Abstract: An automatic draft control for controlling the position of a tractor-mounted hitch includes a slip override circuit responsive to a wheel signal for modifying a hitch position command so that hitch draft is reduced by raising the hitch when the degree of tractor wheel slip exceeds a threshold value. The slip is determined by measuring theoretical (no-slip) ground speed with a sensor which senses the rate of rotation of the tractor rear axle, and measuring true ground speed with a radar unit mounted on one side of the tractor. Because the radar unit does not indicate the speed of the center line of the tractor as it turns, the slip signal is prevented from modifying the hitch position command if the hitch is raised since the hitch is usually raised when turning and there is no need to modify the position command with the slip signal when the hitch is raised.

Abstract: A primary drive line for delivering power from a power-take-off (pto) shaft on a tractor to an input shaft on an implement includes a swivel hitch comprised of an upper gearbox and a lower gearbox. The upper gearbox is fastened to a pair of spaced apart, upper vertical plates carried on a tongue extending forwardly from the implement, and the lower gearbox is fastened to a pair of spaced apart, lower vertical plates carried by a yoke assembly that is attached to the tractor. An output shaft on the upper gearbox is coupled to the implement input shaft. The lower gearbox has two shafts, the first of which is coupled to an input shaft on the upper gearbox. The second shaft on the lower gearbox is connected to the tractor pto shaft. The lower gearbox is mounted by using bushings with rubber inserts which permit limited repositioning of the lower gearbox with respect to the yoke assembly in order to compensate for any misalignment of the lower gearbox first shaft when coupling it to the upper gearbox input shaft.

Abstract: Twine wrapping apparatus for a round baler having a bale forming chamber with a generally transverse crop infeed opening. The apparatus is mounted forward of the opening and includes a pair of individually extendable twine arms for dispensing twine into the chamber to wrap bales formed therein. A linkage arrangement provides for controlled swinging movement of the arms in concert through symmetrical paths that originate in the middle of the opening. The twine arms are in their outermost extended condition at the initiation of the twine dispensing phase and vary in length along their paths to a generally transverse rest position.

Abstract: An agricultural machine such as a mower conditioner includes a cutterbar carried by a header that is suspended from a frame. The cutterbar has a plurality of individual cutting units with two end cutting units located adjacent opposed sides of the frame and intermediate cutting units disposed between the end cutting units. Each cutting unit consists of blades pivotally mounted on a rotor. A tongue adapted for connection to a tractor is pivotally connected to the frame intermediate the opposed sides thereof. Input drive shafts deliver power from a power-take-off shaft on the tractor to a pair of generally vertical output drive shafts via a bevel gearbox and a spur gearbox. The generally vertical output drive shafts are connected to two of the intermediate cutting units, and generally horizontal output drive shafts connect these two intermediate cutting units to the other intermediate cutting units and to the end cutting units.

Abstract: An agricultural machine such as a mower conditioner includes a cutterbar carried by a header that is suspended from a frame. The cutterbar has a plurality of individual cutting units with two end cutting units located adjacent opposed sides of the frame and intermediate cutting units disposed between the end cutting units. Each cutting unit consists of blades pivotally mounted on a rotor. A tongue adapted for connection to a tractor is pivotally connected to the frame intermediate the opposed sides thereof. Input drive shafts deliver power from a power-take-off shaft on the tractor to a generally vertical output drive shaft via a bevel gearbox. The generally vertical output dirve shaft is connected to one of the intermediate cutting units, and generally horizontal output drive shafts connect this one intermediate cutting unit to the other intermediate cutting units and to the end cutting units.

Abstract: A sharpening apparatus is disclosed for a plurality of knives disposed in a cutterhead generating a cylindrical periphery when rotating. The apparatus comprises a grinding stone; a carriage for carrying the grinding stone in a grinding mode across the cutterhead in a line generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutterhead; a drive coupled to said carriage for effecting reciprocatory movement of the carriage; and means for applying constant pressure on the knives by the grinding stone during grinding operations such that the cutterhead retains its cylindrical periphery after repeated sharpening operations.

Abstract: A mechanism for mounting the front fender for an agricultural tractor wherein the support structure includes an arcuate mounting bracket connected to the front wheel to be pivotally moveable therewith, an arcuate support bracket detachably connected to the mounting bracket and slidable over top thereof, and a stanchion interconnecting the support bracket and the fender to locate the fender adjacent the circumference of the front tire. The mounting bracket is provided with a plurality of slotted openings alignable with holes in the support bracket to permit fasteners to extend therethrough for detachably connecting the support bracket to the mounting bracket. Both the mounting bracket and support bracket have a center of curvature coinciding with the axis of rotation of the corresponding tire such that a slidable movement of the support bracket over the surface of the mounting bracket can adjustably position the fender around the circumference of the corresponding tire.

Abstract: A row crop attachment for forage harvesters includes a plurality of row crop divider units arranged side-by-side on a base frame to define a plurality of crop conveying paths. Gathering chains are arranged to pass through each crop conveying path from an entrance to an exit thereof for conveying crop material through the crop conveying paths. Rotary knives are disposed adjacent the entrance of each crop conveying path for cutting off crop material before it is conveyed rearwardly through the crop conveying paths by the gathering chains. An auger is disposed adjacent the exits of the crop conveying paths for converging crop material exiting from the crop conveying paths toward a longitudinal center line of the row crop attachment. A filler ramp is positioned underneath the auger along this longitudinal center line behind the row crop divider units to prevent accumulation of crop material near the exits of the crop conveying paths.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory stores values defining a released position or a depressed position of a clutch pedal. A potentiometer mechanically linked to the clutch pedal produces an output signal whose value or magnitude represents the current position of the clutch pedal. When power is turned on, first and second end limit values which electrically define the depressed and released positions of the clutch pedal are read from the memory, a constant value is added to the first end limit value and subtracted from the second. Thereafter, each time the output signal is sensed for control purposes, the output signal is compared with the end limit values. If the output signal is less than the first end limit value it replaces that value in the memory and if the output signal is greater than the second end limit value it replaces that value. The sensor is thus calibrated in a manner transparent to the operator each time the system samples the sensor output signal for control purposes.

Abstract: A drawbar of a tractor is coupled to a tongue of an implement such as a mower conditioner. A primary drive line is connected between a power-take-off shaft on the tractor and an input shaft on the implement to deliver power from the tractor to the implement. The primary drive line includes a telescoping drive shaft with a constant velocity joint at one end for connection to the tractor power-take-off shaft. Another constant velocity joint at the other end of the telescoping drive shaft is adapted for connection to the implement input shaft. An extension is attached to the implement tongue at an angle thereto, and a hitch pin pivotally connects the extension to the tractor drawbar. The hitch pin defines a pivot point for the implement tongue.

Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine having a cutting element movably supported thereon is provided with a height sensor including a transmitter and a receiver mounted for movement with the cutting element. The transmitter directs bursts of sound waves in the range of about 5 KHz toward the ground and echoes of the bursts are picked up by the receiver, the elapsed time between transmission and reception being an indication of the height of the cutting element above the ground. To distinguish between echoes of the bursts and environmental noise picked up by the receiver, the bursts are encoded by transmitting them in pairs, the bursts of a pair being of fixed duration and separated by a fixed interval of time. The duration of each signal and the time spacing between signals is checked and if they are not of the correct duration or are not separated by the fixed interval of time they are rejected as noise.

Abstract: In a baler having a plunger reciprocating in a bale case and knotters for tying strands of twine around bales, two trip mechanisms are provided for automatic actuation of the knotters. A first trip mechanism is capable of preventing operation of the knotters until a bale of desired length is formed. A clutch mechanism for driving the knotters includes a pawl assembly with an abutment tab. A second trip mechanism holds the pawl assembly in a position where it prevents the knotters from being driven when the plunger is retracted. The initial displacement of the second trip mechanism toward a position where the knotters are driven is in substantially the same direction as the initial displacement of the pawl assembly abutment tab.

Abstract: An implement, such as a cutterbar on an agricultural harvesting machine, is automatically position-controlled to maintain a reference position relative to the ground surface. The implement is mounted so that it may be raised, lowered or tilted and the control is such that tilting movements are preceded by, or are carried out concurrently with, a raising or lowering movement when one end of the implement is at the reference position and the other end is between the reference position and the ground surface. Manually operated UP and DOWN switches not only control up and down movements of the implement but also inhibit and restore automatic control of implement positioning. A set/reset switch enables manual selection of a predetermined reference position or the selection of the present implement position as the reference position.

Abstract: A primary drive line for delivering power from a power-take-off (pto) shaft on a tractor to an input shaft on an implement includes a swivel hitch comprised of an upper gearbox and a lower gearbox. The upper gearbox is fastened to a pair of spaced apart, upper vertical plates carried on a tongue extending forwardly from the implement, and the lower gearbox is fastened to a pair of spaced apart, lower vertical plates carried by a yoke assembly that is attached to the tractor. An output shaft on the upper gearbox is coupled to the implement input shaft. The lower gearbox has two shafts, one of which is coupled to an input shaft on the upper gearbox. The other shaft on the lower gearbox is connected to the tractor pto shaft. A pivot tube secured to the upper vertical plates is surrounded by a pivot housing fastened to the lower vertical plates to permit pivoting movement of the lower gearbox relative to the upper gearbox about a generally vertical axis when the tractor makes turns during normal operation.

Abstract: A row crop attachment for forage harvesters has a plurality of row crop divider units arranged side-by-side on a base frame to define a plurality of crop conveying paths. A pair of gathering chains are arranged to pass through each of the crop conveying paths from an entrance to an exit thereof, and a pair of rotary knives are disposed adjacent the entrance of each crop conveying path. Apparatus is provided for converting each of the gathering chains between an extended profile where it is wrapped around a drive sprocket and a pair of idler sprockets with one of the idler sprockets being located forwardly of the rotary knives, and a non-extended profile wherein it is wrapped around only the drive sprocket and the other idler sprocket so that the forwardly located idler sprocket is eliminated.

Abstract: A row crop attachment for forage harvesters has a plurality of row crop divider units arranged side-by-side on a base frame to define a plurality of crop conveying paths through which gathering chains pass for conveying crop material through the crop conveying paths. A pair of rotary knives with cooperating cutting edges are disposed adjacent an entrance of each crop conveying path for cutting off crop material before it is conveyed through the crop conveying path by the gathering chains. A mounting arrangement for each pair of rotary knives includes one knife of each pair of rotary knives fastened to a hub shaft which has a splined connection with a sleeve that is rotatably supported on the base frame. A spring urges the hub shaft in a direction to urge the cutting edge of the one knife into contact with the cutting edge of the other knife of each pair of rotary knives.

Abstract: A row crop attachment for forage harvesters has a plurality of row crop divider units arranged side-by-side on a base frame to define a plurality of crop conveying paths. A pair of gathering chains are arranged to pass through each crop conveying path from an entrance to an exit thereof, and a pair of rotary knives are disposed adjacent the entrance of each crop conveying path. Each gathering chain is wrapped around a drive sprocket and a pair of idler sprockets. The drive sprockets are located near the exits of the crop conveying paths, and the idler sprockets are located near the entrances of the crop conveying paths. One idler sprocket of each pair also serves to drive one of the rotary knives while the other idler sprocket of each pair is supported in a cantilevered manner forwardly of the rotary knives.

Abstract: A conditioning roll for use in an agricultural machine for conditioning crop material includes a hollow inner core and an outer shell bonded to the inner core. The inner core has a plurality of ridges extending generally lengthwise thereof. These ridges form a plurality of generally longitudinal lobes on an exterior surface of the conditioning roll. The inner core is preferably formed of extruded aluminum while the outer shell is preferably formed of a relatively thin layer of polyurethane, resulting in a conditioning roll that is lightweight.

Abstract: A tractor-mounted three-point hitch for pulling a tillage implement is controlled by a closed loop including draft sensors for sensing the draft on the hitch and providing a draft feedback signal. An operator-controlled quadrant lever provides command signals for commanding the positioning of the hitch relative to the ground. During rapid hitch movement commanded by movement of the quadrant lever while the implement is above the ground, the draft feedback signal, which is normally filtered to eliminate frequencies above about 3.2 Hz, is more heavily filtered to eliminate frequencies above 0.5 Hz. This makes the loop less sensitive to the draft feedback signal and reduces vibrations which would otherwise occur because of oscillations in the draft feedback signal. The oscillations are caused by interaction of the weight of the implement bouncing because of the pneumatic tires on the tractor, and movement of the hitch to correct for the apparent change in draft.

Abstract: A control mechanism for operating a backhoe is disclosed wherein the controls are adaptable to be configured in a selected one of a two lever system, a three lever system, or a four lever system. The control mechanism includes a first pivot axis on which the control levers are pivotally mounted and a second pivot axis on which a series of bell cranks are pivotally mounted. Various linkages interconnect the control levers with the bell cranks, and the bell cranks with hydraulic valve spools in a manner in which the valve body does not have to be reconfigured depending upon which control system is utilized. The control levers are configured with a pivot casting having a bent control rod threadably received therein, the position of which is fixed by a lock nut permitting the control handle to be positioned in the orientation desired by the operator.