FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10; rule 13)
“SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR AN AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER”
CNH Industrial (India) Pvt. Ltd. of the address: B1-207, Boomerang, Chandivali Farm Road, Near Chandivali Studio, Andheri (East) Mumbai – 400 072, India; Nationality:- India.
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in
which it is to be performed:

SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR AN AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER
BACKGROUND
[0001] The disclosure relates generally toagricultural vehicles, and more specifically, to a support system configured to facilitate coupling a harvester assembly to another agricultural vehicle to form an agricultural harvester.
[0002] Generally, harvesters include multiple drums distributed across a width of the harvester. Each drum is configured to harvest crops along a row as the harvester moves across a field. For example, a drum of a cotton harvester may include a rotor with spindles that revolve about the rotor to remove cotton bolls from cotton plants. The harvested goods (e.g., cotton) and other agricultural materials (e.g., chaff, foliage) may be directed through outlets to a bin, baler, or to the field. However, typical self-propelled harvesters may be large and/or expensive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0003] In one embodiment,a method includes coupling one or more stands of a support system to a frame of a harvester assembly, moving a powertrain assembly of an agricultural vehicle to a position beneath the harvester assembly, while the harvester assembly is coupled to and supported by the one or more stands, and coupling the harvester assembly to the powertrain assembly to construct a harvester.
[0004] In one embodiment, a system configured to facilitate construction of a harvester includes a harvester assembly configured to couple to a powertrain assembly of an agricultural vehicle to form the harvester, wherein the harvester assembly includes a frame with a laterally-extending beam. The system also includesa support system configured to engage the laterally-extending beam. The laterally-extending beam and the support system provide a lateral gap between a portion of the frame and a portion of the support system that enables a wheel of the powertrain assembly to roll through the lateral gap, thereby enabling the powertrain assembly to move to a position beneath the harvester assembly to facilitate construction of the harvester.

DRAWINGS
[0005] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a harvester configured to harvest rows of a crop, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a harvester assembly and a tractor assembly that may be coupled to one another to form the harvester of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a support system coupled to a frame of the harvester assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a front view of the support system of FIG. 3 coupled to the frame of the harvester assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the support system of FIG. 3 coupled to the frame of the harvester assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method of using the support system of FIG. 3 to couple the harvester assembly to the tractor assembly to form the harvester of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0012] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a method of using the support system of FIG. 3 to decouple the harvester assembly from the tractor assembly to disassemble the harvester of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers’ specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
[0014] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
[0015] A harvester collects agricultural product and separates portions of the agricultural product into harvested goods (e.g., cotton) and other agricultural materials (e.g., chaff, foliage) as the harvester travels across an agricultural field. The harvested goods and the other agricultural materials are discharged into outlets, such as a harvested goods outlet and a discharge outlet, respectively. Some typical self-propelled harvesters may be large and/or expensive. Thus, the disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates conversion or modification of another agricultural or work vehicle into a harvester. For example, a tractor may be used throughout the year to carry out various farming operations (e.g., non-harvesting operations). As harvesting season approaches, an operator (e.g., farmer) may modify the tractor, such as by coupling harvester components (e.g., one or more drums, a blower, a bin, a cabin) to certain tractor components (e.g., a tractor chassis supporting wheels, an engine, a transmission, a heating ventilation and air conditioning [HVAC]

system), to form a harvester (e.g., a tractor-mounted harvester or a modified tractor) that may be used to carry out harvesting operations. When the harvesting season ends, the operator may separate the harvester components from the tractor components, and the tractor may again be utilized to carry out the various farming operations.
[0016] In some embodiments, the system includes a support system (e.g., stand system) that is configured to support harvester components in a raised position to enable the operator to insert (e.g., roll) tractor components into position vertically beneath the harvester components. Once the tractor components reach the appropriate position vertically beneath the harvester components, the support system may adjust the vertical position of the harvester components (e.g., level and/or lower the harvester) relative to the tractor components, thereby enabling the operator to couple (e.g., via fasteners, wires, cables, quick couplers) the harvester components to thetractor components to form the harvester that is configured to move about the agricultural field to collect crops and carry out harvesting operations. Advantageously, the disclosed embodiments may facilitate efficient construction of a relatively small and/or low cost harvester (e.g., compared to some self-propelled harvesters) that also enables higher harvesting capacity and/or increased output of harvested goods compared to harvesting crops by hand, for example. Advantageously, the disclosed support system may be utilized to support the harvester components to facilitate separation of the harvester components from the tractor components during disassembly of the harvester. In some embodiments, the disclosed support system may be utilized to store the harvester components (e.g., in a partially or fully assembled state) when the harvester components are not coupled to the tractor components (e.g., during other times of the year or outside of harvesting season).
[0017] While the present disclosure illustrates embodiments of a harvester that includes harvesting components and tractor components to facilitate discussion, it should be understood that the harvester may include components of any of a variety of agricultural or work vehicles, such as trucks or the like. For example, the support system may be utilized to facilitate coupling harvester components to components of a truck to form a harvester. Furthermore, the support system may be utilized to

facilitate construction of any of a variety of agricultural or work vehicles. For example, the support system may be utilized to facilitate coupling sprayer components to components of a tractor to form a sprayer. Thus, the disclosed support systemmay be configured tofacilitate couplingcomponents of various types of agricultural or work vehicles to one another to form a particular agricultural or work vehicle.
[0018] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a harvester 10 (e.g., a tractor-mounted harvester or a modified tractor) configured to harvest rows of a crop in an agricultural field. To facilitate discussion, the harvester 10 and related componentsmay be described with reference to a longitudinal axis or direction 12, a vertical axis or direction 14, and a lateral axis or direction 16.
[0019] As shown, the harvester 10 includes multiple drums 18 (e.g., harvesting heads) that utilize one or more rotors to separate harvested goods (e.g., cotton or other agricultural product) from other agricultural materials (e.g., chaff, foliage, stems, debris). The harvester 10 may include an air system that includes a blower 20 (e.g., fan) that is configured to blow air to direct the harvested goods through one or more conduits 22 to a bin 24 (e.g., basket or baler). In some embodiments, the bin 24 may be configured to move (e.g., pivot or rotate) to transfer the harvested goods out of the bin 24 (e.g., to another container or to the agricultural field). In some embodiments, the other agricultural materials may be deposited onto the agricultural field beneath and/or behind the harvester 10.
[0020] In some embodiments, the harvester 10 may include a cabin 32 configured to support or house an operator. It should be understood that the cabin 32 may be an enclosed cabin (e.g., a climate-controlled cabin), as shown, or the cabin 32 may be a platform (e.g., open or non-enclosed platform) on which the operator may sit or stand, for example. In the illustrated embodiment, the cabin 32 includes one or more operator interfaces and/or input devices 34 (e.g., switch, knob, light, display, steering wheel, gear shift lever) that enable the operator to monitor and/or control various functions of the harvester 10, such as ground speed, steering angle, transmission range and/or gear, operation of the HVAC system, or the like. As shown, the bin 24 and the cabin 32 are supported on a frame 36 (e.g., harvester frame or chassis). Various other

components (e.g., the drums 18, the blower 20, and the one or more conduits 22) may be supported by and/or coupled to the frame 36 to form the harvester 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 36 supports or includes a cover assembly 38 (e.g., cage assembly) that is configured to cover (e.g., surround or protect) various components, such as an engine, a transmission, an HVAC system, and a radiator, which are supported on a frame 40 (e.g., tractor frame or chassis). In operation, the harvester 10 may be driven in a direction of travel 42 through the agricultural field using forward wheels 44 and rear wheels 46.
[0021] As discussed above, the harvester 10 may include harvester components and tractor components. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the forward wheels 44, the rear wheels 42, the frame 40, and various components supported on the frame 40, such as the engine, the transmission, the HVAC system, and/or the radiator, may form a tractor assembly 50 (e.g., powertrain assembly) that may be coupled to other tractor components (e.g., tractor hood, tractor cabin, or the like) to form a tractor (e.g., an unmodified tractor). The drums 18, the blower 20, the one or more conduits 22, the bin 24, the cabin 32, the input devices 34, the frame 36, and/or the cover assembly 38 may be part of a harvester assembly 52 (e.g., harvester kit or conversion kit) that may be coupled to the tractor assembly 50 to create or to build the harvester 10. Thus, at certain times of the year, the operator may utilize the tractor assembly 50 as part of a tractor to carry out various agricultural operations. However, during a harvesting season, the operator may separate the tractor assembly 50 from other tractor components of the tractor, and then the operator may combine the tractor assembly 50 with the harvester assembly 52 to build the harvester 10 to carry out harvesting operations. At the conclusion of the harvesting season, the operator may separate the tractor assembly 50 from the harvester assembly 52, and then reassemble the tractor components of the tractor assembly 50 to form the tractor to resume the various agricultural operations.
[0022] In certain embodiments, a support system 60 (e.g., stand system) may be coupled to the harvester assembly 52 to facilitate coupling the harvester assembly 52 to the tractor assembly 50. For example, the support system 60 may support the harvester assembly 52 in a raised position to enable the operator to insert (e.g., roll)

the tractor assembly 50, such as in the direction of arrow 62 (which is aligned with the direction of travel 42), into position vertically beneath the harvester assembly 52. Once the tractor assembly 50 reaches the appropriate position vertically beneath the harvester assembly 52, the operator may couple the harvester assembly 52 to the tractor assembly 50 to form the harvester 10. In some embodiments, the support system 60 may adjust the vertical position of the harvester assembly 52 to level and/or lower the harvester assembly 52 toward the tractor assembly 50, thereby enabling the operator may couple the harvester assembly 52 to the tractor assembly 50 to form the harvester 10.
[0023] In some embodiments, the support system 60 may be utilized to support the harvester assembly 52 to facilitate separation of the harvester assembly 52 from the tractor assembly 50 during disassembly of the harvester 10. For example, the support system 60 may support the harvester assembly 52 in a raised position to enable the operator to move (e.g., roll) the tractor assembly 50, in a direction opposite arrow 62, to remove the tractor assembly 50 from the illustrated position beneath the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, in operation, the operator may couple the support system 60 to the harvester assembly 52, then decouple the harvester assembly 52 from the tractor assembly 50, and then adjust the support system 60 toraise the harvester assembly 52 relative to the tractor assembly 50, thereby enabling the operator to move the tractor assembly 50 away from the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the support system 60 may be utilized to support the harvester assembly 52 (e.g., in a partially or fully assembled state) when the harvester assembly 52 is not coupled to the tractor assembly 48 (e.g., during other times of the year or outside of harvesting season).
[0024] It should be appreciated that although two drums 18 are shown in FIG. 1, that the harvester 10 may have any suitable number of drums 18, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more drums 18. It should also be appreciated that the harvester 10 may include tracks in place of front wheels 42 and/or rear wheels 44.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tractor assembly 50 and the harvester assembly 52 that may be coupled to one another to form the harvester 10, in

accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The tractor assembly 50 may include the forward wheels 44, the rear wheels 46, the frame 40, and/or various other components supported on the frame 40. For example, the tractor assembly 50 may include powertrain components, such as an engine 70, a transmission 72, and/or other components that transmit power from the engine 70 to axles to drive rotation of the forward wheels 44 and the rear wheels 46. In some embodiments, the tractor assembly 50 may include various other components, such as an HVAC system 74 (e.g., compressor and condenser) and/or a radiator 76. When the tractor assembly 50 is not coupled to the harvester assembly 52, the tractor assembly 50 may be coupled to various other tractor components 80, such as a tractor hood, tractor cabin, tractor input devices, or the like, to form a tractor 82 (e.g., an unmodified tractor) and to enable the tractor 82 to travel in a forward direction of travel 84 to carry out various agricultural operations (e.g., non-harvesting operations).
[0026] As shown, the harvester assembly 52 includes the drums 18, the blower 20, the one or more conduits 22, the bin 24, the cabin 32, the input devices 34, the frame 36, and the cover assembly 38, among other components. The harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to the tractor assembly 50 (e.g., via fasteners) to form the harvester 10 to travel in the forward direction 42 through the agricultural field. In some embodiments, the forward direction of travel 84 of the tractor 82 is opposite the forward direction of travel 42 of the harvester 10 (i.e., the forward wheels 44 of the harvester 10 are the rear wheels of the tractor 82). The harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to the tractor assembly 50 via any of a variety of processes or steps. For example, in some embodiments, the harvester assembly 52 is partially assembled or fully assembled (e.g., as shown), and then subsequently coupled or mounted onto the tractor assembly 50 to form the harvester 10. In some embodiments, the components of the harvester assembly 52 may be coupled individually and/or sequentially to the tractor assembly 50. As discussed in more detail below, the support system 60 is configured to facilitate coupling the harvester assembly 52 to the tractor assembly 48 to form the harvester 10.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the support system 60 coupled to the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52. As shown, the support system

60 includes a first front stand 62 and a second front stand 64 that may be part of a front stand assembly 66 configured to support a forward portion of the harvester assembly 52. The illustrated support system 60 also includes a first rear stand 72 and a second rear stand 74 that may be part of a rear stand assembly 76 configured to support a rear portion of the harvester assembly 52. When coupled to the harvester assembly 52, the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64 are positioned on opposite lateral sides of the harvester assembly 52, and the first rear stand 72 and the second rear stand 74 are positioned on opposite lateral sides of the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, some or all of the stands 62, 64, 72, 74, may be coupled to one another to add stability to the support system 60. For example, stands 62 and 64 may be coupled to one another and/or stands 72 and 74 may be coupled to one another. In some embodiments, a beam (e.g., adjustable beam) may be mounted to or coupled between respective portions (e.g., a base portion, lower portion, or ground-contacting portion) of two or more stands 62, 64, 72, 74 to couple the two or more stands 62, 64, 72, 74 to one another.
[0028] As shown, each stand 62, 64, 72, 74 may be a support structure having a base portion 80, an adjustable portion 82 (e.g., lift or drive system), and a beam portion 84, which may include a verticalbeam 86 (e.g., vertically-extending beam), a lateral beam 88 (e.g., laterally-extending beam), and/or a support beam 89 extending between the vertical beam 86 and the lateral beam 88. The adjustable portion 82 may be configured to adjust a vertical position of the beam portion 84 relative to the base portion 80, which may be supported on and contact the ground. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustable portion 82 includes a mechanical jack device having a threaded rod 90 that is coupled (e.g., via fastener and/or weld) to the beam portion 84 (e.g., to a bottom end portion of the vertical beam 86) and that extends through an opening 92 (e.g., thru-hole having corresponding threads) in a plate 94 of the base portion 80. A handle 96 (e.g., laterally-extending bar) extends from the threaded rod 90 to facilitate rotation of the threaded rod 90, and the rotation of the threaded rod 90 causes the threaded rod 90 to move along the corresponding threads of the opening 92 in the plate 94 and drives the attached beam portion 84 verticallyrelative to the base portion 90. It should be appreciated that the adjustable portion 82 may have any form

suitable for adjusting the vertical position of the beam portion 84 relative to the base portion 90. For example, the adjustable portion 82 may include a hydraulically-operated jack, a pneumatically-operated jack, or the like.In some embodiments, the power to operate the adjustable portion may be drawn from the powertrain (e.g., engine) of the tractor assembly 48.In some embodiments, the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64 are configured to couple to a laterally-extending beam 100 of the frame 36, and the first rear stand 72 and the second rear stand 74 are configured to couple to respective vertically-extending beams 102 of the frame 36. It should be understood than any suitable number (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or more) of stands may be utilized within the support system 60 to support the harvester assembly 52. For example, two additional stands may be positioned between the front stand assembly 66 and the rear stand assembly 76 along the longitudinal axis 12 to couple to an intermediate portion of the frame 36.
[0029] In some embodiments, an operator may build or construct the harvester 10 of FIG. 1 by coupling (e.g., via interference fit and/or fasteners) the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64 to the laterally-extending beam 100 of the frame 36, and coupling (e.g., via plates and/or fasteners) the first rear stand 72 and the second rear stand 74 to respective vertically-extending beams 102 of the frame 36. In some embodiments, the operator may adjust the adjustable portions 82 to adjust a vertical position of the beam portion 84 relative to the base portion 80, thereby adjusting a vertical position of the frame 36 relative to the ground. While the harvester assembly 52 is coupled to the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 of the support system 60 and positioned at an appropriate vertical position relative to the ground, the operator may move the tractor assembly 50 (FIG. 2) to a position beneath the harvester assembly 52. For example, in some embodiments, the operator may position the tractor assembly 50 rearward of the harvester assembly 52, may align the front wheels 44 and the rear wheels 46 of the tractor assembly 50 with lateral gaps104 (e.g., gap or space along the lateral axis 16) defined between the beam portions 84 of the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 and the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52, and then may exert a force in the direction of arrow 62 on the tractor assembly 50 to drive (e.g., roll on wheels 44, 46) the tractor assembly 50 into position beneath the harvester assembly 52.

[0030] It should be understood that some portions of the frame 36, such as various rear portions 106, may be added to the frame 36 after moving the tractor assembly 50 into position beneath the harvester assembly 52, thereby providing additional space and/or visibility during the operation. Furthermore, it should be understood that the various components of the harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to the frame 36 at any point during the assembly or construction of the harvester 10. For example, the bin 24, the cabin 32, the cover assembly 38, and/or other components may be added to the harvester assembly 52 prior to coupling the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 of the support system 60 to the frame 36 and/or prior to positioning the tractor assembly 50 beneath the harvester assembly 52. It should also be understood that, in some embodiments, the various components may be adapted to enable the operator to move the tractor assembly 50 in a direction opposite of arrow 62 to position the tractor assembly 50 beneath the harvester assembly 52.
[0031] As noted above, in some embodiments, the support system 60 may be utilized to support the harvester assembly 52 to facilitate separation of the harvester assembly 52 from the tractor assembly 50 during disassembly of the harvester 10. In some embodiments, an operator may begin the process of separating the harvester 10 of FIG. 1 by coupling (e.g., via interference fit and/or fasteners) the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64 to the laterally-extending beam 100 of the frame 36, and coupling (e.g., via plates and/or fasteners) the first rear stand 72 and the second rear stand 74 to respective vertically-extending beams 102 of the frame 36. While the harvester assembly 52 is coupled to the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 of the support system 60, the operator may decouple the tractor assembly 50 (FIG. 2) from the harvester assembly 52, such as by removing fasteners and/or disconnecting various wires, cables, or the like. In some embodiments, once the tractor assembly 50 is decoupled from the harvester assembly 52, the operator may adjust the adjustable portions 82 to adjust a vertical position of the beam portion 84 relative to the base portion 80, thereby adjustinga vertical position of the frame 36 relative to the ground. While the harvester assembly 52 is coupled to the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 of the support system 60 and positioned at an appropriate vertical position relative to the ground and the tractor assembly 50, the operator may move the tractor assembly 50 (FIG. 2) away from the

harvester assembly 52. For example, in some embodiments, the operator may exert a force in a direction opposite of arrow 62 on the tractor assembly 50 to drive (e.g., roll on wheels 44, 46) the tractor assembly 50 to a position rearward of the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the support system 60 may support the harvester assembly 52 (e.g., in a partially or fully assembled state) when the harvester assembly 52 is not coupled to the tractor assembly 48 (e.g., during other times of the year or outside of harvesting season). For example, the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 may hold the harvester assembly 52 in the illustrated vertically raised position for an extended period of time. In some embodiments, the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 may lower the harvester assembly 52 in the vertical direction 14 to hold in a vertically lowered position and/or to be supported on the ground or other support structure (e.g., support block) for an extended period of time.
[0032] It should be understood that some portions of the frame 36, such as various rear portions 106, may be removed from the frame 36 prior to moving the tractor assembly 50 away from the harvester assembly 52, thereby providing additional space and/or visibility during the operation. Furthermore, it should be understood that various other components of the harvester assembly 52 may be decoupled from the frame 36 at any point during disassembly of the harvester 10. For example, the bine 24, the cabin 32, the cover assembly 38, and/or other components may be removed from the harvester assembly 52 prior to coupling the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 of the support system 60 to the frame 36 and/or prior to moving the tractor assembly 50 away from the harvester assembly 52. It should also be understood that, in some embodiments, the various components may be adapted to enable the operator to move the tractor assembly 50 in the direction of arrow 62 to move the tractor assembly 50 to a position forward of the harvester assembly 52 during disassembly of the harvester 10.
[0033] FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the support system 60 coupled to the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52. As shown, the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64 are coupled to the laterally-extending beam 100 of the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the laterally-extending beam 100 is a one-piece beam that extends laterally between and contacts both the

first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64, although other configurations are envisioned. For example, the laterally-extending beam 100 may be a multi-piece beam.
[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the laterally-extending beam 100 of the frame 36 includes a first opening 110 at a first end 112 and a second opening 114 at a second end 116. The laterally-extending beam 100 may be a hollow beam (e.g., annular or tubular structure) or may include hollow portions 118 (e.g., annular or tubular portions) that enable the laterally-extending beam 100 to receive and to support the respective lateral beams 88 of the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64.
[0035] With reference to the first front stand 62, the lateral beam 88 extends laterally-inwardly from the vertical beam 86 to engage the first opening 110 at the first end 112 of the laterally-extending beam 100 of the frame 36. In the illustrated embodiment, a first end portion 120 of the lateral beam 88 is coupled (e.g., via fasteners and/or welds) to the vertical beam 86, and a second end portion 122 of the lateral beam 88 is positioned within the laterally-extending beam 100. The lateral beam 88 may extend across any distance (e.g., along the lateral axis 16) within the laterally-extending beam 100.
[0036] In some embodiments, one or more fasteners may be utilized to couple the lateral beam 88 to the laterally-extending beam 100. For example, one or more pins 130 may be inserted (e.g., in a direction perpendicular to the lateral axis 16) through aligned openings formed in the lateral beam 88 and the laterally-extending beam 100, thereby blocking movement (e.g., lateral movement) of the lateral beam 88 relative to the laterally-extending beam 100 and retaining the lateral beam 88 within the laterally-extending beam 100. It should be appreciated that any of a variety of fasteners may be utilized to couple the lateral beam 88 to the laterally-extending beam 100, such as threaded fasteners (e.g., bolts or screws), clamps, or clasps. As shown, the second front stand 64 may include the same features and may engage the second opening 114 at the second end 116 of the laterally-extending beam 100 in the same manner.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral gap 104 is provided between each stand 62, 64, 72, 74. For example, with reference to the first front stand 62, the lateral gap 104 the lateral gap 104 extends in the lateral direction 16 between a portion of the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52 and the vertical beam 86 of the beam portion 84 of the first front stand 62. As noted above, the lateral gaps 104 may enable wheels (e.g., front wheels 44 and/or rear wheels 46 [FIG. 2]) of the tractor assembly 50 (FIG. 2) to roll through the lateral gaps 104, thereby enabling the tractor assembly 50 to move to a position beneath the harvester assembly 52 to facilitate construction of the harvester 10.
[0038] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a portion of the support system 60 coupled to the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52. As shown, the first rear stand 72 and the second rear stand 74 are coupled to the respective vertically-extending beams 102 of the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52. With reference to the first rear stand 72, a first end portion 140 of the lateral beam 88 is coupled (e.g., via fasteners and/or welds) to the vertical beam 86, and a second end portion 142 of the lateral beam 88 is coupled (e.g., via fasteners and/or welds) to a plate 144. In some embodiments, the plate 144 may couple (e.g., via fasteners 148) to a corresponding plate 146 that is coupled (e.g., via fasteners and/or welds) to the respective vertically-extending beam 102 of the frame 36. The second rear stand 74 may include the same features and may couple tothe respective vertically-extending beam 102 of the frame 36 in the same manner.
[0039] It should be understood that any of the stands illustrated and described herein may be coupled to the frame 36 at any suitable location via any suitable technique. For example, the first front stand 62 and/or the second front stand 64 may be coupled to the frame 36 via plates, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5, and/or the first rear stand 72 and/or the second rear stand 74 may be coupled to the frame 36 via interference fit and/or pins, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0040] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method 200 of using the support system 60 to couple the harvester assembly 52 to the tractor assembly 50 to form the harvester 10, and FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method

220 of using the support system 60 to decouple the harvester assembly 52 from the tractor assembly 50 to disassemble the harvester 10.The methods 200, 220 include various steps represented by blocks. Although the flow charts illustrate the steps in a certain sequence, it should be understood that the steps may be performed in any suitable order, certain steps may be omitted, and certain steps may be carried out simultaneously, where appropriate. It should be understood that the various features disclosed above with respect to FIGS. 1-5 may be incorporated and/or utilized with the steps of the methods 200, 220. While the methods 200, 220 are described with reference to the harvester 10 to facilitate discussion, it should be understood that the steps of the methods 200, 220 may be applied to various types of agricultural and work vehicles.
[0041] With reference to FIG. 6, in step 202, an operator may couple the support system 60 to the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52. For example, the operator may couple the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64 to the laterally-extending beam 100 of the frame 36, and may couple the first rear stand 72 and the second rear stand 74 to the respective vertically-extending beams 102 of the frame 36. As discussed above with respect to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the lateral beam 88 of the first front stand 62 may be inserted intothe first opening 110 at the first end 112 of the laterally-extending beam 100, and the lateral beam 88 of the second front stand 64 may be inserted into the second opening 114 at the second end 116 of the laterally-extending beam 100. In some embodiments, one or more fasteners (e.g., pins 130) may be utilized to couple the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64 to the laterally-extending beam 100. Furthermore, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the lateral beam 88 of the first rear stand 72 and the lateral beam 88 of the second rear stand 74 may be coupled (e.g., via fasteners or welds) to respective plates144, which may then be coupled to (e.g., via fasteners 148) respective corresponding plates 146 that are coupled (e.g., via fasteners or welds) to the frame 36.
[0042] In step 204, the operator may adjust the adjustable portions 82 of one or more of the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 to adjust a vertical position of the frame 36 relative to the ground. For example, while the first front stand 62 is coupled to the frame 36 of the

harvester assembly 52, the operator may rotate the handle 96 coupled to the threaded rod 90 extending from the beam portion 84 of the first front stand 62, thereby causing the threaded rod 90 to travel along the corresponding threads in the opening 92 in the plate 94 of the base portion 80 and causing the attached frame 36 to move (e.g., rise) vertically relative to the ground.
[0043] In step 206, while the harvester assembly 52 is coupled to the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 of the support system 60 and positioned at an appropriate vertical position relative to the ground, the operator may move the tractor assembly 50 to a position beneath the harvester assembly 52. For example, in some embodiments, the operator may position the tractor assembly 50 rearward of the harvester assembly 52, may align the front wheels 44 and the rear wheels 46 of the tractor assembly 50 with lateral gaps 104 defined between the beam portions 84 of the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 and the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52, and then may exert a force in the direction of arrow 62 on the tractor assembly 50 to drive (e.g., roll on wheels 44, 46) the tractor assembly 50 into position beneath the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the tractor assembly 50 may be decoupled or separated from other tractor components 80 prior to be being moved to the position beneath the harvester assembly 52.
[0044] In step 208, the operator may adjust the adjustable portions 82 of one or more of the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 to adjust a vertical position of the frame 36 relative to the ground and/or to level the frame 36 to facilitate coupling the harvester assembly 52 to the tractor assembly 50. For example, the operator may adjust the adjustable portions 82 until the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52 contacts or reaches a position in which it is supported by the frame 40 of the tractor assembly 50 (e.g., a front axle supporting the front wheels 44 and/or a rear axle supporting the rear wheels 46). The adjustable portions 82 may be operated in the manner described above with respect to step 204 to raise or lower the frame 36 (or portions thereof) relative to the ground and relative to the tractor assembly 50.
[0045] In step 210, the operator may couple the harvester assembly 52 to the tractor assembly 50 to form the harvester 10. For example, the operator may apply fasteners (e.g., bolts, screws, pins, clamps, clasps) and/or may connect various wires

or cables (e.g., using quick couplers) to couple the harvester assembly 52 to the tractor assembly 50 to form the harvester 10. As noted above, the various components of the harvester assembly 52 (e.g., the drums 18, the one or more conduits 20, the bin 24, the cabin 32) may be coupled to the harvester assembly 52 at any point during construction of the harvester 10. The operator may decouple the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 from the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52 (e.g., by removing pins 130, removing the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64 from the laterally-extending beam 100, and unfastening the respective plates 44 of the first rear stand 72 and the second rear stand 74 from the corresponding plates 46 of the frame 36) to enable the harvester 10 to carry out harvesting operations.
[0046] With reference to FIG. 7, in step 222,an operator may couple the support system 60 to the frame 36 of the harvester assembly 52. For example, the operator may couple the first front stand 62 and the second front stand 64 to the laterally-extending beam 100 of the frame 36, and may couple the first rear stand 72 and the second rear stand 74 to the respective vertically-extending beams 102 of the frame 36, such as in the manner described above with respect to step 202 of the method 200 of FIG. 6.
[0047] In step 224, while the harvester assembly 52 is coupled to and supported by the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 of the support system 60, the operator may decouple the tractor assembly 50 from the harvester assembly 52, such as by removing fasteners and/or disconnecting various wires, cables, or the like.
[0048] In step 226, once the tractor assembly 50 is decoupled from the harvester assembly 52, the operator may adjust the adjustable portions 82 to adjust a vertical position of the frame 36 relative to the ground and relative to the tractor assembly 50. For example, the adjustable portions 82 may be operated in the manner described above with respect to step 204 of the method 200 of FIG. 6 to raise the frame 36 (or portions thereof) relative to the ground and relative to the tractor assembly 50.
[0049] In step 228, while the harvester assembly 52 is coupled to and supported by the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 of the support system 60 and positioned at an appropriate

vertical position relative to the ground, the operator may move the tractor assembly 50 away from the harvester assembly 52. For example, in some embodiments, the operator may exert a force in a direction opposite of arrow 62 on the tractor assembly 50 to drive (e.g., roll on wheels 44, 46) the tractor assembly 50 to a position rearward of the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the tractor assembly 50 may be coupled to other tractor components 80 after being moved away from the harvester assembly 52 to construct the tractor 82.
[0050] In step 230, the support system 60 may support the harvester assembly 52 (e.g., in a partially or fully assembled state) when the harvester assembly 52 is not coupled to the tractor assembly 48 (e.g., during other times of the year or outside of harvesting season). For example, the stands 62, 64, 72, 74 may hold the harvester assembly 52 in a vertically raised position off of the ground for an extended period of time.
[0051] While only certain features of the disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.

CLAIMS:
1. A method, comprising:
coupling one or more stands of a support system to a frame of a harvester assembly;
moving a powertrain assembly of an agricultural vehicle to a position beneath the harvester assembly, while the harvester assembly is coupled to and supported by the one or more stands; and
coupling the harvester assembly to the powertrain assembly to construct a harvester.
2. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting an adjustable portion of at least
one of the one or more stands to adjust a vertical position of the frame relative to the
powertrain assembly to faciltiate coupling the harvester assembly to the powertrain
assembly.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the adjustable portion comprises rotating a threaded rod coupled to a beam portion of a first stand of the one or more stands.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the powertrain assembly into position comprises exerting a force on the powertrain assembly to cause the powertrain assembly to roll on front wheels and rear wheels of the powertrain assembly.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the one or more stands to the frame comprises coupling a first stand of the one or more stands to a first lateral side of the frame and coupling a second stand of the one or more stands to a second lateral side of the frame, opposite the first lateral side.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the one or more stands to the frame comprises inserting a lateral beam of a first stand of the one or more stands into an opening at an end of a laterally-extending beam of the frame.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein coupling the one or more stands to the frame comprises inserting a pin through aligned holes of the lateral beam of the first stand and the laterally-extending beam of the frame.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the one or more stands to the frame comprises coupling a plate positioned at an end of a lateral beam of a first stand of the one or more stands to a corresponding plate positioned on the frame.
9. The method of claim 1, comprising:
decoupling the one or more stands of the support system from the frame to enable the harvester to travel in a forward direction to harvest crops in an agricultural field;
coupling the one or more stands to the frame of the harvester assembly to facilitate decoupling the harvester assembly from the powertrain assembly;
decoupling the harvester assembly from the powertrain assembly, while the harvester assembly is coupled to and supported by the one or more stands; and
moving the powertrain assembly away from the harvester assembly, while the harvester assembly is coupled to and supported by the one or more stands.
10. The method of claim 1, comprising separating the powertrain assembly of
the agricultural vehicle from other components of the agricultural vehicle to enable
the powertrain assembly to be coupled to the harvester assembly to construct the
harvester.
11. A system configured to facilitate construction of a harvester, comprising:
a harvester assembly configured to couple to a powertrain assembly of an
agricultural vehicle to form the harvester, wherein the harvester assembly comprises a frame having a laterally-extending beam; and

a support system configured to engage the laterally-extending beam;
wherein the laterally-extending beam and the support system provide a lateral gap between a portion of the frame and a portion of the support system that enables a wheel of the powertrain assembly to roll through the lateral gap, thereby enabling the powertrain assembly to move to a position beneath the harvester assembly to facilitate construction of the harvester.