Abstract: A baler has winding elements for forming a bale of crop. A formed bale is bound with binding material such as twine or wire from a binding mechanism. When a bale is fully formed, a cable is pulled by the operator of the tractor towing the baler which actuates the binding mechanism and simultaneously operates a change-speed gear to increase the speed of the winding elements. The bale thus rotates faster during binding than it does while it is being formed. This reduces time required for binding. When the bale has been bound, it is discharged through a door which pivots upwards for this purpose. Pivoting of the door pulls a further cable which returns the change-speed gear to the lower speed position and actuates the binding mechanism so that the next bale can be formed. The bale chamber is substantially cylindrical with rotable elements around the interior of its curved sides.

Abstract: A tractor has a PTO shaft disposed at one side and generally centrally so that it can be connected to an input shaft of an implement extending laterally from the tractor's rear lifting device. The PTO shaft is housed to be movable laterally towards or away from the remainder of the tractor. The tractor's engine is between its front and rear wheels and its drive shaft is transverse to the tractor's longitudinal centerline. The width of the engine is less than the width from outboard side to outboard side of the tractor's front wheels. The fuel tank is offset on one side of the tractor opposite the aforesaid PTO. The front wheels of the tractor are situated within the tracks of the rear wheels so that the front and rear wheel tracks do not overlap and are about equal distances apart. All wheels are driven by individual hydraulic motors. Two further PTO shafts extend to the tractor's three-point lifting device and the other to one side thereof.

Abstract: A computer which is portable and transportable by a person and which can be used on a table has a universally movable computer input device such as a spherically shaped input member surrounded by sensors which is attached to the computer housing to enable use of the computer/input device combination in further operating conditions such as may occur in association with a vehicle. One or more sensors suitable for mounting on the vehicle and providing operating data involving the vehicle can be connected with computer inputs for continually computing and displaying results of the vehicle's operations during such operations and in the vehicle.

Abstract: A mowing machine comprises cutting members which are rotatable about upwardly extending axes and drivable via a change-speed mechanism which enables their speed of rotation to be adjusted, for example to suit the characteristics of the crop being mown. The machine also has crushing member driven via a mechanism having replaceable gears for adjusting speed, said crushing member mounted behind the cutting members to rotate about a horizontal axis and having an adjustable head.

Abstract: A baler comprises two winding spaces disposed side-by-side. In use, a pick-up device picks up crop from a swath and feeds it to one of the spaces. A pivotable wall portion comprising powered rollers initiates winding of a bale and pivots upwardly about an axis as the bale grows. Other powered rollers surrounding the winding space assist in the formation of the bale. When the bale is complete it is bound with twine, a door is raised by a ram and the bale is discharged. As soon as winding of a bale in one of the spaces is complete, the pick-up device in whole or part is moved relatively laterally with respect to the winding spaces so that crop is then fed to the other winding space while the completed bale is bound and discharged.

Abstract: A tractor for agricultural purposes, particularly for seedbed preparation, which comprises an engine of thirty or more kilowatts' power which turns gears in a steel metal gear box as supported together with the engine box a frame primarily of tubular or hollow beams, the frame having two frame parts which are movable relative to each other about the frame's longitudinal axis. The tractor has eight wheels which support the frame, four on each side. Each frame part has an axle which mounts on each side on common wheel supports two tandem wheels with pneumatic tires mounted thereon. Each wheel is driven directly by its own hydraulic motor controlled from a cabin mounted on the frame. Two trestles, which also function as ballasts, are adapted to be connected to the tractor's three-point lifting device, each trestle having fastening devices adapted for the lifting device on one hand and further hooks adapted for receiving agricultural implements on the other.

Abstract: A soil cultivating machine comprises a cultivating member having discs and a tined roller, both of which are power-driven. Holes are provided in the discs and the periphery of each disc is divided into plate tine members by recesses. Tines extending from the tined roller extend between adjacent discs. In operation, the discs cut the soil into strips, and these strips are then engaged by tines of the tined roller. Further equipment, such as a seed drill, cultivator, or roller or a combination of these may be hitched to the machine.

Abstract: Instead of being bound by being wrapped with twine, wire or plastics sheeting, relatively large bales of crop formed by winding are made cohesive by pressing a pushing or penetrating member into the bales as the outer layers are formed. The pushing member forces stalks from each layer of crop into inner layers, to achieve a plaited or braided effect that keeps the bale intact.In another embodiment U-shaped binding elements are shot into the bale for holding the bale together after it has been formed.

Abstract: A tractor has a hydraulically driven PTO shaft disposed at one side and generally centrally so that it can be connected to an input shaft of an implement extending laterally from the tractor's rear lifting device. The tractor's engine is between its wheels and its drive shaft is transverse to the tractor's longitudinal centerline. The width of the engine is less than the width from outboard side to outboard side of the tractor's front wheels. The fuel tank is offset on one side of the tractor opposite the aforesaid PTO. The front wheels of the tractor are situated within the tracks of the rear wheels so that the tracks do not overlap and are about equal distances apart. All wheels are driven by individual hydraulic motors. Hydraulic motors also drive the aforesaid PTO shaft and two further PTO shafts which extend to the tractor's rear, one centered with respect to the tractor's three-point lifting device and the other to one side thereof.

Abstract: A machine, such as a seed drill, has a conveying member for seeds or the like defining a path along which seed or other material is conveyed in discrete units during normal operations. The machine has an indication arrangement including a distance measuring instrument comprising a proximity sensor adjacent the conveying member for monitoring the pressure of material as it is moved along the path defined by the conveying member. A display panel connected to the distance measuring instrument renders occurrences comprising the movement or lack of movement of the material as sensed by the distance measuring instrument sensorially perceptible.

Abstract: A vehicle such as an agricultural tractor comprises drivable ground wheels, each front wheel steerable about its king pin's axis. A drive shaft assembly in each king pin comprises two parts axially relatively displaceable so that loads supported by the wheel are transmitted not through the drive shaft assembly but through its housing. The housing is supported on a thrust bearing for steering movement. The thrust bearing has a greater diameter than bearings which support the shaft assembly and comprises a disc surrounded, above and below, by two flat rings, one of which is a two-part ring. In one embodiment, bevel gears under the wheel shaft turn the wheel shaft and the king pin is inclined to the underlying surface and largely contained within the wheel's rim. In the other embodiment the king pin is substantially vertical and received between a pair of wheels, an axle for such wheel pair driven by meshed bevel gears, one on the axle and the other above the axle.

Abstract: Distribution members of a spreading device are disposed closely adjacent to each other. The distance between the points of closest approach of the distribution members being about two centimeters with the outside diameter of each distribution member being about thirty-five centimeters. Flow of material to each distribution member of the spreading device is controlled by a delivery member which comprises dosing plates that are independently displaceable relatively to each other and to the bottom of the device's hopper. The dosing plates and the hopper's bottom have openings which cooperate with one another in an adjustable manner which makes it possible to adjust independently the position of the delivery of material to the distribution member both in radial and circumferential directions, and to adjust the size of the openings.

Abstract: A tractor comprising driven front and rear wheels, and a front and rear lifting device. The front wheels are in sets of two wheels mounted on king pins so as to be steerable through an angle of one hundred, twenty-five degrees or more. A divided track rod is connected to the king pins for steering purposes. The track rod has two parts, each centrally pivotally connected to a centrally pivoted lever and outwardly pivoted by a lever to a corresponding king pin. The latter levers extend forward and the track rods are pivoted to the central lever at a location to the rear of a plane containing the king pins. Shafts connected to the tractor's engine for turning the forward wheels extend through the king pins. The king pins are inclined upwardly to the rear and can turn each front set of wheels transverse to the straight-ahead direction of travel sufficiently to permit removal of the then foremost wheel.

Abstract: The tractor has four front wheels and four rear wheels. The wheels are arranged so that they all run in different tracks during the tractor's straight-ahead travel. The wheels are provided with low-pressure, low-profile tires. The front wheels are drivable by the tractor's engine and steerable about king pins mounted from the change-speed gear box. They can be turned in an arc of 150.degree.. The rear wheels are undriven and rotate by ground contact. The tractor is relatively light (about 3500 kilograms or less) and the design minimizes soil compaction. The engine is mounted under the cabin at one side between the front and rear wheels with the change-speed gear box located centrally and primarily above the front wheels. The fuel tank is under the cabin disposed opposite the tractor's longitudinal centerline from the engine. Lifting devices extend to the rear between the central rear wheels and forward of the forward central wheels. Two PTO's are provided both forward and the rear.

Abstract: A motor vehicle, preferably with a fuel injection engine, has a coupling, such as a multi-point hitch, connectable to an attachment. One or more of the hitch's arms are pivotable about a connection to the vehicle, and when the attachment is pushed, pulled or raised, the force resulting therefrom causes a rod associated with a variable speed torque converter to be displaced. The converter is a hydraulic pump-motor combination with swash plates pivotable to change the motor's output responsive to the rod's movement. The arrangement automatically slows or increases drive from the converter to the driven wheels when the attachment load changes. The control includes a valve in a hydraulic circuit actuated by the rod or other component. A sun-planet gear system is driven via the hydraulic motor to change the output to the vehicle's wheels while maintaining a constant engine speed. A brake on an annular drive member is operated manually to vary the converter's effect.

Abstract: A tractor comprises a lifting device and two driven front sets of wheels which are power driven and steerable about a common axis. Each front set of wheels has two side-by-side front wheels driven by a kingpin which extends between them. Front of the front wheels is a lifting device comprising three coupling points which are movable together up and down along a straight guide. Such guide is pivotable about a horizontal axis.

Abstract: An endless tract for a tractor having steerable forward wheels and rear twin wheels on each side in tandem, the endless track received by each pair of rear twin wheels. The track has a plurality of embedded bars or strips, each of which is formed with inwardly directed projections, has the shape of an inverted blunted V and is arranged to be received between the pneumatic tires of the twin wheels. Connected on the outside of the endless belts to the interior bars by bolts are transverse ridges extending across the belt and being profiled so as to be inclined downwardly and forwardly relative to the ground whereby the ridges in operation exert traction in the ground in a downwardly inclined direction, the ridges being made of rubber-like material or steel or both and the inclination of the ridges between 20.degree. and 45.degree. relative to the overlying belt and the ground's surface.

Abstract: A soil cultivating implement comprises a hollow portion which rotatably supports a row of substantially vertical shafts, each shaft carrying a corresponding soil working member at its lower end. Each soil working member comprises a tine holder having two laterally extending limbs which are both curved rearwardly with respect to the intended direction of operative rotation thereof and define shallow U-shaped channels, the outer end of each limb being integrally provided with a corresponding tine carrying sleeve in which is snuggly and slidably received a relatively rigid tine composed of spring-type steel.

Abstract: An agricultural tractor having six wheels which are each hydraulically drivable by individual hydraulic motors through hydraulic fluid supplied by respective hydraulic pumps. With each pump driving only one wheel, skidding of a wheel does not affect drive to other wheels. The pumps are all driven by a single engine. Selectively operable automatic control means control the speed of the wheels when, for example, the tractor is turning. Control means are also responsive to the drag resistance of an implement hitched to the tractor's lifting members and cause such lifting members to raise when the implement's resistance exceeds a predetermined limit. In addition, speed of the vehicle is automatically reduced by reason of such resistance and, further, the position of the implement relative to the ground may be adjusted to offset at the location of the implement upward and downward movement of tandem wheel pairs at the rear of the tractor.

Abstract: A plow has coupling members at its forward side for connection to a multi-point hitch of a tractor. Furrow slicing members at the front form furrow slices which are elevated to furrow turning drums during operation. The furrow slices are turned about their longitudinal axes and deposited to the rear by the rotating drums. The drums are mounted on rollers and driven to rotate about upwardly and forwardly extending axes at preselected speeds. Projections within the drums turn the furrow slices which can be inverted and deposited to the rear.