Vermeer Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Forage Innovations Bv

Shane A Bollinger

Kent L Thompson

Rustin V Bentzinger

Stuart Gene Van Donselaar

William A Hood

Calvin Meinders

Ryan G Walker

Jerry E Bandstra

Thomas R Walmsley

Thomas M Duenwald

A suspension system for agricultural implements having at least one floating head using a four-bar linkage and permitting the floating head to accommodate variations in ground surface elevation in a lateral or transverse direction. By permitting the floating head to float, a more consistent cutting height is realized when ground surface elevation varies in a transverse direction. A main frame is provided to which the ground engaging wheels are attached. A sub-frame is connected to the main frame via the four-bar linkage. The sub-frame is pivotally attached to the arms of the four-bar linkage by spherical bearings.

Self-leveling four-bar linkage for suspending a header of an agricultural implement

A support structure for agricultural implements having at least one floating head with a work tool. The support structure permits the work tool to be folded. The work tool of the agricultural implement is supported near its outer end by the support structure in a cantilevered fashion.

Support structure for an agricultural machine with a floating work tool

A suspension system for towed agricultural implements having at least one floating head of a first width suspended by a four-bar linkage of a second width wherein the first width is much greater than the second width. The floating head is permitted to float to accommodate variations in ground surface elevation in a lateral or transverse direction. By permitting the floating head to float, a more consistent cutting height is realized when ground surface elevation varies in a transverse direction. A main frame is provided to which the ground engaging wheels are attached. A sub-frame is connected to the main frame via the four-bar linkage. The sub-frame is pivotally attached to the arms of the four-bar linkage by spherical bearings.

Narrow four-bar linkage for suspending a wide header for an agricultural implement

A drive system for agricultural implements having at least one floating head and a tongue that may be disposed at various angles relative to a longitudinal angle of the implement. Two swivel gearbox assemblies are used, each comprising a first 90&#xb0; gearbox rigidly attached to the implement and a second 90&#xb0; gearbox that is permitted to rotate about an axis passing through one of its shafts and one of the first 90&#xb0; gearbox's shaft. Because the tongue angle is variable, the drive shafts for driving the implement must take on a plurality of angles. The swiveling gearbox assemblies allow variable angles at the tongue and at the header.

Method for a drive system of an agricultural machine with a floating work tool

A suspension system for agricultural implements having at least one floating head using a four-bar linkage and permitting the floating head to accommodate variations in ground surface elevation in a lateral or transverse direction. By permitting the floating head to float, a more consistent cutting height is realized when ground surface elevation varies in a transverse direction. A main frame is provided to which the ground engaging wheels are attached. A sub-frame is connected to the main frame via the four-bar linkage and the linkage arms of the four-bar linkage are not parallel to one another as viewed from above. The linkage arms of the four-bar linkage are pivotally attached to the main frame and sub-frame by spherical bearings.

Non-parallel four-bar linkage for suspending an agricultural implement header

Four-bar linkage for suspending a header for an agricultural implement

System for folding an agricultural machine with a floating work tool

A suspension system for fixed-frame, towed agricultural implements having at least one floating head. A hydraulic cylinder is used for both lift and suspension of the floating head. A hydraulic accumulator provides expansion room for hydraulic fluid to move in and out of the hydraulic cylinder during suspension.

Suspension system for a floating header on an agricultural implement

In a round baler, twin arms come together in the start position, on the side opposite the cut position, because that configuration ensures that two twines lie nearly on top of each other to secure the bale much better at that end than with a single twine. The 'start position' refers to that position where the twine arms reverse direction, and change from a fast speed of travel used to move the twine arms across the bale width, to a slower, controlled speed that is adjustable to vary the spacing of the twines. The change in direction combined with bringing the twine arms together at the start position, ensures that loose twine ends are effectively restrained as the twines are applied.

Twin twine arm for a baler

Large cylindrical bales of hay, straw, or other forage or fodder are usually wrapped with a filament-type product, typically twine, or a sheet-type product, typically netwrap material, after a bale has reached a predetermined size. A method and apparatus are disclosed that permits the bale to continue to form during part of the wrapping process. A delay occurs between the initiation of the wrapping step and the alarm for the operator to stop the forward movement of the baler. By inserting the wrap material to an entry throat of the baler, new crop material may be added to the bale while the leading edge of the wrap material travels around the bale. The operator is notified only when the feed of additional crop material needs to be stopped for the wrapping operation to conclude. The present invention is applicable to the use of sheet or filament wrapping materials for binding round bales.

Method of initiating automatic feed of bale wrapping material

A harvesting machine with a main frame, a harvesting header having a first end and a second end and a suspension system operatively attached to the main frame for supporting the harvesting header from above, the harvesting header having a lowered position and a raised position. A suspension frame has a rocker arm operatively pivotally attached thereto along a first substantially horizontal axis, the rocker arm having an upper position and a lowermost position. A first link is operatively pivotally attached to the suspension frame along a second substantially horizontal axis and is operatively pivotally attached to the harvesting header at the other end thereof. A second link is operatively pivotally attached to the main frame along a third substantially horizontal axis and is operatively pivotally attached to the harvesting header at a fourth substantially horizontal axis, the second link being disposed substantially always parallel to the first link. A suspension lift bar is operatively pivotally attached to the rocker arm and is operatively pivotally attached to the harvesting header, the suspension lift bar ( ) being disposed not parallel with respect to the first link. A biasing spring member is operatively attached to the suspension frame and is operatively attached at the other end thereof to the rocker arm for exerting a lift force on the rocker arm toward the upper position thereof. A force adjusting device on the biasing member is provided for adjusting the lift force on the harvesting header to counteract the weight of the harvesting header such that the effective ground weight of the harvesting header, less than the weight of the header, is required to lift the header upwardly and to permit the ground weight to be maintained substantially constant as the harvesting header moves between the lowered and the raised position thereof.

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Leighton, IA, United States of America

Shane A Bollinger