Abstract: Apparatus for recovering grain from a mixture of grain and straw in a combine harvester capable of conveying the mixture to a cute arranged at the discharge end of the conveyor. From the cute the mixture is carried to a trough covered by a grille at the lower end of the cute. Grain is then collected by the trough and the straw passes over it with the aid of a rotor located at the rear end of the cute. The rotor is adjustable towards any away from the chute to vary the space therebetween for different types of crops and crop conditions.

Abstract: An agricultural mower having a crop cutting rotor that is rotatable about an upright axis and cuts a strip of crop along a cut edge of the crop so as to emerge laterally from said cut edge, and a crop guide that is located adjacent the periphery of the rotor where it emerges from said cut edge of the crop so as to support the crop upright at said edge while it is cut. The guide thereby avoids leaving any uncut lines of crop caused by the rotor pushing crop aside at a cut edge in the crop where it is unsupported by adjacent standing crop. The invention is particularly applicable to a mower with two or more cutting rotors that are rotatable in the same sense about respective upright axes alongside one another with one rotor offset rearwards relative to the other so as to cut crop adjacent a cut edge left by said other rotor, the crop guide being located adjacent the periphery of said one rotor to support the crop along said edge.

Abstract: A manure transfer pump with a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in the cylinder, a connecting rod connected to a mid section of the piston and a gate assembly pivotally mounted inside the piston between the axis of the connecting rod connection and the rod end of the piston. In operation, the gate assembly swings open during a return stroke and allows manure to pass through the piston. On a pumping stroke, the gate assembly closes and manure is forced out the discharge end of the cylinder and sucked in the inlet end at the same time.

Abstract: A sugar cane planter has a series of cane carrier elements which are moved through a supply of randomly oriented cane billets to select billets and deliver them to a soil furrow. The cane carrier elements move in a circular path and are maintained horizontal throughout said movement by attitude control means thereby providing sufficient time for reliable pick-up, doffing of excess billets, and billet alignment. A supply of billets to the selection mechanism is maintained from a trailed cane bin having a cane elevator. Fungicide is sprayed on the billets carried by the elevator.

Abstract: A straw chopping and spreading device consisting of a rotary chopper, mounted in a housing assembly and a spreader assembly 16 through which chopped straw passes out of the housing assembly. The spreader assembly consists of a pair of converging plates which form a converging nozzle, a series of adjustable spreader plates for controlling the width of spread and an adjustable deflector for adjusting the angle at which chopped straw is deflected toward the ground.

Abstract: A harvester having means for reducing its width for transport has a crop gathering table, and a harvester body portion connected to the gathering table by a vertical pivot. The harvester body portion can be swung about the pivot axis from a longitudinal working position to a transverse transport position to reduce the width of the harvester for transport.

Abstract: A seed drill has a frame, a transverse hopper and a series of triple disc coulters mounted on the frame below the hopper. The coulters are each mounted on the frame by a parallelogram linkage which maintains the proper relative positions of the front and rear discs of the coulters at different penetration depths and permits the maximum transport height of the coulters.

Abstract: An automatic table height control for a combine harvester including a height sensing assembly and a control system. The height sensing assembly includes a finger support shaft rotatably journaled on the bottom of the table. A spring is provided to rotate the shaft in one direction. A plurality of ground engaging fingers are pivotally connected to the finger support shaft. A lost motion connection is provided to limit rotation of the finger support shaft relative to each finger. An iron vane is attached to one end of the finger support shaft. A pair of proximity switches are mounted on the crop harvesting table adjacent the path of movement of the iron vane. When the vane is close to both proximity switches, they are open. When one of the ground engaging fingers rotates the iron vane away from one proximity switch that switch closes and energizes a relay in the control system that energizes a solenoid on the header height control valve to raise or lower the table.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically planting billets of sugar cane as produced by a chopper-type sugar cane harvester, comprises a hopper for billets, an elevator to convey billets upwards and out of the hopper, and a billet delivery chute to receive the billets from the elevator and deliver them to a furrow in the ground. The elevator has at least two series of staggered slats which meter the billets. The delivery chute has a funnel-shaped upper portion and a trough-shaped downwardly and rearwardly-sloping lower portion, which guide and channel the billets in an endwise flow towards the furrow. The lower end of the chute is positioned close to or in contact with the ground so that billets can engage the ground before they leave the chute whereby billets can build up at the lower end of the chute and be discharged into the furrow at a rate corresponding to the forward speed of the planter.

Abstract: A harvester for sugar cane sticks or similar crops having a feed roller with feed elements extending lengthwise of the roller to successively engage the sticks on rotation of the roller, to feed the sticks in a direction at right angles to the axis of rotation of the roller. At least one of the feed elements being in the form of a resiliently deformable hollow structure of elastomeric material.

Abstract: Tractor-drawn agricultural mower has three crop-cutting rotors rotatable about vertical axes and carrying crop-feeding drums. Two of the rotors contra-rotate inwards to feed cut crop between them. The third rotor is offset rearwards from a straight line intersecting the axes of rotation of the other two rotors and rotates in the same direction as the rotor adjacent it so that the crop which it cuts passes behind the adjacent rotor and towards the crop which has passed between the other two rotors, whereby a single swath of crop is produced by the mower.

Abstract: Agricultural mower has vertical axis crop-cutting rotors mounted for floating vertical movement relative to semi-mounted mower frame. Draught forces are transmitted to each rotor through a draught member below the rotor on which the rotor is journalled. The draught member projects rearwards beyond the cutting circle of the blades and is connected to the frame by an upwardly-extending structure including a parallelogram linkage.

Abstract: A semi-mounted or trailed agricultural mower has vertical axis crop-cutting rotors and a rigid rectangular open frame mounted above the rotors to support the rotors. The frame has at one end a ground-engageable support wheel secured to a rear beam of the frame and at the other end a headstock secured to a front beam of the frame. At least one of the rotors is trailed from the front beam on a linkage permitting the rotor to rise and fall relative to the frame.

Abstract: Crop gathering table for a combine has an auger to move crop laterally inwards towards the center of the table. The auger has a central shaft carrying helical flights, and discharge fingers to discharge crop through an opening in the rear of the table. A series of crop feeding plates mounted on the auger and extending lengthwise of it between portions of the helical flights, promote smooth flow of crop below the auger shaft.

Abstract: An axial flow combine harvester with a frame and an axial flow threshing and separating rotor rotatably mounted on the frame in a tubular casing. Feed means are provided for feeding crop material from a crop harvesting table to the axial flow threshing and separating rotor. The feed means includes an auger beater with a shaft rotatably journaled on the frame, at least one spiral flight section with a right hand helix attached to the shaft and at least one spiral flight section with a left hand helix attached to the left. The auger beater receives a mat of crop material, moves both edges of the mat toward the center and then feeds the mat to the axial flow threshing and separating rotor.

Abstract: The earthworking implement has a primary frame section and a wing frame section attached to each side of the primary frame section. A folding mechanism is provided for folding each wing frame section to a transport position. The folding mechanism includes a first arm pivotally attached to the primary frame section. A hydraulic cylinder is attached to the primary frame section and to the first arm for pivoting the first arm relative to the primary frame section. A second arm is attached to the first arm and to the wing frame section. The connection between the first arm and the second arm is a lost motion connection. The first arm has a stop which engages the primary frame section and a stop which engages the wing frame section when the wing frame section is in the transport position.

Abstract: Seed drill has a row of coulters which are raised and lowered by a beam extending along and above the row of coulters and connected to the coulters by spring assemblies. The beam is raised and lowered relative to the frame of the drill by two rams to actuate the coulters. The mounting of the beam comprises an articulated joint, such as a ball joint, which permits the ends of the beam to rise and fall independently of each other relative to the frame thereby permitting improved contour following by the coulters and avoiding excessive loads on the beam in the event of failure of one of the rams.

Abstract: Trash removal apparatus in a sugar cane harvester comprises an axial flow extractor fan having multiple blades to draw trash out of harvested cane and to discharge it through a duct on the pressure side of the fan. The duct is in the form of a helical trash guide member which collects the trash out of the air flow and discharges the trash laterally. The diameter of the fan blades is chosen so as to leave a relatively large annular gap between their ends and the wall of the duct through which most of the trash passes thereby reducing power consumption by the fan.

Abstract: Sugar cane harvester has stick alignment device mounted at forward end of harvester crop feed passage to promote longitudinal alignment of canes with said passage. The device comprises an arm mounted centrally in the passage and carrying driven sprockets and a chain. Cane stick engaging bars project from the chain to comb cane sticks into alignment with the passage.

Abstract: A steering system .Iadd.40 .Iaddend.for an articulated vehicle .Iadd.10 .Iaddend.having a pair of double acting steering cylinders .Iadd.24, 26 .Iaddend.and power steering means .Iadd.44 .Iaddend.consisting of a pump .Iadd.48 .Iaddend.and a hydrostatic steering unit .Iadd.50 .Iaddend.to which the steering wheel .Iadd.42 .Iaddend.of the vehicle is interconnected. Control means .Iadd.46 .Iaddend.are disposed between the power steering means .Iadd.44 .Iaddend.and the double acting cylinders .Iadd.24, 26 .Iaddend.for causing fluid to be directed from the power steering means .Iadd.44 .Iaddend.to both of the first and second cylinders .Iadd.24, 26 .Iaddend.during rotation of the steering wheel .Iadd.42 .Iaddend.at a first steering ratio when the pump .Iadd.48 .Iaddend.is in operation, and at a second higher steering ratio when the pump .Iadd.48 .Iaddend.is not in operation to permit manual steering of the vehicle .Iadd.10.