Jeffery O Fox

US Patent:

62896598, Sep 18, 2001

Filed:

Oct 28, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/429176

Inventors:

Jeffery Robert Fox - Minburn IA

Assignee:

Deere & Company - Moline IL

International Classification:

A01D 7500
A01D 6300

US Classification:

56 10.2E

Abstract:

A height sensing shoe assembly for an implement such as a cotton harvester includes an arm pivotally connected at an upper end to the lower portion of a harvester row unit for rocking about an arm axis transverse to the forward direction. A shoe or ski elongated in the fore-and-aft direction is pivotally connected at a central location to the lower end of the arm for rocking about an axis parallel to the arm axis. The elongated pivoting shoe tends to bridge peaks and valleys in the soil surface irregularities proving a mechanical averaging effect to reduce the range of pivoting of the arm as the unit passes the irregularities. An actuator connected to the arm and responsive to arm pivoting controls the lift system to maintain the height of the unit above the ground within a preselected range. The range of pivoting of the shoe relative to the horizontal changes with movement of the row unit between the transport position and field-working position to prevent digging in of the shoe as the unit is lowered without adversely affecting the desired pivot range in the operating position of the unit.