Abstract: Moulded bodies are described which comprise a humus-containing plant substrate consolidated with polyurethane/polyurea, which are obtainable by slurrying a humus-containing plant substrate in water, admixing a liquid NCO prepolymer having a maximum NCO content of 15% by weight which has been produced by the reaction of toluene diisocyanate with a polyether polyol component containing at least one aminopolyether polyol in an amount of 0.5 to 100 mole % with respect to the polyol component, and introducing the mixture thus obtained into a mould and allowing it to solidify. A process for producing these moulded bodies is also described, as is their use as growth media for seedlings in the propagation and raising of plants.

Abstract: A mold for retaining a seedling during handling and transportation, whereby the mold is formed of turf, water, nutrients and a synthetic molding material. The dried form retaining mold form receives a seedling and then is packaged as needed for further handling prior to being planted and watered. The seedling then grows directly in the mold. The invention also includes the process and device for manufacturing such molds.

Abstract: A stalk-crop harvester having a chassis displaceable along the ground in a transport direction and supporting a transverse conveyor having in turn a forwardly open transversely elongated intake has a pickup formed of a front drum and a rear drum. The front drum has a front axle centered on a horizontal front axis transverse to the transport direction and forward of the conveyor intake. This front axle carries a plurality of spring tines. The rear drum has a rear axle centered on a horizontal rear axis transverse to the transport direction and between the front axis and the intake. A plurality of axially spaced rigid rear tines is fixed on the rear axle axially offset from but engageable between the spring tines of the front axle. A plurality of strippers secured to the harvester chassis at the intake extend forwardly between the rigid tines and a crop holddown secured to the chassis extends backwardly from above the front axle to above the intake.

Abstract: A row-crop harvester has a frame displaceable in a predetermined travel direction and formed with a plurality of forwardly open throats each provided with a respective conveyor chain each in turn spanned over a respective drive sprocket. Each such drive sprocket is carried on a respective drive shaft having a drive gear that meshes with the drive gears of the conveyor chains to each side. Each drive shaft with its respective sprocket and gear are together mounted in a respective housing bolted to the frame of the harvester and having a mounting flange whose outer periphery corresponds to the pitch circle of the respective drive gear. A main gear meshing with one of the drive gears rotates all of these drive gears simultaneously, and each conveyor chain has a stretch exposed in a respective throat of the machine which is opposite the stretch of the flanking chains for backward advance of cut crop.

Abstract: A row-crop harvester has a frame displaceable along the ground and formed with a plurality of forwardly opening throats at each of which is provided an endless conveyor chain spanned over a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket. A fluid cylinder mounted on the frame is provided for each of the idler sprockets so that when this cylinder is pressurized it can urge the respective idler sprocket away from the respective drive sprocket and tension the respective conveyor chain. A pressure-responsive switch is connected to each of the fluid cylinders and to a magnetic clutch between the drive for the chopper and drive sprockets for the harvester. When the pressure drops suddenly in any of the cylinders, as happens when a chain breaks, his pressure-responsive switch will respond and open the clutch to shut down the harvester.

Abstract: An agricultural machine displaceable in a predetermined travel direction and having relative thereto a plurality of forwardly extending arms forming forwardly open throats for receiving respective rows of a crop during harvesting thereof has a position-detecting system comprising a feeler pivoted about an upright axis underneath each of the arms. Each feeler is an elastically flexible plate carried on a rigid arm connected to the respective pivot and each plate has a pair of lateral edges each exposed in front of a respective one of the throats flanking the respective plate. The feelers are all mechanically connected for joint pivoting by a common link that is connected to a signal generator in turn connected to the steering system of the agricultural machine.