Abstract: The invention relates to a cutting finger for finger-bar cutters of harvesting machines with a top finger and a bottom finger stamped out from flat material and connected to one another in front of the blade gap, in which cutting finger the top finger and/or the bottom finger are deformed in the region located in front of the blade gap and are connected to one another by welding.

Abstract: A mechanism for controlling the attitude of a crop harvesting header mounted on a combine base unit for movement in a generally vertical direction and for rotational movement in a generally vertical plane to permit the header to follow changes in the ground contour is disclosed wherein a sensor bar is mounted on each respective side of the center line of the header to sense the location of the ground with respect to the corresponding end of the header. The header is provided with hydraulic lift cylinders and tilt cylinders to operably move the header vertically or rotationally. The control mechanism operably interconnects the sensor bars and the lift and tilt cylinders to effect movement of the header in response to a predetermined pattern of movement of the sensor bars.

Abstract: An apparatus for picking fruit having an elongated pole attached to upper and lower portions that are removably coupled to each other. Each portion of the apparatus has a metal mounting sheet with a wire container attached to it. The upper mounting sheet of the upper portion has a guide channel groove used for guiding the stem of a piece of fruit to be picked to a position near a first cutting blade located at the bottom of the groove. A guide arm slidably engages two positioning guides attached to the upper mounting sheet. When a cord attached to the end of the guide arm is pulled, a second cutting blade attached near the top of the guide arm moves from an upper position to a lower position proximate the first cutting blade at the bottom of the guide channel groove. As the blades come together, they sever the stem of each piece of fruit to be picked. A spring is used to return the guide arm to its upper position. The guide arm and spring are coupled by a protective shield.

Abstract: A combine for harvesting primarily spiked grains such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, and cereals such as buckwheat. The combine includes a rotating rotor arranged in a stationary casing along the direction of combine movement. An upper part of the casing is provided with helical guide fins mounted on the internal surface thereof. A lower part of the casing in a threshing zone is provided with a grate-type concave mounted under which is a conveyor to transport threshed product separated through the concave to a cleaning mechanism. The concave has openings of different open area and is made such that its portion having the openings of smaller size is located, with respect to the direction of combine movement, between a front edge of the concave and an imaginary extension of a helical line of the guide fins on the concave and enlarges in the direction of rotor rotation.

Abstract: A combine harvester according to the invention comprises a reaping section for reaping the crop and bringing the reaped crop substantially to a mid-position transversely of the machine, a conveyer for passing the crop rearwardly and upwardly, a threshing chamber housing a threshing drum for threshing the crop delivered by the conveyer, and straw walkers for separating grain from chaff. The threshing chamber and the straw walkers have large transverse dimensions. The threshing chamber has distributing guide plates on its ceiling to pass grain and straw resulting from the threshing distributedly on to the wide straw walkers.

Abstract: A hair dressing comb assembly comprising a generally cylindrical housing from one end of which a handle extends, and a plurality of similar longitudinally extending slots are arranged in circumferentially spaced relation around the housing respectively to receive elongated toothed comb members having relatively thin ends projecting beyond the toothed portions, the housing containing in opposite ends similar cam members interconnected longitudinally and movable axially by a manually operable sleeve on the exterior of the handle for movement in one direction to cause the cams to engage the thin ends of the comb members to project the combs outwardly to full operative positions, and separate retracting springs engageable with the thin ends of the comb members to fully retract them simultaneously into the slots in the housing when the sleeve on the handle moves the cam members in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A grass bag attachment for a lawn mower mounted on and disposed below a tractor having a chassis. The grass bag attachment includes a pair of spaced brackets adapted to be mounted on a rear end of the chassis, a support post composed of a pair of spaced, substantially vertical portions and a cross portion joining the vertical portions at upper ends thereof, the vertical portions having respective lower ends detachably connected to the brackets, respectively, by pins, and a plurality of grass bags having front central portions supported on the support post.

Abstract: Ground penetrating discs for selective attachment to wheels of a lawn mower to increase safe operation of such lawn mowers on embankments in which the ground engaging discs are selectively secured in engagement over the hub and tread of one or more of the lawn mower wheels and which include a plurality of outwardly extending ground penetrating points which are spaced around the periphery of the discs and which penetrate the earth's surface during operation of the lawn mower and prevent lateral slippage of the lawn mower as a lawn mower traverses a sloped surface.

Abstract: A baling machine, towed by a tractor, for forming large cylindrical bales of hay has a baling chamber defined by oppositely moving runs of belts trained over rolls.In order to avoid stray hay wrapping around the ends of a roll and then being ingested in bearings supporting the ends of the roll, an anti-wrap assembly is provided at each end of the roll. The assemblies each comprise a spiral which is welded to the roll and which moves the stray crop away from the end of the roll, and a scraper mounted so as to have an edge thereof located very close to or in light contact with the spiral for preventing the crop from being carried around the roll by the spiral.

Abstract: Apparatus for harvesting field crops such as jojoba comprising a mobile chassis, an enclosure mounted on the chassis, at least one array of radially extending tines arranged for engagement with growing plants, apparatus for rotating the at least one array, apparatus for oscillating the at least one array, and apparatus mounted on the movable chassis for collecting produce separated from the growing plants by the action of the tines in engagement therewith.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for harvesting tobacco are disclosed. Tobacco stalks are cut on the afternoon of one day and are left to lie transversely of the tobacco field. The next day, a harvesting apparatus is moved through the field and includes an elevating conveyor on which the felled tobacco plants are loaded as by a person sitting in a low seat immediately forwardly of the conveyor. The conveyor and the seat comprise a part of a trailer pulled behind the tractor, and the trailer further includes behind the conveyor a platform on which workers may stand to remove tobacco plants from the conveyor and to impale them on conventional tobacco sticks. The tobacco plants, having been lying overnight in the field, are well wilted and of much reduced weight. A wagon is towed by the trailer in close proximity thereto, and when the sticks are loaded with tobacco they are tipped toward the wagon to a position where they may be picked up by a work person on the wagon for stacking of the sticks of tobacco on the wagon.

Abstract: A device adapted to temporarily replace the standard cutting blade of a rotary power mower enables the thus modified power mower to function in a manner to rake debris from a lawn. The raking effect can be achieved at low rotational speed of the mower. The device is comprised of an elongated support plate which mounts upon the lower extremity of the mower's vertically disposed drive shaft, and two rake arms adjustably attachable to the extremities of the support plate to provide an overall length of the device equal to the cutting blade it replaces. The rake arms are provided with a series of resilient fingers angled away from the support plate and terminating in a line diagonal to the center longitudinal axis of said support plate.

Abstract: A grass cutting height indicator in a combination of a lawn mower and a power-driven tractor having an operator's seat, including a lawn mower unit suspended from a tractor frame of the tractor, an adjusting lever disposed adjacent to the operator's seat, and a link mechanism operatively connected between the adjusting lever and the lawn mower unit for adjusting the height of the lawn mower unit above ground in response to operation of the adjusting lever. The indicator comprises an indicator member mounted on the link mechanism and having indicia for indicating grass cutting heights, and an indicator window defined in a tractor body adjacent to the operator's seat, the indicator member being positioned so that the indicia has at least a portion thereof facing the indicator window.

Abstract: In a flexible floating cutterbar cutting platform for a combine harvester, compact spring elements connected to cutterbar suspension linkage subassemblies are remotely controlled for adjustment of cutterbar counterbalance force so that pressure between the ground and the cutterbar skid plates may be adjusted, on-the-go, to suit varying harvesting conditions. Pinned pivotable connection of the cutterbar suspension linkage subassemblies to the rigid portion of the platform facilitate assembly and offer an improved method of adjustment of cutterbar attitude relative to the ground (tilt) when in working position.

Abstract: A multi-row corn cutter forage harvester and/or picker forage harvester, such as a forage harvester of the disc-wheel type, includes a first support bar arranged to be mounted on the three-part attachment linkage of a tractor. A second support bar, which mounts the harvester device, is connected to the first support bar by a swivel hinge. The second support bar can be pivoted relative to the first bar between a first position extending laterally outwardly from the first support bar and a second position where the second support bar is located behind the first support bar. In the first position, the harvesting device can be operated, while in the second position it is arranged for transport. It could be possible to operate the harvesting device in the second position. A belt drive for the harvesting device extends from a first pulley mounted on the first support bar to a second pulley mounted on the second support bar.

Abstract: A machine that attaches to a tractor is structured to reap, blind, and shock mature sesame plants. The machine is capable of engaging two rows of plants simultaneously, the two stalkways merging into one prior to the tying mechanism. Each row of plants is severed at the base by a pair of disc cutters. The cut stalks are moved rearwardly in an upright position by vertically disposed conveyor belts having fingers attached thereto to grasp the stalks. The stalks from both stalkways are gathered at a first tying station having two tying mechanisms which ties them into bundles. The bundles are moved rearwardly on a horizontal conveyor belt to a second tying station having one tyer where the bundles are gathered and tied together into stacks of optimum size. The stacks, comprising about five bundles each, slide down a ramp to engage the stubble of the cut sesame plants. The stacks stand upright on the ground thereafter to dry naturally.

Abstract: A vine stabilizing attachment for a vine row crop upright harvester comprises a pair of support beams configured for mounting on opposite sides of the infeed throat portion of the harvester, the support beams mounting a stabilizer apparatus arranged to engage a portion of a vine row forwardly of the shaker mechanism of the harvester and support said forward portion of the vine row against movement during shaking of vines rearwardly thereof by the shaking mechanism of the harvester. The stabilizer apparatus may be pairs of rods, or plates arranged to press vines between them to prevent them from shaking while adjacent rearward vines are being shaken to harvest the fruit. The stabilizer apparatus alternatively may be vine wire dampener rollers arranged to bear against the vine wire forwardly of the portion of the vine row being shaken.

Abstract: A safe having improved security and being particularly well suited for securing within a drawer is provided. The safe is formed from a one-piece steel sheet providing a seamless top. A safe door is formed in an opening in the safe top with a door hinged by a hinge with a pin recessed below the top surface to prevent attack. The safe door is locked by a three-point bolting lock. The safe may be secured within a drawer by outwardly projecting bolts which prevent removal of the safe without destroying the drawer. An internal alarm may be set to operate upon removal of the safe from the drawer.

Abstract: Lawn clippings are pelletized and distributed back onto the lawn directly, for example, as part of a mowing operation. For this purpose the lawn clippings are supplied into the top of a chamber wherein compression rollers press the clippings through a stationary apertured plate for extruding the clippings in the form of compressed strands. A rotating distribution disk is arranged below the plate for breaking up the strands into pellets and for throwing or distributing the pellets over the lawn as it is being mowed. The pressure applied to the grass clippings is adjusted to be sufficient for the extrusion, but insufficient for squeezing the natural juices out of the grass clippings. To avoid clogging and positive extrusion at all times during the operation, the compression rollers are preferably driven positively by a double drive system for rotation about a vertical and horizontal axis.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a power transmission apparatus for a power driven lawn mower. The lawn mower has a housing, an engine mounted on the housing, a moving blade coupled to the engine and wheels which are swingably mounted on the housing. The swinging of the wheels moves the housing towards and way from the ground in order to raise and lower the housing to thereby raise and lower the lawn mower blade. The power transmission apparatus comprises a transmission mechanism and a transmission chamber for housing the transmission mchanism, the chamber including a guide structure. The transmission mechanism includes a drive shaft coupled to the engine and a single reduction gear mechanism coupled to the drive shaft and the wheels for transmitting the rotation of the drive shaft to the wheels.