Abstract A cooperatively related transport apparatus and loading apparatus organized for rapid and reliable use of the power of a combine machine to load a plurality of headers for transport by the steps of connecting the power of a combine to a header loading means; releasably supporting the bottom wall of said header at its rear while holding to an upper portion of said header by said loading means; transmitting power from said combine to said loading means and thereby raising the thus-held header upwards, and then moving said header transversely to the length thereof and towards and over a transport apparatus therefor and centrally of means thereon for attaching said header to said transport apparatus; then moving said header downwardly and laterally and thereby engaging said transport apparatus and said header-holding means spaced apart along length of the transport apparatus whereby limited longitudinal motion of said header relative to said transport apparatus is permitted, and at two other holding means spaced apart along length of said transport apparatus and transversely spaced away from said first holding means, said other holding means permitting limited transverse motion of said header relative to said transport apparatus; and removing said loading means from the header and locking said header to said transport apparatus at a point between said two other holding means.
A tractor loading assembly comprising, in operative combination, a combine tractor with engine and elevator; a rigid ledge frame, pivot points at the rear thereof, a forwardly projecting rigid horizontally extending ledge at the front thereof, said pivot points pivotally connected to said elevator; a supplemental frame pivotally mounted on said ledge frame near to the front thereof, said supplemental frame comprising a locking frame and a latch and release assembly therefor; said locking frame assembly comprising a rigid horizontally extending locking rod and vertical support means fixedly attached thereto at their top and pivotally attached to said ledge frame at their bottom, a first rigid link firmly attached to said locking rod and projecting rearwardly therefrom; said latch and release assembly comprising a second rigid link pivotally attached to the rear of said first rigid link attached to said locking rod; removable locking means releasably attaching said second link to said rigid ledge frame at a point on said second link spaced away from the point of attachment thereof to said first link in operative combination with a traveling frame means for supporting a combine header for off-the-road and unpaved-road travel comprising a frame, said frame supported on wheels, said frame comprising a first longitudinal beam rigid in the vertical plane, first holding means firmly attached to one point on said beam and holding said header laterally and downward to said one point on said beam, a second holding means holding said header to said traveling frame while permitting movement of said header transverse to the length of said traveling frame, and a third holding means holding said header to said frame and permitting movement parallel to the length of said traveling frame, said holding means being spaced away from each other on said frame; said ledge of said ledge frame extending vertically over said longitudinal beam and horizontally over said second holding means on said traveling frame.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
319 words
A tractor loading assembly comprising, in operative combination, a combine tractor with engine and elevator; a rigid ledge frame, pivot points at the rear thereof, a forwardly projecting rigid horizontally extending ledge at the front thereof, said pivot points pivotally connected to said elevator; a supplemental frame pivotally mounted on said ledge frame near to the front thereof, said supplemental frame comprising a locking frame and a latch and release assembly therefor; said locking frame assembly comprising a rigid horizontally extending locking rod and vertical support means fixedly attached thereto at their top and pivotally attached to said ledge frame at their bottom, a first rigid link firmly attached to said locking rod and projecting rearwardly therefrom; said latch and release assembly comprising a second rigid link pivotally attached to the rear of said first rigid link attached to said locking rod; removable locking means releasably attaching said second link to said rigid ledge frame at a point on said second link spaced away from the point of attachment thereof to said first link in operative combination with a traveling frame means for supporting a combine header for off-the-road and unpaved-road travel comprising a frame, said frame supported on wheels, said frame comprising a first longitudinal beam rigid in the vertical plane, first holding means firmly attached to one point on said beam and holding said header laterally and downward to said one point on said beam, a second holding means holding said header to said traveling frame while permitting movement of said header transverse to the length of said traveling frame, and a third holding means holding said header to said frame and permitting movement parallel to the length of said traveling frame, said holding means being spaced away from each other on said frame; said ledge of said ledge frame extending vertically over said longitudinal beam and horizontally over said second holding means on said traveling frame.