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 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 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 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 roll forming machine picks up crop material and forms, twine wraps and discharge 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 by the frame above a rear portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a rear roll forming region therewith. Also, rear upper apron is supported by the frame above a rear portion of the lower conveyor and floor and defines a rear roll forming region therewith. Also, drive means is provided for moving the pickup and lower conveyor and also for moving the upper aprons each in a direction opposite to that in which the lower conveyor is moved for performing roll forming operations at the front and rear regions.

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 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 front and rear roll forming chambers. Crop material is being continuously delivered either through the front chamber to the rear chamber of the machine wherein formation of a roll is being completed or to the front chamber of the machine wherein formation of a roll is being initiated as the completely formed roll located in the rear chamber is being twine wrapped and then discharged from the machine. Once the rear roll has been wrapped and discharged from the rear chamber and when the roll in the front chamber reaches a predetermined diameter size, the partially formed roll in the front chamber is then transferred to the rear chamber where formation thereof is continued.

Abstract: In an axial flow type combine, an improved concave is provided which remains open in the most adverse corn harvesting conditions, thereby increasing the overall efficiency of the machine. The improved concave comprises a frame formed by a plurality of spaced-apart transversely extending arcuate shaped support members joined together at their respective ends by a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending support elements. The frame supports a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending rod-like members which are generally linear throughout a substantial portion of their longitudinal extent, the linear portions of the respective rod-like members being generally parallel to the axis of a rotor positioned above the concave in the combine. The rod-like members are provided with rotatably mounted sleeves which freely rotate about the rod-like members as crop material moves over the concave.

Abstract: An improved assembly on a baler for guiding a tying medium, such as at least one strand of wire, toward the bale tying mechanism on the baler includes at least one roller element mounted for rotation on the baler and having an annular portion defining a wire guiding channel which opens outwardly, a replaceable wear collar or wrapper element removably received about the roller element within its channel and at least one guide element mounted on the baler adjacent the roller element. The wrapper element is engaged by the wire strand during guiding of the same toward the bale tying mechanism. The guide element has a portion which extends alongside the strand guiding channel and has a pair of spaced apart flanges which extend toward and within the channel to define a guiding passageway for the wire strand through the guide element which is generally aligned with the channel of the roller element.

Abstract: A machine to form compact rolls of hay of substantial size by picking up a swath or windrow of hay and the like from a field, engage it by cooperating upper and lower endless flexible aprons driven in suitable direction to coil the hay into a compact roll while supported upon floor means mounted stationarily in the bottom of the machine to effect baling of all the hay without loss upon the ground. When the roll type bale of hay reaches a predetermined diameter, the upper apron raises to stop driving the same and provide an exit and the lower apron assists in ejecting the bale onto the ground, or the machine can transport it to a desired location for discharge, if desired. The upper apron initially is in contracted position and means are included to provide tension upon the upper conveyor to resist expansion of the same around part of the roll as the diameter thereof increases, said tensioning means also are such as to provide substantially uniform pressure upon the roll as it increases in size.

Abstract: Mixing apparatus having a frame on which a vertical mixing tank is mounted. The tank has a cylindrical upper section and a conical downwardly converging lower section. A hammermill is carried on the frame and provided with a hopper to receive feed material. Different types of feed material are fed into the hopper and chopped as they pass through the hammermill. A transfer auger conveys chopped material from the hammermill to the tank. Other feed material may be added during the mixing operation by introduction thereof via a second auger conveyor. A mixing assembly within the tank circulates the various feed material in a circuitous path to produce a well mixed homogeneous mass. A third auger conveyor, utilized to unload the tank, is mounted coaxially with the second feed auger and communicates with the bottom of the tank through an appropriate opening.

Abstract: Mixing apparatus having a frame on which a mixing tank is mounted and extending vertically. A hammermill carried on the frame receives and chops different types of feed material. The resulting product is then deposited in a transfer conveyor which transports the material to the mixing tank. A mixing assembly within the tank circulates material to produce a well mixed homogeneous mass. The mixing assembly comprises upper and lower material advancing portions, the lower of which includes a conical shaped core member converging upwardly. One or more rigid crop engaging elements extends outwardly from the lower edge of the core member to enhance the effectiveness of the mixing apparatus.

Abstract: An improved beater mechanism for a manure spreader uniformly spreads and distributes a thin layer of shredded manure particles to the sides and the rear of the spreader over the ground in a wide spread coverage pattern, substantially greater in width than the width of the spreader. The mechanism comprises a main beater having saw-toothed paddles and being disposed in the rear end of the spreader with a wide spread distributor beater positioned upwardly and rearwardly therefrom in the path of the manure discharged by the main beater such that the discharged manure strikes the outer marginal edge portions of the distributor blades when the same are located in the upper forward quadrant of a cylindrical zone defined by the rotation of the distributor beater. Additionally, a third beater is provided having saw-toothed paddles which level the load of manure and assist the main beater in shredding the manure into smaller particles for distribution by the wide spread distributor beater.

Abstract: A tying mechanism on a baler having a bale forming chamber incorporates an improvement for removing end play between the components of the tying mechanism. The tying mechanism includes an elongated drive shaft and a plurality of side-by-side units mounted along the shaft and operable to carry out tying of strands of material that band a bale being formed in the bale chamber. The tying units are movable axially along the shaft for adjusting them to predetermined operational positions relative to one another. The improvement relates to a pair of annular adjustment cams being mounted about and releasably secured to the shaft between the units.

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 is operable to lower or raise a rear end of the front upper apron in order to correspondingly initiate formation of a roll in the front region or permit transfer of the roll to the rear region.

Abstract: In a draft implement having an input power driveline and a tongue adapted to be articulately connected to a tractor, an arm is pivotally mounted on the tongue and supports the driveline rearwardly of a forward telescoping assembly of the driveline which includes forward and rear universal joints. Centering tension springs extending along the tongue and interconnecting the pivotal arm and the tongue maintain the arm in a centered position in which the rear universal joint is positioned the same distance rearwardly of the tractor/implement articulate connection point as that at which the forward universal joint is positioned forwardly of the connection point. The springs will yield to allow the arm to pivot laterally to either side of the tongue to accommodate bottoming out of the telescoping assembly during sharp turns of the tractor relative to the implement. Once the tractor is re-articulated out of the sharp turn relative to the implement, the springs return the arm to its centered position.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling large round bales or the like includes a transverse mobile frame and a bed assembly pivotally mounted thereon. The bed assembly includes elongated, laterally spaced rails being interconnected by transverse members and pivotally mounted about a generally horizontal axis generally intermediately between opposite ends of the rails to theframe. A hydraulic cylinder and linkage assembly is provided for actuating pivotal tilting of the bed assembly between a horizontal position and a rearwardly inclined position and for supporting the bed assembly at such positions. A flexible endless conveyor chain is movably mounted along each rail for delivering a bale from a field to the bed assembly when it is disposed in its rearwardly inclined position and for moving the bale toward the rear end of the bed assembly.

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.

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. A twine wrapping mechanism is supported by the frame above the lower conveyor and between the front and rear upper aprons and is operable for twine wrapping a roll formed at the rear region of the machine. Wrapping of a roll being formed in the rear region is initiated in response to the roll reaching a predetermined size.

Abstract: A cab for a harvesting machine having transparent members mounted between the floor and roof portions of the cab. The transparent members maintain their relative positions with respect to each other through the use of supporting means which are operably associated with the transparent members and the floor or roof of the cab. These supporting means are so positioned to securely and rigidly maintain the transparent members in their respective positions without obstructing the view of the operator through the transparent members.