Agricultural header with one or more movable wing sections

Abstract

An agricultural header includes: a main section including a main frame carrying at least one cutting element; at least one wing section pivotably coupled to the main section and including a wing frame; and a linkage pivotably coupling the at least one wing section to the main section, the linkage including an upper bar and a lower bar which are both coupled to the main frame and the wing frame, the upper bar defining an upper bar axis and the lower bar defining a lower bar axis which is non-parallel to the upper bar axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An agricultural header, comprising:
 a main section including a main frame carrying at least one cutting element;   at least one wing section pivotably coupled to the main section and including at least a first segment section pivotably coupled to the main section and including a first segment frame and a second segment section pivotably coupled to the first segment section and including a second segment frame; and   a first linkage pivotably coupling the first segment section to the main section, the first linkage including a first upper bar and a first lower bar which are both coupled to the main frame and the first segment frame, the first upper bar defining a first upper bar axis and the first lower bar defining a first lower bar axis which is non-parallel to the first upper bar axis.   
     
     
         2 . The agricultural header of  claim 1 , wherein the first segment section defines a wing longitudinal axis, at least one of the first upper bar axis and the first lower bar axis being non-parallel to the wing longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The agricultural header of  claim 2 , wherein the first upper bar axis and the first lower bar axis are both non-parallel to the wing longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The agricultural header of  claim 1 , wherein the main section includes an upper main pivot and a lower main pivot and the first segment section includes an upper wing pivot and a lower wing pivot, the first upper bar being coupled to the upper main pivot and the upper wing pivot and the first lower bar being coupled to the lower main pivot and the lower wing pivot. 
     
     
         5 . The agricultural header of  claim 4 , wherein the first upper bar defines a first upper bar length and the first lower bar defines a first lower bar length which is equal to the first upper bar length. 
     
     
         6 . The agricultural header of  claim 1 , wherein the first linkage is configured to maintain the first upper bar axis and the first lower bar axis in a non-parallel relationship regardless of an orientation of the first segment section relative to the main section. 
     
     
         7 . The agricultural header of  claim 1 , further comprising an actuator coupling the first upper bar to the first lower bar. 
     
     
         8 . An agricultural header, comprising:
 a main section including a main frame carrying at least one cutting element;   a first segment section pivotably coupled to the main section and including a first segment frame;   a second segment section pivotably coupled to the first segment section and including a second segment frame;   a first linkage pivotably coupling the first segment section to the main section, the first linkage including a first upper bar and a first lower bar which are both coupled to the main frame and the first segment frame; and   a second linkage pivotably coupling the second segment section to the first segment section, the second linkage including a second upper bar and a second lower bar which are both coupled to the second segment section and the first segment section.   
     
     
         9 . The agricultural header of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first and second segment frame is substantially rigid. 
     
     
         10 . The agricultural header of  claim 8 , further comprising an actuator coupled to at least one of the first upper bar, the first lower bar, and the first segment section. 
     
     
         11 . The agricultural header of  claim 10 , wherein the actuator couples the first upper bar to the first lower bar. 
     
     
         12 . The agricultural header of  claim 8 , further comprising a second actuator coupled to at least one of the second upper bar, the second lower bar, and the second segment section. 
     
     
         13 . The agricultural header of  claim 12 , wherein the second actuator couples the second upper bar to the second lower bar. 
     
     
         14 . The agricultural header of  claim 8 , wherein the first upper bar defines a first upper bar axis, the first lower bar defines a first lower bar axis which is parallel to the first upper bar axis, the second upper bar defines a second upper bar axis, and the second lower bar defines a second lower bar axis which is parallel to the second upper bar axis. 
     
     
         15 . The agricultural header of  claim 14 , wherein the first upper bar axis and the first lower bar axis are non-parallel to the second upper bar axis and the second lower bar axis. 
     
     
         16 . The agricultural header of  claim 8 , wherein the first upper bar defines a first upper bar axis and the first lower bar defines a first lower bar axis which is parallel to the first upper bar axis. 
     
     
         17 . The agricultural header of  claim 8 , wherein the main frame includes an upper main bar pivotably coupled to the first upper bar and a lower main bar pivotably coupled to the first lower bar.