Abstract: A row crop harvesting machine is provided with first and second infra-red transmitters and first and second infra-red receptors for sensing the infra-red beams emitted by the transmitters. The transmitters and receptors and mounted on two adjacent crop row separators of a harvesting machine header and are positioned such that the beams intersect in a region which defines the alignment of the harvesting machine relative to a row of crop stalks. The widths of the beams are chosen to be less than the width of the crop stalks being harvested but greater than the width of weed stalks which may be growing in the region of a crop row.

Abstract: An axial flow combine harvester feed plate assembly for directing crop material from an elevator into a longitudinally extending threshing and separating rotor is disclosed wherein the feed plate assembly includes a surface extending upwardly and rearwardly to a junction with an arcuate surface to direct the mat of crop material being conveyed by the elevator in a linear path into a spirally extending flow path around the threshing and separating rotor. For axial flow harvesters having a pair of threshing and separating rotors, the feed plate includes a central divider member and a pair of transversely spaced side members providing an infeed configuration that eliminates dead spots in the transition of the flow of crop material from the elevator to the threshing and separating rotors to provide a smooth and efficient harvesting operation.

Abstract: An air filtering mechanism for use on crop harvesting machinery having a generally cylindrical, rotary, perforate filter element, a fan operable to draw air therethrough, drive means operable rotatably to drive the filter element, and blanking off means mounted within the filter element for blanking off the perforations thereof over a predetermined region, is disclosed wherein a duct having an open portion is provided exteriorly of the filter element opposite to the blanking off means, A pressurized flow of air from the fan is directed through the duct in the form of a cleaning air blast in a direction parallel to the external surface of the filter element to clean foreign matter collected on the filter element in the region of the blanking off means by virtue of the filter element being exposed to the pressurized air in the duct along the open portion thereof.

Abstract: A loader having an engine operably startable in conjunction with the closing of an associated electrical circuit, hydraulically operated boom and bucket mechanisms controllable from the operator seat, and an interlock mechanism requiring a proper sequencing of seat and seat belt switches to enable operation of the engine and hydraulic system is disclosed wherein the electrical circuit is provided with a service override feature that permits the engine to be started without undergoing the proper sequencing of the seat and seat belt switches. Whenever the contrtoller electrical circuit is placed into the service override mode, the hydraulic system cannot be enabled. The service override switch is interconnected with the normal operation switch so that both switches cannot be closed at the same time.

Abstract: A round baler includes an apron having an expandable inner course which cooperates with a sledge assembly to define a bale starting chamber when the sledge assembly is in a bale starting position. The sledge assembly is movable between the bale starting position and a full bale position. The sledge assembly includes a plurality of rollers and an idler roller in engagement with the apron to maintain the apron in close proximity to one of the rollers during movement of the sledge assembly between the bale starting and full bale positions.

Abstract: A combine harvester, having threshing and separating means for threshing and separating crop material and a cleaning apparatus disposed to receive threshed and separated grain from said treshing and separating means and being operable to clean unwanted residue from the threshed and separated grain is disclosed wherein the cleaning apparatus, including at least a pair of cleaning sieves arranged to be oscillated generally back-and-forth for moving threshed and separated grain therealong while permitting the passage of cleaned grain therethrough, and further including a cleaning fan operable to direct a cleaning air blast to the cleaning sieves for urging unwanted residue to the threshed and separated grain into an airborne state for discharge from the combine harvester, is provided with an agitator positioned between the cleaning sieves.

Abstract: An agricultural baler comprises a bale case having an inlet opening in one side wall thereof; a plunger mounted for reciprocation within the bale case and back-and-forth across the inlet opening; a feeder duct communicating at one end with the inlet opening in the bale case and curving forwardly therefrom; the feeder duct comprising a pair of curved opposed wall means of which is movable relative to the other; and feeder means cooperable with the feeder duct to accumulate a charge of crop material therein and then stuff that charge into the bale case. The movable wall means is movable relative to the other wall means along substantially its entire length such that one cross sectional dimension of the feeder duct is variable along substantially the entire length of said feeder duct to ensure that, in use and as a charge of crop material is being accumulated in the feeder duct, said opposed wall means generally maintain contact with said crop material.

Abstract: A counterweight mechanism for use in conjunction with a conditioning apparatus having a reciprocating conditioning roll is disclosed wherein the counterweight is mounted within the hollow core of the reciprocating conditioning roll and connected to an ocillating mechanism to effect a transverse reciprocating movement thereof in opposition to the reciprocating movement of the conditiioning roll. The ocillating mechanism can include a cam mechanism operatively associated with the counterweight and housed internally of the conditioning roll to effect a linearly reciprocal movement of the counterweight in response to the rotation of the reciprocating conditioning roll. The counterweight can be slidably mounted on a non-circular shaft corresponding to the reciprocating conditioning roll so that the counterweight is rotatable with the conditioning roll yet is linearly moveable relative thereto.

Abstract: A conditioning mechanism utilizing a pair of counterrotating conditioning rolls for use in a hay harvesting machine is disclosed wherein at least one of the conditioning rolls is mounted for transverse reciprocating movement relative to the other conditioning roll. An oscillating mechanism is provided to effect the transverse reciprocating movement of the at least one conditioning roll upon rotation thereof. Associating the oscillating mechanism with both the upper and lower conditioning rolls permits a shorter stroke of linear movement for each respective roll while permitting a general counterbalancing of the movements thereof. A positioning of the oscillating mechanism to provide for the relative movements of the conditioning rolls to be slightly out of phase will insure a continuous transverse movement of the conditioning roll to be applied to the crop material passing therebetween.

Abstract: A method of controlling the operation of a loader to encourage the use of an operator restraint mechanism is disclosed wherein a first signal is generated by a seat sensor to indicate the presence of the operator in the operator seat and a second signal is generated by a sensor in the operator restraint mechanism to indicate use of the mechanism. The hydraulic system will not be enabled unless the second signal is generated immediately subsequent to the generation of the first signal. Unless the first and second signals are generated in the proper sequence, the starting of the engine will also be disabled. The generation of first and second inverse signals, indicating the lack of the presence of the operator in the seat and the disengagement of the operator restraint mechanism, respectively, will disable the loader hydraulic system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cancelling cyclically recurring noise induced in a magnetic metal detector by movement of ferrous machine parts in the field of the detector provides for periodically sampling the output of the metal detector, delaying each sample for the duration of one cycle of the cyclically recurring noise, and subtracting the samples taken in one cycle from the output of the metal detector during the following cycle. The delay is accomplished by a delay line or shift register, or by storing the samples under microprocessor control. If the noise has a first component occuring at a first rate and a second component occuring at a second rate cancellation of both components may be accomplished.

Abstract: A potentiometer is driven by one of the serpentine arm assemblies used to maintain apron tension during formation of a round bale so that the output of the potentiometer continuously provides an indication of the size of a bale being formed in the baler. A microprocessor based control circuit senses the output of the potentiometer, converts it to a digital value, and compares the digital value with a value representing a desired bale size. When the two values are equal, the microprocessor computes the number of revolutions of a net feed roll that is required to wrap the bale a preselected number of times, energizes the net feed roll mechanism to feed net into the bale forming chamber, and counts the revolutions of the net feed roll. When the required amount of net has been dispensed, the microprocessor stops the net feed roll and activates a mechanism to cut the net. The size of a "full bale" is selected by actuating keys on a control panel.

Abstract: A combine harvester is disclosed wherein the operative components thereof are built according to a modular concept. The combine harvester includes a threshing module, a separating module and a cleaning module, all of which are supported by a frame and operably interconnected. Each respective module is interchangeable with a like module having a different configuration.

Abstract: A loader having hydraulically operated boom and bucket mechanisms controllable from the operator seat is disclosed wherein switches sense the presence of the operator in the seat and the buckling of the seat belt. An electronic controller is operably associated with the seat and belt switches and solenoid valves in the hydraulic system and the starter relay. The controller requires proper sequencing of the activation of the seat and belt switches before permitting the starter to be energized, thereby controlling the starting of the loader engine, or permitting the energizing of the hydraulic solenoid valves to control the flow of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic cylinders for the boom and bucket. The controller also includes a delay associated with the seat switch so that a reactivation of the seat switch within the delayed period of time would allow the hydraulic system to operate without requiring a resequencing of the activation of the seat and belt switches.

Abstract: A bale accumulator and optional caboose are controlled by a microprocessor-based control circuit associated with and controlling the baler which pulls the bale accumulator. The control circuit monitors bale switches actuated by the presence of bales on four tables, two switches indicating the position of a bale push bar, and three table switches indicating when individual ones of three of the tables are latched or released for dumping bales therefrom. An operator's panel provides a visual display of the status of the bale accumulator and includes switches which may be actuated by the operator. In response to the switches on the bale accumulator the control circuit controls the push bar to move bales from a center table onto a left or right table at the sides of the center table, or inhibits movement of the push bar so that a succeeding bale ejected from the baler pushes a bale on the center table onto a trailing fourth table.

Abstract: An improved disc cutter rotor assembly for use in a disc cutterbar of the type utilizing a plurality of intermeshed gears to transfer rotational power is disclosed wherein the rotor assembly provides a low profile to facilitate the flow of crop material over the cutterbar, yet permits the individual components of the rotor assembly to be serviced and/or replaced. The hub and shaft are of welded construction and are rotatably mounted within a bearing housing affixed to the transmission casing for mounting a removable bearing assembly. The drive gear for the rotor assembly is splined onto the shaft and retained in place by a fastener and washer assembly to permit the drive gear to be removed from the shaft. A sealed hole in the bottom of the transmission casing permits access to the fastener and washer assembly to permit the drive gear to be removed from the shaft before removing the rotor assembly from the transmission casing.

Abstract: A header for an agricultural machine having a cutterbar, an auger and a rotatable reel, the reel having a main axis of rotation around which the reel is rotated in one direction, crop-engaging members being rotatably mounted on the reel around respective pivot axes disposed around the main shaft, is disclosed wherein inclination control means including steering means positioned eccentrically of the main axis are operable, during rotation of the reel in said one direction, to rotate the crop-engaging members around the respective pivot axes in the opposite direction so as to maintain the crop-engaging members at a fixed positional inclination relative to the horizontal so that the free ends of the crop-engaging members define a circularly shaped locus.

Abstract: A tractor transmission includes first and second hydraulically actuated disc clutches adapted to drivably connect an input shaft, which is clutched by a friction clutch to an engine, to a first and second sleeve shafts. The countershaft and the sleeve shafts support gear-pinion pairs that produce four speed ratios. The range box includes gearing mounted on an output shaft, a countershaft, and the input shaft to drive the output shaft at a slower speed than that of the countershaft when the low range is selected, to drive the output shaft in the opposite direction to its forward drive direction when reverse operation is selected, and to directly connect the countershaft to the output shaft when the high speed range is selected.

Abstract: A forage harvester having an automatic grinding mechanism for the knives of the cutterhead, the grinding mechanism comprising a carriage carrying grinding means and being reciprocated back and forth across the cutterhead in the griding mode by endless drive means. The carriage is coupled to the endless drive means by a coupling member which is attached to the endless drive means chain and pivotally attached to the carriage. The coupling member is shaped and dimensioned such that the pivot axis of the connection to the carriage is substantially coaxial with the axis of rotation of each of the two sprockets which define the extent of the two runs of the endless drive means when the connection of the coupling member to the chain passes around that sprocket in moving from one run of the chain to the other.

Abstract: A pull type swather having double swath and enhanced operating to transport mode change capabilities. A subframe is mounted forwardly of a rear frame and the two are pivotally connected. The table of the swather includes a pair of draper decks operable to be independently moved relative to each other and to the table. A hitch is pivotally connected to the subframe and a hydraulic cylinder is operable to adjust the angle of the hitch relative to the table. The subframe is locked to the rear frame during operation and until the transport mode is desired wherein the subframe is unlocked and pivoted relative to the rear frame. Provision is made for automatically interchanging between the transport and operating modes.