Systems, methods, and apparatuses for automatically controlling a position of a reel relative to wing of an agricultural header in response to movement of the wing are disclosed. In some instances, a position of the reel, such as a portion of the reel, is located at a different position relative to the wing based on an amount of articulation of the wing, such as an amount of angular displacement of the wing relative to a datum, such as a center frame of the header.

An actuator assembly for moving an implement attached to an agricultural vehicle. The actuator assembly includes an actuator comprising a longitudinal axis, a cylinder extending along the longitudinal axis, and a piston rod extending from the cylinder along the longitudinal axis and that is configured to be attached to the implement at a connection point. A safety stop is pivotably attached at the connection point and is movable between a deployed position where the safety stop is configured to block retraction of the actuator, and a retracted position where the safety stop is not configured to block retraction of the actuator. The safety stop is configured to rotate with respect to the actuator about a first rotational axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, as well as a second rotational axis that is orthogonal to both the longitudinal axis and the first rotational axis.

A system for controlling an operative parameter of a harvesting header of an agricultural harvesting machine comprises a first sensing arrangement for sensing a property of a field in front of the header in a contact-less manner, a second sensing arrangement for providing a signal suited to derive a value of an adjustable work parameter of the header, an actuator for adjusting the work parameter, and a control unit for determining a control signal for the actuator based on the signal from the first sensing arrangement and on the signal from the second sensing arrangement. The second sensing arrangement is arranged to detect the position of a reference point, which indicates the work parameter, in a contact-less manner, and that the first sensing arrangement and the second sensing arrangement are relatively fixed.

A system for controlling an operative parameter of a harvesting header of an agricultural harvesting machine comprises a first sensing arrangement for sensing a property of a field in front of the header in a contact-less manner, a second sensing arrangement for providing a signal suited to derive a value of an adjustable work parameter of the header, an actuator for adjusting the work parameter, and a control unit for determining a control signal for the actuator based on the signal from the first sensing arrangement and on the signal from the second sensing arrangement. The second sensing arrangement is arranged to detect the position of a reference point, which indicates the work parameter, in a contact-less manner, and that the first sensing arrangement and the second sensing arrangement are relatively fixed.

The invention relates to a cutting system (1) for a combine harvester (2), having a support frame (3) for a cutting table (4), which has, on the cutting side, a cutting bar (6) which is fastened in an articulated manner to the support frame (3), is flexible transversely to the cutting direction (5) and can be adjusted in height with respect to the support frame (3) by means of a plurality of axle levers (7) which are arranged distributed over the width of the cutting system and engage at one end on the cutting bar (6) and at the other end on the support frame (3), wherein actuators (8) and thus the axle levers (7) with the cutting bar (6) can be actuated by a controller (12). In order to create advantageous cutting conditions, it is proposed that the cutting bar (6) is assigned a plurality of sensors (11) which are arranged in a distributed manner over the width of the cutting system, record the ground clearance of the cutting bar (6) and are provided in the cutting direction (5) in front of each axle lever (7) on the cutting bar (6), wherein the sensors (11) are skids (13) arranged on the bottom side of the cutting bar (6) for measuring the ground contact pressure of the respective skid (13) or for measuring the distance between the skid (13) and the cutting bar (6).

The invention relates to a cutting system (1) for a combine harvester (2), having a support frame (3) for a cutting table (4), which has, on the cutting side, a cutting bar (6) which is fastened in an articulated manner to the support frame (3), is flexible transversely to the cutting direction (5) and can be adjusted in height with respect to the support frame (3) by means of a plurality of axle levers (7) which are arranged distributed over the width of the cutting system and engage at one end on the cutting bar (6) and at the other end on the support frame (3), wherein actuators (8) and thus the axle levers (7) with the cutting bar (6) can be actuated by a controller (12). In order to create advantageous cutting conditions, it is proposed that the cutting bar (6) is assigned a plurality of sensors (11) which are arranged in a distributed manner over the width of the cutting system, record the ground clearance of the cutting bar (6) and are provided in the cutting direction (5) in front of each axle lever (7) on the cutting bar (6), wherein the sensors (11) are skids (13) arranged on the bottom side of the cutting bar (6) for measuring the ground contact pressure of the respective skid (13) or for measuring the distance between the skid (13) and the cutting bar (6).

A harvesting machine includes: a machine main body 1; a harvesting unit 15 that is provided forward of the machine main body 1 and is capable of swinging upward and downward relative to the machine main body 1; a height detection unit that is capable of detecting a height position H at which the harvesting unit 15 is located; and an obstacle detection unit that is capable of detecting an obstacle that is located forward thereof in a travel direction. The obstacle detection unit includes: a first sensor 21 and a second sensor 22 that are provided at different positions in a vertical direction, and output detection information regarding a detection area that is located forward thereof in the travel direction; a selection unit that selects at least either the detection information from the first sensor 21 or the detection information from the second sensor 22 based on the height position H of the harvesting unit 15; and a determination unit that determines the obstacle based on the detection information selected by the selection unit.

A harvesting machine includes: a machine main body 1; a harvesting unit 15 that is provided forward of the machine main body 1 and is capable of swinging upward and downward relative to the machine main body 1; a height detection unit that is capable of detecting a height position H at which the harvesting unit 15 is located; and an obstacle detection unit that is capable of detecting an obstacle that is located forward thereof in a travel direction. The obstacle detection unit includes: a first sensor 21 and a second sensor 22 that are provided at different positions in a vertical direction, and output detection information regarding a detection area that is located forward thereof in the travel direction; a selection unit that selects at least either the detection information from the first sensor 21 or the detection information from the second sensor 22 based on the height position H of the harvesting unit 15; and a determination unit that determines the obstacle based on the detection information selected by the selection unit.

Some crops, such as soybeans, grow close to the ground, having a low canopy relative to that of weeds growing interspersed in the crop. A farm implement removes weed growth above the crop canopy. The implement has a chassis with at least three wheels connected to the chassis, a cutting mechanism, mounted at a front end of the chassis, a means for collecting weed growth cut by the cutting mechanism, mounted on the chassis, means for generating and selectively applying rotational torque to at least one of the at least three wheels and means for a user to guide the chassis down the rows in which the crop is grown.

A harvesting machine includes a cutter head having a cutter bar for cutting crop from a ground surface and a rotatable reel located above the cutter bar. Reel arms of the reel each include a plurality of fingers thereon to engage the crop. The cutter head also has an actuator configured to adjust a pitch of the fingers with respect to the reel arms. A controller is operably connected with the cutter head and is configured to receive an input on a cutter head posture relative to the ground surface, with the input on the posture of the cutter head including one or more of a height of the cutter head or an angle of the cutter head relative to the ground surface. The controller operates the actuator to automatically control the pitch of the plurality of fingers based on the received input on the posture of the cutter head.