Abstract The main frame of a mobile implement has a pair of laterally spaced apart skid shoes that are disposed forwardly of the frame and are swingably mounted on the latter at a point spaced rearwardly from the front of the frame so that the shoes ride along the ground and move up and down as uneven terrain is encountered. The shoes underlie and have a force-transmitting connection with a crop head of the implement that is swingably mounted on the frame for movement about its own swinging axis separate from that of the shoes. While the head is disposed to swing about a relatively short radius, the skids are disposed to swing about a substantially longer radius, independently of the head, so that variations in the terrain are smoothly and easily accomodated by the skids while transmitting movement to the head so that the latter is shifted in a direction to compensate for such variations. Resistance forces applied against the skids when the latter encounter obstructions or sharp rises in the terrain are thus transmitted directly to the frame of the implement rather than to the head so that any tendency for the latter to experience ''''digging in'''' and to slam downwardly and rearwardly against the frame as a result of meeting such obstructions is substantially eliminated.
In an implement having a mobile main frame and a crop head attached to said frame for vertical swinging movement relative thereto about a first generally horizontal axis, gauging apparatus at least partially supporting said head and comprising: a pair of laterally spaced apart ground engaging members mounted on said main frame for swinging movement independently of said head about a second axis in response to rises and falls in the terrain, said second axis being generally horizontal and being spaced rearwardly from said first axis; and structure disposed between said members and the head for transmitting vertical motion from said members to the head as terrain variations are encountered whereby to shift the head in a direction to compensate for such variations, said members having a common support frame extending rearwardly therefrom and said support frame having a single pivotal coupling with said main frame at said second axis, said support frame including a transversely extending, rigid crossbar fixed at its opposite ends to said members and a pair of rigid, rearwardly extending legs leading from said crossbar at longitudinally spaced locations thereon, said single pivotal coupling of the support frame with the main frame being adjacent the rearmost ends of said legs and being spaced inwardly from said ground engaging members.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
In an implement having a mobile main frame and a crop head attached to said frame for vertical swinging movement relative thereto about a first generally horizontal axis, gauging apparatus at least partially supporting said head and comprising: a pair of laterally spaced apart ground engaging members mounted on said main frame for swinging movement independently of said head about a second axis in response to rises and falls in the terrain, said second axis being generally horizontal and being spaced rearwardly from said first axis; and structure disposed between said members and the head for transmitting vertical motion from said members to the head as terrain variations are encountered whereby to shift the head in a direction to compensate for such variations, said members having a common support frame extending rearwardly therefrom and said support frame having a single pivotal coupling with said main frame at said second axis, said support frame including a transversely extending, rigid crossbar fixed at its opposite ends to said members and a pair of rigid, rearwardly extending legs leading from said crossbar at longitudinally spaced locations thereon, said single pivotal coupling of the support frame with the main frame being adjacent the rearmost ends of said legs and being spaced inwardly from said ground engaging members.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
Gauging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said members are disposed beneath said head.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
Gauging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said structure has a lower pivotal connection with said members and an upper pivotal connection with said head, the distance between said lower pivotal connection and said pivotal coupling being substantially greater than the distance between said upper pivotal connection and said first axis.