Abstract: An agricultural drill having a plurality of seed dispensing units 6 that are driven through rotary shaft means 8 that extends across the width of the drill and is driven by a drive mechanism 9 at one end, said shaft means 8 comprising two coaxial shafts that each drive the seed dispensing units 6 associated with half the width of the drill and that are connected together by a quick release coupling 25 that couples the shafts together for rotation and can be released to stop rotation of that shaft remote from the drive mechanism 9. The quick release coupling 25 comprises a bayonet type coupling in which a radially projecting pin 28 associated with one shaft 8 engages in an axially and circumferentially extending slot 27 associated with the other shaft 8, said slot 27 being shaped so that it cooperates with the pin 28 and produces a wedge action that urges the two shafts 8 into axial abutting engagement when they are driven.

Abstract: A hitch assembly comprising a hitch bar 1 having a hitch 2 for attachment to a tractor at its leading end; a pair of drawbars 4,5, each having one end pivotally connected to the hitch bar 1 so as to be swingable in a substantially horizontal plane between a work position in which it extends laterally to the direction of travel, one on each side of the hitch bar, and with the outer end of one bar 5 extending rearwards further than the outer end of the other drawbar 4, and a transport position in which it trails rearwards of the work position; a support wheel 8,16 attached to the outer end of each drawbar 4,5; a hitch 10,18 on each drawbar for attachment to an implement, the hitch 18 on said one drawbar trailing behind that on said other drawbar in the work position; and a pair of stay-bars 23,24 each having one end pivotally connected to the hitch bar 1 so as to be swingable in a substantially horizontal plane between work and transport positions, each stay bar 23,24 in its work position being connectable by a

Abstract: A lockable pedal arrangement having an operating pedal (14) which is movable between raised and depressed positions to perform a function such as the operation of a differential lock in a vehicle such as a tractor. The pedal is pivotally mounted on an operating member (10) and latching means (21a) associated with the pedal are engageable with fixed latching formation (21b) on movement of the pedal to its depressed position and pivoting of the pedal relative to the operating member. Detent means (17,19) at between the pedal (14) and the operating member (10) to hold the pedal in its pivoted position relative to the operating member (10) to maintain the latching means (21a) and latching formation (21b) in engagement and thus hold the operating member (10) in its depressed position.

Abstract: A lockable control lever arrangement in which a pivotally mounted control lever (10) is provided with linkages (12,13,16,17,18,19) for connecting the control lever with one or more functions to be controlled. A locking device (60) is provided for locking the lever in a given position.The locking device includes a first locking formation (23,24) operatively connected with each of the linkages, a locking member (20,21,22) having a second locking formation (21a,22a) engageable with the first locking formation to lock the control lever (10) in the given position, and a manually operable operating means (26,27,28,29) for moving the locking member to bring the first and second formations into engagement to lock the control lever.The control lever arrangement is particularly applicable to the operation of hydraulic valves which control the loaders and diggers of industrial tractors.

Abstract: A combine harvester of the type having a crop elevator 9, 10, 11 that feeds crop upwards across a crop floor 11 to a crop threshing mechanism comprising a threshing cylinder 1 located adjacent a concave threshing grate 13 and driven to thresh crop fed tangentially between the cylinder and grating, a crop conveyor 14 in the form of a roller or continuous band conveyor being located along the leading edge of the grate 13 with respect to the crop feed direction so that crop passes over it to the cylinder and grating and a changeable speed drive mechanism being provided to drive the conveyor 14 and allow its speed to be changed, thereby to control the speed of crop flow.

Abstract: A tractor draft sensing apparatus in which a shaft (14) is supported at laterally spaced locations (15) on a tractor and carries at locations (22) outboard of the shaft supports a pair of lower draft links (10) so that the imposition of a draft link (10) to monitor the deflection of the shaft (14) (or an extension (28) thereof) to provide a signal indicative of the draft force being imposed on each draft link. In a form of the sensing system for use on a tractor in which the draft links are raised by external piston and cylinder assemblies whose lower ends are secured to the tractor at locations outboard of the draft links and in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the lower ends (36) of the cylinders (32) are connected with the tractor by hollow pins (33) through which the shaft (14) (or an extension (28) thereof) extends.

Abstract: A tractor hydraulic control system of the kind comprising a power lift with a hydraulic actuator (12) and a main control valve (17) controlling the supply of fluid from a pump (19) to the actuator, the system including selector valve means (50) interconnected with the main control valve (17) and movable between a first position in which flow to and from the actuator (12) occurs via the selector valve means under the control of the main control valve and the associated system control mechanism (28) and a second position in which the actuator is hydraulically locked in a given position and an external services outlet (51) is placed in communication with the pump. Linkage means (60,61,62) operatively connects the selector valve means (50) and the system control mechanism (28) to condition the main control valve (17) to cause the pump (19) to supply fluid to the external service outlet (51) via the selector valve means on movement of the selector valve means to the second position.

Abstract: A blocking pin type synchronizer having a high torque to volume ratio. The synchronizer includes two synchronizer cones (42) held apart by blocking pins (40). Disposed between the cones (42) are spring assemblies (62) of novel construction, each spring assembly including a rectangular spring housing (64), a base plate (66), and a pair of opposed leaf springs (68). The housing has opposed slotted side walls (82). The base plate and the springs are each provided with tabs (92), (98) received within the slots for maintaining the base plate and springs in a centered position. The springs hold the spring housing and base plate apart. The cones are provided with recesses (88), surfaces (86) of the base plate being biased into contact with radial outer surfaces of the recesses (88) to maintain the spring assemblies from rotation.

Abstract: A lever mechanism (10) suitably, amongst other uses, for use in the control of tractor draft links (22) from a location remote from the tractor operators station.The lever mechanism includes an operating member (40), a support (43) relative to which said operating member is displaceable (Z), a lever (42) pivotally mounted on the support about a pivot axis (44) which is also translationally moveable (X), a first formation (56) on the lever, a second formation (57) on the operating member, and bias means (53) acting to translationally move the lever on its axis (44) away from the second formation (57) to hold the first and second formations (56,57) disengaged when the lever is released.

Abstract: A wheeled industrial/agricultural tractor adapted for use as, for example, an aircraft tug. The tractor has an equipment support frame (3, 28) in the form of a heavy base plate (3) carried beneath an operator's station portion of a conventional tractor chassis (50, 10, 51, 52, 53) and a pair of transversely spaced struts (28) secured (25) to the front portion of the base plate (3) and arranged to extend forwardly thereof. The front ends of the struts have attachment means (19, 28a) for the support of equipment, such as a towing hitch (20), at the front of the tractor. First (1, 2, 70) and second (27, 29, 28c, 28d) attachment means are provided for respectively securing the base plate and struts to the chassis. The tractor also has an engine installation (10, 12, 13, 14) which allows downwardly sloping body panelling (16) at the front to improve vision of the front mounted equipment (20).

Abstract: A seed drill comprising a frame, a series of coulters mounted on the frame at positions which are spaced apart in a transverse direction relative to the direction of operative forward motion of the drill, and actuating means comprising a beam that extends in a transverse direction and is rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about axes perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, thrust applying means connected between the frame and the beam so as to move the beam downwards, and thrust transmitting means connected between the beam and the coulters characterized in that said thrust applying means comprises two or more levers (20) pivotally mounted on the frame (1) so that they have a common pivot axis that extends in a transverse direction and is spaced from said beam, said beam (16) being rotatably supported at the ends of said levers with at least one lever located at an intermediate region in the length of the beam, and actuator means (21) being connected between the frame (1) and each lever (20).

Abstract: The objective of the invention is to provide a novel doffer in combination with a chain and slat conveyor which will remove excess billets from the slats with minimal damage to the eyes on the cane billets.The cane billet planter 10 includes a billet hopper 16, and a billet metering mechanism 18. The planter 10 may also have a furrow opening assembly 20 and a fertilizer distributor 22, if desired. The billet metering mechanism 18 includes a billet delivery assembly 84 and an endless chain and slat conveyor 86. The upper shaft 88 of the conveyor 86 has a plurality of sprockets 92. Projections 134, 136 and 138 extend outwardly from the upper shaft 88 between adjacent sprockets 92. The surface of the arcuate member 140 of each projection 134, 136 and 138 engages excess billets on each conveyor slat 102 and gently knocks excess billets off the slat. The excess billets fall from the conveyor slat 102 and onto the return sheet 226.

Abstract: A control lever arrangement (10) for longitudinally moving an actuating member such as a Bowden cable (11) between first and second positions. The arrangement includes first (13) and second (14) mutually inclined cam slots and a control lever (15) which has a handle at one end and which is pivotally mounted (20) at the other end on a follower (16) for engagement with the first cam slot. The lever (15) carries guidance means (17) for engagement with the second cam slot and is connected (21) with the actuations member (11), so that, as the control lever is rotated (X1,X2) about its mounting (20) on the follower (16) to move the actuating member between its first and second positions, the follower moves along the first (13) cam slot as the guidance means (17) moves along the second cam slot (14) and the point of contact of the follower (16) with the first slot (13) moves across the line of action (33) of the actuating member (11) so that the lever goes over-center.

Abstract: A mower conditioner having a conditioning rotor (22) which is supported at its ends in bearing units (51) that are secured to side support walls (24) by releasable fastening means (56) including a pair of coaxial fasteners defining an axis (68), parallel to that of the rotor axis (23), about which the bearing units (51) and rotor (22) can swing downwards until the rotor (22) contacts the ground, thereby facilitating removal and re-attachment of the conditioning rotor (22). The rotor axis and axis of the fasteners may lie in a plane that is inclined upwards and rearwards from the ground. The rotor (22) may be driven at one end by a spindle (81) that is axially disengageable from the rotor. The spindle (81) may be driven by a chain drive mechanism (71, 76) including an intermediate double ring sprocket (73) that is reversible on its shaft (86) to allow two drive ratios to be selected.

Abstract: A cab for an agricultural, industrial or construction vehicle having front (8), rear (20) and side walls (9) and a driver access door (17) that is hinged along its forward upright edge relative to a side wall (9) and assumes a closed position in which it is angled from said side wall (9) towards the rear wall (20) so that it faces both sideways and rearwards and opens outwards over an entry platform (32) alongside the doorway (15). The door (17) is supported by a hinge assembly (26,27) so that the whole of the upper end of the door (17) moves outwards further than the lower end of the door (17) as the door is opened. Preferably, the upper hinge member (26) is cranked relative to the door (17) and/or the hinge axis (X--X) may be inclined rearwards from top to bottom. A hand-rail (34) may be provided along the outer edge of the platform and be pivotally connected to the door (17) at a point (35) spaced rearwards of the forward edge of the door.

Abstract: A transmission ratio selecting mechanism including a ratio selector means (typically a hand lever), first and second ratio coupling members (36b,37 ) movable to select a number of ratios in the forward and reverse drive directions of an associated transmission, and linkage means (65,63,54,61,62,59,57,60,65,63,64,70,71,68,67,69) for moving the ratio coupling members in response to movement of the ratio selector means. The ratio selecting mechanism includes disconnecting means (72,73,63,64) for disconnecting one (37) of the ratio coupling members from the selector means during selection of the reverse ratios of the transmission.

Abstract: Crop collecting apparatus comprising a platform (1) adapted for pivotal up and down movement about an axis that is located at the rear of the platform and extends transversely with respect to the direction of usual forwards motion of the apparatus, the platform comprising a leading section (11) and a rear section (4) hinged together about an intermediate transverse axis (12) extending parallel to said rear axis, and actuation means (3) provided to pivot the platform about the rear axis so as to raise and lower the platform relative to the ground, support means (23) connected between the leading and rear sections (11,4) of the platform (1) so as to support the weight of the leading section and allow it to pivot within a pre-set angular range, sensor means (29,30) that senses when the leading section (11) reaches the limits of the pre-set angular range, and control means (33,34,35) provided to control operation of the actuation means (3) in a manner dependent upon operation of the sensor means (29,30) so that i

Abstract: A vehicle transmission with parallel input (30) output (19), and idler (35) shafts each provided with first (28,31,34) and second (29,32,33) gear wheels. The first gear wheels (28,31) on the input and output shafts are in constant mesh and the first gear wheel (34) on the idler shaft meshes with the input shaft first gear wheel (28) alone, while the second gear wheels (29,32) on the input and output shaft are in constant mesh and the second gear wheel (33) on the idler shaft meshes with the output shaft second gear wheel (32) alone. A synchromesh clutch unit (36) selectively connects the input shaft first and second gear wheels with the input shaft and a non-synchromesh clutch unit (37) selectively connects the output shaft first and second gear wheels with the output shaft to obtain a number of different output shaft ratios.

Abstract: A twin control lever arrangement for the control of three functions such as hydraulic valves. The arrangement includes a first control lever (10) mounted on a first mounting means (12) for pivoting about first (A) and second (B) perpendicular axes to operate first and second functions respectively and a second control lever (13) mounted on a second mounting means (15) for pivoting about a third axis (C) aligned with the first axis (A) and a fourth axis (D) parallel to the second axis (B). Pivoting of the second lever (13) about the third axis (C) operates the third function and a link member (32) extends generally perpendicularly to the two control levers (10,13) to operatively connect the levers by way of pivotal connections at both ends of the link member so that the two levers pivot together about the second and fourth axes to allow either lever to operate the second function.

Abstract: A ballast weight for use on agricultural or industrial machines such as tractors, the weight being provided with a cut-out which opens through one edge and which receives part of a mounting frame attached to the machine. The weight is retained in position on the mounting frame by shaping the upper portion of the cut-out adjacent the opening to form a lip which can be hooked behind an upper part of the frame and by a linearly slidable latch member which is housed in a cavity provided in that portion of the weight which defines the lower portion of the cut-out. One end of the latch member projects from the upper end of the cavity into the cut-out and is arranged to automatically engage a locating formation on the lower part of the mounting frame under the action of a spring bias when the weight is brought into its operational position.