Abstract: A crop header has generally horizontal flail disks mounted for driven rotation about generally upright axes. A pair of conditioner rolls is mounted in a discharge opening. A crop converging system includes two over-shot auger elements defined by a common auger shaft with an auger flight carried thereon arranged generally longitudinal of the cutter bar so as to carry the cut crop longitudinally of the cutter bar to the entrance opening. Each auger element is arranged with a forwardmost tangent to the auger flight located behind the axes of the rotary disks and with an outer end thereof spaced outwardly of the respective end of the entrance mouth. The common auger shaft is driven by a common rotary drive with the bottom roll of the conditioner rolls. The augers terminate inwardly of the outer end of the cutter bar to locate the drive inboard of the end plates.

Abstract: A crop header has generally horizontal flail disks mounted for driven rotation about generally upright axes. A pair of conditioner rolls is mounted in a discharge opening. A crop converging system includes two over-shot auger elements defined by a common auger shaft with an auger flight carried thereon arranged generally longitudinal of the cutter bar so as to carry the cut crop longitudinally of the cutter bar to the entrance opening. Each auger element is arranged with a forwardmost tangent to the auger flight located behind the axes of the rotary disks and with an outer end thereof spaced outwardly of the respective end of the entrance mouth. The common auger shaft is driven by a common rotary drive with the bottom roll of the conditioner rolls. The augers terminate inwardly of the outer end of the cutter bar to locate the drive inboard of the end plates.

Abstract: A crop header has generally horizontal flail disks mounted for driven rotation about generally upright axes. A pair of conditioner rolls is mounted in a discharge opening. A crop converging system includes two over-shot auger elements defined by a common auger shaft with an auger flight carried thereon arranged generally longitudinal of the cutter bar so as to carry the cut crop longitudinally of the cutter bar to the entrance opening. Each auger element is arranged with a forwardmost tangent to the auger flight located behind the axes of the rotary disks and with an outer end thereof spaced outwardly of the respective end of the entrance mouth. The common auger shaft is driven by a common rotary drive with the bottom roll of the conditioner rolls. The augers terminate inwardly of the outer end of the cutter bar to locate the drive inboard of the end plates.

Abstract: A crop header has generally horizontal flail disks mounted for driven rotation about generally upright axes. A pair of conditioner rolls is mounted in a discharge opening. A crop converging system includes two over-shot auger elements defined by a common auger shaft with an auger flight carried thereon arranged generally longitudinal of the cutter bar so as to carry the cut crop longitudinally of the cutter bar to the entrance opening. Each auger element is arranged with a forwardmost tangent to the auger flight located behind the axes of the rotary disks and with an outer end thereof spaced outwardly of the respective end of the entrance mouth. The common auger shaft is driven by a common rotary drive with the bottom roll of the conditioner rolls. The augers terminate inwardly of the outer end of the cutter bar to locate the drive inboard of the end plates.

Abstract: A crop header has generally horizontal flail disks mounted for driven rotation about generally upright axes. A pair of conditioner rolls is mounted in a discharge opening. A crop converging system includes two over-shot auger elements defined by a common auger shaft with an auger flight carried thereon arranged generally longitudinal of the cutter bar so as to carry the cut crop longitudinally of the cutter bar to the entrance opening. Each auger element is arranged with a forwardmost tangent to the auger flight located behind the axes of the rotary disks and with an outer end thereof spaced outwardly of the respective end of the entrance mouth. The common auger shaft is driven by a common rotary drive with the bottom roll of the conditioner rolls. The augers terminate inwardly of the outer end of the cutter bar to locate the drive inboard of the end plates.

Abstract: A crop header has generally horizontal flail disks mounted for driven rotation about generally upright axes. A pair of conditioner rolls is mounted in a discharge opening. A crop converging system includes two over-shot auger elements defined by a common auger shaft with an auger flight carried thereon arranged generally longitudinal of the cutter bar so as to carry the cut crop longitudinally of the cutter bar to the entrance opening. Each auger element is arranged with a forwardmost tangent to the auger flight located behind the axes of the rotary disks and with an outer end thereof spaced outwardly of the respective end of the entrance mouth. The common auger shaft is driven by a common rotary drive with the bottom roll of the conditioner rolls. The augers terminate inwardly of the outer end of the cutter bar to locate the drive inboard of the end plates.

Abstract: A tractor has hydraulically driven wheels at a cab end and castor wheels at an engine end. It can be driven cab forward in a working mode with a header on the forward end. It is rotated to engine forward in the transport position for more stable higher speed travel. The driven wheels are driven by hydraulic motors each having their own drive pump the output of which is controlled by a cam plate. There is provided an automatic steering system having a guidance controller arranged to receive GPS position information and feed back signals and to generate output for controlling a hydraulic control valve for controlling flow in hydraulic fluid for a double acting hydraulic control cylinder arranged to actuate pivotal movement of the steering link member independently of the steering shaft.

Abstract: A pull-type crop harvesting machine has a header carried on a frame mounted on ground wheels with a hitch arm extending from the frame over the header to a hitch coupling of a tractor. The hitch arm is mounted for pivotal movement about a generally upright axis such that in a first position the tractor tows the frame in echelon to one side and in a second position the tractor tows the frame in echelon. The movement is actuated by a hydraulic cylinder and stopped at one end of the movement by the piston with a rod coupling being adjustably mounted on the rod to adjust the end position. At the other end of the movement, the position is defined by a stop member mounted on the piston rod and adjustable relative thereto. Each end of the cylinder includes a cushion effect by using separate orifices for the fluid ports which slow fluid flow as the piston approaches the ends of the cylinder.

Abstract: A tractor has hydraulically driven wheels at a cab end and castor wheels at an engine end. It can be driven cab forward in a working mode with a header on the forward end. It is rotated to engine forward in the transport position for more stable higher speed travel. The driven wheels are driven by hydraulic motors each having their own drive pump the output of which is controlled by a cam plate. There is provided an automatic steering system having a guidance controller arranged to receive GPS position information and feed back signals and to generate output for controlling a hydraulic control valve for controlling flow in hydraulic fluid for a double acting hydraulic control cylinder arranged to actuate pivotal movement of the steering link member independently of the steering shaft.

Abstract: The center sickle overlap arrangement of a sickle type mower for a cutter bar that include a pair of sickles for reciprocating motion where each sickle is essentially half the length of the cutter bar for reduced forces and vibrations for high speed cutting. In the center, the sickle blades overlap at only guard and the blade of one sickle is inverted and co-operates with a top ledger surface of the associated guard so that both the blades are in proper shearing arrangement with the respective guard ledgers. Further the top ledger surface is adjustable to allow clearance adjustment to ensure tight clearance between all sickle cutting surfaces and guard ledgers. Further the arrangement ensures that all crop is cut between sickle sections and guard ledgers rather than between a pair of sections on the opposing sickles.

Abstract: A forage conditioner for conditioning cut crop material from a forage harvester includes a fixed bottom fluted roller carried in end housings and a top fluted roller which is pivotally mounted on the housings by a linkage pivotal relative to the housing about an axis lying in a plane at right angles to the roller axes so that the top roller is liftable from crushing position against the bias of a spring extending along the top roller. Flutes on the rollers are arranged with a first surface on one side which extends substantially radially outwardly to an apex and a second surface which has a first portion parallel to a tangent of the roller and a second portion inclined inwardly to the roller surface at an angle significantly less than 90 degrees. The bottom roller is arranged with the first surfaces leading to carry the crop into the area between the rollers and the top roller is arranged with the first surface trailing.

Abstract: The center sickle overlap arrangement of a sickle type mower for a cutter bar that include a pair of sickles for reciprocating motion where each sickle is essentially half the length of the cutter bar for reduced forces and vibrations for high speed cutting. In the center, the sickle blades overlap at only guard and the blade of one sickle is inverted and co-operates with a top ledger surface of the associated guard so that both the blades are in proper shearing arrangement with the respective guard ledgers. Further the top ledger surface is adjustable to allow clearance adjustment to ensure tight clearance between all sickle cutting surfaces and guard ledgers. Further the arrangement ensures that all crop is cut between sickle sections and guard ledgers rather than between a pair of sections on the opposing sickles.

Abstract: A forage conditioner for conditioning cut crop material from a forage harvester includes a fixed bottom fluted roller carried in end housings and a top fluted roller which is pivotally mounted on the housings by a linkage pivotal relative to the housing about an axis lying in a plane at right angles to the roller axes so that the top roller is liftable from crushing position against the bias of a spring extending along the top roller. Rotation of the bottom roller is transferred to the top roller through a gear train which includes two idler gears each mounted on a respective arm with the arms constrained to move symmetrically relative to the rollers by intermeshing teeth on the arms so as to control the angular timing of the rollers to ensure accurate intermeshing of the flutes.

Abstract: A windrow is formed by discharging the crop rearwardly from a crop conditioner, engaging a center part of the web with a center deflector panel which is adjustable in width so as to direct that portion of the web, selected to match the intended width of the windrow, in contact with the center deflector panel downwardly toward the ground leaving two side portions which are not deflected and thus move to a height above the center portion, and engaging each of the side portions with a side deflector panel so that the side portion is redirected from a position at one side of the center portion and above the center portion to a position on top of the center portion.

Abstract: A windrow is formed by discharging the crop rearwardly from a crop conditioner, engaging a center part of the web with a center deflector panel which is adjustable in width so as to direct that portion of the web, selected to match the intended width of the windrow, in contact with the center deflector panel downwardly toward the ground leaving two side portions which are not deflected and thus move to a height above the center portion, and engaging each of the side portions with a side deflector panel so that the side portion is redirected from a position at one side of the center portion and above the center portion to a position on top of the center portion.

Abstract: A crop harvesting machine includes a crop harvesting header mounted on a transport vehicle for carrying the header across the ground with at least one upper connecting link extending from the vehicle frame to an upper frame member and two support arms each extending from a front end at the header to a rear end pivotally mounted on the vehicle frame and arranged at a height below the upper link. Each support arm has a respective float spring connected thereto at a pivot thereon forwardly of the rear end and extending therefrom to the vehicle frame for applying a lifting force on the support arm. Each support arm has a pivot connection at the rear end defined by a pivotal link connected at a forward end to the frame by a resilient bushing and at a rear end by a similar bushing to the rear end of the support arm.

Abstract: A crop harvesting header includes a cutter bar arranged across a forward edge of a header frame structure, a draper or auger transport arrangement for transporting the cut crop for further processing, and a reel mounted on reel arms for controlling movement of the crop in the area over the cutter bar with the reel having a plurality of reel bats at spaced positions around the reel axis each reel bat having reel fingers projecting generally radially outwardly from the reel axis, the reel bats all lying on a common bat circle around the reel axis so that rotation of the reel causes the reel bats to follow a path of movement lying on the bat circle. A non-circular stationary cam track surrounds the reel axis within the bat circle so that the end most fingers of the bats are located in line with the cam and immediately adjacent-the end sheet.

Abstract: A crop harvesting header includes a cutter bar arranged across a forward edge of a header frame structure, a draper or auger transport arrangement for transporting the cut crop for further processing, and a reel mounted on reel arms for controlling movement of the crop in the area over the cutter bar with the reel having a plurality of reel bats at spaced positions around the reel axis each reel bat having reel fingers projecting generally radially outwardly from the reel axis, the reel bats all lying on a common bat circle around the reel axis so that rotation of the reel causes the reel bats to follow a path of movement lying on the bat circle. A non-circular stationary cam track surrounds the reel axis within the bat circle so that the end most fingers of the bats are located in line with the cam and immediately adjacent the end sheet.

Abstract: A crop harvesting header includes a cutter bar and a reel for controlling movement of the crop in the area over the cutter bar. The reel is rotatable about an axis generally parallel to the cutter bar and has a plurality of reel bats each having reel fingers projecting generally radially outwardly from the reel axis. The reel bats are pivotal each about a respective bat axis parallel to the reel axis so as to vary the angle of the fingers about the bat axis as the reel rotates. The reel co-operates with a cam carried on the header in generally stationary position so that each bat has a crank arm with a cam follower on the crank arm which follows the cam as the reel rotates and causes the required pivotal movement of the bat. The crank arm is arranged at an angle of the order of 135 degrees to the bat fingers so that the cam follower is angularly advanced in the cam relative to the bat axis.