Abstract: A machine adapted to be towed by a tractor and powered by the PTO and hydraulic power system of the tractor for loading, transporting, shredding and feeding a module (bale or stack) of hay of substantial size and weight. The machine includes a frame and a load bed thereon. The frame mechanically supported on a pair of ground wheels which are swingable relative to the frame to tilt the load bed rearwardly into ground engagement. A module pickup ramp or fork is pivotally mounted on the load bed for lifting a module onto the load bed. A conveyor on the load bed moves the module forwardly against a plurality of vertically spaced rotary shredders. The shredded hay falls upon an auger conveyor which feeds the hay from the machine into a feed bunk or onto the ground for livestock feeding. The load bed conveyor is hydraulically driven and the shredders are mechnically driven.

Abstract: A hay baler for picking up windrowed hay, forming a cylindrical bale, feeding twine onto the bale during the latter stage of bale formation, and cutting the twine after the bale is wrapped. The hay is picked up and fed rearwardly under a press roller onto an endless belt. A plurality of oppositely running belts is disposed above the lower belt defining a bale-forming zone there-between. The twine extends from a source of supply on the baler through an elongated twine feed tube. The tube is pivotally mounted such that its dispensing end is swingable through an arc above the incoming hay to and from a home position for feeding twine into the hay and around the bale. As the tube is swung back toward the home position a twine hook is actuated through an interconnected linkage and the twine is pulled downwardly onto a fixed knife which severs the twine.

Abstract: A baler adapted to be pulled along the ground to pick up a windrow of hay and roll the hay into a cylindrical bale of substantial size and weight. The bale is formed between a plurality of upper belts and an endless power-driven lower belt which is disposed in upper and lower runs between a forward drive roller and a rear tightener roller. Due to variations in the volume and density of the hay being introduced onto the lower belt, the same is subject to non-uniform loading transversely thereof. This uneven loading creates forces which tend to shift the belt away from the desired centered position in its path of movement. A system of rollers is disposed in rolling engagement with the underside of the lower run of the belt for maintaining the belt in centered relation even though the upper run is subjected to non-uniform loading. The system includes a pair of troughing rollers and a compensating roller successively engaged by the lower run in its path of movement toward the power-driven roller.

Abstract: A hay baler including a mobile chassis having a bale chamber and a power-driven plunger reciprocably mounted in the chamber for cyclically compressing hay in the chamber. A pickup lifts the windrowed hay from the ground and a feeding mechanism is reciprocably powered from the plunger to feed the hay into the bale chamber. The feeding mechanism includes a carriage mounted for reciprocation on a horizontal wall structure. A plurality of hay engaging fingers is pivotally suspended from the carriage beneath the wall structure for moving the hay from the pickup to the bale chamber. Each of the hay feeder fingers is removably secured to the carriage by a clamp disposed above the respective fingers. Openings are defined through the wall structure through which the clamps and the fingers are successively removable to facilitate replacement of worn or damaged fingers.

Abstract: A coupling assembly for interconnecting a pair of implements such as grain drills in end-to-end relation for towing behind a tractor for field operation and in an endwise direction for transport. The grain drills are connected to a tractor by conventional duplex hitch structure. The grain drills are connected to each other by a novel coupling assembly which in field operation permits the adjacent drills to move within limits toward and away from each other to accommodate ground level variations. The coupling assembly includes a latch unit positionable to lock the coupling assembly to thus retain the drills in fixed spaced relation to facilitate endwise transport of the drills.