracket  228  may improve the positioning of the reel assembly  220  relative to the arm assembly  262  by maintaining the fingers  222  at a suitable distance away from the blade  272  without having to use electronic control and/or sensing features. That is, the bracket  228  enables the movement of the arm assembly  262  to mechanically drive movement of the reel assembly  220 , thereby enabling the reel assembly  220  to move automatically based on and in response to movement of the arm assembly  262 . As a result, the bracket  228  may improve the operation of the header and block contact between the fingers  222  and the blade  272  without having to use a sensor to determine the position of the reel assembly  220  and/or of the arm assembly  262  and/or without an electronic controller that adjusts the position of the reel assembly  220  and/or of the arm assembly  262  based on data received from the sensor. For this reason, a cost associated with the manufacture and/or operation of the header may be reduced, and/or an operation of the header may be improved. 
     In some embodiments, the bracket  228  may extend along the lateral axis  140 , and multiple arm assemblies  262  of the cutter blade assembly may be coupled to the bracket  228  and configured to cause rotational movement of the bracket  228 . In other words, each arm assembly  262  may move independently of one another, and movement of any one of the arm assemblies  262  may cause movement of the bracket  228  and therefore of the reel assembly  220 . In certain embodiments, the opening  286  may have a geometry to enable a limited amount of relative movement between the bracket  228  and each arm assembly  262 . Such a configuration may enable each of the arm assemblies  262  to move slightly without causing the bracket  228  to move and/or may enable the bracket  228  to move due to the movement of one of the arm assemblies  262  without affecting movement of at least some of the remaining arm assemblies  262 . In some embodiments, the opening  286  may have an oblong shape (e.g., along the vertical axis  144 ) to provide clearance for the arm assemblies  262  to rotate about the pivot  266  to a limited degree without moving the bracket  228 . For example, with reference to  FIG.  3   , the illustrated arm assembly  262  may rotate in the second rotational direction  294  to a limited degree without substantially driving movement of the bracket  228  because the insert  284  may slide or move along the vertical axis  144  within the opening  286 . Thus, each arm assembly  262  across the width of the bracket  228  may move independently and in some limited way without driving the movement of the bracket  228  and the reel assembly  220 , and each arm assembly  262  may only drive the movement of the bracket  228  and the reel assembly  220  upon substantial changes in the contour of the ground as the agricultural system travels through the field (e.g., that cause the insert  284  to move and exert a force at one of the vertical ends of the opening  286 ). Such geometry may, for example, maintain the distance  292  between the fingers  222  of the reel assembly  220  and the blade  272  above a first threshold distance and below a second threshold distance. 
     By way of example, an additional arm assembly may mechanically cause the bracket  228  to be maintained at the illustrated position such that the distance between the additional arm assembly and a corresponding blade is maintained. However, at the illustrated position of the bracket  228 , the arm assembly  262  may rotate in the second rotational direction  294  without the insert  284  driving the bracket  228  to rotate and therefore move the additional arm assembly, for example. As a result, the distance  292  between the fingers  222  of the reel assembly  220  and the blade  272  may change (e.g., increase), but the distance between the fingers  222  of the reel assembly  220  and the blade of the additional arm assembly may be maintained. Similarly, the geometry of the opening  286  may block movement of the insert  284  (e.g., driven by the first section  264  of the bracket  228 ) such that the position of the arm assembly  262  is substantially maintained during certain movement of the bracket  228 . For instance, if the arm assembly  262  remains in the illustrated position, the bracket  228  may rotate in the first rotational direction  288  (e.g., as caused by the additional arm assembly) without driving corresponding movement of the arm assembly  262 . In this way, the position of the arm assembly  262  may be driven by the contour of the ground rather than by the bracket  228  and/or by other arm assemblies. 
     In certain embodiments, the distance  292  (e.g., the first threshold distance) may be set by a user, such as an operator of the header. For example, the reel arm  274  may be selectively rotatably coupled to the second section  276  of the bracket  228 , and the reel assembly  220  may include a first actuator  296  coupled to the reel arm  274  and to the second section  276  of the bracket  228 . The first actuator  296  may support and/or adjust the position of the reel arm  274  relative to the bracket  228 . For example, the first actuator  296  may extend to rotate the reel arm  274  in the first rotational direction  288  relative to the bracket  228 , thereby increasing the distance  292  between the fingers  222  and the blade  272 , and the first actuator  296  may retract to rotate the reel arm  274  in the second rotational direction  294  relative to the bracket  228 , thereby reducing the distance  292  between the fingers  222  and the blade  272 . Once a desirable position of the reel arm  274  relative to the bracket  228  is achieved, the first actuator  296  may be locked to thereby block rotation of the reel arm  274  relative to the bracket  228 . 
     The reel assembly  220  may also include a second actuator  298  configured to support and/or move (e.g., translate) the central framework  223  relative to the reel arm  274 . By way of example, the second actuator  298  may extend to move the central framework  223  away from the bracket  228 , and the second actuator  298  may retract to move the central framework  223  toward the bracket  228 . Such movement of the central framework  223  may change the distance  292  between the fingers  222  and the blade  272 . In the illustrated embodiment, the reel arm  274  is downwardly sloped relative to the bracket  228  and to the blade  272 , and extension of the second actuator  298  may therefore reduce the distance  292  between the fingers  222  and the blade  272 . However, if the reel arm is upwardly sloped relative to the bracket and to the blade, extension of the second actuator may increase the distance between the fingers and the blade. 
     The first actuator  296  and/or the second actuator  298  may be communicatively coupled to a control system  300  (e.g., an electronic controller, a hydraulic controller) of the agricultural system. The control system  300  may have a memory  302  and a processor  304 , such as a microprocessor. The memory  302  may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), optical drives, hard disc drives, solid-state drives, or any other non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions to facilitate operation of the header. The processor  304  may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general purpose processors, or any combination thereof, configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory  302  to control the header. For instance, the control system  300  may be configured to receive a user input to adjust the reel assembly  220 , such as to activate the first actuator  296  and/or the second actuator  298 . Based on the user input, the control system  300  may cause (e.g., via a control signal, via hydraulic fluid flow) the first actuator  296  to move the reel arm  274  relative to the bracket  228  and/or may cause the second actuator  298  to set the position of the central framework  223  relative to the reel arm  274 . In this way, the control system  300  may adjust the distance  292  between the fingers  222  and the blade  272  based on the user input. In additional or alternative embodiments, the control system may automatically adjust the reel assembly, such as based on data received from a sensor  306 . The sensor may monitor an operating parameter of the header, such as the distance  292 , a time of operation of the header, an angle of the reel arm  274  relative to the bracket  228 , an angle of the arm  260  relative to the bracket  228 , a position of the first actuator  296 , a position of the second actuator  298 , another suitable parameter, or any combination thereof. The sensor  306  may transmit data indicative of the operating parameter to the control system  300 , and the control system  300  may transmit the control signal to the first actuator  296  and/or to the second actuator  298  based on the data. 
     Although the illustrated linkage system  226  includes two links  279 ,  280 , it should be noted that additional or alternative linkage systems may include any suitable number of links, such as one link, three links, or four or more links rotatably coupling the bracket to the frame. Moreover, the links  279 ,  280  may be arranged to set the pivot point  290  of the bracket  228  at any suitable location. For example, the illustrated pivot point  290  is located within a space  308  formed by the reel assembly  220 , the arm assembly  262 , and the bracket  228  to facilitate movement of the bracket  228  as driven by the arm  260 . In particular, the space  308  is forward of the bracket  228  relative to the longitudinal axis  142  and between the arm assembly  262  and the reel assembly  220  relative to the vertical axis  144 . The links  279 ,  280  extend from the bracket  228  and converge toward one another so that the pivot point  290  is located within the space  308 . Additional or alternative pivot points may be located at other locations, such as between the illustrated pivot point and the bracket along the longitudinal axis, rightward of the bracket along the longitudinal axis  142 . To this end, the links may have a particular geometry, may be at particular angles relative to the frame and/or relative to one another, and/or may be connected to the frame at particular locations to position the pivot point accordingly. A further arrangement of the links may eliminate the pivot point such that the bracket  228  does not substantially rotate relative to the frame. Rather, the bracket may translate relative to the frame, such as along the vertical axis  144 , so as to move the reel assembly relative to the arm assembly. 
       FIG.  4    is a perspective rear view of an embodiment of the linkage system  226  of  FIG.  3   . The illustrated linkage system  226  includes the bracket  228 , which may be configured to couple to the reel assembly and the arm assembly as described above. In addition, the bracket  228  includes an extension  330  extending along the lateral axis  140  (e.g., along the frame of the header). The linkage system  226  further includes supplementary brackets  332  extending from the extension  330 . Each supplementary bracket  332  may align with one another and with the bracket  228  (e.g., with the first section  264  and the third section  282  of the bracket  228 ) along the longitudinal axis  142 , and each supplementary bracket  332  may be offset from one another and from the bracket  228  along the lateral axis  140 . Further, each supplementary bracket  332  may be configured to couple to a respective arm assembly of the cutter bar assembly (e.g., via an interface, such as a key-slot interface). For example, each supplementary bracket  332  may include a respective opening  334  generally aligned with one another and with the opening  286  of the bracket  228  along the longitudinal axis  142 . As such, each arm assembly coupled to the linkage system  226  may also generally align with one another along the longitudinal axis  142  and may be offset from one another along the lateral axis  140 . By way of example, the distance between each arm assembly along the lateral axis  140  may be 5 centimeters (2 inches), 15 centimeters (6 inches), 30 centimeters (1 foot), 76 centimeters (2.5 feet), 91 centimeters (3 feet), 150 centimeters (5 feet), or any suitable distance. In certain embodiments, the illustrated linkage system  226  may be implemented to move arm assemblies of one of the cutter bar sections (e.g., the first cutter bar section  230 ), and a separate linkage system may be implemented to move arm assemblies of another one of the cutter bar sections (e.g., the second cutter bar section  232 ). 
     In the illustrated linkage system  226 , each opening  334  also includes an oblong geometry, similar to the geometry of the opening  286  of the bracket  228 . As mentioned above, the oblong geometry of each opening  334  enables some movement of each arm assembly relative to one another (e.g., to follow the contour of the ground) without substantially driving the bracket  228  to move and/or enables some movement of the bracket  228  without substantially driving at least some of the arm assemblies to move. Moreover, the bracket  228 , the extension  330 , and the supplementary brackets  332  may be fixedly or rigidly coupled to one another. As such, substantially raising of any of the arm assemblies may drive each of the supplementary bracket  228  and the brackets  332  to raise the reel assembly. For example, the position of the bracket  228  may be driven by the arm having the highest blade (e.g., rotated the most about the pivot in the first rotational direction) in order to maintain the distance between the reel assembly and the blade of any of the arm assemblies above a threshold distance (e.g., the first threshold distance). Indeed, the distance (e.g., along the vertical axis) between the reel assembly and the blade of any of the arm assemblies coupled to the linkage system  226  may be maintained between a suitable distance range, such as between 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) and 10 centimeters (4 inches), between 5 centimeters (2 inches) and 18 centimeters (7 inches), between another suitable distance range, or any combination thereof. The distance range may include the first threshold distance and the second threshold distance, which, for instance, may each be based on the position of the reel arm relative to the bracket (e.g., set by the first actuator) and/or based on the position of the central framework relative to the reel arm (e.g., set by the second actuator). In this way, the distance range may be set by the control system, such as based on a user input and/or sensor data. 
     In some embodiments, the arm of each arm assembly may straddle the respective brackets  228 ,  332 . That is, for example, each arm assembly may include a U-shaped connector portion or flanges that receive and/or overlap with either side of one of the brackets  228 ,  332 . Either or both of the flanges may include a respective insert configured to insert into the corresponding openings  286 ,  332 . As such, the flanges may substantially block movement of the arm assemblies relative to the brackets  228 ,  332  along the lateral axis  140  to provide a more secure interface between the arm assemblies and the brackets  228 ,  332 . As noted above, the interface between the arm and the bracket  228  may have various configurations. For example, the brackets may have a U-shaped connector portion or flanges that receive and/or overlap with the arm and/or the brackets may include the inserts, while the arm may include the openings. 
       FIG.  5    is a side view of an embodiment of the linkage system  226  of  FIG.  3   . The linkage system  226  includes the bracket  228  configured to couple to the frame  201  via the links  279 ,  280 . The illustrated linkage system  226  also includes a biasing member  360  configured to support a weight of the linkage system  226 , such as a weight of the reel assembly and the bracket  228 . The illustrated biasing member  360  is coupled adjacent to the second section  276  of the bracket  228 , but additional or alternative biasing members may be coupled to any suitable section of the bracket, such as to the first section and/or to the third section. The biasing member  360  may include a spring, a hydraulic cylinder, a linear actuator, another suitable type of biasing member, or any combination thereof, configured to exert a force in a direction  362  along the frame  201  away from the arm assembly  262  in order to offset a gravitational force imparted onto the linkage system  226 . As a result, the biasing member  360  may enable movement of the arm assembly  262  to impart a sufficient force to move the bracket  228  relative to the frame  201 . That is, the biasing member  360  may reduce an effective weight of the bracket  228  and/or the reel assembly, thereby reducing a force applied by the arm assembly  262  to move the bracket  228 . Indeed, the biasing member  360  may be selectable and/or controllable to exert a particular force to enable one of the arm assemblies to move the bracket  228  at a target force. For instance, reducing the force exerted by the biasing member  360  may increase the amount of force to be exerted by the arm assembly to drive movement of the bracket  228 , and increasing the force exerted by the biasing member  360  may reduce the amount of force to be exerted by the arm assembly to drive movement the bracket  228 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the links  279 ,  280  (e.g., respective longitudinal axes of the links  279 ,  280 ) are substantially parallel to one another. For this reason, rotation of the links  279 ,  280  may substantially cause translational movement (e.g., along the vertical axis  144 ) of the bracket  228  relative to the frame  201  in addition to or as an alternative to rotational movement of the bracket  228  relative to the frame  201 . That is, due to the arrangement of the links  279 ,  280 , the linkage system  226  may not have a pivot point (e.g., the pivot point  290  of  FIG.  3   ), and the bracket  228  may not substantially rotate relative to the frame  201 . The translational movement of the bracket  228  still enables movement of the arm assembly  262  to drive movement of the reel assembly and maintain the distance between the blade of the arm assembly  262  and the fingers of the reel assembly. 
     While only certain features of the disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure. 
     The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C.