Patent ID: 7703699

Claim:
In an agricultural machine adapted for movement in a forward direction over irregular ground surfaces, a device for controlling the movement of a beam that extends transversely to the forward direction of the machine and is pivotable about an upright axis, the device including a frame part movable in a path with pivoting of the beam, a stop member supported in the path and contacting the frame part as the beam pivots for limiting the pivoting of the beam, a pivoting arm structure supporting the stop member for pivoting about a pivot axis, an energy storage member connected to the arm structure and biasing the stop member against the frame part for yieldingly biasing the beam to a pivoted position and cushioning movements of the beam as the agricultural machine travels over the irregular ground surfaces; wherein the pivoting arm structure includes first and second legs offset on opposite sides of the pivot axis; wherein the first and second legs are of differing effective lengths, and the stop member is connected to the first leg and the energy storage member is connected to the second leg; and wherein the first leg is substantially shorter than the second leg so that a movement of the first leg a first distance results in movement of the second leg a second distance greater than the first distance.