A cutter bar assembly for an agricultural vehicle header includes a cutter bar supported by movable arms extending from a header frame and capable of operation in flex and rigid modes. The support arms are joined to the header frame such that they may be displaced from a raised position in the rigid mode when subjected to a lifting force due to striking an obstacle without damage to the header structure. Also, an agricultural vehicle header and an agricultural combine harvester includes the cutter bar assembly.

A feederhouse assembly for an agricultural harvester includes a feederhouse comprising an inlet end, a rotational shaft coupled to the feederhouse and defining a plurality of fluid passages therethrough, and a frame adjacent the inlet end and arranged to pivot about the rotational shaft relative to the feederhouse. The frame defines a crop opening therethrough and is configured to carry a harvesting header. An agricultural harvester includes a chassis, the feederhouse assembly mounted to the chassis, and a processing system carried by the chassis and structured to receive crop material from the feederhouse.

A flexible harvesting header (40) having multiple sections supported by support arms (74), with the height of each arm being adjustable in response to a changing load. Load sensors (504) at first ends of the arms sense loads and generate electronic load signals. Hydraulic cylinders (80) at second ends of the arms are actuatable to raise and lower the first ends. A controller receives the load signals, determines whether actuating one or more of the hydraulic cylinders (80) is warranted due to a changing load, and if so, changes a hydraulic pressure to raise or lower the first ends to offset the changing load. Actuation may be warranted if the changing load exceeds a predetermined value. Further, the entire flexible cutter bar (68) may be raiseable in response to an electronic raise signal, and the controller may actuate all of the hydraulic cylinders (80) to raise the front ends of all of the support arms (74).

A method for calibrating a height control system for an implement of an agricultural work vehicle can include providing an input signal to the height control system to adjust a height of the implement relative to the ground surface; monitoring the height of the implement relative to the ground surface; adjusting at least one gain of the height control system; and determining a maximum stability gain of the height control system based on the at least one gain and the monitored height. The maximum stability gain can correspond with a stability point of the height control system at which the height control system transitions from stable to unstable. The method can include setting gain(s) of the height control system based on the maximum stability gain.

An attachment system for an agricultural vehicle including a feeder housing and a header. The attachment system includes at least one feeder connecting member configured for being located on and movably connected to the feeder housing, and at least one header connecting member configured for being located on the header. The at least one feeder connecting member is automatically connectable and securable to the at least one header connecting member as the feeder housing lifts the header.

A harvesting head for a combine and method of operating. An attachment frame at an aft end of the head attaches with a combine feederhouse. A main frame of the head is movably connected to the attachment frame, and the main frame has a range of travel with respect to the attachment frame. A resilient float element is provided between the attachment and main frames. A flexible cutterbar on the main frame operates to cut crops. The cutterbar is supported on the main frame by a plurality of pivoting arms distributed across a width of the head. With the main frame in a nominal intermediate position within the range of travel, the plurality of pivoting arms have 10 percent or less of total available travel as upward travel and at least 90 percent of total available travel as downward travel when the head is set in the nominal position.

An agricultural system that includes a cylinder and a rod that moves axially in and out of the cylinder to raise and lower a header. A cylinder lock system controls movement of the rod. The cylinder lock system includes a cap-end fixture that couples to the cylinder and receives the rod. A rod-end fixture couples to an end of the rod. The system includes a lock piston. The lock piston includes a protrusion. The lock piston rotates about the rod and selectively couples the protrusion to the cap-end fixture to lock and unlock the rod-end fixture to the cap-end fixture.

Method and apparatus for controlling the height of a header for use with an agricultural harvester. The header height is controlled by detecting a first height value of the header with respect to ground, detecting a second height value of the header with respect to ground, selecting a representative height value (e.g., the smallest height value) from the first and the second height values, and controlling the position of the header with respect to the agricultural harvester responsive the selected representative height value.

A header for an agricultural harvester having a cutterbar lockout control mechanism that can be set in flex or rigid modes independent of the position of the cutterbar assembly. The cutterbar lockout control mechanism may be set to flex or rigid modes without the operator having to reach under the header, and the operator may reposition the cutterbar assembly without leaving the cab. Also, a method for setting the operating mode of a cutterbar assembly of a header for an agricultural harvester, and a method for repositioning a cutterbar assembly of a header for an agricultural harvester.

A harvesting head for an agricultural harvester including a center frame section that is pivotally coupled to each of a left frame section and a right frame section. The elevation or height of the center frame section is determined by setting a height of the inner gauge wheels of the left and right frame sections. A gauge assembly for each of the left and right frame sections includes a linking member that spans between and operatively connects to outer and inner gauge wheels. The gauge assemblies are operably connected to the left and right frame sections to adjust an elevation of the outer and inner gauge wheels relative to the linking member to thereby adjust the elevation or height of the frame section when actuated by an actuation mechanism.