Conditioner mounting for a windrower

Claim 2

A crop harvesting machine, comprising in combination: a wheel supported main frame; a header pivotally mounted and supported forwardly of said main frame by a linkage combination including a pair of laterally spaced header lift links extending between said header and said main frame and pivotally connected to each; a pair of guide rails, each disposed inwardly on one of the lift links and extending longitudinally therewith; a conditioning unit, having a pair of conditioning rolls rotatively mounted forwardly therein, mounted in underslung fashion beneath said main frame, rearwardly of a discharge opening in said header, said conditioning unit being pivotally mounted about the rear thereof by a pair of laterally spaced bracket members depending from said main frame, said conditioning unit further including a pair of rollers, one roller mounted on each forward side of the conditioning unit and laterally spaced, aligned with and resting upon the upper surface of said guide rails such that the conditioning unit moves in correspondence with the movement of said header and lift links.

Claim 3

In a crop harvesting machine having a wheel supported main frame, a lift linkage mechanism mounted forwardly of said main frame and including a pair of laterally spaced lift arms pivotally connected to said main frame and extending forwardly therefrom, a header supported by said lift mechanism and including a transversely extending reel rotatively mounted therein, cutting means spaced below said reel for cutting the oncoming crop, a discharge opening formed in a rear central portion of the header and having a floor plate extending rearwardly from a lower portion thereof, an auger spaced rearwardly of the reel and adapted to convey the crop material inwardly towards the discharge opening, and a conditioning unit mounted in an underslung fashion beneath said main frame, said conditioning uniT including a pair of conditioning rolls spaced in close proximity to the discharge opening for receiving crop material therefrom, the improvement comprising: a mounting structure for mounting said conditioning unit to said main frame such that said conditioning unit moves in proportion to the movement of said header, said improved mounting structure including a pair of laterally spaced bracket members depending downwardly from said main frame and pivotally connected to the rear outer portion of said conditioning unit, guide rails formed along said lift arms, and a pair of rollers each rotatively mounted on an outer front portion of said conditioning unit, said rollers being aligned with said guide rails and adapted to move therealong as said header moves up and down.

Claim 4

In a crop harvesting machine having a wheel supported main frame, a lift linkage mechanism mounted forwardly of said main frame and including a pair of laterally spaced lift arms pivotally connected to said main frame and extending forwardly therefrom, a header supported by said lift mechanism and including a transversely extending reel rotatively mounted therein, cutting means spaced below said reel for cutting the oncoming crop, a discharge opening formed in a rear central portion of the header and having a floor plate extending rearwardly from a lower portion thereof, an auger spaced rearwardly of the reel and adapted to convey the crop material inwardly towards the discharge opening, and a conditioning unit mounted in an underslung fashion beneath said main frame, said conditioning uniT including a pair of conditioning rolls spaced in close proximity to the discharge opening for receiving crop material therefrom, the improvement comprising: a mounting structure for mounting said conditioning unit to said main frame such that said conditioning unit moves in proportion to the movement of said header, said improved mounting structure including a pair of laterally spaced bracket members depending downwardly from said main frame and pivotally connected to the rear outer portion of said conditioning unit, guide rails formed along said lift arms, and a pair of rollers each rotatively mounted on an outer front portion of said conditioning unit, said rollers being aligned with said guide rails and adapted to move therealong as said header moves up and down.

Claim 5

The harvesting device as recited in claim 2 wherein the improvement further comprises a transversely extending bar fixed to a rear portion of said floor plate and extending over said lift arms and slideable therealong as said lift arms move up and down with said header.

Claim 6

The harvesting device as recited in claim 2 wherein said guide rails include inverted V-shaped cam surfaces disposed along a forward portion thereof, said cam surfaces being particularly spaced to engage said rollers when said header is raised to a transport position.

Claim 7

A harvesting device comprising in combination: a wheel supported main frame; a lift mechanism mounted forwardly of said main frame and including a pair of laterally spaced lift arms; a header supported by said lift mechanism; and a conditioning unit pivotally mounted about the rear thereof to said main frame and including front moveable support means for moving fore-and-aft along said lift arms such that the front portion of the conditioning unit moves up and down in proportion to the movement of said lift arms and header.

Claim 8

A harvesting device comprising in combination: a wheel supported main frame; a lift mechanism mounted forwardly of said main frame and including a pair of laterally spaced lift arms; a header supported by said lift mechanism; and a conditioning unit pivotally mounted about the rear thereof to said main frame and including front moveable support means for moving fore-and-aft along said lift arms such that the front portion of the conditioning unit moves up and down in proportion to the movement of said lift arms and header.

Claim 9

The harvesting device as recited in claim 5 wherein said front moveable support means includes a pair of laterally spaced rotatively mounted rollers which extend from each side of the conditioning unit and which are aligned to engage and rest upon said lift arms.

Claim 10

A harvesting device as recited in claim 5 wherein guide rails are provided adjacent each lift arm and adapted to support said front moveable support means.

Claim 11

A harvesting device as recited in claim 5 wherein each of said lift arms are provided with an elevated cam surface particularly spaced thereon to engage said front support means of said conditioning unit when said header is raised to a transport position such that said conditioning unit is raised to a relatively high position by the engagement of said cam surfaces with said front support means.

Claim 12

A harvesting device as recited in claim 8 wherein said cam surfaces are of an inverted V-shape and wherein said front moveable support means includes a pair of rollers rotatively mounted on front portions of said conditioning unit and laterally spaced thereon so as to engage said inverted V-shaped cam surfaces when said header is raised to a transport position.