Abstract: A metering mechanism comprises a housing (7) with a material inlet (12) and a rotary metering member (27) that is rotatably mounted between side walls (8,9) of the housing with its periphery exposed to a chamber (48) within the housing so as to meter material from the chamber as it rotates, characterized in that a removable insert (74) is provided that is a close fit in said chamber and has a passage (75) through it that communicates at one end with said inlet (12) and at the other end with the periphery of the rotary metering member (27) so that the effective volume of said chamber (48) is reduced to the volume of said passage (75). Thus, if the metering mechanism incorporates the known shutter-type tramlining device in which a shutter (24) serves to close the inlet (12) to the housing, the quantity of speed retained in the chamber within the housing is reduced and therefore the length of a bout that will be sown after closing the shutter will be correspondingly reduced.

Abstract: In a seed drill having tractor wheel track eradicators (13), coulters (1) that sow rows of seeds along the line of the tractor wheel tracks (T), and tramlining means (4,5) that serves to stop the supply of seed to said coulters (1) to form tramlines on selected bouts; said track eradicators (13) are lifted out of work when sowing a bout with tramlines so that the tractor wheel tracks (T) remain and form a mark along the unsown rows. Preferably, said coulters (1) are also lifted out of work with the track eradicators (13) so as to avoid disturbing the tractor wheel tracks unduly.

Abstract: An agricultural drill having a plurality of seed dispensing units 6 that are driven through rotary shaft means 8 that extends across the width of the drill and is driven by a drive mechanism 9 at one end, said shaft means 8 comprising two coaxial shafts that each drive the seed dispensing units 6 associated with half the width of the drill and that are connected together by a quick release coupling 25 that couples the shafts together for rotation and can be released to stop rotation of that shaft remote from the drive mechanism 9. The quick release coupling 25 comprises a bayonet type coupling in which a radially projecting pin 28 associated with one shaft 8 engages in an axially and circumferentially extending slot 27 associated with the other shaft 8, said slot 27 being shaped so that it cooperates with the pin 28 and produces a wedge action that urges the two shafts 8 into axial abutting engagement when they are driven.

Abstract: A seed drill comprising a frame, a series of coulters mounted on the frame at positions which are spaced apart in a transverse direction relative to the direction of operative forward motion of the drill, and actuating means comprising a beam that extends in a transverse direction and is rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about axes perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, thrust applying means connected between the frame and the beam so as to move the beam downwards, and thrust transmitting means connected between the beam and the coulters characterized in that said thrust applying means comprises two or more levers (20) pivotally mounted on the frame (1) so that they have a common pivot axis that extends in a transverse direction and is spaced from said beam, said beam (16) being rotatably supported at the ends of said levers with at least one lever located at an intermediate region in the length of the beam, and actuator means (21) being connected between the frame (1) and each lever (20).

Abstract: A mower conditioner having a conditioning rotor (22) which is supported at its ends in bearing units (51) that are secured to side support walls (24) by releasable fastening means (56) including a pair of coaxial fasteners defining an axis (68), parallel to that of the rotor axis (23), about which the bearing units (51) and rotor (22) can swing downwards until the rotor (22) contacts the ground, thereby facilitating removal and re-attachment of the conditioning rotor (22). The rotor axis and axis of the fasteners may lie in a plane that is inclined upwards and rearwards from the ground. The rotor (22) may be driven at one end by a spindle (81) that is axially disengageable from the rotor. The spindle (81) may be driven by a chain drive mechanism (71, 76) including an intermediate double ring sprocket (73) that is reversible on its shaft (86) to allow two drive ratios to be selected.

Abstract: An agricultural mower having a crop cutting rotor that is rotatable about an upright axis and cuts a strip of crop along a cut edge of the crop so as to emerge laterally from said cut edge, and a crop guide that is located adjacent the periphery of the rotor where it emerges from said cut edge of the crop so as to support the crop upright at said edge while it is cut. The guide thereby avoids leaving any uncut lines of crop caused by the rotor pushing crop aside at a cut edge in the crop where it is unsupported by adjacent standing crop. The invention is particularly applicable to a mower with two or more cutting rotors that are rotatable in the same sense about respective upright axes alongside one another with one rotor offset rearwards relative to the other so as to cut crop adjacent a cut edge left by said other rotor, the crop guide being located adjacent the periphery of said one rotor to support the crop along said edge.

Abstract: A tramlining device is provided for a seed drill having shutters associated with respective seed spouts and controlled by individual fluid pressure operated actuators for improved flexibility in selecting the tramline spacing. The actuators are preferably such that when pressurized they close the shutters to produce tramlines. Fluid pressure is tapped from the rams that force the coulters into work. Preferably, a control valve in the fluid supply line comprises a valve member that is urged closed by the supply pressure but is opened by a plunger controlled by a bout register. Preferably, a solenoid operated plunger is provided to override operation of the bout register.

Abstract: A seed drill has a frame, a transverse hopper and a series of triple disc coulters mounted on the frame below the hopper. The coulters are each mounted on the frame by a parallelogram linkage which maintains the proper relative positions of the front and rear discs of the coulters at different penetration depths and permits the maximum transport height of the coulters.

Abstract: A semi-mounted or trailed agricultural mower has vertical axis crop-cutting rotors and a rigid rectangular open frame mounted above the rotors to support the rotors. The frame has at one end a ground-engageable support wheel secured to a rear beam of the frame and at the other end a headstock secured to a front beam of the frame. At least one of the rotors is trailed from the front beam on a linkage permitting the rotor to rise and fall relative to the frame.

Abstract: Seed drill has a row of coulters which are raised and lowered by a beam extending along and above the row of coulters and connected to the coulters by spring assemblies. The beam is raised and lowered relative to the frame of the drill by two rams to actuate the coulters. The mounting of the beam comprises an articulated joint, such as a ball joint, which permits the ends of the beam to rise and fall independently of each other relative to the frame thereby permitting improved contour following by the coulters and avoiding excessive loads on the beam in the event of failure of one of the rams.

Abstract: Seed drill has a row of coulters which are raised and lowered by a beam positioned above the coulters and connected to the coulters by spring assemblies. The beam is journalled for pivotal movement about its longitudinal axis and the spring assemblies are connected to the beam so that some exert reaction forces on the beam having clockwise moments about the beam's pivot axis, and others anticlockwise moments, whereby changes in loading of the coulters can be distributed between the coulters by angular movement of the beam about its pivot axis.

Abstract: A spreader for fertilizer or similar material has a metering mechanism for said material to vary the rate of spreading. The metering mechanism has two metering members in face-to-face contact defining a metering opening. A hydraulic ram moves the metering members so as to open and close the opening. An adjustable stop within the ram allows the ram's stroke to be changed. This changes the extent to which the ram can open the opening so that the ram can be supplied with fluid under sufficient pressure to overcome possible corrosion between the metering members.

Abstract: Spreader for farmyard manure has a moving wall to push manure to a discharge rotor. The wall is moved by a hydraulic ram located at the side of the spreader. The ram is coupled to the wall by chains trained round pocket wheels or sprockets.

Abstract: A spreader for liquid or solid farmyard manure. The spreader comprises a manure container, an unloading rotor and a manure pusher. The rotor is spaced above the level of the bottom of the container and discharges over the rear wall of the container. The pusher keeps the rotor immersed in manure to the correct depth. In this way both solid and liquid manure can be spread. The rear wall of the container slopes up to the rotor to guide solid manure to the rotor.