A harvester reel includes a reel tine bar having a follower and a tine. A cam assembly includes a primary cam, a linkage and a latch. The linkage has a first end that is connected to the primary cam and a second end that is connectable to the tine bar for guiding rotation of the tine bar. The latch selectively couples the second end of the linkage to the tine bar. In an unlatched configuration of the latch, the reel tine bar can pivot relative to the second end of the linkage, and in a latched configuration of the latch, the reel tine bar is non-rotatably connected to the second end of the linkage. A secondary cam has a surface that is configured to be contacted by the follower of the reel tine bar. Upon contacting the secondary cam, the follower moves the latch to the unlatched configuration.

In an agricultural harvester header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame, a reel attached to the frame and having a plurality of reel tine bars, a cutterbar attached to the frame and positioned beneath the reel, an actuator for moving the reel tine bars between a deployed position and a retracted position, a sensor for sensing a position of the cutterbar, and a computer, a method for returning the reel tine bars to the deployed position includes (i) receiving, at the computer, signals from the sensor, (ii) recording a sensed position of the cutterbar when the actuator moves the reel tine bars to the retracted position, and (iii) activating the actuator to return the reel tine bars to the deployed position as a function of when the cutterbar returns to the recorded sensed position.

In an agricultural harvester header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame, a reel attached to the frame and having a plurality of reel tine bars, a cutterbar attached to the frame and positioned beneath the reel, an actuator for moving the reel tine bars between a deployed position and a retracted position, a sensor for sensing a position of the cutterbar, and a computer, a method for returning the reel tine bars to the deployed position includes (i) receiving, at the computer, signals from the sensor, (ii) recording a sensed position of the cutterbar when the actuator moves the reel tine bars to the retracted position, and (iii) activating the actuator to return the reel tine bars to the deployed position as a function of when the cutterbar returns to the recorded sensed position.

A reel of a harvester including a cutter bar includes a plurality of reel bats which are pivotal so as to vary the angle of the fingers about the bat axis as the reel rotates. The reel is used with a cutter bar which can change in height at one or more positions along its length to accommodate changes in ground height and contour. In order to maintain the fingers of the reel as close as possible to the cutter bar for best crop control, there is provided a sensor at each of one or more positions along the cutter bar responsive to the cutter bar height and an actuator which changes the diameter of the reel bats at the respective position.

A reel arm for a header of an agricultural harvester comprising a rotatable coupler, a first linkage assembly and a second linkage assembly is disclosed. The rotatable coupler has a central rotational axis and includes a control shaft extending therethrough parallel to the central rotational axis. The first linkage assembly includes a first end connected to the control shaft about a first lateral side of the rotatable coupler and a second end opposite the first end for connection to a reel tine bar of a first reel assembly of the header. The second linkage assembly includes a first end connected to the control shaft about a second lateral side of the rotatable coupler and a second end opposite the first end for connection to a reel tine bar of a second reel assembly of the header.

A reel arm for a header of an agricultural harvester comprising a rotatable coupler, a first linkage assembly and a second linkage assembly is disclosed. The rotatable coupler has a central rotational axis and includes a control shaft extending therethrough parallel to the central rotational axis. The first linkage assembly includes a first end connected to the control shaft about a first lateral side of the rotatable coupler and a second end opposite the first end for connection to a reel tine bar of a first reel assembly of the header. The second linkage assembly includes a first end connected to the control shaft about a second lateral side of the rotatable coupler and a second end opposite the first end for connection to a reel tine bar of a second reel assembly of the header.

The present disclosure concerns a cutter head for a harvester, with a cutterbar for cutting crop from a field, a reel with reel fingers which is disposed above the cutterbar, and a cross conveyor for transporting the cut crop to a rear discharge opening. The reel includes reel arms that can be driven about a rotating axis, reel finger carriers supported on the reel arms so they can rotate about the lengthwise axes of the arms, with reel fingers mounted thereon, and an externally powered actuator connected to an electronic control unit for adjusting the rotary angle of the reel finger carrier relative to the reel arms.

A crop harvesting header including a pickup reel mounted for rotation about a reel axis includes a plurality of reel bats peripherally disposed and having outwardly extending fingers rotatable about a bat axis. A cam track surrounding the reel axis includes a cam surface and a guide surface. A linkage associated with each reel bat has first and second cam followers that engage the cam surface at first and second contact points displacing the linkage while traversing the cam track, the linkage being coupled to cause rotation of the reel bat about the bat axis for changing an angle of attack of the fingers. A guide follower engages the guide surface at a third contact point between the first and second contact points and is offset to cause the first and second cam followers and the guide follower to maintain contact with the guide surface while traversing the cam track.

A crop harvesting header including a pickup reel mounted for rotation about a reel axis includes a plurality of reel bats peripherally disposed and having outwardly extending fingers rotatable about a bat axis. A cam track surrounding the reel axis includes a cam surface and a guide surface. A linkage associated with each reel bat has first and second cam followers that engage the cam surface at first and second contact points displacing the linkage while traversing the cam track, the linkage being coupled to cause rotation of the reel bat about the bat axis for changing an angle of attack of the fingers. A guide follower engages the guide surface at a third contact point between the first and second contact points and is offset to cause the first and second cam followers and the guide follower to maintain contact with the guide surface while traversing the cam track.

A harvester head reel may include a bat support and an extendable bat supported by the bat. The extendable bat may have a first segment and a second segment overlapping the first segment. The harvester head reels may further include a first finger extending from the first segment and a second finger extending from the second segment.