Abstract: A combine harvester having a cleaning system with at least one cleaner assembly for cleaning the harvested and a drive assembly connected to the cleaning system to drive the cleaning system, thereby driving the at least one cleaner assembly to perform a reciprocating cleaner movement. The drive assembly comprises a variable speed drive assembly with a rotary drive comprising a rotatable output shaft for driving the cleaning system, a transmission to connect the rotatable output shaft to the at least one cleaner assembly, the transmission configured to convert an angular movement of the rotatable output shaft to the reciprocating cleaner movement, and a control unit to control an angular velocity of the rotatable output shaft based on an input signal.

Abstract: A combine harvester having a sieve that is moveable by a sieve drive assembly to perform a reciprocating sieve movement having a sieving stroke and a sieve throwing angle, wherein the sieve drive assembly has: a rotary drive, having a rotatable output shaft, a transmission between the rotatable output shaft of the rotary drive and the sieve, which transmission comprises an eccentric device, at least one transmission element, a plurality of linkage pivots, a first non-adjustable transmission element which is pivotably connected to the eccentric device, wherein the first non-adjustable transmission element is further pivotably connected to the adjustable transmission element, which adjustable transmission element is further pivotably connected to the combine harvester chassis, and wherein the first non-adjustable transmission element is further pivotably connected to the sieve through at least one further non-adjustable transmission elements.

Abstract: A header for an agricultural vehicle. The header includes a header frame and an elongate sickle knife mounted along a leading edge of the header. The header further includes an actuator for reciprocally moving the elongate sickle knife in its longitudinal direction relative to the header frame between a first position and a second position over an intermediate position. At least one accumulator extends between the header frame and the elongate sickle knife to accumulate energy during a first movement of the elongate sickle knife from the intermediate position towards at least one of the first position and the second position, and to release accumulated energy during a second movement of the elongate sickle knife opposite to the first movement.

Abstract: A corn ear harvester which comprises two deck plates and two gathering chain devices. The gathering chain devices each comprise an endless chain which forms a chain loop which comprises a straight operational part; a corn ear paddle and paddle connector which connects the corn ear paddle to the chain. The device further comprises a corn stalk channel having a deck plate channel section extends between the deck plates and a gathering chain channel section between the gathering chain devices. The deck plate channel section is too narrow for a corn ear to pass through. The corn ear paddles are arranged adjacent to a deck plate on the side of the ear blocking surface of said first deck plate and the endless chains of the gathering chain devices are arranged adjacent to the deck plates on the opposite side.

Abstract: A sieve for a combine harvester that is moveable by a sieve drive assembly to perform a reciprocating sieve movement having a sieving stroke and a sieve throwing angle, wherein the sieve drive assembly has a rotary drive, having a rotatable output shaft, a transmission between the rotatable output shaft of the rotary drive and the sieve, an eccentric device, at least one transmission element, and a plurality of linkage pivots, wherein the eccentric device is an adjustable eccentric device in which the eccentricity is adjustable in order to adjust at least one of the sieving stroke and sieve throwing angle, the eccentric device comprising an input shaft, a flange, a gear, an output shaft, an annular gear, and an adjustment gear.

Abstract: A corn header includes a plurality of harvesting units to separate corn ears from corn stalks. Each harvesting unit has a deck plate assembly, and an actuator assembly to adjust a width of a stalk receiving channel by adjusting a position of at least a deck plate of the deck plate assembly. A kernel sensor can generate a signal representative of the presence of kernels detached from the ears during the separation of the corn ears from the corn stalks by the harvesting units and a control unit to receive the signal from the kernel sensor and generate an actuator control signal for controlling the actuator assemblies of the plurality of harvesting units, thereby controlling the width of the stalk receiving channels of the harvesting units.

Abstract: A sieve for a combine harvester that is moveable by a sieve drive assembly to perform a reciprocating sieve movement having a sieving stroke and a sieve throwing angle, wherein the sieve drive assembly has a rotary drive, having a rotatable output shaft, a transmission between the rotatable output shaft of the rotary drive and the sieve, an eccentric device, at least one transmission element, and a plurality of linkage pivots, wherein the eccentric device is an adjustable eccentric device in which the eccentricity is adjustable in order to adjust at least one of the sieving stroke and sieve throwing angle, the eccentric device comprising an input shaft, a flange, a gear, an output shaft, an annular gear, and an adjustment gear.

Abstract: A combine harvester has a driving shoe arrangement. The driving shoe includes a preparation pan and one or more sieves, coupled to a drive mechanism for driving a reciprocating movement of the pan and sieves. The stroke of the reciprocating movement of the pan and/or sieves is adjustable, through the application of a drive mechanism including one or more pivotably mounted support arms for supporting the pan or sieve, and a drive arm connected to one of said support arms through an adjustable connection means. The adjustable connection means can be a variable length actuator whose length determines the stroke of the pan or sieve. The stroke of said pan or sieve can be adjusted during a harvesting run, thereby allowing a fast adjustment to changing external conditions such as the slope of the terrain.

Abstract: An adjustable gathering chain assembly for a header of an agricultural harvester is disclosed as is a header including such an assembly and methods for adjusting the length of the gathering chain assembly. The assembly includes a drive unit, a driven unit spaced from and movable with respect to the drive unit and an endless gathering chain extending between the drive unit and the driven unit. An adjustment unit including an idler member in engagement with the gathering chain is operable to move the idler member with respect to the drive unit in order to move the driven unit between first and second positions relative to the drive unit whereby the header may effectively harvest both standing crop and downed or lodged crop depending on harvesting conditions.

Abstract: A combine harvester having a sieve that is moveable by a sieve drive assembly to perform a reciprocating sieve movement having a sieving stroke and a sieve throwing angle, wherein the sieve drive assembly has: a rotary drive, having a rotatable output shaft, a transmission between the rotatable output shaft of the rotary drive and the sieve, which transmission comprises an eccentric device, at least one transmission element, a plurality of linkage pivots, a first non-adjustable transmission element which is pivotably connected to the eccentric device, wherein the first non-adjustable transmission element is further pivotably connected to the adjustable transmission element, which adjustable transmission element is further pivotably connected to the combine harvester chassis, and wherein the first non-adjustable transmission element is further pivotably connected to the sieve through at least one further non-adjustable transmission elements.

Abstract: System and method of determining the load on an element of the drive system of a plunger of an agricultural baler, and to use thereof for controlling such balers. A value representative of an estimate of the load on an element of the drive system of the plunger is determined, based on combining an obtained value representative of the load on the plunger with obtained position information of the drive element relative to the plunger.

Abstract: System and method of determining the load on an element of the drive system of a plunger of an agricultural baler, and to use thereof for controlling such balers. A value representative of an estimate of the load on an element of the drive system of the plunger is determined, based on combining an obtained value representative of the load on the plunger with obtained position information of the drive element relative to the plunger.