Abstract: An agricultural equipment air screen cleaning assembly having a frame having an airflow opening having a non-circular outer perimeter, a screen mounted to the frame within the airflow opening and extending to the non-circular outer perimeter, a motor, and a suction wand operatively connected to the motor and located on an upstream side of the screen. The suction wand is rotatably connected about a rotation axis at a central region of the screen, and includes: at least one distal end that is movable in a radial direction with respect to the rotation axis to follow the non-circular outer perimeter as the suction wand rotates about the rotation axis, one or more inlet openings facing the screen, and an internal suction flow path in fluid connection with the one or more inlet openings, the suction flow path extending from a manifold to the distal end of the suction wand.

Abstract: An agricultural equipment air screen cleaning assembly having a frame having an airflow opening having a non-circular outer perimeter, a screen mounted to the frame within the airflow opening and extending to the non-circular outer perimeter, a motor, and a suction wand operatively connected to the motor and located on an upstream side of the screen. The suction wand is rotatably connected about a rotation axis at a central region of the screen, and includes: at least one distal end that is movable in a radial direction with respect to the rotation axis to follow the non-circular outer perimeter as the suction wand rotates about the rotation axis, one or more inlet openings facing the screen, and an internal suction flow path in fluid connection with the one or more inlet openings, the suction flow path extending from a manifold to the distal end of the suction wand.

Abstract: A work vehicle including at least one implement lifting arm connected to an implement and a hydraulic implement circuit, the implement circuit having a pump and a fluid reservoir connected to conduits of the implement circuit. The implement circuit further includes at least one implement cylinder, the implement cylinder being connected to the conduits of the implement circuit so as to be powered by the pump; and a latch mechanism comprising a latch valve with integral sequence valve mechanism, wherein the latch valve is connected to receive fluid from the implement cylinder, and a latch cylinder is connected to receive fluid from the latch valve, wherein the latch mechanism operates to securely connect the implement at one end of the at least one lifting arm when the implement cylinder is in a first state and the latch valve is operated to direct fluid to the latch cylinder.

Abstract: A work vehicle including at least one implement lifting arm connected to an implement and a hydraulic implement circuit, the implement circuit having a pump and a fluid reservoir connected to conduits of the implement circuit. The implement circuit further includes at least one implement cylinder, the implement cylinder being connected to the conduits of the implement circuit so as to be powered by the pump; and a latch mechanism comprising a latch valve with integral sequence valve mechanism, wherein the latch valve is connected to receive fluid from the implement cylinder, and a latch cylinder is connected to receive fluid from the latch valve, wherein the latch mechanism operates to securely connect the implement at one end of the at least one lifting arm when the implement cylinder is in a first state and the latch valve is operated to direct fluid to the latch cylinder.

Abstract: A shredbar is used with a forage harvester cutterhead mainly for cracking kernels of corn. The problem of premature wear of the shredbar is avoided by providing a shredbar apparatus with a reversible surface for abrading crop material. The shredbar apparatus includes pivotal members to increase flexibility for quick installation and removal.

Abstract: A quick-adjusting jackstand apparatus is particularly useful on any harvesting attachments. An improved jackstand has a coarse adjustment and a fine adjustment. Coarse adjustment is accomplished by moving the jackstand from a first stored position to a second extended position. A secondary fine adjustment is accomplished by rotating an inner member which is housed in and threadedly engaged with an outer member. Such rotation results in extension of the inner member from the outer member. The threaded engagement of the members is protected from excessive clogging because such threaded engagement is within the outer member.

Abstract: Coupling operations between a motorized vehicle and an attachment may be complicated when, due to uneven terrain, it becomes difficult to properly align a coupling component of the vehicle with a mating coupling component of the attachment. An adjustable coupling apparatus is provided which includes a coupling arm pivotally mounted on a support. An end of the arm includes a receptacle and an associated latch. The coupling arm is pivotable for varying the position of the receptacle.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having a rotatable cutterhead and adjacently-positioned shearbar, an upper feed roll assembly is mounted above and forwardly of the shearbar. A lower feed assembly cooperates with the upper feed roll assembly to convey crop material to the cutterhead across the shearbar. A tensioning mechanism is coupled to mounting arms for the upper feed roll assembly. First and second positions of the tensioning mechanism provide for a first condition in which the upper feed roll assembly is biased toward a lower operative position adjacent the cutterhead and shearbar and a second condition in which the bias on the upper feed roll assembly is relaxed, permitting movement to an upper inoperative position generally remote from the cutterhead and shearbar to thereby expose and render the shearbar readily accessible for servicing. In the second condition the tensioning mechanism spring is fully compressed and used to directly transfer force used to lift the upper feed roll assembly.

Abstract: A multi-row crop header for a forage harvester having a plurality of forwardly extending dividers to provide crop passageways therebetween, the inner ends of said dividers being adjustably connected to a transverse frame member to vary the spacings between said passageways, and a rotatable feed assist roller mounted adjacent the inner end of the outermost divider to assist in guidng down crops picked up by said dividers to the inner ends of said passageways for discharge therefrom and prevent hairpinning of said down crops from jamming said header thereby.

Abstract: A crop harvesting header has a transversely extending crop consolidating component that detachably mounts either one of a plurality of interchangeable crop gathering components, such as a crop windrow-pickup or a row-crop. The lower front portion of the consolidating component is provided with a plurality of spaced apart truncated cone-shaped recessed structures which are respectively adapted to receive a corresponding number of truncated cone-shaped projecting structures mounted on the lower rear portion of the gathering component. The projecting structures are coupled within the recessed structures to detachably mount the crop gathering component forwardly of the crop consolidating component.

Abstract: A multi-row crop header for a harvesting machine has a plurality of fore-and-aft extending row crop units, each having an elongated passageway with a front inlet opening and a rear discharge opening. The row crop units are pivotally mounted such that they can be swung toward and away from one another so as to vary the lateral distance between the inlet openings of adjacent units to thereby accommodate crops planted in various width row spacings.

Abstract: A multi-row crop header for a forage harvester has a central rear discharge outlet, a transversely extending consolidating auger and a plurality of fore-and-aft extending crop dividers. The crop dividers define forward crop passageways and rear crop passageways extending from the forward crop passageways. At least some of the rear crop passageways are angled inwardly from front to rear, toward the longitudinal centerline of the header. Disposed within each of the rear crop passageways is a set of butt-gripping chains that grip the butt-ends of the stalks and convey the same rearwardly toward the central discharge outlet.

Abstract: A forage harvester row crop header having a mobile frame, at least one fore-and-aft extending row crop unit mounted on the frame and including an elongated passageway for receiving a row of crop as the header advances forwardly over a field of crop planted in spaced apart rows is provided with an improved severing mechanism for severing the crop within the passageway and which further insures the severance of grass-like materials within the crop row. The improved severing mechanism includes upper and lower rotary severing discs and a lower rotary guide disc. The upper and lower rotary severing discs are disposed on opposite sides of the elongated passageway and overlap within the passageway in defining a severing zone for severance of crop material. The lower rotary guide disc is mounted to and below the upper severing disc. Upon operation, the guide disc engages grass-like materials within the row crop and orients the same into the severing zone resulting in severance thereof.

Abstract: A forage harvester row crop header having fore-and-aft dividers defining elongated passageways therebetween is provided with a rotary member disposed within a pocket defined in a rear portion of one of the outboard dividers to assist in the feeding of crop along the passageway. The rotary member is capstan shaped having its axis of rotation inclined upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the top surface of the respective outboard divider. The lower surface of the rotary member forms a smooth transition with the top surface of the divider and thus, in profile, the divider and the rotary member are represented by a line which gradually slopes, from the forward end of the divider upwardly and rearwardly and therefrom smoothly contours upwardly and rearwardly a short distance and therefrom upwardly and forwardly, thereby providing a substantially uninterrupted surface for the flow of draped over crop along the divider and the rotary member.

Abstract: A forage blower having a frame with a wheel pivotally mounted on each side of the frame incorporates an improved adjustment mechanism for adjusting the blower unit in a plurality of vertical positions relative to the ground. The wheels are independently adjusted by the improved mechanism which includes an arcuate shaped downwardly facing bracket mounted on the frame and interconnected by a threaded rod to pivotal arm means which rotatably mounts the wheel. The lower end of the rod is threaded within a swivel nut which is rotatably mounted on the arm means. An engaging member, conforming to the arcuate shape of the bracket, is mounted on the rod below the bracket and positioned in mated relationship with the bracket such that the forces due to the weight of the blower unit are distributed over a large area thereby facilitating rotation of the screw threaded rod.

Abstract: A forage harvester having a rotatable cutter head co-acting with a shear bar is provided with means to rotate the cutter head stepwise for inspection of the knives of the cutter head without manually engaging the same. The means for advancing the cutter head also provide tension applied against the knives of the cutter head incident to the same being ground by a rotatable grinding wheel to re-bevel the surfaces of the knives adjacent the cutting edges thereof for purposes of producing effective operating engagement of said grinding wheel with said knives during such re-bevelling of the same.

Abstract: A multi-row crop header for a harvesting machine has a plurality of fore-and-aft extending row crop units, each having an elongated passageway with a front inlet opening and a rear discharge opening. The row crop units are pivotally mounted such that they can be swung toward and away from one another so as to vary the lateral distance between the inlet openings of adjacent units to thereby accommodate crops planted in various width row spacings.