Abstract: A cage vane for use with a combine threshing system that includes (i) a mounting leg extending a mounting leg length from a cage vane inner edge to a mounting leg outer surface and a mounting leg thickness from a mounting leg bottom surface to a mounting leg top surface and (ii) a protruding leg extending a protruding leg length from the cage vane inner edge to a protruding leg top surface and a protruding leg thickness from a protruding leg inner surface to a protruding leg outer surface. At least one of the mounting leg length changes as the mounting leg extends the cage vane length, the mounting leg thickness changes as the mounting leg extends the cage vane length, the protruding leg length changes as the protruding leg extends the cage vane length, and the protruding leg thickness changes as the protruding leg extends the cage vane length.

Abstract: A pull type forage harvester including a header, a cylindrical cutter head having rotating knives operatively associated with a shearbar, feed rolls for receiving crop material from the header and conveying it to the cutterhead, and a blower remotely located on the forage harvester relative to the cutterhead. The blower includes a spout for expelling cut crop material to a collecting receptacle. A transverse conveyor consisting of an auger mounted in a trough receives chopped crop material from the cutterhead and conveys it to the blower. Mounted adjacent the cutterhead is a crop processor for crushing chopped crop material received from the cutterhead. The processor comprises a pair of crushing rolls aligned with the is cutterhead axis and above the transverse conveyor. Each roll includes a shaft on which are mounted a plurality of cylindrical segments having similar outer crop engaging surfaces.

Abstract: A modular disc cutterbar utilizes self-contained cutter modules clamped between alternating spacer modules by fasteners engaged with the spacer modules. To resist bending moments in the cutterbar, selected fasteners can have a length to span more than one cutter module. The drive mechanism is also of a modular construction including a symmetrical, reversible sealed drive apparatus within each cutter module and a transfer shaft passing through each interstitial spacer module to interconnect each cutter module drive mechanism. The drive apparatus incorporates an oil slinger to keep the remote seals lubricated. The rock guard for each cutter module is mounted on the adjacent spacer modules, while the skid shoe mounting is simplified. A crop mover mounted on each disc member above the cutting knife improves the transfer of severed crop material.