Abstract: A pet relief station is comprised to provide a safe, sanitary and natural method for pets to excrete their waste products indoors. The station has a housing which has an opening therein for the pet to enter and exit from. Inside the housing is a platform to support the pet. A plastic sheet which holds litter is mounted above the platform for horizontal movement across same. A movable take-up roll and a movable feedroll are provided and the plastic sheet is anchored to them. A motor is included which moves the take-up and feed rolls which in turn move the plastic sheet. Above the platform is positioned a litter hopper with a bottom opening and a litter meter. Below the platform is positioned a lineable disposal chamber with a filter screen. The disposal chamber is separated from the rest of the housing to insure the pet's safety.

Abstract: A collector leaf construction for a grape harvester or the like including a generally planar body portion having an inner end, a concave leading edge, a convex trailing edge, and a convex outer edge, a pivot mounting at the inner end, a reinforcing plate at the inner end, and fasteners for securing the reinforcing plate to the body portion at the inner end.

Abstract: A bird feeder having a generally planar seed tray and means for mounting such in a generally horizontal position. The bird feeder further includes a cover, generally of dome-shaped configuration and having a lower peripheral edge frictionally supported on an upstanding peripheral seed tray rim. The cover is capable of rotational movement with respect to the tray such that a bird access opening in the cover may be adjustably positioned downwind of the feeder in its use position.

Abstract: A feeder for dispensing feed to livestock which includes a trough having a surface adapted to receive the feed thereon and a hopper positioned above the trough surface. The hopper has a bottom with an aperture therethrough and a side wall. A feed wheel is rotatably mounted on the trough and includes a radially extending spoke engageable by livestock. A deflector having an upwardly tapering cross-sectional configuration is positioned in the hopper and includes a lower edge positioned above the hopper bottom and terminating inwardly of the hopper side wall and outwardly of the hopper bottom aperture. Sweep means is positioned below the deflector lower edge and adapted for sweeping feed in the hopper to the aperture.

Abstract: In FIG. 5 a sheep shearing table (1) includes a pair of rollers (3) rotatable about respective shafts (31) in a common direction so as to rotate a sheep placed thereon and faciliate its being sheared. The legs of the sheep are tethered by rope passing through cleats (11) and the rollers are driven by operation of a foot operated lever (16) through a releasable drive coupling (7) which can be released when the rollers (3) are required to be swivelled and pivoted relative to the base (3) about a joint (4). The bracket (9) can then rest on the ground and enabling a sheep to be loaded on to the rollers (3) for subsequent shearing or a sheared sheep to be released into the tally pen.

Abstract: A spider arm journal and bat section connecting means for harvester reel pick-up bats which permits a limited amount of axial, angular and transverse flexure between the bat sections and the journal shaft to which the bat sections are mounted, the said means comprising a bat retainer assembly onto which the end of a bat is fastened and into which an end of the journal shaft is received with sliding fit engagement, and a connecting link integral with and normal to the journal connected adjacent its outer end with an attachment plate comprising the end of said assembly adjacent the journal.

Abstract: A rectangular baler has a preservative applicator for applying a fluid preservation to crop material as it is being baled as a function of the baling rate. The application rate is determined by a control circuit which repetitively measures the displacement of a charge of crop material through the baling for each cycle of the plunger and which repetitively opens solenoid controlled valves regulating a pressurized source of fluid preservative for a length of time proportionate to the magnitude of the displacement signal for one plunger cycle.

Abstract: A rotary lawn mower (2) having an internal combustion engine (8) that includes a recoil starter (17) has a zone start system (20 or 40) for supporting the pull grip (19) of the starter (17) on the handle assembly (12) of the mower (2). Zone start system (20 or 40) each includes a bracket (22 or 52) for releasably securing the pull grip (19) to one handle tube (15) of the handle assembly (12). Pull grip (19) can be easily detached from the brackets (22 or 52) and moved to a non-interfering position such that a rear bagging attachment (10) can be easily removed from the lawn mower (2) for the dumping of grass clippings.

Abstract: A tobacco harvester includes a distributor placed between the discharge of the conveyor and the pallet. The distributor comprises of a horizontal corrigated disc rotatable about a vertical axis. The disc is rotated by a hydraulic motor and is positioned so that leaves leaving the conveyor on the disc distribute evenly in the pallet.

Abstract: The invention relates to an animal enclosure. Prior animal enclosures, especially batteries of cages, have posed problems of manufacturing cost, noise and inconvenience of door actuation, and risk of injury to the animals inside. The present invention provides an animal enclosure in which a loop and frame move along a path. The frame has an opening in it so as to provide access to the enclosure and the loop otherwise closes off the enclosure. The invention is applicable to cattle pens and to batteries of poultry rearing cages.

Abstract: A walk-behind type work vehicle has two running wheels on an axle, an upright power-take-off shaft for driving a selectably attachable implement, as well as an engine with an upright output shaft forwardly upwardly of the running wheels. Transmission system is adapted to transmit the power from the engine output shaft as parallelly divergingly branches off to the running wheels and to the power-take-off shaft.

Abstract: A crop retainer unit is presented which prevents crop material from blocking the entrance throat of a cylindrical bale forming machine. The crop retainer unit mounts in the entrance throat of a baler having a fixed size horizontally oriented baling chamber. The gate comprises a shaft which spans the length of the chamber at a location near the top of the entrance throat. A plurality of rod-like elements project outwardly at spaced intervals from the shaft. All elements are in line. All extend radially outward from the shaft in a single direction. The shaft is mounted for rotation in the sidewalls of the machine. However, motion is restricted so the free ends of the elements are able to readily swing inward into the baling chamber but their outward motion is stopped at the point where the elements are tangentially in line with the circumferential periphery of the baling chamber.

Abstract: An agricultural machine for the tedding or conditioning of fodder comprises a pair of drums (1,2) rotatable about shafts (12,13) which are slightly inclined in the forwards direction of travel (A) of the machine. The drums (1,2) are interconnected by a chassis (3) which is connected to a coupling member (4) by a connecting beam (5). The coupling member (4) has attachment points (6,7,8) for coupling the machine to a tractor. Each drum (1,2) carries at its lower portion a flexible, deformable skirt (17,18) for grasping and transporting the fodder. The skirts are associated with tedding or conditioning means which may comprise ribs (20) on the upper surfaces of the skirts (17,18) or other means (not shown).

Abstract: A universal grass edger and trimmer attachment is disclosed utilizing a rotary flexible drive shaft whose operating end is supported by a multipositional boom.

Abstract: A crop gathering attachment for a crop harvesting machine is disclosed wherein a feeder mechanism is disposed between the cutterbar and the consolidating auger. The feeder mechanism includes a plurality of transversely mounted rotary members having crop conveying members in the form of helical flanges radially affixed thereto and rotatable therewith. The rotary members are mounted such that the crop conveying members on each of the rotary members interleave with the crop conveying members of the adjacent rotary members. The rotary members are rotated in the same direction so that the crop conveying members constitute in effect a moving floor operable to transfer crop from the cutterbar generally longitudinally of the attachment to the consolidating auger for feeding to the crop harvesting machine for further harvesting treatment.

Abstract: A lawn which includes a mower housing carrying a motor and including plural shafts carrying donut-like members with cutters attached thereto. The deck includes a forward portion have a protective skirt, a portion of which extends at approximately 45.degree. to the ground.

Abstract: A cutting tool for use in conjunction with the propeller assembly of a boat to prevent underwater foliage from fouling the drive mechanism of the boat. The shank end of the tool is secured to the motor housing and supports the cutting blade end thereof in close proximity with the propeller hub. As the hub rotates, underwater foliage encountered by the propeller assembly is swept into contact with the cutting edges of the blade whereupon the foliage is cut and the cutting thrown away from the motor.

Abstract: A rake wheel attachment for a harvesting machine such as a cylindrical baler comprises a wheel for engaging and moving crop material laterally of the path of the baler. The wheel is rotatably supported by a wheel support and is pivotably mounted on an arm attached to the machine about the axis of the arm which is generally perpendicular to the axis of the rotation. The rake wheel is biased into an operative position by a spring connected between the wheel support and the arm. The spring is yieldable to permit the wheel to pivot about the arm axis responsive to the engagement of the wheel with a rock or other foreign bodies.

Abstract: An improvement in mower-conditioners for forage crops such as hay, in which a pair of ribbed rollers is used to crimp the stems of the crop passing between, to promote drying of the crop.The improvement comprises the use of additional pairs of ribbed rollers, synchronized such that each additional pair of rollers positioned to crimp the crop stems at a different point from the preceding pairs.

Abstract: A tobacco harvesting apparatus including a mobile frame, having a cutting station comprising a rotary cutter blade, a rotary paddle assembly, and a receiver for a longitudinally and forward projecting tobacco stick in a stick receiving position behind the cutting station, whereby forward movement of the mobile frame causes the cutting station to move along a row of tobacco plants so that the tobacco stalk is cut by the rotary cutter blade and is impaled and moved along the tobacco stick by the rotary paddle assembly.The apparatus further includes an automatic stick ejector mechanism for receiving the rear end of the tobacco stick and rotating the tobacco stick upward and behind the mobile frame upon actuation by a predetermined accumulation of stalks upon the tobacco stick, and a stick feeding mechanism for feeding one stick at a time from a stick reservoir to the stick receiver, operating in synchronism with the stick ejector mechanism.