A control arm linkage system includes a pair of upper control arms and a pair of lower control arms to attach a crop harvesting header to a harvester frame of an agricultural harvester. The attachment of the header to the harvester via the control arm linkage system allows the header to move relative the harvester, with the header being displaced upward and heeled backwards in response to an upward force being imparted onto a lower surface of the header. The control arm linkage system thus allows the header to automatically adjust and adapt to unexpected raised mound that may be encountered along the path of the header during harvesting.

A header assembly for an agricultural harvesting machine comprises a first frame assembly, a second frame assembly that supports a cutter, and is movable relative to the first frame assembly, a float cylinder coupled between the first frame assembly and the second frame assembly, an accumulator, a controllable reservoir, and fluidic circuitry. The fluidic circuitry comprises a first conduit forming a first fluid path that provides a flow of pressurized fluid under pressure to the float cylinder, so the float cylinder exerts a float force on the second frame assembly, a valve mechanism that is actuatable to inhibit fluid flow along the first fluid path between the accumulator and the float cylinder, a second conduit forming a second fluid path fluidically coupled to the controllable reservoir, the controllable reservoir being controllable to add fluid to the float cylinder.

A header assembly for an agricultural harvesting machine having a traction unit comprises a cutter, a main frame that supports the cutter, a float cylinder configured to be coupled between the main frame and the traction unit, an accumulator, and fluidic circuitry that fluidically couples the accumulator to the float cylinder. The fluidic circuitry is configured to provide a first flow of pressurized fluid under pressure to the float cylinder, so the float cylinder exerts a float force on the main frame, and, based on a control input that corresponds to a lifting operation of the header assembly, provide a restricted flow of fluid, that is restricted relative to the first flow, between the float cylinder and the accumulator.

A header assembly for an agricultural harvesting machine comprises a first frame assembly, a second frame assembly that supports a cutter, and is pivotable relative to the first frame assembly, a float cylinder coupled between the first frame assembly and the second frame assembly, an accumulator, and fluidic circuitry that fluidically couples the accumulator to the float cylinder. The fluidic circuitry is configured to provide a first flow of pressurized fluid under pressure to the float cylinder, so the float cylinder exerts a float force on the second frame assembly, and based on a control input that corresponds to a lowering operation of the header assembly, provide a restricted flow of fluid, that is restricted relative to the first flow, between the float cylinder and the accumulator.

A crop harvesting header having a frame mounted on a propulsion vehicle has a cutter bar carrying a sickle knife and a draper transport. The draper is guided at its front edge by a longitudinally extending rail mounted on the frame for movement therewith. The cutter bar is mounted on the frame at spaced positions by spring blades attached to a fixed beam at the rear which allow up and down flexing movement of the cutter bar relative to the draper engagement member. At the center discharge the cutter bar is carried on shorter blades which are carried on a beam in front of the front draper roller. The small amount of flexing of the cutter bar combines with a balanced three piece header frame to provide effective ground following.

A float cylinder is coupled to an accumulator by a first hydraulic fluid conduit. The float cylinder and accumulator are coupled to apply a float force on a header main frame.

A crop stripper header includes a crop stripper rotor with a central core and a plurality of stripper teeth projecting radially outwardly from the central core. The central core is supported for rotation by first and second end hubs. A dynamic balancing system is provided in each of the end hubs. The dynamic balancing system includes a plurality of steel balls or other suitable weights contained in hollow cavities in the end hubs. The balls are freely moveable within the hollow cavities during rotation of the rotor so that the weights of the balls are distributed to positions within the hollow cavities that tend to neutralize any imbalance in the rotor during operation.

A harvesting head has a middle section connected to a carrier device and at least one side section connected by an articulated connection to the middle section about which the side section pivots between a lower and an upper limit value. The carrier device has a height adjustment device whose adjusting movements are controlled by a control. The harvesting head has a sensor transmitting a sensor signal to the evaluation device at least upon pivoting of the side section when a limit value has been achieved during pivoting of the side section to the middle section. The evaluation device switches upon the presence of a corresponding sensor signal into a correction mode for height adjustment of the carrier device. The evaluation device outputs an adjusting signal in the correction mode to adjust the carrier device up or down by the evaluation device according to the sensor signal.

A crop harvesting header having a frame mounted on a propulsion vehicle has a cutter bar carrying a sickle knife and a draper transport. The draper is guided at its front edge by a longitudinally extending rail mounted on the frame for movement therewith. The cutter bar is mounted on the frame at spaced positions by spring blades attached to a fixed beam at the rear which allow up and down flexing movement of the cutter bar relative to the draper engagement member. At the center discharge the cutter bar is carried on shorter blades which are carried on a beam in front of the front draper roller. The small amount of flexing of the cutter bar combines with a balanced three piece header frame to provide effective ground following.

A flexible header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame, at least one cutter bar movably coupled to the frame, and an adjustment system coupled to the frame and the at least one cutter bar. The adjustment system is configured to adjust a position of the at least one cutter bar. The adjustment system includes at least one linkage assembly. The linkage assembly includes a first link member and a second link member. Each of the first and second link members are rotationally coupled to the frame. The adjustment system also includes at least one fluid spring coupled to the first link member and the second link member such that the at least one linkage assembly translates a substantially linear movement of the at least one fluid spring to adjust the at least one cutter bar.