Abstract: For facilitating the grinding of clumps of crop material by a hammermill mechanism mounted below an opening formed in a stationary bottom wall of a tub grinder machine, an elongated plate is mounted to the bottom wall along a crop material receiving edge of the opening therein. A longitudinal marginal edge portion of the plate is bent downwardly at a slight acute angle relative to the plane of the mounting portion of the plate so as to extend into the opening generally toward the hammermill mechanism. The bent edge portion of the plate has a series of spaced apart notches or spaces formed therealong which gradually widen toward the edge of the plate so as to define a series of spaced apart, tapered and generally co-planar teeth which facilitate the ability of hammer elements of the hammermill mechanism to disintegrate crop material clumps passing through the opening over the teeth and strip disintegrated material residue from the teeth.

Abstract: Tier pattern selection on the disclosed bale wagon involves periodic rotation of a memory element in the form of a cam plate relative to a cam follower which is connected to means on the bale wagon which will cause the tier pattern selected to be formed. The cam plate is rotated through successive predetermined displacements to successively bring respective peripheral lobes on the cam plate into engagement with the cam follower in a desired sequence. Improved means facilitate accurate rotation of the cam plate and include an electric motor drivingly interconnected to a sprocket mounted on the cam plate shaft, a series of switches and circuitry which interconnects the motor with an electrical power source on the bale wagon.

Abstract: The improvement incorporated by a harvesting machine is a shock-isolated electric actuator interconnected between the header and the frame of the machine and being operable to move the header between field operating and transport positions relative to the frame. Electrical circuitry is provided for interconnecting the actuator to a source of electrical power and a switch is disposed in the circuitry for controlling the transmission of power to the actuator and thereby the operation of the actuator. Also, the electric actuator at one end is operably connected to the header and a shock isolator assembly interconnects the other end of the actuator to the machine frame. The shock isolator assembly includes a support bracket rigidly mounted on the frame, an elongated member connected to the other end of the actuator and a shock absorbing body formed of resilient rubber-like material supporting the elongated member and, in turn, itself being mounted to the support bracket.

Abstract: A roll forming machine picks up crop material and forms, twine wraps and discharges rolls or large round bales thereof as the machine is continuously moving across the field. The machine has a mobile frame supporting a pickup and a floor, the latter supporting a lower conveyor. A front upper apron is supported on the frame above a front portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a front roll forming region therewith. A rear upper apron is supported on the frame above a rear portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a rear roll forming region therewith. Formation of a crop material roll is initiated in the front region and completed in the rear region after the roll has been partially formed in the front region and transferred to the rear region. Mechanism on the frame supports portions of the rear upper apron being located respectively at front and rear ends of the rear region.

Abstract: A roll forming machine having a frame defining a roll forming region is provided with an improved twine wrapping mechanism that includes an elongated twine dispensing tube that is adapted to swing across the bale forming region in a predetermined path during the twine wrapping operation. A twine severing means in the form of a striker plate and a movable knife is provided for severing the twine at the completion of the wrapping operation. A latch, movable between tube receiving and tube holding positions is also provided for positively retaining the twine dispensing tube in a rest condition at the completion of the wrapping operation and during the roll forming operation. The latch and the knife are interconnected such that the knife is driven against the striker plate, clamping the twine therebetween, as the twine dispensing tube is driven into the latch forcing the same from its tube receiving to its tube holding position.

Abstract: A harvesting machine is provided with a separate improved rethresher for rethreshing tailings to thereby increase the overall efficiency of the machine. The rethresher comprises a rotor rotatably mounted within a cylindrical casing which cooperates with stationary threshing members on the inner curve wall of the casing to rethresh tailings supplied thereto. The casing is provided with internal spiral fins to effect movement of the rethresh tailings generally actually towards a transition opening in a common wall which is located at the inlet opening of the casing and serves as shield for preventing the tailings from being discharged prematurely from the casing. Further provided, is an impeller rotor mounted within a cylindrical casing adjacent the rethresher casing.

Abstract: A tractor mounted forage harvester includes a transverse hitch bar or frame, a crop processing unit mounted on the frame and a windrow pickup unit releasably attached to the front of the crop processing unit during the field operating mode. The total width of the harvester is reduced when converted to the transport mode by uncoupling the pickup unit, moving the same to the rear of the processing unit and the tractor, and coupling it to the frame via a subframe mounted thereon such that the major axis of the pickup unit is maintained in the same transverse relationship to the direction of movement of the forage harvester as when the unit is attached to the front of the processing unit.

Abstract: A roll forming machine picks up crop material and forms, twine wraps and discharges rolls or large round bales thereof as the machine is continuously moving across the field. The machine has a mobile frame supporting a pickup and a floor, the latter supporting a lower conveyor. A rear upper apron is movably supported on the frame above a rear portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a rear roll forming region therewith. A front upper apron is movably supported on the frame above a front portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a front roll forming region therewith having an inlet end and a discharge end. The front upper apron has a portion located at the discharge end of the region which is disposable in closely spaced relationship above the conveyor means and floor.

Abstract: A deflector panel is pivotally mounted within the straw hood of a combine and is disposable between a first position wherein residue material emanating from the combine is deflected into a straw chopper and a second position wherein the emanating material is deflected through the residue outlet of the straw hood, forwardly of the straw chopper, and discharged onto the ground.

Abstract: A roll forming machine picks up crop material and forms, twine wraps and discharges rolls or large round bales thereof as the machine is continuously moving across the field. The machine has a mobile frame supporting a pickup and a floor, the latter supporting a lower conveyor. A rear upper apron is movably supported on the frame above a rear portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a rear roll forming region therewith. A front upper apron is movably supported on the frame above a front portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a front roll forming region therewith having an inlet end and a discharge end. A series of generally planar ramp elements are disposed in laterally spaced apart relationship transversely across the floor at the discharge end of the front roll forming region. Each ramp element is mounted for movement between a lowered position and a raised position.

Abstract: A linkage is provided to simultaneously control two independent hydraulic drive motors for a vehicle, each having a control arm movable between a high speed position and a low speed position. The linkage comprises a control shaft having a pair of spaced-apart cam elements mounted thereon which engage each of the control arms to pivot them in opposite direction as the shaft is rotated. The linkage is also movable in an axial direction which thereby insures that both control arms reach corresponding high or low speed positions. For instance, if one control arm should reach a respective position prior to the time the other control arm reaches its corresponding position, further rotation of the shaft and cam elements therewith also results in axial movement thereof thus insuring that such other control arm reaches its corresponding position.

Abstract: A forage harvester row crop header having fore-and-aft dividers defining elongated passageways therebetween is provided with a rotary member disposed within a pocket defined in a rear portion of one of the outboard dividers to assist in the feeding of crop along the passageway. The rotary member is capstan shaped having its axis of rotation inclined upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the top surface of the respective outboard divider. The lower surface of the rotary member forms a smooth transition with the top surface of the divider and thus, in profile, the divider and the rotary member are represented by a line which gradually slopes, from the forward end of the divider upwardly and rearwardly and therefrom smoothly contours upwardly and rearwardly a short distance and therefrom upwardly and forwardly, thereby providing a substantially uninterrupted surface for the flow of draped over crop along the divider and the rotary member.

Abstract: A forage blower having a frame with a wheel pivotally mounted on each side of the frame incorporates an improved adjustment mechanism for adjusting the blower unit in a plurality of vertical positions relative to the ground. The wheels are independently adjusted by the improved mechanism which includes an arcuate shaped downwardly facing bracket mounted on the frame and interconnected by a threaded rod to pivotal arm means which rotatably mounts the wheel. The lower end of the rod is threaded within a swivel nut which is rotatably mounted on the arm means. An engaging member, conforming to the arcuate shape of the bracket, is mounted on the rod below the bracket and positioned in mated relationship with the bracket such that the forces due to the weight of the blower unit are distributed over a large area thereby facilitating rotation of the screw threaded rod.

Abstract: A method of real-time color masking is disclosed wherein pairs of color filters are inserted at specific locations in the optical paths of an electro-optical image multiplication system to thereby produce a modulated radiation pattern representative of the product of the reflectance of the positive of one color component and the negative of other color components of the original.

Abstract: There is disclosed an imaging system for forming a plurality of images on the same surface, at least one of which is permanent and one of which is erasable. The imaging system includes an electro-optic imaging member which has a "built-in" master image.

Abstract: Imaging apparatus which employs MANIFOLD imaging techniques and reusable loops to create a marking material image and transfer it to a receiving medium. The apparatus may be employed in a printer having keyboard input and an elongate platen supporting a receiving medium along which the imaging apparatus moves, in which individual characters are projected from a character disc through a fracturable layer onto a dielectric web, from which the images are transferred subsequently to the receiving medium by a retractable transfer member.The apparatus may be employed in a printer having keyboard input and an elongate platen supporting a receiving medium along which the imaging apparatus moves, in which individual characters are projected from a character disc through a fracturable layer onto a dielectric web, from which the images are transferred subsequently to the receiving medium by a retractable transfer member.

Abstract: A system for "capturing" charge within the structure of an electrophotographic imaging member in the imagewise exposed areas and thereby creating an electrostatic latent image in the imagewise exposed areas which in preferred embodiments of discrete non-touching particles of electrically photosensitive material stands up better against time, heat and light. Said imaging member is comprised of an insulating layer and electrically porous, mechanically discontinuous electrically photosensitive layer contacting said insulating layer. The process includes (1) charging, (2) imagewise exposure, and (3) promoting the dissipation of charge from the areas which are relatively nonexposed compared to the exposed areas, leaving behind an electrostatic latent image in the imagewise exposed areas. The electrostatic image thus created may be used or developed by any suitable technique other than by causing imagewise migration of said electrically photosensitive material.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for reading out information disposed as a surface deformation such as a thermoplastic deformation pattern is disclosed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. A coherent light beam is projected to the surface deformation pattern and one of the first order components of the diffraction pattern received from the deformation pattern is imaged onto a surface. At the surface, the first order component is mixed with a further coherent light beam to form an interference pattern comprised of image modulated sinusoidal interference fringes. The interference pattern has an intensity that varies as a linear function of the amplitude of the deformation pattern. In a preferred embodiment thereof, the first order component of the diffraction pattern is imaged to the surface by an imaging lens optically positioned out of optical communication with the zero order component of the diffraction pattern.

Abstract: A method of scanning a phase image and rapidly converting it into a video signal is disclosed. The phase image is scanned with collimated light such as from a laser and the diffracted light is detected by fixed detectors and converted into a video signal. In a preferred embodiment, multiple color encoded phase images of a full color original are simultaneously scanned, converted into video signals and electronically manipulated to effect real-time full color masking of the original.