Abstract: A reel for a harvester, such as for a combine harvester. The reel includes a reel supporting pipe and star-shaped supports at the ends of the reel, the star arms being connected to each other by means of tine rods which run parallel to the supporting pipe, wherein the star-shaped supports are specifically at least partially reinforced as a result of which at least one of the tensile and compression forces acting on the supporting pipe can be absorbed by one or more tine rods.

Abstract: A drawn agricultural machine comprising a carrier frame for carrying processing members, the carrier frame supportable on the ground, at least during transport, by means of a wheel set comprising at least a wheel, a coupling frame for coupling the agricultural machine 1 to the three-point suspension of a tractor, the coupling frame comprising two lower coupling points and an upper coupling point and the coupling frame being rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation relative to the carrier frame. The machine also comprises a drawing element for exerting a force on the coupling frame, wherein the coupling frame, the carrier frame and the drawing element are interconnected in such a manner that a downward force component is exerted on the lower coupling points when the drawing element exerts a force on the coupling frame.

Abstract: A head assembly for a rake is provided. The head assembly includes a base portion, a handle coupling, and a number of tines. Each tine includes an elongated body. Each tine body includes a first end, a flexure portion, an offset portion, and a distal second end. The tines includes a first set of tines and a second set of tines. A number of tine bodies in the first set of tines have an offset portion lateral cross-sectional aspect ratio that is greater than 1.0. A number of tine bodies in the second set of tines have an offset portion lateral cross-sectional aspect ratio that is less than 1.0.

Abstract: A dual-cam linkage system controls the orientation of tines on a reel of a crop harvesting header. The dual-cam linkage system includes a stationary, substantially circular first cam track that has a rotational center that is offset from the rotational axis of the reel. A second cam track is located in a support plate on which a tine-supporting member is mounted. The dual-cam linkage system also includes a pivoting linkage having a crank, an arm. The crank has a first end fixedly attached to the tine-supporting member. The arm has an outer end attached to a second end of the crank. The first cam follower is attached at an inner end of the arm and engages the first cam track. The second cam follower is attached to the arm at a position between the first cam follower and the crank and engages the second cam track.

Abstract: A cam reel for use on a harvesting header that can be configured in both operating and transport positions is provided. The reel comprises a plurality of finger-bearing reel bats disposed evenly around the reel shaft, each rotatably attached through the distal ends of radial arms extending outwardly from the reel shaft. A cam disc is attached to the frame and engages each reel bat by a cam follower, to provide rotational movement of the reel bats relative to the radial arms, during rotation of the shaft in the operating position. The cam has at least one operating position, and a transport position in which the engaged reel bats will be pivoted into transport mode that substantially reduces the risk of damage to the fingers.

Abstract: An improved knife assembly for use with a header of an agricultural harvester. The assembly includes a knife head, a knife back and a plurality of sickle sections fastened to the knife head and knife back. The sickle sections include first and second portions where a second portion of one knife section overlaps a first portion of an another sickle section when the knife sections are arranged in adjacent relationship. The overlapping areas of the adjacent knife sections include aligned though holes which shared fasteners. The resultant construction reduces the overall knife assembly mass thereby leading to increased cutting speeds and corresponding harvester ground speeds. Additionally, the time and labor associated with manufacture and maintenance is reduced while the assembly strength and force distribution capability is enhanced.

Abstract: A rotary cutting deck having an inverted dish-shaped cutting chamber supported by a framework carrying a plurality of ground engaging members, a rotary cutting blade mounted to a spindle extending through the cutting chamber, an asymmetric rear discharge opening above the rotary cutting blade, and a band below the opening.

Abstract: A convertible mower deck has a plurality of cutting chambers with a rotary cutting blade in each chamber and a side discharge opening from one of the cutting chambers, pivoting gates between the adjacent cutting chambers, and a pivoting side discharge door between a cutting chamber and the side discharge opening. Each of the gates and side discharge door are movable between a discharge or collection position and a mulching position. A mulch on demand actuator includes a switch in an operator station that causes a pivot control plate on a shaft to rotate and move linkages between the gates and door between the discharge or collection position and mulching position.

Abstract: A mower assembly is provided for cutting around a post. A support structure supports the mower assembly in cantilever fashion. The mower assembly includes a plurality of mower units with each mower unit having a rotary blade. Two or more mower units cooperate to engage and cut around a post and, during the process, the entire mower assembly rotates about an axis enabling the mower units to encircle and efficiently cut grass and other vegetation about the post.

Abstract: A pivotably adjustable attachment apparatus for an agricultural vehicle includes an attachment connected to a mounting structure. The mounting structure is operatively connected to an adapter assembly in communication with a feed device for moving a crop from the attachment to a feed device for further processing of the crop. A frame supports the feed device over an uneven surface. An apparatus is positioned between the mounting structure and the adapter assembly. The apparatus provides a substantially non-sliding contact between the mounting structure and the adapter assembly in response to the mounting structure being directed to a pivotable movement with respect to the mounting structure, thereby providing a pivotable movement of the attachment in response to encountering the uneven surface.

Abstract: A rock guard for use on a rotary disc cutterbar having quick-release knife connectors wherein a knife removal relief channel is oriented 45 degrees from a straight-ahead orientation to allow more than one quarter of the knives on the cutterbar to be simultaneously aligned with the channels for removal. A second knife removal channel is also oriented 45 degrees from the straight ahead orientation and 90 degrees from the first channel to permit half of the knives on the cutterbar to be simultaneously aligned with the channels for removal. The incorporation of two knife removal channels as described benefits rotary cutterbars having two knives per rotary cutter and adjacent cutters rotationally offset by 90 degrees regardless of whether co-rotating or counter-rotating rotary cutters are employed.

Abstract: A center knife drive for a sickle of a plant cutting machine having an upwardly facing cover and at least one output element reciprocatingly movable by the drive above the cover for moving a knife of the sickle in a sideward reciprocating cutting action, including at least one cleaning flap in connection with the output element positioned and configured for reciprocating forward and rearward movement thereby, disposed above the cover and configured for cleaning loose material therefrom during the movement and for pushing the loose material from the cover to accommodate upward movement of the drive within a space below or in a floor of the machine, clearing the material from the path of the output element, and improved heat dissipation.

Abstract: A device for harvesting long agricultural products, such as grass, straw, pulses, biomass products and the like, includes a frame having a main axis of extension, a plurality of agricultural product harvesting elements, each in turn equipped with at least one long harvesting prong, a movement system for moving each of the harvesting elements along a closed trajectory surrounding the main axis of extension, and a plurality of bands fixed to the frame, positioned one after another and spaced out along the main axis of extension. The device also includes a conveyor unit including an elongate body extending along its own axis of rotation and provided with at least one peripheral step forming an agricultural product feed shoulder extending, along an axis which is substantially radial relative to said axis of rotation, between an edge proximal to the axis of rotation and an edge distal from the axis of rotation.

Abstract: In a cutter bar having a upper and lower knife guards in cooperating pairs mounted on a support bar where each guard includes at least one point extending forwardly to define a channel therebetween in which the knife reciprocates, the upper knife guards are attached to an upper surface of the support bar by a compressible resilient pad between an under surface of the upper knife guard and the upper surface of the support bar, at least one hold down screw fastener engaged between the upper knife guard and the support bar which holds the upper knife guard on to the resilient pad and forms a fulcrum and at least one adjustment screw between the upper knife guard and the support bar behind the screw fastener so that adjustment of the screw increases an amount of compression of the compressible resilient pad.

Abstract: A harvesting header for a row crop machine has a plurality of row units having fore-and-aft extending arms forming a passageway, a gathering mechanism to gather stalks into the passageway, snap rolls to pull the stalks downwardly through the passageway, and a knife set to cut the stalks in the passageway. The knife set includes a pair of opposing blades, each blade having a main portion with an inner edge located on a first side of a centerline of the passageway and a cutting protrusion with a sharpened cutting edge extending across the centerline toward the opposing blade. The cutting protrusions are offset longitudinally from one another such that the cutting protrusion of one of the blades is a different distance from a mouth of the passageway than the cutting protrusion of the opposing blade such that there is a continuous gap between the blades along the length of blades.

Abstract: A mower deck includes at least one cutting chamber with a spindle-mounted rotary cutting blade. The cutting chamber includes an upper wall and a sidewall. The sidewall presents a discharge opening. A cut-off baffle extends between the spindle and the sidewall discharge opening. The cut-off baffle adjusts between an open position in which the discharge opening is at least partially unobstructed and a closed position in which more of the discharge opening is obstructed. A spreader plate lies over the upper corner of the cutting chamber near the discharge opening opposite the cut-off baffle. The spreader plate adjusts between a first retracted position spaced away from the discharge opening and a second extended position closer to the discharge opening. The cut-off baffle and the spreader plate may be adjusted to control the discharge of grass clippings from the cutting chamber.

Abstract: A sickle cutting apparatus includes a plurality of triple finger knife guards which are arranged side by side along the cutter bar to cooperate with a reciprocating sickle bar carrying a row of double blade knife sections and a set of hold-down members carrying hold-down fingers. The hold-down members are arranged alternately as a single finger and double finger with each hold-down member being connected to the cutter bar in association with a respective triple guard. In this way the hold-down fingers are arranged at alternate guard fingers leaving the intervening guard fingers open. The system includes both pointed guards with no tang and stub guard so that the user can select either to be used with the hold-downs. The hold down fingers are all individually adjustable so that the double hold-down have two adjustment screws which can be individually operated causing flexing of the bridge between the double fingers.

Abstract: A reciprocating knife assembly of an agricultural implement includes first and second elongate reciprocating knives disposed along a leading edge of an agricultural implement, the reciprocating knives being disposed end to end and extending colinearly for simultaneous reciprocation in opposite directions, the first and second reciprocating knives being supported for sliding movement on the agricultural implement in a lateral direction generally perpendicular to the direction of travel of the agricultural implement as it travels through an agricultural field harvesting crop, a first bell crank coupled to the first reciprocating knife to reciprocate said knife, a second bell crank coupled to the second reciprocating knife to reciprocate the second reciprocating knife, and a common drive coupled to the first and second bell cranks to drive both the first and second bell cranks in opposite directions simultaneously.

Abstract: A wheel-supported frame for an agricultural mower having a tongue, a pivotally connected frame having a pair of main wheel, and a pair of a retractable transport wheels connected to the frame. A mechanism is provided for each transport wheel to deploy the transport wheels and support the mower, the transport wheels being oriented for travel 90 degrees to the direction of travel of the main wheels. The pivoting tongue connection with the main frame provides for at least a 90 degree rotation of the frame relative to the tongue between operating and transport positions so that the mower may be pulled for transport with the mower moving in the direction of its normal lateral width. The transport wheel mechanisms also position the transport wheels where they will not interfere with mower operation, especially pivoting of the tongue.

Abstract: A multi-row corn header row unit allows harvesting with a single corn header having fixed distance between rows, for instance at 525 mm, and multiple distancing between rows, for which purpose it bears trimmed or emptied snouts on its sides in lieu of conventional headers. Trimmed snouts tire used in combination with lifting sets or row units designed to form an opening with greater width than that of the stripping area, allows for contact with the plant in a manner such as to avoid rubbing on the most rigid part of the stem, thus preventing shakes, breaks or excessive tilting, which certainly determines the obtention of an effective harvest, upon obtaining ears without practically any waste. That is to say, the row unit allows that plants entering from outside of the central row of the collection unit reach the same without being cut, broken, shaken or tilted.