Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine having a threshing and separating mechanism for threshing and separating crop material; and cleaning mechanism for cleaning the threshed and separated crop material. The cleaning mechanism comprising: a grain pan for receiving threshed and separated crop material and transporting the latter rearwardly; and an upper and lower sieves installed behind said grain pan and operable to receive the material from said grain pan and move it through and along. At least one portion of said grain pan is inclined in a sideways direction for sideways movement of said threshed and separated crop material while it is being transported rearwardly towards said sieve. This inclination spreads out the surplus of crop material supplied to one longitudinal section of the grain pan and delivers it in an even pattern to the front section of the upper sieve.

Abstract: An agricultural baler having a main frame, a stuffer for loading successive charges of crop material into a baling chamber installed on the frame and a plunger for compressing the charges into packages of crop material. When the package has reached a predetermined length, a trip mechanism actuates a tying mechanism to tie a series of strands around the package to form a finished bale. The drive line to the tying mechanism comprises a dog clutch assembly including a continuously rotated hub and a dog lever positioned for possible engagement of a cam lobe on the inner surface of the hub. In between tying cycles a lever of the trip mechanism keeps the dog lever away from the hub surface. A timing cam cooperating with a roller on the lever precludes the actuation of the dog clutch when the cam lobe passes in the vicinity of the dog lever.

Abstract: A combine harvester (1) is provided with a grain cleaning mechanism (12), comprising a fan (33) installed in a generally volute-shaped fan housing (72), having primary air inlets (73) in its side walls and a secondary air inlet (74) in its top wall. The housing (72) further has a main outlet duct (80) directed to a chaffer sieve (31) and a lower grain sieve (32) and an additional outlet duct (81) directed to a pre-cleaning sieve (29) and an associated grain pan (30). The secondary air inlet (74) is covered with a plurality of juxtaposed plates (75), comprising sets of louvres (76) which are opened rearwardly. Grain kernels which unwantedly fall off the leading edges of the sieves (29, 31, 32) or the grain pan (30) and into the outlet duct (80, 81), may be engaged and thrown upwardly by the blades (95) of the fan (33), but will be returned into the fan housing (72) by the louvres (76), which nevertheless do not obstruct an efficient air intake by the fan (33) .

Abstract: An adjustable sieve mechanism for an agricultural harvesting machine comprising louvres positioned behind one another and being movable through a range of positions between a fully closed and a fully opened position. Consecutive louvres define an opening when in an opened position. An adjustment mechanism is provided for changing the opening. Also provided is an opening indicator including a movable part which is unitarily moved with one of the louvres when the opening is adjusted. The indicator permits verification of the sieve opening even when the louvres are not accessible for measurement with gauges, and a direct link between the louvres and the movable part avoids the inaccuracies which are conceivable when the indicator is sensing the movement of further, intermediate components of the adjustment mechanism.

Abstract: A combine harvester stone trap having its upwardly facing inlet generally in the proximity of the transition between the discharge end of the crop elevator and the forward end of the combine threshing concave. The stone trap includes a front wall in the form of a door which can be opened into a retracted position for emptying the stone trap and a rear wall which, in an operative position, effectively closes the gap between the forward end of the threshing concave and the forward end of the combine grain pan located below the concave in a conventional manner. The rear wall is movable into an inoperative position providing access to the gap between the forward ends of the threshing concave and the grain pan.

Abstract: A combine harvester having a threshing and separating mechanism and a grain cleaning mechanism disposed beneath the threshing and separating mechanism and including a grain pan fitted with a movable divider apparatus and operable to receive grain from the threshing and separating mechanism, sieve mechanism operable to receive grain from the grain pan, and a fan operable to blow air through the sieve mechanism, is disclosed wherein an inclination sensing mechanism for sensing the lateral inclination of the combine harvester is operatively associated with an actuator operatively coupled to the grain pan divider apparatus for positionally adjusting the grain pan divider apparatus in response to the output of the inclination sensing mechanism to compensate for any given lateral inclination of the harvester.

Abstract: A combine harvester, having threshing and separating means for threshing and separating crop material and a cleaning apparatus disposed to receive threshed and separated grain from said treshing and separating means and being operable to clean unwanted residue from the threshed and separated grain is disclosed wherein the cleaning apparatus, including at least a pair of cleaning sieves arranged to be oscillated generally back-and-forth for moving threshed and separated grain therealong while permitting the passage of cleaned grain therethrough, and further including a cleaning fan operable to direct a cleaning air blast to the cleaning sieves for urging unwanted residue to the threshed and separated grain into an airborne state for discharge from the combine harvester, is provided with an agitator positioned between the cleaning sieves.