Abstract: A windrow turner is described in which a wheeled frame is provided including a forward and a rearward end. A windrow pick-up on the frame adjacent the forward end, and a substantially upright helical auger flight is situated rearwardly adjacent the windrow pick-up. A drive is connected to the auger flight and is selectively operable to rotate the auger flight about an auger axis in a lifting mode such that material engaging the rotating auger flight is lifted upwardly by the auger flight. A guide between the windrow pick-up and auger leads angularly from the windrow pick-up to the auger flight. The auger flight rotates about the auger axis to engage the windrow lifted by the windrow pick-up and progressively inverts the windrow by turning the windrow laterally where a discharge chute on the frame receives and guides the inverted windrow back to the ground surface.

Abstract: The combination comprises a non-riding, power lawnmower having a housing mounted on fourwheels and a front mounted rake attachment for attachment to one of the opposite side walls of the housing for sweeping, scraping and thatching the area in the forward path of movement of the power lawnmower. The rake attachment comprises a generally U-shaped frame member having a bight portion and two leg portions each having a free distal end that extends rearwardly for attachment to one of the opposite side walls of the housing and first and second clamps mounted at each free distal end of each leg portion and each clamp including a U-shaped bracket which is wide enough to extend about one of the opposite side walls and which comprises a bottom plate, an elongate outer plate forming one leg of the bracket and a shorter inner plate forming the other leg of the bracket both inner and outer plates a bottom plate and extending upwardly about the housing and releasably fixed thereto with three hand manipulatable screws.

Abstract: A mower includes a linking structure designed to link the mower to a motor vehicle; a cutting mechanism with driven cutting elements that include cutting tools; and a windrowing device designed to move laterally, toward a median plane of the cutting mechanism, the product that has been cut by the cutting elements before it is dropped to the ground. The windrowing device has at least one guiding element for the cut product, located in the vicinity of one of the lateral ends of the cutting mechanism, and considering the direction of work, behind the front of the cut of the cutting mechanism. The guiding element has at least two rotors arranged crosswise to the direction of work and to the rotation axis directed upward during work. The rotors are hung to a carrying structure linked to the cutting mechanism and/or to the linking structure, and the rotors are driven in rotation by way of a driving mechanism.

Abstract: A self-propelled windrower is provided with a platform including a reel which sweeps crop to be cut over a sickle cutterbar and into the nip of a pair of counter-rotating center-feed augers that, in turn, deliver the crop to the nip of a pair of counter-rotating conditioner rolls; and these driven components may be reversed to disgorge slugs of crop. The reversible drive includes a hydraulic pump carried by the traction unit and coupled to a motor carried by the platform. The hydraulic motor on the platform is coupled to power a main gear box which distributes power to the driven components of the platform. Operation of the pump is electro-hydraulically controlled with a single switch being operable to effect forward operation of the platform drive train, and with a second switch being designed to be moved and held in place to effect and maintain the drive train in reverse.

Abstract: An aerator main frame has wheels and a hitch by which the main frame is pulled on the ground, such as by a tractor. The main frame has a transverse conveyor for transporting a cut crop laterally of the direction of travel and for depositing the cut crop in a row on the ground. A header frame is pivotally supported to the main frame. Idler wheels attach to the header frame support it adjacent the ground. A header conveyor is supported by the header frame to lift a row of cut crop from the ground and to deliver the cut crop onto the transverse conveyor supported by the mainframe. A hydraulic ram extends between the main frame and the header frame so that the header frame may be pivoted upwardly to lift the idler wheels off the ground when the aerator is being transported from one location to another and pivoted downwardly to permit the idler wheels to roll on the ground so that the header frame is positioned close to the ground to pick up a row of cut crop.

Abstract: A rotary rake is provided with a hydraulic lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the rake. A vertical shaft extending through the center of a rotary gearbox on the rake serves as a hydraulic fluid port. Pressurized hydraulic fluid from a remote source passes through the shaft to a hydraulic cylinder mounted on a support frame. The hydraulic cylinder operates a mechanical linkage which raises and lowers the rake. The mechanical linkage includes an over-center position for securely holding the rake in the raised position.

Abstract: A rake component system consists of a tool bar frame member, a pair of rake assemblies, a pair of pivot heads for mounting the rake assemblies to the tool bar frame member, a lifting and lowering assembly, a three-point hitch assembly mountable to the tool bar frame member and a pull-type hitch assembly mountable to the tool bar frame member. These components are shipped to a dealer or assembler in a knocked-down condition. When desired, the rakes and pivot heads are mounted to the tool bar frame member. Either the three-point hitch assembly or the pull-type hitch assembly is mounted to the tool bar frame member, depending upon the particular configuration desired. The lifting and lowering assembly, which consists of a linkage connected to the rake pivot heads and an extendible and retractable cylinder connected to the linkage, is then mounted to tool bar frame member.

Abstract: An agricultural rake especially designed for gathering wide swaths of agricultural field crops into windrows prior to baling is provided. The rake includes a primary frame, a pair of secondary rake frames pivotally and shiftably mounted to the primary frame, and a plurality or bank of radially-tined wheel rakes supported by the secondary frames. The secondary rake frames are free to pivot in a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel to prevent undo stress on the frames. Both the angle of deployment of the secondary frames as well as the distance between the frames is adjustable to accommodate different swath widths and windrow sizes. A unique rake suspension assembly provides for the easy shifting of the rake bases between the raking and transport positions while providing for desired tensioning of the rakes during raking operations and elevating the rake frames during transport. In an embodiment, castors are included to support the rake suspension assembly.

Abstract: A haymaking machine, particularly a windrower of cut plants comprises a support mount which is attached to a frame that is adapted to be coupled to a hydraulic power lift of a tractor. At least one raking wheel being connected to one end of the support mount. The haymaking machine further comprises a protective device which extends at least partially around the at least one raking wheel and a deflector which works with the at least one raking wheel and limits a lateral ejection of cut plants. The haymaking machine further includes an adjusting mechanism for adjusting a position of the deflector with respect to the at least one raking wheel. The adjusting mechanism comprising a hydraulic cylinder which is connected to the deflector for changing the position of the deflector with respect to the at least one raking wheel.

Abstract: The present invention regards a rake trolley with adjustable working widths, suitable for three point hitch finger wheel hay rakes. The trolley includes a transverse frame member. A pair of rake arms are connected to a pair of movable heads or supports, and a raising and lowering assembly is interconnected between the frame member and each rake head. The raising and lowering assembly includes a linkage, with a connector member on each side of the linkage extending between the linkage and one of the rake heads. A hydraulic cylinder assembly is interconnected with the linkage for moving it between a first position in which the rake arms are pivoted to a lowered, or working position, and a second position in which the rake arms are pivoted to a raised, or transport, position. The connector members are adjustable in length, to accommodate connection of the rake heads to varying positions along the length of the frame member.

Abstract: The blades on the drum in composting apparatus are arranged obliquely relative to the direction of the helical spiral and also obliquely to the axis of the drum and to the direction of travel of the chassis of the vehicle for moving material toward the center of the drum. Blades adjacent the center of the drum attack the face of a pile of compost material first and create a void, which is then filled by material moved by the following blade, while it is creating another void to be filled by material moved by the next blade and so on to the end of the spiral and the outer ends of the drum.

Abstract: The invention relates to a windrow inverting device pulled by a tractor to turn over hay rows and aid in the drying process of the windrows. The windrow inverting device comprises a rotating turntable in connection with a rake also pulled by a vehicle. The raking device picks up hay and sends it on to the turntable for inversion. The turntable is mounted for rotation and is in connection with a wheel of the vehicle to provide turning movement to the turntable. The turntable rotates clockwise to propel hay to the left of the vehicle or counter-clockwise to propel hay to the right of the vehicle thereby inverting the windrow in the process.

Abstract: A forage crop harvester is provided with a rotary crop pick-up which deposits crop deposited in an elongated swath and deposits it on a transversely extended, moveable conveyor which consolidates the crop material and deposits it in a windrow at one side of the harvester. The pick-up is disposed on the harvester in a position in advance of the harvester wheels, thereby eliminating damage to the crop caused by crushing of the material in the swath by the wheels. The harvester includes mechanism providing for maintaining it in an offset relationship with respect to the tractor during operation. The rake and conveyor are supported through a counterbalancing mechanism which maintains it in a floating relationship in a crop pick-up position and has ground engaging skids which limit contact of the rake teeth with the ground surface.

Abstract: An agricultural rake especially designed for gathering wide swaths of agricultural field crops into windrows prior to baling is provided. The rake includes a primary frame, a pair of secondary rake frames pivotally and shiftably mounted to the primary frame, and a plurality or bank of radially-tined wheel rakes supported by the secondary frames. Both the angle of deployment of the secondary frames as well as the distance between the frames is adjustable to accommodate different swath widths and windrow sizes. A unique rake suspension assembly provides for the easy shifting of the rake bases between the raking and transport positions while providing for desired damping of the rakes during raking operations.

Abstract: A hay harvesting machine in which previously cut crop material in a windrow or swath on the ground is picked up and inverted to position a damp side up and a dry side down; as the crop is inverted, it is directed laterally toward one side of the machine and rearwardly; after inversion, the crop is turned further and conveyed for discharge back onto the ground laterally displaced from its original position on the ground.

Abstract: A transportable farm machine for windrowing products includes a frame which can be connected to a tractor, a rotor mounted to the frame for rotation about a vertical axis, and a plurality of toolholder arms mounted to the rotor such that the tools mounted on the toolholder arms may form the product into windrows during rotation of the rotor. Each of the toolholder arms includes an inside part mounted to the rotor and an outside part to which the tools are mounted and which is conencted to the inside part by a joint about which the outside part can be displaced between a work position and a transport position. The joint includes a first pivot for pivoting the outside part around the longitudinal axis of the inside part, a second pivot for pivoting the outside part about an axis forming a positive angle relative to the axis of the first pivot and a locking device for locking the outside part in the work position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for harvesting fruit or similar articles on the ground. The process comprises driving the fruit ahead of rotating brushes (10-14, 32) which are displaced in the vicinity of the ground in such a manner as to cause each fruit to roll toward an edge of the brush for forming a window parallel to the direction of displacement, recovering said window on a receiving surface (34) positioned in such a manner as to extend to the vicinity of the edge of at least one bruch (32) and to convey toward a container the fruit recovered from said surface. The process of the invention permits gathering even fragile fruit without bruising them, either on damp ground or on dry ground.

Abstract: A hay rake moveable between a rake position and a transport position. A frame assembly supported by an axle and wheels carries two sets of fingerwheel hay rakes which are rotatable on an axis positioned transversely to the axle. A hitch assembly which is connected to a towing vehicle is pivotedly connected to the frame. A connecting linkage is provided between the hitch assembly and the frame and a power source is connected to the frame for rotating the wheel rakes about their axis and rotating the frame relative to the hitch assembly thereby rotating the rakes between a downward and outward rake position and an upward and inward transport position.

Abstract: A windrow mover having a frame with a linkage arm on each side. Each of the linkage arms having a first end pivotally attached near the front of and at a point on the axis of the frame. An axle is attached to a second end of each linkage arm defining an axis. Ground engaging wheels are mounted on each of the axles, thereby permitting movement of the frame over a groundsurface. A hydraulic cylinder is provided for moving the linkage arm such that the axis of the frame moves in a substantially vertical plane radially about the axis of the wheels as defined by the axle, thereby altering the spacial relationship between the frame and the wheels from an operative position where the front of the frame is adjacent the groundsurface to a transport position where the front of the frame is spaced from the groundsurface.

Abstract: A discharge chute for use on a window turner having a pickup mechanism for elevating a windrow of crop material off the ground and a cross conveyor for receiving the elevated windrow and conveying the windrow laterally of the direction of travel as disclosed wherein the discharge chute is provided with an adjustable discharge edge for the floor member of the discharge chute over which the windrow must pass before being deposited on the ground. The floor member of the discharge chute is provided with an edge plate member positionally movable with respect to the floor base member, the edge plate member being fixed into a selected position relative to the floor base member by clamping bolts.

Abstract: An apparatus selectively operable either to invert and laterally displace the windrow from its original position or merely to laterally displace the windrow without effecting an inversion thereof is disclosed wherein a first discharge chute can be utilized to effect an inversion of the windrow while a second discharge chute can be utilized for merely shifting the windrow without inversion. The discharge chute is positioned laterally of and adjacent the discharge end of a cross conveyor conveying an elevated windrow of crop material laterally of its original path of repose upon the ground. The first discharge chute redirects the flow of crop material forwardly and over a discharge edge whereupon the forward motion of the apparatus will effect an inversion of the windrow into a second path of repose laterally spaced from its original path.

Abstract: An apparatus for laterally displacing and inverting a windrow of crop material is disclosed wherein a pickup engages a windrow of crop material along a first path and elevates the windrow into a table where it is conveyed in a semi-circular path by a horizontal conveyor until it is rolled off a discharge edge of the table into a second path laterally displaced from the first path. The speed relationship between the horizontal conveyor and the forward movement of the apparatus is such that the elevated windrow of crop material is gently rolled off the discharge edge of the platform in such a manner that the windrow is inverted when it engages the ground. A method of laterally displacing and inverting a windrow of crop material is also disclosed wherein the windrow is gently picked up, conveyed and turned upside down without the need for a structural device to engage the windrow and positively invert it.

Abstract: A farm machine includes a frame, at least one rotor mounted on the frame, and a tapered flexible skirt for moving products that are on the ground mounted on the rotor. The tapered flexible skirt has close to its outer edge a zone the thickness of which is greater than the thickness of the remaining part of the tapered flexible skirt. The zone is an integral part of the tapered flexible skirt and extends without interruption over the entire periphery of the tapered flexible skirt.

Abstract: A swath pick-up for a harvester provides a drive for the transverse toothed members which acts to rotate the toothed members about a transverse axis while moving them longitudinally of the axis. The drive comprises a pair of plates arranged at opposed ends of the transverse member each supporting a plurality of pairs of bevel gears mounted such that one bevel gear rotates with the plate while the other is rotated by rotation of the first to rotate the respective transverse member on a crank. The bevel gears are inter-connected either by a shaft or by an elbow casing. The first bevel gear is either fixed to the plate for rotation therewith or is rotated by an internal cam track provided on a cam plate parallel to the rotatable support plate.

Abstract: A dual implement hitch for pivotal connection to the drawbar of a towing vehicle whereby a pair of implements, such as rakes, tedders or the like may be selectively towed in one of several modes by a simple movement of an operator without disconnecting the implements from the hitch and reconnecting same in a different position. The hitch comprises an arched longitudinal frame having a clevis at its front end for connection to the towing vehicle. The rear of the longitudinal frame is rigidly supported upon an arched transverse from which is supported by dirigible wheels at its opposite ends. A first hitch element is provided at the front end of the longitudinal frame behind the clevis for pivotally connecting a first implement to the frame, beneath the arch. A second hitch element is provided at the rear of the longitudinal frame for pivotally connecting a second implement in trailing position behind the hitch. A tie rod maintains parallel relationship of the wheels.