Deere & Company

Robert P Spangler

Edward J Hengen

Richard A DePauw

William R Brown

In a combine harvester, an array of ground engaging skid shoes or feelers spans the header platform and is divided into right- and left-hand groups, each group associated with a position sensor switch. Each switch transmits to an electrohydraulic control system, a signal representative of the relative position of the skid shoe closest to the ground in its half of the platform. The combined left- and/or right-hand signals are transduced to control platform vertical adjustment and lateral tilt automatically. In one embodiment, a pair of lift cylinders, acting in unison, control platform elevation while a third cylinder is dedicated to tilt control. In other embodiments, paired lift cylinders are controllable independently, to provide both height and tilt control. Supporting the feeder conveyor lower shaft and the header main drive shaft in the laterally pivotable lower forward portion of the feederhouse permits direct transfer of crop material from the platform auger to the feederhouse conveyor and also simplifies header drive arrangements.

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Hampton, IL, United States of America

Robert P Spangler