Patent Description:
Self-propelled agricultural harvesters are well known and include, by way of example, combine harvesters, windrowers and forage harvesters, all of which typically include a frame or chassis, an operator cab, an engine, and ground-engaging wheels or tracks. A cutting or pick-up header is often carried by the harvester, the header typically being considerably wider than the harvester and mounted to the front side of a feederhouse.

Crop material collected by the header is conveyed into the feederhouse before being conveyed in a generally rearward direction to crop-processing apparatus. In the case of a combine harvester, the processing apparatus serves to thresh the crop material and separate grain therefrom, whereas, in the case of a forage harvester or windrower, the crop material is typically passed through conditioning rollers.

The height of the header is typically adjusted by raising and lowering the feederhouse around a feederhouse pivot axis. A header interface frame is often pivotally mounted to the feederhouse over the front opening of the feederhouse to permit lateral adjustment around a lateral tilt adjustment axis. A hydraulic cylinder controls adjustment of the lateral tilt.

<CIT> discloses a header tilt mechanism for a harvester wherein a face plate tilts with respect to a pitch plate provided on the front of a feederhouse. A sliding joint bolt moves in a sliding joint slot allowing the face plate to rotate about upper face plate pivot axle thereby tilting an attached header with respect to the feederhouse. The single pivot axle is located above an opening of the feederhouse.

As headers get wider and heavier, larger hydraulic cylinders are required to control the lateral tilt. This places strain on the fixings and weldments, adding to the cost and complexity of the feederhouse structure. Furthermore, larger tilt angles may cause a misalignment of the crop openings of the header and the feederhouse, such that flow of crop material is negatively impacted.

A feederhouse assembly for an agricultural harvester includes a feederhouse comprising an inlet end and a body adjacent the inlet end. The body defines a crop opening therethrough and a pair of curvilinear cutouts laterally adjacent either side of the crop opening. A pair of bearings is secured to the body above the crop opening.

An agricultural harvester includes a chassis, a feederhouse assembly mounted to the chassis, and a processing system carried by the chassis and structured to receive crop material from the feederhouse.

A method includes supporting a tilt frame of a harvesting header on a body carried by a feederhouse. Each of a pair of concave guides of the tilt frame is over and in contact with one of a pair of bearings secured to the body above a crop opening thereof, and each of a plurality of protrusions of the tilt frame is disposed within one of a pair of curvilinear cutouts defined in the body. The harvesting header laterally pivots about a pivot point located within the crop opening such that the bearings roll under the concave guides and the protrusions slide within the cutouts.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform such methods.

The illustrations presented herein are not actual views of any agricultural harvester or portion thereof, but are merely idealized representations that are employed to describe example embodiments of the present disclosure. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same numerical designation.

<FIG> illustrates an example agricultural harvester embodied as a combine harvester <NUM>. In the context of the present disclosure, the example combine harvester <NUM> is merely illustrative, and other machines and/or implements with like functionality may deploy certain embodiments disclosed herein, such as windrowers, forage harvesters, etc. The example combine harvester <NUM> is shown in <FIG> without a header attached, and includes a feederhouse assembly <NUM> carried by a chassis <NUM> supported by wheels <NUM>. An operator cab <NUM> is mounted to the chassis <NUM>. In some embodiments, other or additional forms of travel may be used, such as tracks. Hydraulic cylinders <NUM> are shown affixed to the underside of the feederhouse assembly <NUM> on one end and to the chassis <NUM> on the other end. The feederhouse assembly <NUM> may move (e.g., up and down, tilt, etc.) based on actuation of the hydraulic cylinders <NUM>, which causes a detachably coupled header to also be raised, lowered, and/or tilted. A rotating shaft <NUM> may be configured to provide mechanical power to a header during operation of the combine harvester <NUM>. The rotating shaft <NUM> may be configured to operate at various speeds, as described in, for example, <CIT>.

In general, the combine harvester <NUM> cuts crop materials (e.g., using the header), wherein the cut crop materials are delivered to the front end of the feederhouse assembly <NUM>. Such crop materials are moved upwardly and rearwardly within and beyond the feederhouse assembly <NUM> (e.g., by a conveyer) until reaching a processing system <NUM> comprising a thresher rotor. In one embodiment, the thresher rotor may comprise a single, transverse rotor, such as that found in a Gleaner® Super Series Combine by AGCO. Other designs may be used, such as axial-based, twin rotor, or hybrid designs. The thresher rotor processes the crop materials in known manner and passes a portion of the crop material (e.g., heavier chaff, corn stalks, etc.) toward the rear of the combine harvester <NUM> and another portion (e.g., grain and possibly light chaff) through a cleaning process in known manner. In the processing system <NUM>, the crop materials undergo threshing and separating operations. In other words, the crop materials are threshed and separated by the thresher rotor operating in cooperation with well-known foraminous processing members in the form of threshing concave assemblies and separator grate assemblies, with the grain (and possibly light chaff) escaping through the concave assemblies and the grate assemblies and to a cleaning system located beneath the processor to facilitate the cleaning of the heavier crop material. Bulkier stalk and leaf materials are generally retained by the concave assemblies and the grate assemblies and are discharged out from the processing system <NUM> and ultimately out of the rear of the combine harvester <NUM>. The cleaned grain that drops to the bottom of the cleaning system is delivered by a conveying mechanism that transports the grain to an elevator, which conveys the grain to a grain bin <NUM> located at the top of the combine harvester <NUM>. Any remaining chaff and partially or unthreshed grain is recirculated through the processing system <NUM> via a tailings return conveying mechanism. Because combine processing is known to those having ordinary skill in the art, further discussion thereof is omitted here for brevity. In embodiments in which the agricultural harvester is a windrower or forage harvester, the processing system <NUM> may include conditioning rollers rather than separation devices.

<FIG> is a simplified side view of the feederhouse assembly <NUM> shown in <FIG>. As shown, a feederhouse <NUM> has an inlet end <NUM> and an outlet end <NUM>. Crop material entering the feederhouse assembly <NUM> from the harvesting header travels from the inlet end <NUM> toward the outlet end <NUM> on the way to the processing system <NUM> (<FIG>). The harvesting header is coupled to the feederhouse <NUM> by a tilt frame <NUM>, which is adjustable to control the lateral orientation of the harvesting header with respect to the combine harvester <NUM>. Control of the harvesting header is important to enable a farmer to properly harvest crops. Adjustment of the tilt frame <NUM> also facilitates connecting and disconnecting the harvesting header because the tilt frame <NUM> can be positioned to match the orientation of the harvesting header.

The tilt frame <NUM> may optionally be coupled to a pitch frame <NUM>, which itself can be adjusted by pivoting about a pivot axis <NUM>. Actuators <NUM> couple the pitch frame <NUM> with the feederhouse <NUM> and are configured to adjust the angle of the pitch frame <NUM> about the pivot axis <NUM>. The actuators <NUM> are configured to apply a force on the pitch frame <NUM> to rotate the tilt frame <NUM> attached to the pitch frame <NUM> upward and downward to control an orientation of a harvesting header attached to the tilt frame <NUM>. The actuators <NUM> may be single-action hydraulic cylinders, double-action hydraulic cylinders, electric actuators, etc. The actuators <NUM> may be connected to pressure lines, electrical power, or other means to provide energy and/or signals to enable the actuators <NUM> to change the position of the tilt frame <NUM>. The tilt frame <NUM> may rotate laterally with respect to the pitch frame <NUM>. In some embodiments, the pitch frame <NUM> may be omitted, and the tilt frame <NUM> may be at a fixed pitch with respect to the feederhouse <NUM>.

<FIG> is a simplified front view of the pitch frame <NUM>, showing how it connects to the tilt frame <NUM>. The pitch frame <NUM> includes a body <NUM> that is connected to the feederhouse <NUM> (<FIG>), and that defines a crop opening <NUM> through which cut crop material can pass from the harvesting header to the feederhouse <NUM>. In embodiments in which the pitch frame <NUM> is omitted, the body <NUM> may be a part of the feederhouse <NUM> itself. A pair of bearings <NUM> are secured to the body <NUM> above the crop opening <NUM>. The bearings <NUM> may be roller bearings that allow a portion of a harvesting header to roll over them. The bearings <NUM> are generally horizontally level and equidistant from a centerline <NUM> of the body <NUM>, such that a weight-balanced harvesting header with a tilt frame <NUM> resting on the bearings <NUM> with no other forces acting on it will rest horizontally level.

The body <NUM> may also define a pair of curvilinear cutouts <NUM> laterally adjacent either side of the crop opening <NUM>. As depicted, the cutouts <NUM> may be near the bottom corners of the crop opening <NUM>. The cutouts <NUM> may be shaped as arcs of a circle having a center at a pivot point <NUM> within the crop opening <NUM>.

<FIG> is a view of the tilt frame <NUM> and a portion of a harvesting header <NUM> configured to couple to the body <NUM> shown in <FIG>. The harvesting header <NUM> includes a header frame <NUM> to which harvesting tools may be attached (and which extends to the left and right of the portion shown in <FIG>). The tilt frame <NUM> is secured to or a part of the header frame <NUM>, and is configured to couple the harvesting header <NUM> to the body <NUM>. The tilt frame <NUM> defines a crop opening <NUM> through which cut crop material can pass from the harvesting tools of the harvesting header <NUM> to the feederhouse assembly <NUM>.

A pair of guides <NUM> are secured to or integral with an upper portion of the tilt frame <NUM>, above the crop opening <NUM>. The guides <NUM> are concave, and when the harvesting header <NUM> is installed on the body <NUM> (<FIG>), support the harvesting header <NUM> over the bearings <NUM>. That is, the guides <NUM> are over and in contact with the bearings <NUM>. The guides <NUM> may be equidistant from a centerline <NUM> of the harvesting header <NUM> and the tilt frame <NUM> (which may coincide with the centerline <NUM> of the body <NUM> when the harvesting header <NUM> is installed on the body <NUM>). The shape of the guides <NUM> enable lateral (side-to-side) tilting of the tilt frame <NUM> with respect to the pitch frame <NUM>. The guides <NUM> may be shaped as arcs of a circle having a center at a pivot point <NUM> within the crop opening <NUM> (which pivot point <NUM> may coincide with the pivot point <NUM> of the body <NUM> when the tilt frame <NUM> is installed on the body <NUM>).

A pair of protrusions <NUM> are positioned on the tilt frame <NUM> to fit within the cutouts <NUM> of the body <NUM> when the tilt frame <NUM> is coupled to the body <NUM>. The protrusions <NUM> may be integral with the tilt frame <NUM> or may be additional parts (e.g., pins, rods, posts, etc.) connected to the tilt frame <NUM>. The protrusions <NUM> may be equidistant from a centerline <NUM> of the harvesting header <NUM> and the tilt frame <NUM>. As the tilt frame <NUM> rotates about the pivot point <NUM>, the protrusions <NUM> may slide along the cutouts <NUM> of the pitch frame <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates the harvesting header <NUM> mounted on the body <NUM> (shown in dotted lines) and rotated at an angle <NUM> (defined as the angle between the centerline <NUM> of the body <NUM> and the centerline <NUM> of the harvesting header <NUM> and the tilt frame <NUM>). As shown, the guides <NUM> rest on the bearings <NUM>, and the protrusions <NUM> are in the cutouts <NUM>. As the harvesting header <NUM> rotates about the pivot point <NUM>, the protrusions <NUM> may slide along the cutouts <NUM> and the bearings <NUM> may roll under the guides <NUM>. Thus, when the harvesting header <NUM> rotates, the crop opening <NUM> remains generally aligned with the crop opening <NUM> of the pitch frame <NUM> (except for some triangular sections in the corners). By configuring the tilt frame <NUM> and the pitch frame <NUM> to have the pivot points <NUM>, <NUM> in the interior of the crop openings <NUM>, <NUM>, the area defined by the crop opening <NUM> may match the area defined by the crop opening <NUM> better than in conventional lateral tilt mechanisms. Furthermore, the tilt mechanisms described enable decoupling of the lateral tilt (e.g., as shown in <FIG>) from fore-and-aft tilt (e.g., pivot of the tilt frame <NUM> about the pivot axis <NUM> as shown in <FIG>). Thus, control systems may be better able to adjust the lateral tilt without affecting the fore-and-aft tilt, and vice versa, and may keep the harvesting header <NUM> at a selected height with respect to a hilly field. Fine control may be particularly valuable in harvesting crops at low cutting heights.

The harvesting header <NUM> may include sensors and tilt control mechanisms, such as actuators (e.g., hydraulic or electric actuators) to determine and change the lateral tilt, such as those described in <CIT>; and <CIT>.

<FIG> is a simplified flow chart illustrating a method <NUM> of operating a harvesting header with combine harvester, such as the combine harvester <NUM> shown in <FIG> and having a feederhouse assembly <NUM> as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. As shown in block <NUM> of <FIG>, a tilt frame of the harvesting header is supported on a body carried by a feederhouse. The body may be fixed to the feederhouse or a pitch frame. Each of a pair of concave guides of the harvesting header is over and in contact with one of a pair of bearings secured to the body above a crop opening thereof. Each of a plurality of protrusions of the harvesting header is disposed within one of a pair of curvilinear cutouts defined in the body.

In block <NUM>, the harvesting header laterally pivots about a pivot point located within the crop opening such that the bearings roll under the concave guides and the protrusions slide within the cutouts.

In block <NUM>, the harvesting header is maintained at a fixed pitch relative to the feederhouse while the harvesting header laterally pivots. In block <NUM>, the header pitch changes relative to the feederhouse while maintaining a lateral orientation of the harvesting header relative to the tilt frame. Block <NUM> and block <NUM> are shown as separate acts, but may in some embodiments be combined into a single action. Furthermore, in some embodiments, both the pitch and the lateral tilt may be adjusted concurrently.

Still other embodiments involve a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) having processor-executable instructions configured to implement one or more of the techniques presented herein. An example computer-readable medium that may be devised is illustrated in <FIG>, wherein an implementation <NUM> includes a computer-readable storage medium <NUM> (e.g., a flash drive, CD-R, DVD-R, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a platter of a hard disk drive, etc.), on which is computer-readable data <NUM>. This computer-readable data <NUM> in turn includes a set of processor-executable instructions <NUM> configured to operate according to one or more of the principles set forth herein. In some embodiments, the processor-executable instructions <NUM> may be configured to cause a computer to perform operations <NUM> when executed via a processing unit, such as at least some of the example method <NUM> depicted in <FIG>. Many such computer-readable media may be devised by those of ordinary skill in the art that are configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the techniques presented herein.

Claim 1:
An agricultural harvester (<NUM>), comprising:
a chassis (<NUM>);
a feederhouse assembly (<NUM>) mounted to the chassis (<NUM>);
wherein the feederhouse assembly (<NUM>) comprises:
a feederhouse (<NUM>) comprising an inlet end (<NUM>);
a body (<NUM>) adjacent the inlet end, the body (<NUM>) defining a crop opening (<NUM>) therethrough and a pair of curvilinear cutouts (<NUM>) laterally adjacent either side of the crop opening (<NUM>);
wherein the harvester (<NUM>) further comprises a processing system (<NUM>) carried by the chassis (<NUM>) and structured to receive crop material from the feederhouse (<NUM>), and
a harvesting header (<NUM>) having a tilt frame (<NUM>) coupled to the body (<NUM>), wherein the tilt frame (<NUM>) further comprises a pair of protrusions (<NUM>) positioned to fit within the cutouts (<NUM>) when the tilt frame (<NUM>) is coupled to the body (<NUM>)
characterized in that the feederhouse assembly (<NUM>) comprises a pair of bearings (<NUM>) secured to the body (<NUM>) above the crop opening (<NUM>), and in that the tilt frame (<NUM>) comprises a pair of concave guides (<NUM>), each guide over and in contact with a bearing of the pair of bearings (<NUM>), wherein the concave guides (<NUM>) approximately define an arc of a circle centered within the crop opening (<NUM>).