US 7,520,115 B2
Header float arm load compensation
Bruce Alan Coers, Hillsdale, Ill. (US); Corwin Marcus Puryk, East Moline, Ill. (US); Benjamin Max Lovett, Colona, Ill. (US); Gerald Eric Rains, Eldridge, Iowa (US); Sheldon Joseph Grywacheski, Eldridge, Iowa (US); and Mark Alan Melton, Erie, Ill. (US)
Assigned to Deere & Company, Moline, Ill. (US)
Filed on Dec. 21, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/614,637.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/825857, filed on Sep. 15, 2006.
Prior Publication US 2008/0078155 A1, Apr. 03, 2008
Int. Cl. A01D 34/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 56—15.8 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A float arm load compensation system for a header of an agricultural harvester, comprising:
a header frame;
a plurality of header float arms pivotally coupled to the header frame;
a cutter bar fixed to forward ends of the plurality of header float arms;
at least one conveyor belt supported on the plurality of header float arms and configured to traverse the header perpendicular to the direction of travel of the header, wherein the conveyor belt is further configured to receive crop material cut by the cutter bar;
a plurality of springs, wherein each spring is coupled to an associated header float arm of the plurality of header float arms to exert a force on the associated header float arm compensating for the weight of cut crop material supported by the associated header float arm; and
a control circuit configured to monitor an operational parameter of the agricultural harvester indicative of the load on the at least one conveyor belt.