Abstract: A baling machine according to the invention has a frame having walls defining an elongated compaction chamber having a front end provided with a transversely open intake to which a stream of crop is fed substantially continuously. At least one compacting member is periodically displaced in the chamber between a front position forward of the intake and a back position rearward of the intake by an appropriate drive so as to rearwardly compact crop in the chamber. A plurality of pushers are each displaceable between an advanced position projecting into the chamber and only partially blocking the intake and a retracted position substantially out of the chamber by a linkage that advances the pushers into their advanced position only when the member is rearward of the intake and of the pushers. Thus advance of the pushers into the advanced position immediately after movement of the compacting member rearward past the pushers parts the stream of crop between the pushers and compacting member.

Abstract: An agricultural machine has a machine frame adapted to move along the ground in a normal travel direction, a crop cutter on the front of the frame, and a crop comminuter carried on the frame behind the cutter. An intake device including a generally fixed feed element on the frame and another feed element displaceable on the frame toward and away from the fixed feed element is operated by a stoppable drive connected to the fixed feed element to feed the cut crop as a stream back in the transport direction to the comminuter. The displaceable element compacts the stream of cut crop against the fixed feed element. An accelerometer is connected between the displaceable feed element and the frame for joint displacement with the displaceable feed element and generates an output corresponding to acceleration of the displaceable feed element toward and away from the fixed element. The machine may also have an alarm.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting magnetically sensible objects in an object stream longitudinally passing a predetermined location, for instance at the intake end of the conveyor of a field chopper, has according to the invention a support at the location extending transversely adjacent the object stream and having a pair of transverse ends and a center therebetween and a magnet assembly on the support having a north pole directed from between one of the ends and the center of the support transversely of the support and of the stream into the crop stream and a south pole directed parallel to the north pole from between the other end and the center of the support. The assembly forms between its poles a magnetic field having lines of force extending mainly transversely through the stream. Respective north and south sensing coils at least partially surround the respective poles so that a magnetically sensible object perturbing the field will generate respective currents in the coils.

Abstract: A field chopper has a frame adapted to travel along the ground in a normal travel direction, a main housing fixed on the frame and defining a chopping chamber extending along an axis transverse to the direction and having relative to the direction a front radially open intake opening and a rear outlet angularly offset therefrom, and an intake housing having a front end turned forward away from the frame. This intake housing is pivotal on the main housing or the frame about the axis. A stationary counterblade is carried on the intake housing to one angular side of the intake opening. A rotary cutting/chopping drum rotatable in the chamber about the axis has a blade orbitable immediately adjacent the stationary counterblade. Crop is cut at the the front end of the intake housing and conveyed back in the intake housing from the cutter to the intake opening.

Abstract: A hard foreign body in a stream of cut crop being moved by a conveyor in an agricultural machine to a crop comminuter of the machine is detected by first compressing the stream of cut crop transversely of its displacement direction between a pair of feed elements one of which is movable toward and away from the other and generating an actual-value output corresponding to the acceleration of the movable element toward and away from the other element. This output is compared with a set point corresponding to an acceleration level not normally exceeded by the element when the crop stream contains no hard foreign objects. An error signal is generated when the actual-value output exceeds the set point. When the error signal is issued advance of the conveyor is stopped and/or a warning is issued. The actual-value output is only generated when the acceleration of the movable feed element exceeds a predetermined limit. The actual-value output is a voltage and the set point is also a voltage.

Abstract: An impeller-type cutter drum for a chopper has a drum body including three drum disks arranged side-by-side and supporting two rows of blade holders which are spaced about the circumference of the drum body. Each blade holder supports a chopping blade and extends between a respective one of the outer disks and the center disk upwardly in an upwardly inclined and oblique manner. The front portion of each blade holder is shaped as an impeller which is arranged at constant distance to and has corresponding inclination as the chopping blade. Each impeller has an arc-shaped deflector portion immediately adjacent the centered drum and extends in a plane approximately adapted to the plane of the drum shaft which support the disks.

Abstract: A chopper has a housing centered on an axis and having a radially open input and a radially open output spaced angularly therefrom as well as a pair of axially oppositely open intakes, and a cutter drum rotatable in the housing about the axis and having a pair of end plates transverse of the axis and having axially oppositely directed faces confronting the respective intakes and a plurality of blades secured to and between the end plates and having cutting edges defining on rotation of the drum an orbit centered on the axis. Respective pluralities of vanes at the end plates can be secured either to the respective end plates in in-service positions extending generally radially thereon so that rotation of the drum moves the vanes to draw air in the axial intakes and expel it through the radial output or in an out-of-service position in which they do not move appreciable air. The vanes can be secured in the out-of-service position also to the respective end plates but extending generally only angularly.

Abstract: A knotting device for a baling machine has a pivotal knotting element having a lower jaw and an upper jaw that are pivoted together and have separable tips. The lower jaw has a lower side formed with a pair of parallel and downwardly projecting ridges defining a downwardly open groove extending to the respective tip. Thus when a loop of a tie is tight around the jaws it spans this groove. It also has a pair of lateral sides each formed with a longitudinal ridge of cross section decreasing toward the respective tip. A stripping element is displaceable along the sides of the lower jaw by an appropriate actuator to push a loop from the jaws. Once the loop is formed and the two strands are gripped between the upper and lower jaws it will be stripped accurately from the knotter no matter how small it is, since it will only engage at the ridges.

Abstract: A knotter for a baling machine has a pivotal lower jaw and an upper jaw pivotal on the upper jaw about a knotter axis extending transverse to the jaws. The upper jaw has a tip remote from the axis, a lower edge lying between the tip and the axis and forming with the lower jaw a tie-holding opening, a first lateral flank directed in one axial direction and lying mainly in a plane perpendicular to the axis, and a second lateral flank directed in the opposite axial direction and formed with a groove open in the opposite direction and terminating at the lower side at the opening. The upper jaw has at its tip a downwardly extending point engageable with the lower jaw. In addition it is formed with an upwardly open groove in which the tip is receivable. Since the two tie ends lie recessed in the groove and the opposite side of the upper jaw is smooth, the tie can slide off the upper jaw relatively easily. Even relatively thick or stiff ties can be slipped off the knotter with ease.

Abstract: A chassis for a self-propelled agricultural machine adapted to travel in a predetermined longitudinal horizontal direction basically comprises a lower frame, a middle frame spaced above the lower frame and offset somewhat therefrom, and an upper frame spaced above the middle frame and offset horizontally therefrom. The lower frame has a pair of longitudinally extending rigid lower side beams having outwardly offset rear ends and a plurality of longitudinally spaced and transversely extending lower cross beams fixed to and bridging the lower side beams.

Abstract: An agricultural-machine intake has a frame adapted to travel along the ground in a travel direction, a transverse feeder fixed extending horizontally and transversely to the direction on the frame, a pair of end mounts on the frame and a center mount transversely flanked thereby, supports carrying the mounts on the frame for up and down movement generally tangential of the transverse feeder, and a jointed reel centered on and rotatable about at least one horizontal reel axis extending transverse to the direction through the mounts. The reel has outer ends journaled in the end mounts, a jointed center journaled in the center mount and axially subdividing the reel into two halves, and radially extending tines. Respective ground-engaging end and center skids are vertically displaceable on the frame. Respective end and center links connect the end and center skids to the respective mounts for synchronous vertical movement of the skids with the respective mounts.

Abstract: The invention relates to an air-cooling system for a drive engine of an automotive agricultural machine, in particular a field chopper.It is a goal of this invention to provide a forced-air cooling system with considerable cooling capacity and a good cleaning effect for screens and the engine compartment. This object is attained by providing a cooling system where the warm air is blown upwardly and selectively to one side, a reversal of the cooling-air stream for cleaning the screens being possible, and a forced-air ventilating of the engine compartment being assured.The basis of the invention is that an air compartment is provided with two fans mounted between a pair of radiators each behind a respective screen. An air-deflector plate is so arranged in the air compartment that it is possible to alternate the fans between radiators so that the cooling-air stream can pass in either direction through each of the radiators and screens.

Abstract: A pickup head for long-stalk crops, generally grown in rows, such as corn, especially for a field chopper or harvester, has a multiplicity (more than three) of mouths each aligned with a respective row and adapted to guide the crop into the throat of the machine. According to the invention, each of the mouths is provided with a respective guide channel, two of the guide channels merging ahead of the throat along the path of the crop toward the latter. Along each of the guide channels prior to the merger, a respective chain or other advancing mechanism is provided, the advancing mechanism of one of the channels continuing beyond the merger point to the throat of the machine. The arrangement permits a large number of rows to be swept although the throat of the machine is substantially narrower than the width of the intake side of the pickup head.

Abstract: A hay-type crop harvester has a chassis supported on the ground on wheels and normally displaceable along the ground in a predetermined travel direction. A crop cutter is mounted ahead of the wheels on the chassis and extends transversely substantially the full width of the chassis so as to cut a swath of crop and pass it backward. A central crop conditioner is provided on the chassis between the wheels thereof and two outer crop conditioners are each provided on a respective side of the chassis to respective sides of the wheels. An auger provided with oppositely directed screwthread formations at each of the conditioners transports the crop laterally so that after being cut in a single wide swath it is subdivided into three portions each of which is fed to a respective conditioner. Thereafter the portions may be laid down in windrows between and outside the wheels of the harvester.

Abstract: A stalk-crop harvester having a chassis displaceable along the ground in a transport direction and supporting a transverse conveyor having in turn a forwardly open transversely elongated intake has a pickup formed of a front drum and a rear drum. The front drum has a front axle centered on a horizontal front axis transverse to the transport direction and forward of the conveyor intake. This front axle carries a plurality of spring tines. The rear drum has a rear axle centered on a horizontal rear axis transverse to the transport direction and between the front axis and the intake. A plurality of axially spaced rigid rear tines is fixed on the rear axle axially offset from but engageable between the spring tines of the front axle. A plurality of strippers secured to the harvester chassis at the intake extend forwardly between the rigid tines and a crop holddown secured to the chassis extends backwardly from above the front axle to above the intake.

Abstract: A row-crop harvester has a frame displaceable in a predetermined travel direction and formed with a plurality of forwardly open throats each provided with a respective conveyor chain each in turn spanned over a respective drive sprocket. Each such drive sprocket is carried on a respective drive shaft having a drive gear that meshes with the drive gears of the conveyor chains to each side. Each drive shaft with its respective sprocket and gear are together mounted in a respective housing bolted to the frame of the harvester and having a mounting flange whose outer periphery corresponds to the pitch circle of the respective drive gear. A main gear meshing with one of the drive gears rotates all of these drive gears simultaneously, and each conveyor chain has a stretch exposed in a respective throat of the machine which is opposite the stretch of the flanking chains for backward advance of cut crop.

Abstract: A row-crop harvester has a frame displaceable along the ground and formed with a plurality of forwardly opening throats at each of which is provided an endless conveyor chain spanned over a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket. A fluid cylinder mounted on the frame is provided for each of the idler sprockets so that when this cylinder is pressurized it can urge the respective idler sprocket away from the respective drive sprocket and tension the respective conveyor chain. A pressure-responsive switch is connected to each of the fluid cylinders and to a magnetic clutch between the drive for the chopper and drive sprockets for the harvester. When the pressure drops suddenly in any of the cylinders, as happens when a chain breaks, his pressure-responsive switch will respond and open the clutch to shut down the harvester.

Abstract: An agricultural machine displaceable in a predetermined travel direction and having relative thereto a plurality of forwardly extending arms forming forwardly open throats for receiving respective rows of a crop during harvesting thereof has a position-detecting system comprising a feeler pivoted about an upright axis underneath each of the arms. Each feeler is an elastically flexible plate carried on a rigid arm connected to the respective pivot and each plate has a pair of lateral edges each exposed in front of a respective one of the throats flanking the respective plate. The feelers are all mechanically connected for joint pivoting by a common link that is connected to a signal generator in turn connected to the steering system of the agricultural machine.

Abstract: A cooling system for the power plant of a self-propelled forage harvester or field chopper, generally located in the rear thereof, comprises an air chamber communicating with the atmosphere through laterally disposed filter screens and water-cooling radiators and through pairs of conical half-shells disposed point-symmetrically about ventilating fans integral with a unidirectionally rotatable shaft extending longitudinally in an opening in the top wall of the chamber. The shells, rigid with a support manually pivotable about the power-plant-driven shaft, normally direct air flow through the fans from the air chamber but may be rotated 180.degree. by a vehicle operator to temporarily reverse the air flow and pressurize the chamber, thus forcing air out through the radiators and filter screens, cleaning them of clogging debris collected during normal operation of the vehicle. Sealer strips provided around the openings in the air chamber for minimizing leakage.