Abstract: Intake fingers and finger assemblies for use with intake portions of harvesting assemblies, on harvesting machines such as combines, haybines, bailers, corn pickers, and the like. The fingers and finger assemblies cooperate with crop-gathering augers, and crankshafts inside the augers, in feeding cut crop material toward discharge portions of such harvesting assemblies. The fingers extend and retract through apertures in the auger cylinder according to an eccentric mounting of the finger crankshaft inside the auger cylinder. A respective finger comprises a reinforced polyester or polyurethane shaft, and a polyurethane sleeve overlying a crop-engaging end portion of the finger, such as along 50% to 80% of the length of the shaft. The shaft is reinforced with fiberglass or other fiber, the composition of the sleeve comprises polyester-based thermoplastic polyurethane, and the sleeve has a hardness of about Shore D-45 to about Shore D-70.

Abstract: An engine control unit, and method of use, uses a power curve or algorithm to pro-actively adjust fuel flow rate to an engine, optionally in combination with a reactive power curve or algorithm, thereby to adjust engine power, in anticipation of changes in loads being imposed on the engine, as well as to respond to engine speed changes. The ECU has a power curve or algorithm stored in memory which responds to certain predetermined operating conditions other than sensed engine speed, by providing a sequence of pro-active change inputs, at predetermined rates of change, in rate of delivery of fuel to the engine combustion chambers, independent of engine speed change, thereby to produce pro-active incremental changes in power output of the engine. Such pro-active incremental power changes are effected in anticipation of changes in load demand on the engine, and correspond generally with expected incrementally progressive changes in load demand on the engine.

Abstract: An engine control unit, and method of use, uses a power curve or algorithm to pro-actively adjust fuel flow rate to an engine, optionally in combination with a reactive power curve or algorithm, thereby to adjust engine power, in anticipation of changes in loads being imposed on the engine, as well as to respond to engine speed changes. The ECU has a power curve or algorithm stored in memory which responds to certain predetermined operating conditions other than sensed engine speed, by providing a sequence of pro-active change inputs, at predetermined rates of change, in rate of delivery of fuel to the engine combustion chambers, independent of engine speed change, thereby to produce pro-active incremental changes in power output of the engine. Such pro-active incremental power changes are effected in anticipation of changes in load demand on the engine, and correspond generally with expected incrementally progressive changes in load demand on the engine.

Abstract: Intake fingers and finger assemblies for use with intake portions of harvesting assemblies, on harvesting machines such as combines, haybines, bailers, corn pickers, and the like. The fingers and finger assemblies cooperate with crop-gathering augers, and crankshafts inside the augers, in feeding cut crop material toward discharge portions of such harvesting assemblies. The fingers extend and retract through apertures in the auger cylinder according to an eccentric mounting of the finger crankshaft inside the auger cylinder. A respective finger comprises a reinforced polyester or polyurethane shaft, and a polyurethane sleeve overlying a crop-engaging end portion of the finger, such as along 50% to 80% of the length of the shaft. In preferred embodiments, the shaft is reinforced with fiberglass or other fiber, the composition of the sleeve comprises polyester-based thermoplastic polyurethane, and the sleeve has a hardness of about Shore D-45 to about Shore D-70.