Header securing mechanism for a combine harvester
In a combine harvester, the header is lifted up by the feeder and secured thereto by a mechanism including a pair of securing pins on the feeder's carrier structure. The securing pins are provided with stops protruding towards the header and which include a sloped surface, configured to interact with positioning aids on the header. The lateral outward or inward movement of the securing pins is driven by a centrally placed actuator. As the actuator is extended, the positioning aids roll or glide down the sloped surfaces, enabling a gradual approach of the header towards the feeder, up to a point where the securing pins become aligned with slots on the header. Continued actuation of the pin motion then establishes the securing of the header to the feeder.
1. A combine harvester comprising a feeder and a detachable header, the feeder comprising a carrier structure for lifting up the header from the ground or from a trailer, wherein:
the carrier structure comprises a pair of securing pins oriented transversely relative to the forward direction of the combine, and an actuator located between the pins and configured to move the pins towards or away from each other while the pins maintain their transverse orientation,
immovably attached to each securing pin is at least one stop protruding outward from the pin in the forward direction, the stops having a front surface that is sloped relative to the respective pins,
the header comprises a positioning aid for each of the stops, and a pair of slots configured to receive the ends of the securing pins,
and wherein:
the positioning aids are placed relative to the sloped surfaces of the respective stops in such a manner that after the header is lifted up by the carrier structure, the positioning aids are configured to roll or glide down the sloped surfaces under the influence of the actuator moving the securing pins away from each other, thereby enabling a gradual approach of the header towards a securing position relative to the carrier structure,
the slots on the header are placed so that when the header reaches said securing position, the pins are aligned with the slots, so that the continued actuation of the outward movement of the pins by the actuator drives the ends of the securing pins into the slots, thereby securing the header to the carrier structure.
2. The combine harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the header and the carrier structure respectively comprise a first and a second half of a multicoupler, placed in such a manner on the header and the carrier structure that the two halves are interconnected at the end of the gradual approach of the header towards the securing position.
3. The combine header according to claim 1 , wherein the header and the carrier structure are configured so that the gradual approach is generated by the gravity force acting on the header.
4. The combine harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator, the securing pins and the stops are configured so that prior to lifting up the header, the actuator is able to retract the securing pins towards each other until the stops reach a pre-defined central starting position.
5. The combine harvester according to claim 4 , wherein each securing pin is guided by two bushings, an inner bushing and an outer bushing, the actuator being movable between the inner bushings, and wherein the inner bushings serve as boundaries for the inward movement of the stops.
6. The combine harvester according to claim 5 , wherein the outer bushings serve as boundaries for the outward movement of the stops, thereby defining the position of the actuator when the pins are fully secured in the slots.
7. The combine harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a variable length actuator comprising a first and second movable portion, and wherein the securing pins are connected respectively to the two portions of the actuator.
8. The combine harvester according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning aids are rollers configured to roll on the sloped surfaces of the stops.