Abstract: An agricultural baler for forming and wrapping cylindrical packages of crop material. The baler includes a sledge assembly moveable between a starting position and full bale position. A plurality of rollers on the sledge assembly cooperate with an apron to define a bale forming chamber. Wrapping is accomplished via a system that includes a dispensing mechanism carried on the sledge assembly for dispensing sheet material, such as net or the like, into the bale forming chamber whereupon it is wrapped circumferentially around a formed cylindrical package of crop material as it is rotated in the chamber. The net wrapping system includes means for controlling the position of the dispensing mechanism relative to the sledge assembly by continuously sensing its position.

Abstract: A round baler having a main frame, a bale forming chamber on the main frame, a pickup for feeding crop material into the chamber, and a tailgate pivotally connected to the main frame for rearwardly discharging completed bales. The chamber is defined by an apron extending around a plurality of guide rolls on the periphery of the chamber, the tailgate, and a floor. The bale forming chamber varies in size from a core starting position to a full bale position. A crop loading monitor having sensors in the bale forming chamber provides signals representing compactness of the crop material during bale formation. The signals are utilizable by the operator to enhance his capabilities for making properly shaped bales.

Abstract: Improved tailgate latching apparatus for a round baler having a main frame, a tailgate, stub shafts for pivotally coupling the tailgate to the main frame, and a bale forming chamber mounted on the frame and the tailgate for forming crop material into a cylindrical package of crop material, which chamber has a generally transverse opening for permitting the ingress of crop material. The baler also includes a pickup for picking up crop material from the field and feeding it rearwardly along a path in the direction of the transverse opening, a drive for pivoting the tailgate from a closed position to an open position for discharging the bale onto the surface of the field, and a latching assembly for holding the tailgate in its closed position, which assembly comprises a latch arm mounted on the main frame, a latch pin mounted on the tailgate in operative relationship with the latch arm.

Abstract: An agricultural baler for making cylindrical bales of crop material. The baler includes a sledge assembly moveable between core starting and full bale positions. A plurality of rollers on the sledge assembly cooperate with an apron to define a bale forming chamber. Wrapping is accomplished via a system that includes a dispensing mechanism carried on the sledge assembly for dispensing sheet material, such as net or the like, into the bale forming chamber whereupon it is wrapped circumferentially around a formed cylindrical package of crop material as it is rotated in the chamber. A baffle is mounted on the dispensing mechanism between the sheet material and the bale forming chamber to shield the sheet material from stray crop material and other debris.

Abstract: A round baler having a pickup, a chamber for forming a cylindrical package of crop material and a generally transverse opening for feeding crop that has been picked up into the chamber. The baler includes a twine handling assembly having at least one twine arm with a twine dispensing end from which twine is dispensed in the vicinity of the transverse opening for applying a plurality of helical wraps on the cylindrical package of crop material formed in the chamber. Twine cutting apparatus is provided for cutting the twine, and a twine guide assembly is mounted to cooperate with the twine cutting apparatus to guide the twine to a cutting mechanism that is transferred to its operative position from a remote position after a predetermined amount of twine has been dispensed.

Abstract: A round baler having a frame with opposing side walls, a series of inwardly facing moving surfaces defining a baling chamber for forming cylindrical packages of crop material, a pick up for feeding crop material into the chamber, a plurality of rotatable transverse rollers mounted between the opposing side walls of the frame, and a support assembly for mounting at least one of the rollers. The support includes a bearing assembly having a generally cylindrical stationary first race and a concentrically disposed generally cylindrical rotatable second race between which races a bearing cavity is formed for seating a series of bearings housed between the first and second races. The second race is rotatable with the one roller relative to the first race.

Abstract: A round baler having a main frame, a tailgate pivotally connected to the main frame and an apron extending around a plurality of guide rolls disposed in the main frame and the tailgate. A pair of take up arms, rotatably mounted on the main frame, carry at least one additional guide roll for the apron. A bale forming chamber, including the apron, varies in size from a bale starting position to a full bale position. A pair of levers, connected to rotate with the take up arms, have attached thereto a tensioning mechanism to urge the take up arms to the bale starting position of the apron. The machine is provided with an automated system for wrapping the formed bale with twine including an improved control system for tripping the wrapping apparatus.

Abstract: A round baler having a main frame, a tailgate pivotally connected to the main frame and an apron extending around a plurality of guide rolls disposed in the main frame and the tailgate. A pair of take up arms, rotatably mounted on the main frame, carry at least one additional guide roll for the apron. A bale forming chamber, including the apron, varies in size from a bale starting position to a full bale position. A pair of levers, connected to rotate with the take up arms, have attached thereto a tensioning mechanism to urge the take up arms to the bale starting position of the apron. The machine is provided with apparatus for wrapping the formed bale with twine and a unique system that operates in conjunction with the levers to automatically trip the wrapping apparatus when the bale formed in the chamber has attained a desired size.

Abstract: A sharpening apparatus is disclosed for a plurality of knives disposed in a cutterhead generating a cylindrical periphery when rotating. The apparatus comprises a grinding stone; a carriage for carrying the grinding stone in a grinding mode across the cutterhead in a line generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutterhead; a drive coupled to said carriage for effecting reciprocatory movement of the carriage; and means for applying constant pressure on the knives by the grinding stone during grinding operations such that the cutterhead retains its cylindrical periphery after repeated sharpening operations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining the cylindrical profile of forage harvester cutterheads involves moving a grinding stone back and forth along a predetermined path between positions which are adjacent opposite ends of a cutterhead. Initially, the grinding stone is moved gradually toward the cutterhead along a first slope until it is fully engaged with the cutting edges of the cutterhead knives. Next, the grinding stone is moved generally lengthwise of the cutterhead along a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cutterhead while it is kept fully engaged with the cutting edges of the cutterhead knives. Finally, the grinding stone is moved gradually away from the cutterhead along a second slope until it is fully disengaged from the cutting edges of the cutterhead knives.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having a motor driven sharpening stone driven back and forth along a path parallel to the axis of a rotating cutterhead to sharpen the knives of the cutterhead, and a door which normally prevents access to the knives, a control circuit is provided for controllig the opening of the door, the movement of the sharpening stone to sharpen the knives, and the closing of the door after the knives have been sharpened. The circuit is controlled by switches located at an operator's control panel and accessible to the operator while he is in the driver's seat of the harvester so that the operator does not have to leave his driving position to accomplish the knife sharpening operation. The circuit includes visual indicators lcoated on the control panel for indicating the status of the circuit during the entire operation.

Abstract: In a forage harvester, a microphone is used to detect air-borne sounds waves generated by impacts of a rotating cutterhead on a shear bar during adjustment of the shear bar relative to the cutterhead. In response to the detected sound waves, the microphone produces electrical output signals which are applied to a control circuit, the control circuit producing output signals to selectively drive first and second motors to move one end or the other of the shear bar. The microphone may be mounted in positions remote from the shear bar, such as on side sheets defining lateral limits of the crop feed path, or in the interior of a crop feed roll. A vibration absorbing pad is provided between the microphone and its support to isolate the microphone from mechanical vibrations of the support.

Abstract: In a forage harvester, a shear bar is adjusted relative to the knives of a rotating cutterhead by selectively energizing first and second motors to move one or the other end of the shear bar toward the cutterhead. A vibration sensor senses vibration of the shear bar and controls a circuit to deenergize an energized motor when vibration is induced in the shear bar. The vibration may be caused by impact of the cutterhead knives on the shear bar (a true hit) or by random noise (detected as a false hit). To discriminate between false hits and true hits, an energized motor is stopped when a first hit (true or false) is detected. A timer is set to time an interval at least as great as the time it takes the cutterhead to make one revolution, and during this interval the vibration sensor is repeatedly sampled to determine if a second hit has occurred. If a second hit is detected during the interval the first hit is assumed to be a true hit.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having a motor driven sharpening stone driven back and forth along a path parallel to the axis of a rotating cutterhead to sharpen the knives of the cutterhead, and a door which normally prevents access to the knives, a control circuit is provided for controlling the opening of the door, the movement of the sharpening stone to sharpen the knives, and the closing of the door after the knives have been sharpened. The circuit is controlled by switches located at an operator's control panel and accessible to the operator while he is in the driver's seat of the harvester so that the operator does not have to leave his driving position to accomplish the knife sharpening operation. The circuit includes visual indicators located on the control panel for indicating the status of the circuit during the entire operation.

Abstract: A rotary crop feed assist device mounted on a divider of a row crop harvesting header has a plurality of angularly spaced crop-engaging members projecting radially from a forwardly inclined rotational axis. The crop-engaging members are connected together at inner longitudinally-extending portions and have outer longitudinal edges which taper downwardly and inwardly toward the rotational axis. Their outer longitudinal edges sweep along a rotational path in the shape of an inverted truncated cone upon rotation of the device to impose a downward force on the crop material as it is being pulled into the discharge end of the row crop header past the feed assist device.

Abstract: A forage harvester having an automatic grinding mechanism for the knives of the cutterhead, the grinding mechanism comprising a carriage carrying grinding means and being reciprocated back and forth across the cutterhead in the griding mode by endless drive means. The carriage is coupled to the endless drive means by a coupling member which is attached to the endless drive means chain and pivotally attached to the carriage. The coupling member is shaped and dimensioned such that the pivot axis of the connection to the carriage is substantially coaxial with the axis of rotation of each of the two sprockets which define the extent of the two runs of the endless drive means when the connection of the coupling member to the chain passes around that sprocket in moving from one run of the chain to the other.

Abstract: Under the control of a microprocessor first and second motors alternately drive first and second ends of a shear bar for adjusting the position of the shear bar relative to cutter head. The shear bar is adjusted so that it is substantially parallel to the cutter head even though the cutter head and shear bar may not be parallel at the time the adjustment is initiated. A knock sensor is provided for sensing impacts between the cutter head and shear bar, the knock sensor output signal being converted to a digital value for controlling the adjusting sequence. A knocker is provided for inducing vibrations in the shear bar to thereby test the operability of the knock sensor and its output circuitry. The sensitivity of the adjustment system to the output of the knock sensor is set automatically before an adjustment sequence begins to account for variations in the knock sensor, its output circuitry, and "noise" vibrations induced in the shear bar by normal machine operation.

Abstract: A shearbar attachment and adjustment apparatus is adapted to apply clamping forces to a shearbar in a forage harvester at first locations on opposite ends of the shearbar. The clamping forces prevent the shearbar from backing away from a rotary cutterhead in the forage harvester during chopping of crop material by passing cutting edges of knives on the periphery of the cutterhead close to the cutting edge of the shearbar. Also, the apparatus is adjustable to apply pulling forces on the shearbar at second locations on its opposite ends which are offset inwardly from the first locations. Application of pulling forces at these inward locations relative to the outward locations of the clamping forces tends to compensate for the effect of the convex shape of the shearbar cutting edge by causing bowing of the shearbar at the second locations to provide a more uniform clearance between the cutting edge of the shearbar and the cutting edges of the cutterhead knives.

Abstract: A shredbar is used with a forage harvester cutterhead mainly for cracking kernels of corn. The problem of premature wear of the shredbar is avoided by providing a shredbar apparatus with a reversible surface for abrading crop material. The shredbar apparatus includes pivotal members to increase flexibility for quick installation and removal.

Abstract: Under the control of a microprocessor first and second motors alternately drive first and second ends of a shear bar for adjusting the position of the shear bar relative to cutter head. The shear bar is adjusted so that it is substantially parallel to the cutter head even though the cutter head and shear bar may not be parallel at the time the adjustment is initiated. A knock sensor is provided for sensing impacts between the cutter head and shear bar, the knock sensor output signal being converted to a digital value for controlling the adjusting sequence. A knocker is provided for inducing vibrations in the shear bar to thereby test the operability of the knock sensor and its output circuitry. The sensitivity of the adjustment system to the output of the knock sensor is set automatically before an adjustment sequence begins to account for variations in the knock sensor, its output circuitry, and "noise" vibrations induced in the shear bar by normal machine operation.