A combine includes a feeder housing that include a movable cradle frame at the front, configured to receive a header, so that a controlled movement of the cradle frame may be imparted to the header during a harvesting run. The combine further includes a driveline for driving moving components of the combine header. The driveline includes a belt drive mounted laterally with respect to the feeder housing. The belt drive is configured to transfer a rotation of a first drive axle that is part of the driveline, to a rotation of a second axle to which a drive axle of the header can be coupled. The belt drive includes two pulleys which are maintained in a common plane regardless of movement of the header relative to the feeder housing. The pulleys are rotatably mounted in a longitudinally extendable bridge structure, and are coupled to the first and second axles.

A combine includes a feeder housing that include a movable cradle frame at the front, configured to receive a header, so that a controlled movement of the cradle frame may be imparted to the header during a harvesting run. The combine further includes a driveline for driving moving components of the combine header. The driveline includes a belt drive mounted laterally with respect to the feeder housing. The belt drive is configured to transfer a rotation of a first drive axle that is part of the driveline, to a rotation of a second axle to which a drive axle of the header can be coupled. The belt drive includes two pulleys which are maintained in a common plane regardless of movement of the header relative to the feeder housing. The pulleys are rotatably mounted in a longitudinally extendable bridge structure, and are coupled to the first and second axles.

In one aspect, a method for automatically controlling a height of an implement of an agricultural work vehicle relative to a ground surface may include monitoring, with one or more computing devices, the height of the implement relative to the ground surface. The method may also include determining, with the one or more computing devices, an implement height error by comparing the height of the implement with a predetermined target height. The method may also include calculating, with the one or more computing devices, a proportional signal based on the implement height error raised to a power greater than one. The method may also include adjusting, with the one or more computing devices, the height of the implement relative to the ground surface based on the proportional signal.

A priori geo-referenced vegetative index data is obtained for a worksite, along with field data that is collected by a sensor on a work machine that is performing an operation at the worksite. A predictive model is generated, while the machine is performing the operation, based on the geo-referenced vegetative index data and the field data. A model quality metric is generated for the predictive model and is used to determine whether the predictive model is a qualified predicative model. If so, a control system controls a subsystem of the work machine, using the qualified predictive model, and a position of the work machine, to perform the operation.

An agricultural system (100) includes a header (112) including a first header segment (220) and a second header segment (222). The agricultural system also includes an actuator (312, 314, 326, 328) configured to adjust a position of the first header segment relative to the second header segment. The agricultural system also includes a controller (224) configured to receive sensor information from a pressure sensor and compare the pressure to a threshold pressure. In some embodiments, the sensor information is indicative of a pressure within a cylinder of the actuator. In certain embodiments, the controller is configured to send instructions to the actuator to adjust the first header segment relative to the second header segment in response to the pressure being below the pressure threshold.

A piston lock system having first and second cylinders, first and second pistons telescopically connected to the cylinders, and first and second piston locks. The piston locks are movable in a transverse direction within a planar region between the cylinders, between unlocked positions in which the piston locks are not located between the free ends of the cylinders and the free ends of the piston, and locked positions in which the piston locks are located between the free cylinder ends and the free piston ends. A control link is operatively connected to the piston locks, and configured to simultaneously move the piston locks between the locked and unlocked positions.

A piston lock system comprising: a cylinder, a rod receiver fixed to the cylinder, a piston slidably mounted to the cylinder, and a rod fixed to a free end of the piston and extending parallel to the piston to be located within the rod receiver. The piston and rod are movable relative to the cylinder and rod receiver between a retracted position and an extended position. A lock pin is mounted to the rod receiver and movable between a unlocked position in which the lock pin does not intersect a path of the rod, and a locked position in which the lock pin intersects the path of the rod and prevents the rod and piston from moving to the retracted position. Lock pins of multiple actuators can be connected to operate in unison.

An agricultural header having a frame, a first support arm, a second support arm spaced from the first support arm, a reel extending from a first reel end rotatably mounted to the first support arm to a second reel end rotatably mounted to the second support arm, a first actuator operatively connected to the frame and the first support arm and configured to move the first support arm relative to the frame, a second actuator operatively connected to the frame and the second support arm and configured to move the second support arm relative to the frame, and a control system configured to alternately operate the first actuator and the second actuator in repeating alternating incremental steps to thereby move the reel from a first reel position relative to the frame to a second reel position relative to the frame. A combine having such a header is also provided.

An agricultural header having a frame, a first support arm, a second support arm spaced from the first support arm, a reel extending from a first reel end rotatably mounted to the first support arm to a second reel end rotatably mounted to the second support arm, a first actuator operatively connected to the frame and the first support arm and configured to move the first support arm relative to the frame, a second actuator operatively connected to the frame and the second support arm and configured to move the second support arm relative to the frame, and a control system configured to alternately operate the first actuator and the second actuator in repeating alternating incremental steps to thereby move the reel from a first reel position relative to the frame to a second reel position relative to the frame. A combine having such a header is also provided.

A method and apparatus for controlling a header height of a combine harvester that includes a header, a ground speed sensor, a ground height sensor configured to detect a ground contour directly beneath the header, a forward looking sensor (FLS) configured to detect a ground contour forward of the header, and a controller. The controller receives signals from the ground speed sensor, the ground height sensor and the FLS, and calculates a header height output as a function of (i) an output of the ground speed sensor, which represents a ground speed of the combine, (ii) an output of the ground height sensor, and (iii) an output of the FLS. The controller is further configured to weight the outputs of the ground height sensor and the FLS as a function of the speed of the combine harvester in calculating the header height output.