Abstract: A threshing mechanism for a combine harvester has a cylindrical rotor for moving crop materials and a plurality of separator tines secured thereon for threshing crop material. A rotor chamber has a top casing forming an upper portion defining a volume of space between the rotor and the top casing. A plurality of crop transport vanes extend away from an inward surface of the top casing to direct the crop material generally helically along the chamber. The vanes have a rotor-facing edge at an outer end away from the inward surface of the top casing. The vanes are positionable between a base position and at least one extended position with respect to the rotor, wherein in the base position, the rotor-facing edge is positioned a greater distance from the rotor than when in the at least one extended position.

Abstract: A harvesting header includes a header frame, a flexible cutterbar assembly mounted to the header frame, a plurality of laterally spaced apart support arms, and a draper assembly. The support arms are attached to and cooperatively support the cutterbar assembly and are pivotally coupled to the frame for swinging movement about a laterally extending axis. The draper assembly includes a side draper carried on multiple ones of the support arms so as to flex with the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes rollers and a roller frame that operably interconnects the interior support arm and a respective one of the rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to precisely meter and dispense two or more crop inputs with a common metering disc is presented to achieve proper placement in the soil relative to one another. In one embodiment, dry granular or granulized fertilizer is metered from one side of the disc and seed is metered from the opposite side of the same metering disc. The fertilizer is placed in a concentrated “pulse” approximately equal distances between seeds within a common seed furrow and/or between seed furrows to improved nutrient use efficiency by minimizing soil to fertilizer contact and subsequent chemical reactions that make applied supplemental nutrients less available to plants. Pressurized air may be utilized to assist discharge of both the seed and fertilizer from the disc meter to assure precise spacing in the soil. A cover may be placed on the meter and metering disc to recirculate air and thus minimize potential atmospheric contamination from seed coatings and fertilizer materials.

Abstract: A mounting bracket for supporting plumbing conduits on a boom arm of an agricultural sprayer has a variable diameter conduit retaining portion having a flexible tie strap and a saddle with a strap-receiving channel formed therein configured to allow for the passage of the tie strap through the saddle. The saddle has a vertex at or near its center and two legs extending from the vertex to form a generally V-shape. The saddle has an upper opening leading to the strap-receiving channel at an outer end of one leg that forms a first end of the channel and a lower opening at an opposite end of the channel at an outer end of the second leg. A front wall of the saddle has at least two cavities therein leading to the channel in between the upper and lower openings with a first of said at least two cavities on one side of the vertex and a second of said at least two cavities on the other side of the vertex. The upper and lower openings and the at least two cavities provide for a plurality of paths for the tie strap.

Abstract: A mounting system for plumbing conduits on an agricultural sprayer boom arm includes a mounting base on a beam of the boom arm with an elongated platform portion extending to a distal end. The platform portion has a front face, a rear face, and opposing side faces, the front face forming a base interface having a center groove running between two tracks. The tracks run from the distal end to a primary stop. One of the tracks has a secondary stop between the primary stop and the distal end of the mounting base. At least one conduit bracket has a conduit retaining portion and a bracket interface configured to lock with the base interface. The bracket interface has a center tongue with first and second skids on opposing sides. The conduit bracket is configured to slide on the mounting base by interlocking the center tongue with the center groove.

Abstract: A configurable plumbing mount for supporting plumbing conduits on a boom arm of an agricultural sprayer includes a mounting base mountable on a beam of the boom arm at its proximal end and having an elongated platform portion extending to a distal end. The platform portion has a front face, a rear face, and opposing side faces, the front face forming a base interface having a center groove running between two tracks. The tracks run from the distal end to a primary stop. One of the tracks has a secondary stop formed thereon located between the primary stop and the distal end of the mounting base. The plumbing mount also has at least one conduit bracket having a conduit retaining portion and a bracket interface configured to slidingly engage and lock with the base interface of the mounting base. The bracket interface has a center tongue with first and second skids on opposing sides on the center tongue.

Abstract: An agricultural implement frame having at least one beam welded to additional components is formed by cutting the beam into a first tube member and a second tube member having an overlaying portion formed by overlaying ends of the first and second tube members. Each overlaying end has an overlaying wall and a base wall connected by opposing interface side walls. The laser cut forms interface surfaces in the interface side walls. The cut forms a plurality of interlocking load transfer teeth in the interface surfaces. Micro tabs are left uncut in the interface side walls to keep the first and second tube members aligned. The beam is then welded to other components of the implement frame. The micro tabs are broken to separate the first and second tube members so the frame may be folded. When joined, the interface surfaces contact and the interlocking load transfer teeth mesh.

Abstract: An agricultural implement frame has a beam with a pair of tube members joined by a tube joint. The tube joint has an overlaying portion formed by overlaying ends of the first and second tube members, each overlaying end having an overlaying wall and a base wall connected by opposing side walls. The side walls have interface surfaces extending from a lip at one end of the overlaying wall to a foot in the base wall such that when the tube members are joined together, the interface surfaces contact and the lip of the first tube member abuts the foot of the second tube member and the lip of the second tube member abuts the foot of the first tube member. A fastener clamps together the overlaying ends of the tube members and interlocking load transfer teeth in the interface surfaces transfer load between the tube members.

Abstract: A hydraulically-operated implement has a hydraulic system with a hose and a coupler connecting the hose to a mating port on a tractor. A docking station is mounted on the implement receives the coupler on the free end of the hose when disconnected from the tractor. The docking station includes a station body having a coupler receiving portion and a leakage collection portion. The coupler receiving portion has a primary side with at least one circular bore and the leakage collection portion contains a drain opening. A retention device positioned on the inner periphery of each of the circular bores receives the coupler. The drain opening is sealed with a drain plug and the docking station has an inside bulkhead parallel with the primary side of the station body. The bulkhead has a circular hole formed therein aligned with the at least one cylindrical bore in the primary side.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a harvesting header includes a helper roll having an auger flighting configured to move crop material laterally inward. The auger flighting may be outboard of a crop receiving area. The helper roll may be placed rearward of a cutter mechanism and forward of a conditioning roll of the header. The axis of rotation of the helper roll may be positioned slightly above a cutting plane of a cutting bed so that the auger flighting extends vertically past the cutting plane. In an example embodiment, at least a portion of the auger flights are positioning outboard of a conditioning roll of the header. The helper roll may be supported within the cutting zone and comprised of a plurality of sub-helper rolls.