Deere & Company

Bradley James Watts

Gordon Lee Salley

Thomas G Teller

David Walter Kmoch

Sidney Wayne Yeomans

Kevin D Brase

Bruce Alan Coers

Mark Michael Chaney

Klaus Ernst Becker

Roderick James Jensen

Jay T Hulscher

Scott Robert Bowers

Michael D Benhart

Ronald Leo Sheedy

Walter Emmert

Keith Allan Moreland

Michael Dwain Benhart

A cutting platform for use with an agricultural harvesting machine includes a plurality of platform sections positioned in end-to-end juxtaposed relation to each other. At least one platform section includes a frame, a plurality of float arms movably coupled with the frame, an endless belt carried by the plurality of float arms, and a cutterbar assembly carried by the plurality of float arms and movable in a localized manner in upwards and downwards directions.

Flexible cutting platform to follow ground contour in an agricultural harvesting machine

An implement, such as a header for a combine, having an integral transport system with a pair of ground engaging wheels that are moved between transport positions used in transporting the implement and stowed positions on the implement during use of the implement. The wheels may be used as gauge wheels during use to support the ends of the implement. A trailer tongue is retractable and stowed onboard the implement during use, as is a tongue jack. Lights are provided at the end of the implement for visibility during transport. The lights are stowed beneath a cover on the end of the implement to protect the lights from damage during use. All components of the transport system are carried on the implement during use to ensure that they are with the implement when needed to transport the implement. All components are mounted with pins, enabling the implement to be converted between transport and use configurations without the use of hand tools.

Header for a harvester having an integral transport system

A mechanism for attaching a harvesting assembly to a combine having a multicoupler which connects hydraulic lines on the combine with hydraulic lines on the harvesting assembly as two halves of the multicoupler are brought together, and a latching mechanism which mechanically couples the harvesting assembly to the combine, the latching mechanism being operatively connected with the multicoupler to shift between latched and unlatched modes as the multicoupler is shifted between connected and unconnected modes.

Multifunction latch for a combine

A connector assembly for a draper belt in a harvesting machine having first and second connecting bars on opposite sides of belt end flanges. One connecting bar has a plurality of bores while the other has a plurality of fixed studs. The studs project through the apertures in the belt end flanges and the bores in the first connecting bar. The connecting bars are held together by lock nuts. By fixing the studs to the connecting bar, separate bolts are eliminated and only one wrench is needed to drive the nuts. Lock washers are eliminated by the use of lock nuts.

Draper belt connector assembly for a harvesting machine

An implement for a combine, having an integral transport system with a pair of ground engaging wheels that are moved between transport positions used in transporting the implement and stowed positions on the implement during use of the implement. The wheels may be used as gauge wheels during use to support the ends of the implement. A trailer tongue is retractable and stowed onboard the implement during use, as is a tongue jack. Lights are provided at the end of the implement for visibility during transport. The lights are stowed beneath a cover on the end of the implement to protect the lights from damage during use. All components of the transport system are carried on the implement during use to ensure that they are with the implement when needed to transport the implement. All components are mounted with pins, enabling the implement to be converted between transport and use configurations without the use of hand tools.

A draper belt tensioning mechanism for a harvesting platform includes a linkage having a bell crank coupled to the belt idler roller to move the idler roller away from the drive roller when the bell crank is rotated to tension the draper belt. A strut coupled to the bell crank and a spring biasing the strut produces the force to tension the belt. The linkage, except for the spring, is enclosed within the belt envelope. A spring gauge is positioned adjacent the spring to readily determine if the spring is compressed to the desired length. In a preferred embodiment, the spring and gauge are located to be visible by a machine operator.

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Eldridge, IA, United States of America

Bradley James Watts