Abstract: A seedbed preparation and planting machine includes a cutting assembly including powered forward cutting blades for chopping crop residue. A cutting disc assembly follows the cutting assembly effective for forming a seedbed trench at a seed planting depth. A seed assembly follows the cutting disc assembly including a seed hopper and a seed tube located to drop seed into the seedbed trench. A packer assembly tamps down seed in the seedbed trench for covering seed therein.

Abstract: A universal crop head assembly is carried at the front of and by a harvester. The new crop head assembly includes a frame assembly, an intermediate multi-crop reel assembly carried by the frame assembly and having selectively extendable and retractable fingers for small grain harvesting. A lower cutter bar assembly is carried by the frame assembly and for cutting grain stalks. An upper forward cutter bar assembly is carried by the frame assembly and supports an upper cutter bar for cutting corn stalks about an upper end, an adjustable air knife assembly for blowing against severed corn stalks upper ends; and a lower draper belt assembly carried by the frame assembly and for moving grain cut by the lower cutter bar assembly.

Abstract: A charge fan assembly is located behind the forward operator cab and draws air from about the top of the PPU and a portion of an airflow from the charge fan assembly is directed downwardly into the crossflow cleaning fan assembly. A pair of closely spaced-apart sheets create a venturi and speed up the charge fan airflow into the crossflow cleaning fan and impact the crossflow cleaning fan at an angle where the blades of the crossflow cleaning fan are widely open. The exhaust air from the crossflow cleaning fan is nearly the same across the entire lengthwise extent of the crossflow cleaning fan.

Abstract: A charge fan assembly is located behind the forward operator cab and draws air from about the top of the PPU and a portion of an airflow from the charge fan assembly is directed downwardly into the crossflow cleaning fan assembly. A pair of closely spaced-apart sheets create a venturi and speed up the charge fan airflow into the crossflow cleaning fan and impact the crossflow cleaning fan at an angle where the blades of the crossflow cleaning fan are widely open. The exhaust air from the crossflow cleaning fan is nearly the same across the entire lengthwise extent of the crossflow cleaning fan.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lifting assembly for a crop severing assembly forwardly carried by a tractor having a frame and front a frame and an axle assembly carrying front wheel assemblies. The crop severing assembly has a forward end and a rear end, and includes a pair of bracket assemblies located at the forward end and atop the crop severing assembly. A pair of lift cylinder assemblies each have a lower end and a top end. The lift cylinder lower ends are located at either side of the rear end of the crop severing assembly to bottom brackets extending from the tractor frame forward of the tractor axle assembly and are attached between each cylinder lower end and each cylinder top end to trunnions carried by the crop severing bracket assemblies for pivotally raising and lowering of the forward end of the crop severing assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lifting assembly for a crop severing assembly forwardly carried by a tractor having a frame and front a frame and an axle assembly carrying front wheel assemblies. The crop severing assembly has a forward end and a rear end, and includes a pair of bracket assemblies located at the forward end and atop the crop severing assembly. A pair of lift cylinder assemblies each have a lower end and a top end. The lift cylinder lower ends are located at either side of the rear end of the crop severing assembly to bottom brackets extending from the tractor frame forward of the tractor axle assembly and are attached between each cylinder lower end and each cylinder top end to trunnions carried by the crop severing bracket assemblies for pivotally raising and lowering of the forward end of the crop severing assembly.

Abstract: An improved feeder house assembly has a front end header adapter assembly formed from a front hook assembly for carrying a grainhead and a front header cradle assembly supporting the front hook assembly and including a pair of frame assemblies, each frame assembly having mated top domed surfaces. One of the frame assemblies is stationary and the other frame assembly has laterally tilting along the mated top domed surfaces along an arc of rotation by a pair of linear actuators located at either top side of the front end header adaptor and tangential to the arc of rotation.

Abstract: A grain harvesting articulated combine includes a forward crop processing power unit (PPU), a rear grain cart, and an articulation joint that connects the PPU with the rear grain cart. The articulation joint includes a grain auger assembly running from the PPU to the rear grain cart for transferring clean grain from the PPU to the rear grain cart and has a forward end at the PPU and a rear end adjacent to the rear grain cart. The grain auger assembly is housed within a tube with a rotating auger housed therein. A grain yield sensor is carried by the rear grain cart and is located adjacent and to and beside the grain auger assembly wherein the auger housed therewithin throws grain against the grain yield sensor. The auger is terminated by a rotating paddle assembly that throws the grain against the grain yield sensor.

Abstract: Straw chopper assemblies are provided for a harvesting combine of the type having a rotor and cage threshing assembly. The straw chopper assemblies are located on each side of the rotor discharge for accepting material exiting the rotor. Each straw chopper assembly is formed from a curvilinear cage having and interior opening to accept the rotor discharged material, and an opening to distribute chopper straw outside of the harvesting combine. A rotating knife assembly is housed within each curvilinear cage. A stationary knife assembly is movable for the rotating knives to pass between adjacent pairs of stationary knives. Outlets are provided in material communication with the curvilinear cage openings for discharging chopped straw onto the ground adjacent to the harvesting combine. Hoods are located over each of the outlets to directing the discharged chopped straw onto the ground.

Abstract: An improved grain unloader for unloading grain from a grain storage bin of a grain harvesting combine is terminated by a hood having a lower grain exiting opening terminating the unloader wherein the hood reversibly moves laterally outwardly for directing the trajectory of the grain flowing therefrom. The hood has a lower grain exiting opening terminating the unloader wherein the hood includes an upper stationary slanted wall and a lower extendable hood portion, wherein the upper stationary slanted wall directs the grain downwardly when the hood is retracted and downwardly, and outwardly when the hood is extended. A linear actuator is attached between the hood and the unloader. Drawer slides connect the unloader and the hood for movement of the hood.

Abstract: A grain harvesting articulated combine includes a forward crop processing power unit (PPU), a rear grain cart, and an articulation joint that connects the PPU with the rear grain cart. The articulation joint includes a grain auger assembly running from the PPU to the rear grain cart for transferring clean grain from the PPU to the rear grain cart and has a forward end at the PPU and a rear end adjacent to the rear grain cart. The grain auger assembly is housed within a tube with a rotating auger housed therein. A grain yield sensor is carried by the rear grain cart and is located adjacent and to and beside the grain auger assembly wherein the auger housed therewithin throws grain against the grain yield sensor. The auger is terminated by a rotating paddle assembly that throws the grain against the grain yield sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a harvesting combine having a cab for an operator, a wheel assembly adjacent to a stairs assembly having a top and a bottom, and an improved stairs assembly for accessing the cab by the operator. The improved stairs assembly in a deployed state is angled outwardly from the top of the stairs assembly. The stairs assembly is rotatably connected about its bottom to both raise the stairs assembly and move its bottom inwardly. The stairs assembly is movably connected by a track assembly about its top so as to permit the top of the stairs assembly to move inwardly and upwardly when the stairs assembly is raised from its deployed state. The stairs assembly may be angled outwardly from the top end of the stairs assembly to an angle from the vertical of greater than 15° and may be rigidly anchored at its lower end.

Abstract: Disclosed are straw chopper assemblies for a harvesting combine of the type having a rotor and cage threshing assembly. The straw chopper assemblies are located on each side of the rotor discharge for accepting material exiting the rotor. Each straw chopper assembly is formed from a curvilinear cage having and interior opening to accept the rotor discharged material, and an opening to distribute chopper straw outside of the harvesting combine. A rotating knife assembly is housed within each curvilinear cage. A stationary knife assembly is movable for the rotating knives to pass between adjacent pairs of stationary knives. Outlets are provided in material communication with the curvilinear cage openings for discharging chopped straw onto the ground adjacent to the harvesting combine. Hoods are located over each of the outlets to directing the discharged chopped straw onto the ground.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lifting assembly for a crop severing assembly forwardly carried by a tractor having a frame and front a frame and an axle assembly carrying front wheel assemblies. The crop severing assembly has a forward end and a rear end, and includes a pair of bracket assemblies located at the forward end and atop the crop severing assembly. A pair of lift cylinder assemblies each have a lower end and a top end. The lift cylinder lower ends are located at either side of the rear end of the crop severing assembly to bottom brackets extending from the tractor frame forward of the tractor axle assembly and are attached between each cylinder lower end and each cylinder top end to trunnions carried by the crop severing bracket assemblies for pivotally raising and lowering of the forward end of the crop severing assembly.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a header with an infeed assembly including a driving element configured to rotate; a hollow tube rotationally coupled to the driving element and having a plurality of openings formed therein; and at least one finger unit rotatably held within the hollow tube. Each finger unit includes: a finger hub having at least one pivoting aperture formed therein and at least one driving aperture formed therein; a pivoting finger pivotally held within the at least one pivoting aperture and configured to at least partially extend out of one of the openings of the hollow tube during rotation; and a driving finger fixedly held within the at least one driving aperture and configured to at least partially extend into one of the openings of the hollow tube to rotate the finger unit by the hollow tube.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a header with an infeed assembly including a driving element configured to rotate; a cylinder rotationally coupled to the driving element and having a plurality of openings formed therein; and a paddle assembly eccentrically positioned and rotationally held within the cylinder. Each paddle assembly includes a plurality of paddles variably positioned through the openings in the cylinder. Each paddle includes a laterally slidable wing that withdraws into the cylinder when the paddle retracts into the cylinder, and slides outwardly as the paddle extends form the cylinder.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a header with an infeed assembly including a driving element configured to rotate; a cylinder rotationally coupled to the driving element and having a plurality of openings formed therein; and a paddle assembly eccentrically positioned and rotationally held within the cylinder. Each paddle assembly includes a plurality of paddles variably positioned through the openings in the cylinder. Each paddle includes a laterally slidable wing that withdraws into the cylinder when the paddle retracts into the cylinder, and slides outwardly as the paddle extends form the cylinder.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a header with an infeed assembly including a driving element configured to rotate; a hollow tube rotationally coupled to the driving element and having a plurality of openings formed therein; and at least one finger unit rotatably held within the hollow tube. Each finger unit includes: a finger hub having at least one pivoting aperture formed therein and at least one driving aperture formed therein; a pivoting finger pivotally held within the at least one pivoting aperture and configured to at least partially extend out of one of the openings of the hollow tube during rotation; and a driving finger fixedly held within the at least one driving aperture and configured to at least partially extend into one of the openings of the hollow tube to rotate the finger unit by the hollow tube.