Abstract: A manure spreader includes a box for containing manure. The manure spreader box includes a bottom wall, a front wall, two side walls, and a manure discharge opening. The manure spreader also includes a wheeled frame supporting the box, and a vertical beater assembly for engaging and expelling manure. The vertical beater assembly includes a first vertical beater rotatable about a first axis and includes a shaft having a first flighting forming a left-handed helix, and a second flighting forming a right-handed helix. The manure spreader also includes a manure transfer mechanism for moving manure contained in the box to the manure discharge opening for engagement with the vertical beater assembly.

Abstract: A manure spreader includes a box for containing manure. The manure spreader box includes a bottom wall, a front wall, two side walls, and a manure discharge opening. The manure spreader also includes a wheeled frame supporting the box, and a vertical beater assembly for engaging and expelling manure. The vertical beater assembly includes a first vertical beater rotatable about a first axis and includes a shaft having a first flighting forming a left-handed helix, and a second flighting forming a right-handed helix. The manure spreader also includes a manure transfer mechanism for moving manure contained in the box to the manure discharge opening for engagement with the vertical beater assembly.

Abstract: A wheel rake including an adjustment mechanism for adjusting wheel beam angle for more aggressive or less aggressive raking action.

Abstract: A damping spring assembly particularly but not exclusively useful for damping the motion of rake wheels in agricultural wheel rakes. The damping spring includes a pair of extended U-bolts and a coil compression spring. The extended U-bolts are connected to spring holder bushings which bear on the ends of the coil compression spring. As the coil compression spring is compressed, a constrained resilient damping rod located within the extended shafts of the extended U-bolts is likewise compressed in length and expands in diameter to bear against the extended shafts of the extended U-bolts, thus providing a damping action to prevent snapping back of the damping spring.

Abstract: An anti-wrap guard system for shielding an exposed bearing assembly of an agricultural apparatus from any material borne by a rotatable shaft that in the course of operating the apparatus may naturally come in contact with the exposed bearing including a guard being disposable between a working section of the rotatable shaft and the bearing assembly supporting the shaft, the guard substantially blocking the material from the bearing. A windrow merger and a method of guarding are further included.

Abstract: A towable windrow merger including a pickup head for raising the crop material form the ground surface and a transverse conveyor assembly for laterally displacing the crop material. The transverse conveyor assembly includes an accelerator roller system, supported by the frame and at the outboard discharge end of the transverse conveyor assembly. The accelerator roller has a movable element for receiving and propelling the windrow material beyond the discharge end of said transverse conveyor and imparting a vertical as well as a horizontal velocity to the windrow material to fluff it.

Abstract: An anti-wrap guard system for shielding an exposed bearing assembly of an agricultural apparatus from any material borne by a rotatable shaft that in the course of operating the apparatus may naturally come in contact with the exposed bearing including a guard being disposable between a working section of the rotatable shaft and the bearing assembly supporting the shaft, the guard substantially blocking the material from the bearing. A windrow merger and a method of guarding are further included.

Abstract: A windrow merger being a machine for merging crop material disposed in a windrow on the ground surface, the windrow merger being situated on a frame which supports a tongue for towing, a pickup head for raising the crop material from the ground surface and a transverse conveyor assembly for laterally displacing the crop material and said transverse conveyor assembly includes an accelerator roller system, supported by said frame and in closely spaced relation with a outboard discharge end of said transverse conveyor assembly, and having a movable element for receiving and propelling the windrow material beyond the discharge end of said transverse conveyor. A method of displacing a windrow and an accelerator roller system are further included.

Abstract: The present invention is a control apparatus for an implement transmission. The transmission is operably coupled to a plurality of driven mechanisms for providing a driving power from a prime mover to the plurality of driven mechanisms. A shift assembly has a first and a second actuator apparatus. The first actuator apparatus is operably coupled to the transmission for selectively controlling the transmission of a driving power to at least a first driven mechanism, and the second actuator apparatus is operably coupled to the transmission for selectively controlling the transmission of a driving power to at least a second driven mechanism. The second actuator apparatus has a biasing apparatus for exerting a variable, selective bias on the transmission. A clutch for selectively engaging and disengaging a prime mover and the transmission has a rotatable stop member and an idler-stop assembly.

Abstract: An economical wheeled towable folding wheel rake of robust, largely welded construction utilizing a single hydraulic cylinder to fold two opposed wheel rake assemblies via a four bar linkage. The folding mechanism folds the opposed rake assemblies to a compact, symmetrical, easily locked, vertical orientation for shipping transit and storage. The folding mechanism is simple and utilizes few wearing pivots yet enables flotation of the opposed rake assemblies independent of one another and of the main frame of the wheel rake. The opposed wheel rake assemblies are independently adjustable in raking angle, raking width and raking down pressure.

Abstract: A bale wrapper includes a frame with a leading end having steerable wheels and a transport pole connected to the steerable wheels, a trailing end with braked wheels, and a central portion. A bale-loading deck adjacent the leading end including spaced-apart guide rails, tubular supports between the spaced-apart guide rails which define a standard path and an elevated path, and a hydraulically powered pushbar for translating a bale. A single centrally located hoop assembly, has two opposed rolls of plastic film and is carried and supported by and between a first idler assembly mounted on one side of the frame and a second idler assembly mounted on the opposite side of the frame, the hoop assembly having an inner edge and a powered rubber wheel bearing against the inner edge. The bale wrapper includes a power source.

Abstract: The present invention is a control apparatus for an implement transmission. The transmission is operably coupled to a plurality of driven mechanisms for providing a driving power from a prime mover to the plurality of driven mechanisms. A shift assembly has a first and a second actuator apparatus. The first actuator apparatus is operably coupled to the transmission for selectively controlling the transmission of a driving power to at least a first driven mechanism, and the second actuator apparatus is operably coupled to the transmission for selectively controlling the transmission of a driving power to at least a second driven mechanism. The second actuator apparatus has a biasing apparatus for exerting a variable, selective bias on the transmission. A clutch for selectively engaging and disengaging a prime mover and the transmission has a rotatable stop member and an idler-stop assembly.

Abstract: The present invention is a control apparatus for an implement transmission. The transmission is operably coupled to a plurality of driven mechanisms for providing a driving power from a prime mover to the plurality of driven mechanisms. A shift assembly has a first and a second actuator apparatus. The first actuator apparatus is operably coupled to the transmission for selectively controlling the transmission of a driving power to at least a first driven mechanism, and the second actuator apparatus is operably coupled to the transmission for selectively controlling the transmission of a driving power to at least a second driven mechanism. The second actuator apparatus has a biasing apparatus for exerting a variable, selective bias on the transmission. A clutch for selectively engaging and disengaging a prime mover and the transmission has a rotatable stop member and an idler-stop assembly.

Abstract: A windrow merger for merging product material disposed in a windrow on a ground surface, the windrow merger having a transverse conveyor assembly carried on a merger fame, at least a portion of the frame underlying the transverse conveyor assembly, a tongue operably pivotally coupled to the merger frame, the tongue being couplable to a vehicle for towing the windrow merger, the windrow merger includes a pickup head having a pickup conveyor system including a rotatable pickup conveyor belt for picking up product material disposed in a windrow on a field surface. The pickup head is pivotally coupled to the merger frame and has a leading pickup edge. The pickup head has a suspension for suspending the leading pickup edge such that the leading pickup edge exhibits two degrees of motional freedom.

Abstract: A bale wrapper includes a frame with a leading end having steerable wheels and a transport pole connected to the steerable wheels, a trailing end with braked wheels, and a central portion. A bale-loading deck adjacent the leading end includes spaced-apart guide rails, tubular supports between the spaced-apart guide rails which define a standard path and an elevated path, and a hydraulically powered pushbar for translating a bale. A single centrally located hoop assembly has two opposed rolls of plastic film and is carried and supported by and between a first idler assembly mounted on one side of the frame and a second idler assembly mounted on the opposite side of the frame, the hoop assembly having an inner edge and a powered rubber wheel bearing against the inner edge. The bale wrapper includes a power source.

Abstract: A rake arm deployment spreader with two arms and an elbow member arrangement, optionally and preferably having a locking mechanism involving an overcenter arrangement of certain pivots, for deployment or retraction of a folding hay rake which is towable by a tractor. The hay rake has a primary towable frame with right and left secondary frames pivotally attached adjacent the rear of the primary frame. The deployment spreader assembly is pivotally attached to the primary and secondary frames for pivoting the secondary frame relative to the primary frame. The deployment spreader includes a telescopic arm and a leg and link to control the telescopic arm.

Abstract: An agricultural implement includes a primary frame, having a front and rear, a pair of opposed secondary frames each having an inboard end and an outboard end and each operably supporting a bank of ground driven wheel rakes, coupled to the primary frame near the rear and a positioning assembly to pivotally deploy or retract the secondary frames. The positioning assembly includes a deployment slide mounted on the primary frame and a pair of opposed fixed length spreader bars connecting the deployment slide to the outboard end of the secondary frames. An equalizing assembly dynamically couples the secondary frames by coupling the spreader bars, to a dancer on the primary frame. The implement also has an adjustable rear wheel spacing mechanism, employing a pair of interacting screws.

Abstract: A deployment spreader with two arms and an elbow member arrangement, optionally and preferably having a locking mechanism involving an overcenter arrangement of certain pivots, for deployment or retraction of a folding hay rake which is towable by a tractor. The hayrake rake has a primary towable frame with right and left secondary frames pivotally attached adjacent the rear of the primary frame. The deployment spreader assembly is pivotally attached to the primary and secondary frames for pivoting the secondary frame relative to the primary frame.

Abstract: An agricultural implement especially designed to distribute liquid, semi-liquid and solid forms of manure to a field. The manure spreader includes a V-shaped tank and two troughs below the tank. Each trough has an auger disposed in it. Wiper bars are provided to prevent build up of manure on the auger blades. An internal beater breaks up any manure that has bridged over the augers. An external beater, spaced apart from the rear of the tank is adapted to distribute the various forms of manure. A receiver conveys the manure from the troughs to the external beater.

Abstract: An agricultural rake especially designed for gathering wide swaths of agricultural field crops into windrows prior to baling is provided. The rake includes a primary frame, a pair of secondary rake frames pivotally and shiftably mounted to the primary frame, and a plurality or bank of radially-tined wheel rakes supported by the secondary frames. The secondary rake frames are free to pivot in a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel to prevent undo stress on the frames. Both the angle of deployment of the secondary frames as well as the distance between the frames is adjustable to accommodate different swath widths and windrow sizes. A unique rake suspension assembly provides for the easy shifting of the rake bases between the raking and transport positions while providing for desired tensioning of the rakes during raking operations and elevating the rake frames during transport. In an embodiment, castors are included to support the rake suspension assembly.