Abstract: A berry picker, especially for blueberries, is equipped with a plurality of picking units forming at least one row of picking units in a picking head movably carried by a mobile support chassis. Each picking unit has its own picking conveyor carrying a plurality of picking combs. Each picking conveyor is supported by its own picking frame. All the picking frames are carried by a mounting frame or carriage floatingly mounted on the mobile support chassis. Each picking frame is movably supported by the floating mounting frame or carriage for automatically lifting each picking frame individually by a respective first power lifter in response to an obstacle signal representing the ground condition. The ground condition signal is sensed by a ground sensor provided individually for each picking unit. The floating movement of the mounting frame is accomplished by separate second power lifters in response to further sensors or in response to a manual operator control.

Abstract: A substantial, stable, safe to use yard station is disclosed. The yard station provides for the cleaning of lawn mowers, both the underside and outer surface, and of other lawn implements. The construction is from a relatively heavy gauge base plate, which has provision for staking the apparatus down, and from water carrying pipe fittings, valves, a length of hose and a nozzle etc.

Abstract: The invention relates to a machine for working grass, hay or other crops on the field, provided with two rake members which are drivable about upwardly directed axes of rotation. During operation, the distance between the rake members can be changed by controls at the seat of the tractor on which the machine is mounted to adapt the machine to various circumstances. The machine is provided with swath forming crop guide members, the relative positions of which are automatically adapted to remain about the same irrespective of the distance between the rake members.

Abstract: A universal grass catcher which may be used with lawnmowers having grass discharge openings from the sides of the decks thereof, which may be of different size and have different attachment means, such as a hook or spaced pins which are mounted on the deck adjacent to the discharge opening. An adjustable frame which can be contracted or expanded to match the size of the discharge opening is attached to arms which carry the grass collecting bag. The open end of the bag is fastened around the frame. A support plate is mounted to the frame and may be connected between outer ends of the arms. The support plate projects perpendicular to the frame and rests on the deck. The support plate has a slot which receives the hook or the pins. A stop plate is moveably mounted on the support plate and has a slot which is aligned with the slot in the support plate.

Abstract: A cleaner accessory is provided for mounting from the lower base plate of a picker drum of a cotton picker, and the accessory includes a depending tang spaced slightly outward of the outer periphery of the picker drum base plate and projecting slightly downwardly therebelow. The tang projects only slightly outward of the outer periphery of the picker drum base plate an amount less than the spacing between the picker drum base plate outer periphery and a stationary upstanding flange of the cotton picker, and the accessory further includes an upward extension thereof projecting appreciably above the picker drum base plate and equipped with a partial cylindrical guard positioned immediately foward of, in the direction of rotation of the drum, the lower end of one of the picker bars pivotally supported from the periphery of the picker drum base plate.

Abstract: An improved seal assembly for a cotton picker for reducing or eliminating passage of lubricant out of the spindle assembly area to increase service interval and decrease lubricant usage. A first sealing ring contacts and seals the outer surface of the spindle. A second sealing ring, mounted over the first ring, seals non-moving components. The first seal includes a tab which is received within a corresponding notch in a bushing located adjacent the sealing assembly. The sealing assembly is constructed such that presently available cotton picker spindle assemblies may be retrofitted easily with the new arrangement.

Abstract: A tool, and method of utilization, for achieving fine vertical adjustment of a crop divider pivotally mounted on the front of a crop header. The tool includes an inverted J-shaped support member adapted for attachment to a frame member of the crop header. Rotatably secured to the support member is an elongated screw member to which is threadably mounted for axial movement an annular ring. The tool is mounted such that a coarse adjusting chain, which normally extends between the crop row divider and crop header, passes through the annular ring. By rotating the elongated screw, the ring moves axially in a direction generally perpendicular to the normal orientation of the chain to alter its effective length, causing the crop row divider to pivot about its mounting and thereby adjust its vertical position relative to the ground.

Abstract: A flexible nonmetallic line trimmer for cutting vegetation has a wheel support for edging operations. The trimmer has a safety guard that extends around the rearward portion of a motor housing. A sliding bracket is mounted to the safety guard. A wheel is mounted on the forward end of the sliding bracket. The bracket will slide between a retracted position with the wheel to one side of the housing to an extended position with the wheel in front of the housing to support the cutter.

Abstract: The automatic feeder is for dispensing dry pet food. It has a generally rectangular housing having three downwardly sloping platforms located one over another in a zig zag manner. The platforms separate the interior of the housing into a top storage chamber, a middle chamber and a bottom chamber. The bottom chamber has a side dispensing opening. Food pellets in the top storage chamber slide from the top platform onto the middle platform in the middle chamber. The middle platform has a vibration means mounted thereto. The vibration means is actuated for a predetermined time interval to cause an amount of food pellets to transfer from the middle platform into the bottom chamber. The dispensing opening is provided with a vertical pivotal swingable trap door which is normally resting in a closed position due to gravity, but is held tightly shut by a latching device which is actuated for the same time interval while the vibration means is actuated.

Abstract: An implement for raking hay which can be quickly mounted on either a wide front wheel vehicle or a narrow front wheel vehicle and operated in either a front operating position or a side operating position.

Abstract: An agricultural baler comprises a bale case having an inlet opening for charges of crop material to be transferred thereto from a feeder duct, a plunger reciprocable within the bale case to compress successive charges of crop material from the feeder duct to form a bale, and a feeder mechanism mounted within the duct to accumulate a charge of crop material therein and then stuff that charge into the bale case. The feeder mechanism comprises a first rotatable tine bar having mounted thereon a first set of packer tines and a set of stuffer tines angularly offset from the first set of packer tines, and a second rotatable tine bar on which is mounted at least a second set of packer tines.

Abstract: A grass catching assembly (20) for a lawn mower (10) includes an adapter assembly (21, 52) attachable to the grass discharge area of the mower (10). A disposable bag (26) is attached to the adapter so that mowed grass from the mower (10) is passed through the adapter (21, 52) and into the disposable bag (26).

Abstract: This invention relates to a riding mower comprising a chassis supporting a driving unit intended to propell the wheels of the mower as well as a cutting attachment which is provided on the mower. The cutting attachment is movably fastened to the chassis and can by means of an operating device be brought from a lower cutting position to an upper non cutting position. The mower has a movable part shaped as a guard (58) which joins the chassis (10) and at least partially hides the cutting attachment (11) the guard being connected to the cutting attachment in order to follow its movement.

Abstract: Sleeping quarters for a pet having a flat bottom and arched roof framework with two pen ends and made of lightweight, semi-rigid foam material. A tubular liner having a transversely extending elastic strip sewn to longitudinal gathers is inserted through the open ends of the framework and the ends are folded back onto the framework and held by elastic bands. The interior of the tubular liner of fabric material is resiliently expandable to snugly engage the pet which crawls into the sleeping quarters. An alternate embodiment shows a fully folded portable sleeping quarters structure with two open ends and made of light weight, semi-rigid foam material. This alternate embodiment allows the frame to be expanded to accommodate different sizes of pets. Moreover, a tubular liner having a transversely extending elastic strip sewn to longitudinal gathers is inserted through the open ends of the framework and the ends are folded back onto the framework and held by elastic bands.

Abstract: A cover for use on the outer surface of a skid plate of a combine grain head, the skid plate comprising a plurality of side-by-side skid plate panels of different widths, comprising a plurality of side-by-side cover panels, each cover panel corresponding to a specific skid plate panel and each cover panel having an outer surface, an inner surface, opposed leading and trailing edges, and a pair of opposed side edges. The inner surface of each cover panel is configured to matingly engage the outer surface of its corresponding skid plate panel, while the outer surface of each said cover panel is substantially parallel to its inner surface. The side edges of each said cover panel are slightly inset from the side edges of its corresponding skid plate panel, whereby each cover panel is spaced apart from its adjacent cover panel to permit relative horizontal movement between adjacent cover panels and their corresponding skid plate panels.

Abstract: A header flotation mechanism for a hay harvesting machine having a header is disclosed wherein a first flotation mechanism floatingly supports a first header section from the frame of the harvester and a second flotation mechanism floatingly suspends a second header section from the first header section. A pair of intermeshing conditioning rolls is mounted in the first header section, while a reel and a cutterbar are mounted in the second header section. The second header section is connected to the first header section by upward and lower links, the lower links having first and second stops to limit the amount of vertical movement of the second header section relative to the first header section. The header lift mechanism is operatively associated with the linkage mechanism interconnecting the frame of the harvester in the first header section and is operable to raise both header sections.

Abstract: A latching mechanism for a unitized raking implement having a frame and pivotally movable frame arms carrying rake baskets positionable in transport and operating positions is disclosed wherein a spring-loaded locking pin is biased toward engagement with stabilizer bars cooperately engaged with the frame arms to lock the frame arms against pivotal movement. A cable interconecting the hydraulic steering cylinder affects a disengagement of the locking pin from the stabilizer bar when the cylinder is actuated to turn the ground engaging wheels and affect a pivotal movement of the frame arms. A lost motion linkage, including a pair of cantilevered members interconnected by a torsion spring interconnects the cable and the locking pin to permit movement of the cable without affecting movement of the locking pin whenever the locking pin is bound in the stabilizer bar.

Abstract: A raking mechanism having a frame and a pair of rake baskets movably mounted thereon is disclosed wherein the frame includes a draft member adapted for connection to a prime mover and a pair of arms pivotally connected to the draft member and supported above the ground by respective wheels. The arms carry the respective rake baskets and are pivotally movable in a generally horizontal plane to displace the rake baskets transversely of the draft member. The rake baskets are also movable relative to the respective arms to vary the angle at which the rate baskets engage the crop material lying on the ground to provide a variety of positions of the rake baskets relative to the draft member and, consequently, provide a number of operative positions and operations the raking mechanism can undertake. A method of converting the raking mechanism from a collapsed transport position to an infinitely adjustable operative position is also disclosed.

Abstract: A unitized raking implement having pivotably movable frame arms supported by ground engaging wheels is disclosed wherein a four-bar linkage is used to control the orientation of the wheels between an orientation parallel to the direction of travel of the implement and a non-parallel orientation. The rotation of the wheels into a non-parallel orientation permits the frame arms to be pivotally moved relative to the implement frame upon a corresponding movement of the raking implement. The control linkage includes a control link having a hydraulic cylinder operable to affect an extension of the length of the control link and, thereby, to affect a steering of the wheel between parallel and non-parallel orientations. The four-bar linkage permits the wheels to be returned into the parallel orientation whenever the hydraulic cylinder is fully retracted irrespective of the pivoted position of the respective frame arms.

Abstract: A hydraulic system for unitized raking implements having hydraulically driven left and right rake baskets positionally movable by hydraulic steering cylinders, hydraulic swing cylinders and hydraulic lift cylinders is disclosed wherein all the hydraulically actuated components on the implement can be operatively powered from a single hydraulic circuit from the prime mover. A selector valve divides the flow of fluid coming from the prime mover hydraulic system into first and second loops. The first loop directs hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic motors and lift cylinders in such a manner that whenever the hydraulic motors are operated the hydraulic lift cylinders position the rake baskets into a lowered operating position. The second loop directs hydraulic fluid to the steering and swing cylinders, the flow between which being controlled by a control valve corresponding to each of the rake baskets.