Abstract: A harvesting apparatus for use with fragile row crops such as tobacco where the produce or leaves must be handled with great care to avoid breakage or bruising. The apparatus has a conveyor system and gathering chains which receive the tobacco from a cutter and engage the stalks and the leaves separately to convey the tobacco to a processing point. A specially designed dual conveyor system contacts the leaves on two sides to adequately support and transport the tobacco without damage.

Abstract: An adjustable height wagon capable of being manipulated between an orientation allowing maximum lift and an orientation allowing maximum height. The provision of a lift mechanism below an undercarriage of the wagon increases the stability of the wagon during lifting, and allows a material supporting bed to be drawn into contact with the undercarriage, thereby increasing the stability of both the material supporting bed and the wagon.

Abstract: A tobacco drying apparatus for holding stalks of tobacco in a drying barn, in which a stalk of tobacco may be inserted upwardly into the drying apparatus and is automatically held against undesired downward removal therefrom. The drying apparatus includes first and second substantially parallel support members and at least one friction lock assembly which is attached to the second support member. The friction lock assembly has a gate member which is pivotal about an axis that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second support member. The gate member further has a leading edge which extends toward the first support member, the leading edge of the gate member and the first support member which cooperate to receive a stalk of tobacco therebetween.

Abstract: A conveyor belt assembly is provided with automatic tension adjustment. The assembly includes a conveyor belt trained about a pair of pulleys. A drive means powers one of the pulleys, each of which are mounted upon slidably interconnected frame members. A hydraulic cylinder in fluid communication with the motor and connected at opposite ends to each frame member automatically extends the first frame member with respect to the second frame member so as to increase the tension upon the conveyor belt as the load upon the belt increases. As the load upon the belt decreases, the fluid pressure within the motor and hydraulic cylinder decreases such that the first frame member is retracted with respect to the second frame member, thereby decreasing the tension upon the conveyor belt.

Abstract: The cylindrical shaped helically wound storage bin is comprised of a roof unit and a side wall structure each of which is separately formed and assembled together in the field. The wall structure and the roof unit are each formed from a continuous metal ribbon member. The ribbon member of the roof unit is helically wound and continuously interlocked in a stepped dome shape with the interlocking connection of the adjacent sides of the metal ribbon constituting riser portions of the steps and a reinforcing member for the roof unit. The metal ribbon of the bin wall structure is helically wound and continuously interlocked along the adjacent sides thereof in a cylindrical shape with the interlocking connection forming a continuous rigid reinforcing rib that projects outwardly from and extends spirally about and over the full height of the side wall structure.

Abstract: An assembly for mounting the shank of a ground tool to a clamping plate carried on the tool bar of a soil tilling farm implement. The mounting assembly has a mounting member for attachment to the clamping plate, a first pivotal connection of the tool shank with the mounting member, and a variable pressure unit associated with the tool shank and the mounting member for applying a variably decreasing pressure on the ground tool during movement thereof from an operating position to an inoperative position. The pressure applied by the variable pressure unit, in a first moved position therefor, acts to initially hold the ground tool in the operating position, and in a second moved position being rendered ineffective to return the ground tool to the operating position.

Abstract: An assembly for mounting the shank of a ground tool to a clamping plate carried on the tool bar of a soil tilling farm implement. The mounting assembly has a mounting member attachable to the clamping plate, a link member pivotally connecting the mounting member and the tool shank, a yieldable pressure unit for applying pressure on the link member to oppose initial movement of the tool out of an operating position and releasable coacting latch members for normally maintaining the tool in a ground engaging operating position.

Abstract: A reversible mounting assembly for pivotally mounting a ground tool and a coulter disk from the tool bar of a soil tilling implement. The mounting assembly has a base plate that is reversibly attachable against the under surface of the tool bar in either of two positions, elongated frame members fixed to and extended longitudinally of the base plate such that in one base plate position, projected portions of the frame members are located to the front of the tool bar and in the other base plate position are located to the rear of the tool bar. A tool support member is pivotally connectible to the projected portions of the frame members and includes a first socket portion at one end to receive a shank member of the tool and a second socket portion at an opposite end to receive a shank section of the coulter disk. A yieldable pressure assembly acts on the tool support member to normally maintain the tool and the disk in operative positions therefor.

Abstract: A reversible mounting bracket for releasably securing a tool to the tool bar of a soil tilling farm implement so that the tool may be readily removed or replaced when desired. The mounting bracket has a base plate adapted to be rigidly attached to the underside of the tool bar by U-bolts. A pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extended upright tool support arms are fixed to the lower surface of the base plate so as to extend in a direction parallel to the direction of travel of the implement. Disposed along the lower portions of each pair of support arms is a tubular socket that is open at the forward and rear end thereof so that the shank portion of the tool may be inserted through either end for securement in the socket by a pin connection.