Abstract: A conveying device for conveying crop material from a pick-up mechanism to a baler comprises a conveying channel having a base comprising an upstream base part and a downstream base part. The downstream end of the upstream base part is supported on a pair of first resilient mounting members and the upstream end of the downstream base part is supported on a pair of second resilient support members. The first and second resilient support members, in response to the force with which crop material is being urged by the feed rotor against the upstream and downstream base parts exceeding respective first and second predefined values, yield. This results in downward displacement of the upstream base part and the downstream base part to permit crop material to pass through the conveying channel.

Abstract: An agricultural cutting mechanism for use with an agricultural machine has a disk rotatable about an axis of rotation, a post secured to the disk, a blade, and a yieldable blade retainer. The blade is removably secured to the disk. The blade comprises a keyhole in which the post is positioned. The blade retainer is secured to the disk to move relative thereto between a blocking position blocking radially inward movement of the blade to the replacement position so as to maintain the blade in the use position and a service position releasing the blade to move radially inward to the replacement position for replacement of the blade with another blade. A blade for use with an agricultural cutting mechanism is also disclosed.

Abstract: A hybrid mower includes a chassis coupled to a body. The chassis has a plurality of wheels coupled to a steering assembly for navigating directional control. The mower also includes an internal combustion engine disposed on the chassis. The internal combustion engine is coupled to a drive assembly providing rotational operation to at least one of the plurality of wheels. The mower further includes a mower deck housing at least one rotatable blade for cutting undesired undergrowth during operation and an electric blade control system. The electric blade control system has an electronic control unit for enabling the at least one rotatable blade during operation and at least one direct current motor positioned about the mower deck and in communication with the electronic control unit. The at least one direct current motor has a motor shaft coupled to the at least one rotatable blade.

Abstract: A swath lifter includes a rotor over which the crop is carried for aeration with the rotor driven in a direction so that an underside of the rotor adjacent the ground is driven opposite to the direction of movement. The rotor carries rows of tines at angularly spaced positions around the rotor each associated with a flexible strip of a resilient material located in front of the tines and covering an inner part of the tines with the outer part exposed so that, as the rotor rotates forwardly relative to the ground, the strip is presented to the swath on the ground in advance of the tines to avoid contact of the inner portion of the tines with the crop material at the top of the swath while the exposed outer ends of the tines operate on the wetter part of the swath at the ground.

Abstract: An arrangement for controlling the height and/or incline of a combine header for harvesting thin-stemmed crops includes a control system which is connected to a sensor for detecting the height of the combine header above the ground, and to an actuator for controlling the height and/or incline of the combine header and which can be operated to control the actuator in dependence on signals of the sensor. A mulching appliance with a cultivating tool for shredding plant stumps is attached to the combine header in a vertically movable manner following the contour of the ground, and the sensor is set up to detect the position of the mulching appliance relative to the combine header.

Abstract: A crop handling apparatus comprises a mobile chassis. The chassis is mounted on ground-engaging wheels. A tow-bar is provided at a front of the chassis for releasable attachment to a towing vehicle such as a tractor. A crop conditioning rotor is mounted on the chassis and has a plurality of outwardly projecting radial tines. Drive for the crop conditioning rotor can be by way of a drive transmission on the chassis which connects via a drive input with a PTO shaft on a tractor behind which the crop handling apparatus is drawn in use. A crop gathering conveyor is mounted on the chassis in front of the crop conditioning rotor. The crop gathering conveyor has a discharge end located in front of an inlet of the crop conditioning rotor to feed crop material to the inlet of the crop conditioning rotor in use.

Abstract: A riding lawn mower includes a chassis, a power output assembly, a walking assembly, a power supply device, a control module, and an operating apparatus. The operating apparatus includes at least one bracket, an operating lap bar assembly, a pivoting assembly, and a position detecting module. The pivoting assembly mounts the operating lap bar of the operating lap bar assembly on the bracket. The operating lap bar can rotate around different positions in a first direction F1 and/or a second direction F2. The position detecting module includes a magnetic element and a magnetic sensor. The magnetic element is provided on the pivoting assembly or the bracket and the magnet sensor is spaced from the magnetic element so that the magnetic element and the magnetic sensor can generate a relative movement for detecting the position of the operating lap bar in the first direction F1 and/or the second direction F2.

Abstract: An attachment system for an agricultural vehicle including a feeder housing and a header. The attachment system includes at least one feeder connecting member configured for being located on and movably connected to the feeder housing, and at least one header connecting member configured for being located on the header. The at least one feeder connecting member is automatically connectable and securable to the at least one header connecting member as the feeder housing lifts the header.

Abstract: A baler includes a housing forming a baling chamber. The baling chamber has an inlet that defines an inlet width perpendicular to a central longitudinal axis of the baler. A pre-cutter is disposed forward of the inlet along the central longitudinal axis and includes a cutter width perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis. The cutter width is substantially less than the inlet width. A crop distributor is disposed between the pre-cutter and the inlet and conveys the crop material from the pre-cutter to the inlet. A pick-up head is disposed forward of the pre-cutter and lifts the crop material from the ground and conveys it to the pre-cutter.

Abstract: A converging drum for a crop mowing implement includes a body that extends along a central longitudinal axis. The body rotates about the central longitudinal axis in a defined rotational direction. At least one ramp feature extends radially outward from the body, relative to the central longitudinal axis. The ramp feature is arranged to form an acute angle relative to a reference plane. The acute angle may open toward the defined rotational direction to move cut crop downward, or the acute angle may open away from the defined rotational direction to move crop upward, to position the cut crop for a conditioning system. The converging drum may include a first group of ramp features near a second end of the body for moving cut crop downward, and/or a second group of ramp features near a first end of the body for moving cut crop upward.

Abstract: A round baler includes a pick-up unit for picking up crop material from the ground, a baling chamber which receives the crop material from the pick-up unit, and a press mounted within the baling chamber for forming a bale during a bale formation cycle. The baler also includes a binding unit for dispensing a binding material for binding the bale, a tailgate displaceable by an actuator from a closed position at the beginning of a bale formation cycle to an open position to dispense the bale after the binding cycle. A sensor detects a first tailgate position after the bale formation cycle and before the binding cycle, and detects a second tailgate position after the binding cycle and before displacing the tailgate to the opened position. A controller is responsive to the sensor by determining a tailgate position change between the second tailgate position and the first tailgate position.

Abstract: A sensing system and method is provided for crop material in a harvester. The sensing system includes a conveyor auger device oriented in a substantially vertical direction and having an entrance aperture, an exit aperture located upwardly above a radially oriented sensing aperture disposed therebetween. The conveyor auger device includes a conveyor auger having a flight for moving crop material upwardly, wherein the flight has a reduced radial extension adjacent the sensing aperture. A sensor disposed at or adjacent the sensing aperture senses the essentially continuously upwardly moving crop material for determining a property thereof.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for harvesting a crop. The rotor assembly has a rotating portion defined along a rotation axis, a surrounding assembly at least partially surrounding the rotating portion, the surrounding assembly having at least one separation grate coupled to a support. The support defines an inner surface and has at least one interrupter receiver. The at least one interrupter receiver is selectively coupleable to an interrupter to position the interrupter radially inward of the inner surface towards the rotation axis.

Abstract: Belting with longitudinal cogs that includes belting and at least two longitudinal cogs. The belting has an upper surface, a lower surface and a first edge. The at least two longitudinal cogs are attached to the upper surface of the belting proximate the first edge. Each of the longitudinal cogs is substantially parallel to the first edge. A channel is defined between the at least two longitudinal cogs.

Abstract: A harvesting machine including a cutting head configured to provide cut crop for threshing. The harvesting machine includes a conveyer disposed adjacent to the cutting head and configured to move the cut crop to be threshed along a path. A thresher is configured to thresh the cut crop to provide threshed grain from the cut crop. A separator is disposed adjacently to the thresher and is configured to separate debris from the threshed grain. A feed accelerator is disposed between the conveyor and the thresher, wherein the feed accelerator is configured to advance the cut crop along the path from the conveyor to the thresher. A pre-threshing device is disposed adjacently to the feed accelerator, wherein the feed accelerator interacts with the pre-threshing device to provide threshed grain, and the pre-threshing device is configured to collect the threshed grain before the remaining cut crop is threshed at the thresher.

Abstract: A shield to prevent crop material from wrapping around the shaft of a rotary conveyor of a harvester, such as a baler, includes a body. The body is positioned between a stripper finger and a shaft of the rotary conveyor and has an end surface facing the shaft. A lug is positioned at the opposite end of the body from the end surface and is attached to the housing of the rotary conveyor. The body has opposite side surfaces positioned in spaced relation at a distance substantially equal to the width of the separation fingers of the rotary conveyor.

Abstract: When using a cross auger assembly on a crop harvesting header with a flexible frame having end frame sections pivotal relative to a centre frame section, mounting devices are coupled between the bearing housings at opposing ends of the cross auger assembly and the outer ends of the end frame sections. Each mounting device includes a first mounting structure fixed relative to the outer end of the end frame section, a second mounting structure fixed to a portion of the respective bearing housing, and a flexible mounting arrangement between the mounting structures to accommodate variation in lateral positioning of the bearing housings relative to the ends of the flexible frame as the flexible frame flexes over varying ground contours without requiring a telescoping shaft arrangement on the cross auger assembly.

Abstract: A roller is connected to a harvesting platform for movement with a combine over a ground surface in a direction of travel. The roller includes a first portion defining a first diameter and including a first material, and a second portion defining a second diameter and including a second material. The second diameter is greater than the first diameter. The second portion substantially surrounds the first portion, the second material has different material properties than the first material. The roller extends in the direction of travel and rotates about a second axis which extends generally parallel to the direction of travel.

Abstract: A reinforced feeder housing for an agricultural machine includes a housing body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and two opposing side surfaces each extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The housing body includes a front opening through which crop material is directed into the feeder housing from a header of the agricultural machine, and a rear opening that is substantially opposite the front opening through which crop is expelled from the feeder housing and is delivered to a threshing mechanism of the agricultural machine. Various panels of the housing body are reinforced to improve the structural integrity of the feeder housing and prevent damage to the welds in the housing body.

Abstract: A height control system for a front harvesting attachment, comprising a frame, at least one crop pick-up device, and a ground-conforming cutterbar which is situated on a plurality of supporting arms that can pivot about a horizontal axis and are articulated on the frame. The supporting arms can be pivoted, originating from a desired position to be set before the start of a harvesting operation, between an upper end position, which delimits a deflection of the supporting arms in the direction of the crop pick-up device, and a lower end position, wherein the upper end position has a first clearance and the lower end position has a second clearance from the desired position, wherein the desired position can be adapted, during the harvesting operation, to changing harvesting conditions and/or operating conditions depending on a deflection of the cutterbar, in order to minimize the first clearance and maximize the second clearance.