A harvesting head for a collection machine that harvests material. The head includes conveyor belts to transport material towards the collection machine, and blower heads to help prevent material from falling off the conveyor belts. The conveyor belts can include a feed belt that feeds material towards the collection machine, and a side belt that carries material towards the feed belt. Blower heads can blow across the side belt and towards the center of the feed belt. Blower heads can be located below the side belt. Blower heads can be located near the front of the feed belt and blow towards the collection machine. A feed drum can move material towards the collection machine, and blower heads can blow across the feed drum and towards the feed belt or collection machine. Blower heads can be movable, or have adjustable flow rate, velocity, direction or spread.

A harvesting head for a collection machine that harvests material. The head includes conveyor belts to transport material towards the collection machine, and blower heads to help prevent material from falling off the conveyor belts. The conveyor belts can include a feed belt that feeds material towards the collection machine, and a side belt that carries material towards the feed belt. Blower heads can blow across the side belt and towards the center of the feed belt. Blower heads can be located below the side belt. Blower heads can be located near the front of the feed belt and blow towards the collection machine. A feed drum can move material towards the collection machine, and blower heads can blow across the feed drum and towards the feed belt or collection machine. Blower heads can be movable, or have adjustable flow rate, velocity, direction or spread.

An extendable and retractable conveyor comprises a hopper for receiving agricultural product a housing having an inlet and an outlet that are separated by a fixed distance, the inlet being adjacent to the hopper for receiving the agricultural product from the hopper. The conveyor may include a belt conveyor disposed within the housing for conveying the agricultural product from the inlet to the outlet, the conveyor defining a direction of conveyance. The conveyor further includes a hood connected to the outlet for deflecting the agricultural product relative to the direction of conveyance. The conveyor further includes a movable spout that is slidably connected to the tube and disposed beneath the hood to receive the agricultural product from the hood, the movable spout being slidable in a direction parallel to the direction of conveyance to thereby extend or retract the conveyor.

An extendable and retractable conveyor comprises a hopper for receiving agricultural product a housing having an inlet and an outlet that are separated by a fixed distance, the inlet being adjacent to the hopper for receiving the agricultural product from the hopper. The conveyor may include a belt conveyor disposed within the housing for conveying the agricultural product from the inlet to the outlet, the conveyor defining a direction of conveyance. The conveyor further includes a hood connected to the outlet for deflecting the agricultural product relative to the direction of conveyance. The conveyor further includes a movable spout that is slidably connected to the tube and disposed beneath the hood to receive the agricultural product from the hood, the movable spout being slidable in a direction parallel to the direction of conveyance to thereby extend or retract the conveyor.

A self-propelled harvester having a height-adjustable pick-up device, on which an attachment pivotable about a virtual pendulum axis of the pick-up device is positioned for picking up harvested material is disclosed. The pick-up device is configured for adaptive adjustment of a vertical distance of the attachment from the ground. Further, at least one support wheel is positioned at least on the outer lateral regions of the attachment. The support wheel may be guided in a height-movable manner by a hydraulic cylinder connected to a hydraulic circuit of a hydraulic system having a pressure source. Position regulation of the attachment transverse to the forward direction of travel by pivoting about the virtual pendulum axis is independent of a transverse guidance of the attachment controlled or regulated by the harvester.

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 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 method for operating a self-propelled agricultural harvester with a cutting unit and a self-propelled agricultural harvester are disclosed. A driver assistance system associated with the agricultural harvester includes a memory that saves data and a computing unit for processing data saved in the memory. The driver assistance system and the cutting unit form an automated cutting unit. A harvesting process strategy is selected from a plurality of harvesting process strategies saved in the memory and at least one cutting unit parameter is selected. The at least one cutting unit parameter may be determined autonomously by the computing unit to implement the at least one selected harvesting process strategy and may be specified to the cutting unit. While the automated cutting unit is being controlled according to the selected harvesting process strategy, responsive to detecting a harvesting process situation on a field to be worked, with the harvesting process situation indicative of deviating from the at least one harvesting process strategy, regulation sequences, which temporarily override the execution of the harvesting process strategy, are executed.

An agricultural header for use with an agricultural harvester is configured to cut crop when the agricultural harvester moves in a direction of travel. The agricultural header comprises a first frame, a side draper belt supported by the first frame and positioned to receive cut crop and advance cut crop laterally relative to the direction of travel, a second frame, a center draper belt supported by the second frame and positioned in register with the side draper belt to receive cut crop laterally therefrom and advance cut crop rearwardly toward the agricultural harvester opposite to the direction of travel, and a joint interconnecting the first frame and the second frame and enabling relative fore-aft and lateral translation between the first frame and the second frame.

An agricultural header for use with an agricultural harvester is configured to cut crop when the agricultural harvester moves in a direction of travel. The agricultural header comprises a first frame, a side draper belt supported by the first frame and positioned to receive cut crop and advance cut crop laterally relative to the direction of travel, a second frame, a center draper belt supported by the second frame and positioned in register with the side draper belt to receive cut crop laterally therefrom and advance cut crop rearwardly toward the agricultural harvester opposite to the direction of travel, and a joint interconnecting the first frame and the second frame and enabling relative fore-aft and lateral translation between the first frame and the second frame.