Abstract: A modular straight separator bar for a rotor for a threshing system of an agricultural combine that is mountable on a single mounting lug and interchangeable with a rasp bar at a plurality of locations on the rotor. As a result, more straight separator bars may be mounted towards the front of the rotor providing the threshing system the capability of performing increased separation in the threshing process without interrupting the helical flow pattern of the crop material.

Abstract: The harvester incorporates a system and method for detecting rigid standing objects such as reinforced posts in the harvester's path and responsively reducing forces exerted by harvesting apparatus of the harvester against the object. The harvesting apparatus including at least one member movable in contact with the plants by a drive for exerting forces for detaching the fruit. At least one sensor is disposed and operable for sensing a rigid object in advance of being contacted by the member or members. In response, the movements of the member or members will be reduced or altered at an appropriate time and duration for reducing forces exerted against the object while protecting harvest yield.

Abstract: A transverse fan assembly that includes a fan rotatably disposed in an air plenum for drawing air through an inlet opening and drivingly forcing air from an outlet opening defined by the air plenum, the inlet opening having an elongate, bladed, inlet rotor oriented on a rotational axis parallel to the fan, extending the length of the fan, and positioned proximate to the fan periphery to increase air flow from the outlet of the air plenum along the length of the fan while generating less noise.

Abstract: A header for a harvesting machine having a frame, a cutterbar mounted on the frame operable to cut standing crop, the cutterbar being adjustable relative to the frame in a fore-and-aft direction, and a reel rotatably supported between a pair of reel arms pivotally mounted on the frame and operable to sweep crop material towards and over the cutterbar, a hydraulic cylinder extending between each reel arm and a corresponding side wall of the header frame to effect a generally vertical movement of the reel, comprising an interlock mechanism operably interconnecting the cutterbar and the hydraulic cylinder at each side of the header for adjusting the vertical position of the reel in response to a fore-and-aft movement of the cutterbar to maintain substantially constant the spacing and avoiding interference between the reel and the cutterbar.

Abstract: An epicyclical drive having a generally flat, disk shaped flywheel, a flywheel to pinion carrier in the form of an inner hub of the flywheel, and a flywheel support bearing and structure incorporated into the flywheel itself, all of which are concentric about a rotational axis of the flywheel so as to be axially compact, and so as to be particularly well adapted for being located beneath, or incorporated into, the floor of a grain header of an agricultural harvesting machine, for reciprocatingly driving knife knives of a sickle thereof. In particular, the flywheel support bearing is located in an annular space between the inner hub and an outer flange which is rotated by a belt or other drive for rotating the flywheel.

Abstract: A rigid rotor discharge deflector apparatus for a combine has a body member that is attachable to the side wall of a discharge passage at the downstream end of the rotor. The body has a face portion with at least one ridge portion thereon extending generally laterally across at least a portion of the face portion. The body also has an upper body portion above the level of the ridge portion, an upper ramp portion sloped and extending outwardly from the upper body portion to the ridge portion, and a bracing associated with the upper ramp portion maintaining the ridge portion essentially fixed relative to the side wall. The body member may also include a lower body portion below the level of the ridge portion, and the upper and lower body portions may both be attachable to the side wall.

Abstract: A header for a harvesting machine with a movable cutterbar includes a belt drive mechanism connecting a stationary pulley mounted on the frame of the header and a relatively movable pulley mounted on the movable part of the header. The belt drive mechanism includes two guide pulleys, a belt mounted along said pulleys, and a pivot assembly mounted on the auger shaft. The guide pulleys are mounted on opposite lever arms of the pivot and said belt drive mechanism further includes a tensioning mechanism.

Abstract: A spring system for a feeder device of an agricultural harvester having a first roller movably mounted in a casing and biased by the spring system towards a second roller in order the compress crop passing between the two rollers. The spring system comprises at least one spring surrounding a guide rod that extends in use between a movable support of the first roller and the casing of the feeder device. The guide rod is formed of two telescopically collapsible parts, one connected to the roller support and the other to the casing.

Abstract: A cotton module building apparatus, utilizing imaging apparatus operable for capturing real-time images of the module building process, including accumulated cotton in the module building chamber, cotton inflow, and the in-process cotton module, and a method for building a cotton module using the images. The imaging apparatus includes a camera or cameras disposed at advantageous locations about the module building chamber, and cotton is distributed and moved within the chamber responsive to the images, for advantageous placement and distribution for forming a module having a desired consistency and top shape. Imaging apparatus can also be provided for observing unloading of a module from the chamber, and for facilitating maneuvering and positioning the unloading apparatus.

Abstract: A tensioning system for a drive belt of a blower of a forage harvester includes a tensioning roller, a rod for moving the tensioning roller towards and away from the belt, a spring surrounding the rod and acting between a first abutment mounted on the rod and a second abutment connected to the chassis of the harvester to urge the roller towards the belt. The chassis connected abutment is carried by an arm that is movable relative to the chassis and anchored by a tie bar.

Abstract: A work vehicle includes a frame, a cab structure connected to the frame and a seat connected to the frame. A substantially rigid restraining device of unitary construction is pivotably connected behind the seat to any one of the frame, the cab structure, or the frame and the cab structure. The pivotable connection between the restraining device and the frame and/or the cab structure is adjustable.

Abstract: An active counter knife assembly for a material chopper assembly or construction that has a rotary chopper element disposed across a material flow path, including a chopper grate assembly, having a grate portion with spaced generally transverse slots therealong, positionable generally parallel to the rotary chopper element of the residue chopper assembly; a rotatable shaft positionable generally beneath and parallel to the grate portion of the chopper grate assembly, with a plurality of fixed or flail-type knife elements attached to such shaft and positioned thereon to be alignably rotatable through the spaced generally transverse slots of the grate portion of the chopper grate assembly; and a drive mechanism for effecting rotational movement of the counter knife assembly, which drive mechanism is preferably controllable to allow an operator to vary the rotational speed and direction of the rotatable shaft so that the rotatable shaft may be selectably either maintained in an essentially fixed or locked condit

Abstract: A door is provided. The door is pivotably connectable to a cab structure of a work vehicle and includes a handle secured to the door disposed for facilitating door closure against the cab structure from interior of the cab structure. Upon application of a door closure force to the handle, torsion forces applied to the door by the door closure force and a door opening device pivotably connected to the cab structure and to the door in close proximity to the handle, or pivotably connected to the cab structure and to the handle, as calculated at the device pivotable connection opposite the cab structure, are substantially eliminated.

Abstract: A multi-sided shaft and locking hub apparatus, wherein the locking hub includes an inner hub having a multi-sided inner surface extending around a center hole for receiving the shaft for preventing rotation therebetween, the inner hub including a tapered outer surface, and being cut through, and an outer hub having a tapered inner surface defining a central hole for receiving the inner hub such that the tapered surfaces abut, the outer hub including a multi-sided inner surface defining an extension of the center hole therethrough for receiving the multi-sided shaft with the sides of the inner surface of the outer hub in non-rotating relation, and the tapered surfaces including opposing inner and outer half-holes at spaced locations therearound, for cooperatively receiving threaded members, outer half-holes at some of the spaced locations being threaded so as to be threadedly engageable with the threaded members for pressing the inner and outer hubs together while compressing the inner hub, and the inner half-

Abstract: An integrated axle and fan wrapper for an agricultural harvesting machine, including a fan wrapper structure connected between first and second spaced apart side sheets and extending sidewardly therebetween in spanning relation to the space, the wrapper structure incorporating at least one cross member connected between the first and second side sheets for holding the side sheets in the parallel spaced relation, and the fan wrapper structure defining and at least partially enclosing an internal cavity configured for receiving a fan for rotation therein.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling maximum available engine power of a combine harvester wherein the engine drives the harvester and additionally powers a threshing mechanism for separating harvested crop into grain and crop residue and at least one further crop processing subsystem that may be selectively configured and disengaged, including a straw chopper engageable for chopping the crop residue and propelling the chopped residue from the harvester, structure configurable for directing the crop residue into the chopper or to bypass the chopper, utilizing a controller for automatically reducing the maximum available engine power as a function of the status of the engagement of the subsystems, particularly the chopper and the configuration of the associated structure.

Abstract: A method and a system for varying the rotational fan speed of a combine cleaning system in response to the amount of crop entering the combine cleaning system. Increases and decreases in crop material entering the cleaning system are sensed prior to their arrival at the cleaning system, and cleaning fan speed is adjusted appropriately and contemporaneously with the crop material's presence in the cleaning system.

Abstract: A pivoting boot is disclosed for attachment to the unloading auger tube of combine harvesters, and serves as both a grain saving dam against unwanted grain spillage, and a directable spout. The boot permits evenly unloading grain onto, or completely filling, transportation vehicles or storage containers, without having to change the combine position, once it is staged for unloading.

Abstract: A windrow forming construction mountable at the rear of a combine above the level of a spreader assembly, such construction extending rearwardly from the combine to beyond the rear extent of the spreader assembly footprint and laterally across the expanse of the spreader assembly footprint and being adjustably positionable to vary the inclination thereof relative to the ground surface, the construction including side deflectors disposed at opposite sides of the construction so as to control to some extent the sidewardly distribution of the crop residue, which side deflectors are laterally pivotable about generally vertical axes to vary the spacing between the free ends thereof and are also longitudinally extendable so as to channel to some extent the crop residue towards the space between the free ends, and a positioning mechanism operable to vary the inclination of such construction relative to the ground surface so as to control to some extent the degree with which the crop residue is directed into the stub

Abstract: A method of making a rotor for a threshing system of an agricultural combine, the rotor including a main body segment made from a sheet formed into a tube and including specially shaped interlocking edges forming a serpentine joint routed locations where threshing element mounts attach to the rotor.