Patent ID: 7937919

Claim:
An agricultural harvesting machine, comprising: a feeder housing; a cutting platform attached to said feeder housing, said cutting platform including at least one platform section, each said platform section including a frame, a plurality of float arms pivotally coupled with, and extending forwardly from, said frame, a flexible cutterbar carried by forward ends of said plurality of float arms, and a plurality of float cylinders, each said float cylinder being associated with a respective one of said float arms and including a rod, a piston and a cylinder barrel, said cylinder barrel defining a bore slidably receiving said piston and forming a fluid chamber at a first side of said piston and defining a stop surface located for being engaged by a second side of said piston, with the fluid chamber containing one of a fluid under a predetermined pressure or fluid which may be loaded to create said predetermined pressure urging said piston against said stop surface, thereby providing a passive stop establishing a normal stop position for said rod during normal operation preventing said respective one of said float arms from pivoting upward a sufficient distance for causing said rod to move said piston away from said stop surface resulting in said rod moving beyond said normal stop position; said rod being mounted to said piston for permitting said rod to float axially between end limits relative to said piston during said normal operation when said piston is against said stop surface with said rod being in a normal stop position when at one of said end limits, said end limits including a first end limit and a second end limit, said first end limit being a first retainer engaging said rod located for being engaged by said first side of said piston, said second end limit being a second retainer engaging said rod located for being engaged by said second side of said piston; and a fluid pressure relief device being coupled to said fluid chamber for operating in response to said fluid pressure in said fluid chamber exceeding said predetermined pressure to permit said rod to move beyond said normal stop position, and, hence, said float arm to move upwardly beyond a position corresponding to said normal stop position of said rod.