Abstract: Apparatus for recovering grain from a mixture of grain and straw in a combine harvester capable of conveying the mixture to a cute arranged at the discharge end of the conveyor. From the cute the mixture is carried to a trough covered by a grille at the lower end of the cute. Grain is then collected by the trough and the straw passes over it with the aid of a rotor located at the rear end of the cute. The rotor is adjustable towards any away from the chute to vary the space therebetween for different types of crops and crop conditions.

Abstract: A sound deadening coating is provided on an article, such as an engine cover, by applying a polysulphide, silicone or polyurethane rubber layer to the surface of the article and applying a layer of zinc, aluminium or ferrous metal or their alloys to the rubber layer. Preferably, polysulphide rubber and zinc metal are used. The metal or alloy may be applied to the rubber layer when the latter is only partly cured. Preferably, the rubber and metal layers are sprayed.

Abstract: An agricultural mower having a crop cutting rotor that is rotatable about an upright axis and cuts a strip of crop along a cut edge of the crop so as to emerge laterally from said cut edge, and a crop guide that is located adjacent the periphery of the rotor where it emerges from said cut edge of the crop so as to support the crop upright at said edge while it is cut. The guide thereby avoids leaving any uncut lines of crop caused by the rotor pushing crop aside at a cut edge in the crop where it is unsupported by adjacent standing crop. The invention is particularly applicable to a mower with two or more cutting rotors that are rotatable in the same sense about respective upright axes alongside one another with one rotor offset rearwards relative to the other so as to cut crop adjacent a cut edge left by said other rotor, the crop guide being located adjacent the periphery of said one rotor to support the crop along said edge.

Abstract: A tramlining device is provided for a seed drill having shutters associated with respective seed spouts and controlled by individual fluid pressure operated actuators for improved flexibility in selecting the tramline spacing. The actuators are preferably such that when pressurized they close the shutters to produce tramlines. Fluid pressure is tapped from the rams that force the coulters into work. Preferably, a control valve in the fluid supply line comprises a valve member that is urged closed by the supply pressure but is opened by a plunger controlled by a bout register. Preferably, a solenoid operated plunger is provided to override operation of the bout register.

Abstract: A tractor draft sensing apparatus in which an elongated sensing shaft is supported in spaced fulcrum supports and carries a pair of draft links on its end portions located outward of the supports. Draft force signals are provided by an elongate member which is attached at one end to the shaft, extends generally parallel to the shaft, and carries at its other end a follower which engages a cam and pivots the cam to give a signal proportional to shaft bending and hence to the draft forces applied to the shaft. The elongate member also carries a separate follower which engages a guide surface on a guidance member to ensure that the elongate member moves relative to the shaft generally in a horizontal plane only during shaft bending. The shaft may also be shaped so that its neutral axis between the fulcrum supports is displaced transversely of the shaft, generally in the direction of application of the draft force, relative to its neutral axis location within the supports.

Abstract: A sugar cane planter has a series of cane carrier elements which are moved through a supply of randomly oriented cane billets to select billets and deliver them to a soil furrow. The cane carrier elements move in a circular path and are maintained horizontal throughout said movement by attitude control means thereby providing sufficient time for reliable pick-up, doffing of excess billets, and billet alignment. A supply of billets to the selection mechanism is maintained from a trailed cane bin having a cane elevator. Fungicide is sprayed on the billets carried by the elevator.

Abstract: A device for varying the angular setting of the blade of an earthmoving vehicle by means of a pair of double acting hydraulic cylinders in which only one of the cylinders receives pressure direct from a pump. The piston of that cylinder acts on one end of the blade and at the same time transmits pressure fluid through a hydraulic circuit to the piston of the other cylinder acting on the other end of the blade whereby the two pistons move in opposite directions. The hydraulic circuit includes a control valve for reversing the direction of movement of the pistons, the same cylinder being pressurized by the pump in both directions of movement of the pistons. Pressure fluid leakage loss compensating means are provided in each piston.

Abstract: A center support member for a tiltable swivelling grading blade on an earthmoving machine which prevents the occurence of internal stresses in the blade generated by tilting of the blade is in the form of a ball and socket joint attached to the center rear of the blade and to a carrier frame on the machine. A shaft slidable in a sleeved mounting carries the ball portion of the joint at one end and the other end of the shaft is spring urged towards the blade by spring means in the sleeved mounting. Stop means in the sleeved mounting limit the stroke of the shaft. Additionally, a piston engaged by the spring means in a chamber in the sleeved mounting is arranged to force lubricant through a feed line to the shaft in response to axial movement of the shaft.

Abstract: A harvester having means for reducing its width for transport has a crop gathering table, and a harvester body portion connected to the gathering table by a vertical pivot. The harvester body portion can be swung about the pivot axis from a longitudinal working position to a transverse transport position to reduce the width of the harvester for transport.

Abstract: A seed drill has a frame, a transverse hopper and a series of triple disc coulters mounted on the frame below the hopper. The coulters are each mounted on the frame by a parallelogram linkage which maintains the proper relative positions of the front and rear discs of the coulters at different penetration depths and permits the maximum transport height of the coulters.

Abstract: A device for indicating the presence of electrically conducting particles, such as metal detritus, in a liquid such as hydraulic oil passing through a filter in which a gap is provided adjacent the filter into which metal particles are swept by the liquid flow to form a conducting bridge in an electrical circuit. In a preferred embodiment, an annular gap closed to through flow is provided between an insulated metal ring around a filter element and the wall of the flow passage surrounding the filter, and the ring and the wall are connected to an electrical circuit for actuating a warning light or audible alarm when the gap is bridged.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically planting billets of sugar cane as produced by a chopper-type sugar cane harvester, comprises a hopper for billets, an elevator to convey billets upwards and out of the hopper, and a billet delivery chute to receive the billets from the elevator and deliver them to a furrow in the ground. The elevator has at least two series of staggered slats which meter the billets. The delivery chute has a funnel-shaped upper portion and a trough-shaped downwardly and rearwardly-sloping lower portion, which guide and channel the billets in an endwise flow towards the furrow. The lower end of the chute is positioned close to or in contact with the ground so that billets can engage the ground before they leave the chute whereby billets can build up at the lower end of the chute and be discharged into the furrow at a rate corresponding to the forward speed of the planter.

Abstract: An engine control linkage for connection between an engine output control and hand and foot controls. The linkage includes first and second elements interconnected by a pivotable link, motion being arranged to be transmitted from the hand control to the engine output control by non-pivoting translational movement of the link. A connection is provided between the foot controls and the link for pivoting of the link relative to the first and second elements to vary the effective length of the linkage and thus override the engine output setting of the hand controls.

Abstract: A harvester for sugar cane sticks or similar crops having a feed roller with feed elements extending lengthwise of the roller to successively engage the sticks on rotation of the roller, to feed the sticks in a direction at right angles to the axis of rotation of the roller. At least one of the feed elements being in the form of a resiliently deformable hollow structure of elastomeric material.

Abstract: A lifting machine boom having two side walls maintained in spaced relationship to each other by a bottom wall and a top wall and a median reinforcing member dividing the interior of the boom into the first and second longitudinally extending chambers. One or more rigid pipes are attached to the median wall and run longitudinally of the boom from locations adjacent the ends. These pipes conduct pressurized fluid to and from one or more actuators carried by or associated with the boom. One said actuator is disposed in the second chamber.

Abstract: Articulated earthmoving vehicle, e.g. articulated wheel loader comprises two chassis frames, one of which supports the vehicle drive units and the other one the working tools. Both chassis frames are pivotable relative to each other about two joints arranged vertically one above the other for steering the vehicle. Both joints consist of a ball joint of which at least one is adjustable in vertical direction and can accommodate misalignment of the frames at the steering joints.

Abstract: Tractor-drawn agricultural mower has three crop-cutting rotors rotatable about vertical axes and carrying crop-feeding drums. Two of the rotors contra-rotate inwards to feed cut crop between them. The third rotor is offset rearwards from a straight line intersecting the axes of rotation of the other two rotors and rotates in the same direction as the rotor adjacent it so that the crop which it cuts passes behind the adjacent rotor and towards the crop which has passed between the other two rotors, whereby a single swath of crop is produced by the mower.

Abstract: A vehicle having a prime mover, a hydrostatic transmission transmitting power from the prime mover to ground engaging members on said vehicle, a power take-off arranged to be driven by said prime mover and clutch means for selectively engaging the power take-off with the prime mover. The vehicle also includes regulator means operable upon the transmission to maintain the power consumption of the transmission below a predetermined level, and compensating means operable upon the regulator means upon engagement of the clutch means to reduce the predetermined level of power consumption of the transmission.

Abstract: Agricultural mower has vertical axis crop-cutting rotors mounted for floating vertical movement relative to semi-mounted mower frame. Draught forces are transmitted to each rotor through a draught member below the rotor on which the rotor is journalled. The draught member projects rearwards beyond the cutting circle of the blades and is connected to the frame by an upwardly-extending structure including a parallelogram linkage.

Abstract: A semi-mounted or trailed agricultural mower has vertical axis crop-cutting rotors and a rigid rectangular open frame mounted above the rotors to support the rotors. The frame has at one end a ground-engageable support wheel secured to a rear beam of the frame and at the other end a headstock secured to a front beam of the frame. At least one of the rotors is trailed from the front beam on a linkage permitting the rotor to rise and fall relative to the frame.