Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a straw hood having a hollow interior space for receiving material other than grain (MOG) from a threshing and separating system of the harvester and chaff from a sieve of a cleaning system of the harvester. A weed seed mill is mounted to the straw hood. An access door is moveably mounted to the straw hood between a lowered operational position and a raised service position. In the lowered operational position, the access door is positioned to direct the stream of chaff either into or towards the inlet of the weed seed mill. In the raised service position, a user-accessible passageway is formed from an exterior of the agricultural harvester to the sieve such that a user can access the sieve from an exterior of the harvester.

Abstract: An embodiment includes a combine having a header with a motor driving a blade for harvesting crop, a power receiving connector connected to the motor, where the power receiving connector supplies power to drive the motor, and a mechanical connector. The combine also includes a feeder housing with an opening for receiving the harvested crop from the header, a power supplying connector connected to a power plant of the combine, and a mechanical actuator. A controller controls the combine by attaching the header to the feeder housing by lifting the header such that the power receiving connector and the power supplying connector are automatically mated, and such that the mechanical actuator and the mechanical connector are mated, and controlling the power plant to generate and supply electrical power or hydraulic power to the power supply connector, which is supplied to the motor of the header via the power receiving connector.

Abstract: In one aspect, a system for monitoring the operational status of passive lift supports includes an actuatable component configured to be moved across a range of movement between a first position and a second position, and an actuator coupled to the component and being configured to actuate the component across the range of movement. The system also includes a passive lift support coupled to the component and being configured to provide a supplemental actuation force as the actuator is being used to actuate the component across the range of movement. In addition, the system includes a computing system configured to monitor a load-related parameter indicative of a load being carried by the actuator. The computing system is further configured to determine an operational status of the passive lift support based at least in part on the monitored load-related parameter.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes an oscillating cleaning shoe to which one or more sieves are connected, and a seed mill having an inlet for receiving a stream of chaff material, and an outlet through the stream of chaff material is expelled. A pan is configured to be connected to the oscillating cleaning shoe. The pan has a surface that is configured to direct the stream of chaff material into the inlet of the seed mill.

Abstract: An agricultural vehicle feeder assembly having: a feeder housing, a shaft mounted to rotate relative to the feeder housing, first and second rotary drives mounted to rotate with the shaft at a first and second axial positions along the shaft, and an anti-wrap cover assembly extending an entire distance from the first rotary drive to the second rotary drive and at least partially surrounding the first rotary drive, the second rotary drive, and the shaft between the first rotary drive and the second rotary drive. The anti-wrap cover assembly is rotatably mounted the first rotary drive, the second rotary drive and/or the shaft. A connector joins the feeder housing to the anti-wrap cover assembly. The connector is configured to allow the anti-wrap cover assembly to move through a predetermined limited range of motion relative to the feeder housing.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester residue counterknife assembly having: a first blade extending in a first blade plane; and a knife holder. The knife holder includes a first blade mount configured to secure to the first blade, a first arm extending from the blade mount and having a first passage extending therethrough, and a second arm extending from the blade mount and having a second passage extending therethrough. The first arm and the second arm define an opening between the first arm and second arm, the opening extends along a blade shaft direction that is generally orthogonal to the first blade plane, and the first passage and the second passage are collinear along an axis that passes through the opening. Also provided are an agricultural harvester having a residue counterknife assembly, and a method of servicing a residue counterknife assembly.

Abstract: A residue counterknife assembly comprising: a blade mount configured to secure to a blade shaft having a rotation axis; one or more blades secured to the blade mount and extending away from the rotation axis; and at least one blocking surface comprising an at least semicircular outer face located concentric to and at least partially surrounding the rotation axis.

Abstract: An agricultural residue chopper assembly comprising: a cutting chamber housing with cutting knives rotatable along a cutting direction within the cutting chamber, and a rotatable counterknife shaft unit. The shaft unit is mounted at a rotation axis near an outer surface of the cutting chamber housing, and has an outer face and one or more counterknives extending outward from the outer face. The shaft unit is rotatable to move the counterknives closer and further from the cutting knives' rotation axis. The outer face and the outer surface of the cutting chamber housing define a trailing area in which a gap distance between the outer face and the outer surface of the cutting chamber housing remains constant or increases in size as the counterknife shaft unit is rotated to move the counterknives closer to the cutting blade axis. An agricultural harvester machine having a residue chopper assembly is also provided.

Abstract: A feeder for an agricultural vehicle includes a feeder body defining a hollow interior space for receiving crop material from a header of the agricultural vehicle, a faceplate that is movably mounted to the feeder body, and a scissor jack assembly that is configured for rotating the faceplate with respect to the feeder body to adjust a fore-aft angle of the faceplate relative to the feeder body. The faceplate is configured to be removably coupled to the header of the agricultural vehicle.

Abstract: A crop residue spreader for an agricultural harvester having a spreader frame with counter-rotating impellers for discharging crop residue and a distribution deflector mounted in close proximity to the impellers for deflecting crop residue discharged by the impellers. A common structural member independently supports both the spreader frame and the distribution deflector, such that the distribution deflector does not contact the spreader frame and connects to the spreader frame only indirectly through the common structural member, forming a gap between the spreader frame and the distribution deflector across the discharge area to provide clearance for discharged crop residue to exit the spreader.

Abstract: A crop residue spreader for an agricultural harvester having a spreader frame with counter-rotating impellers for discharging crop residue and a distribution hood mounted in close proximity to the impellers for deflecting crop residue discharged by the impellers. A common structural member independently supports both the spreader frame and the distribution hood. The distribution hood is movably connected to the common structural member, such that the distribution hood may be moved away from the spreader discharge to provide additional clearance for discharged crop residue to exit the spreader.

Abstract: A feederhouse for an agricultural vehicle includes an assembled driveshaft having a shaft and at least one sprocket that is rotationally fixed to said shaft. A shield assembly is positioned adjacent the sprocket, wherein the shield assembly includes two components including a top component and a bottom component. The top component includes a first mating surface and a first wall. The bottom component includes a second mating surface and a second wall. When the two components are connected together by joining the first mating surface to the second mating surface, the two components form a first opening through which the shaft is positioned. A bearing component is configured to bear on both the first wall and the second wall for urging the first mating surface toward the second mating surface in order to limit the top component from separating from the bottom component.

Abstract: A feederhouse for an agricultural vehicle includes a frame including opposing side walls, openings disposed in each of the side walls, and an assembled driveshaft including a shaft and a plurality of sprockets that are rotationally fixed to the shaft. The assembled driveshaft is positioned within an interior region of the frame. At least one opening of said openings is sized such that the driveshaft can pass in a transverse direction through the at least one opening.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a straw hood has a top wall and side walls. The walls define a hollow interior space for receiving straw or material other than grain from a threshing and separating system of the harvester and chaff from a cleaning system of the harvester. A drive system is at least partially positioned within the hollow interior space. The drive system is configured to drive a seed mill that is connected to the agricultural harvester.

Abstract: A spreader assembly for an agricultural harvester includes a frame member and a rotor assembly attached to the frame member. The rotor assembly includes one or more rotary spreaders and a housing partially surrounding the one or more rotary spreaders. A transition hood is mounted to and/or positioned against the housing of the rotor assembly. A windrow chute is mounted to the frame member, wherein the windrow chute is pivotable about a window chute rotational axis between a deployed position and a retracted position. In the deployed position, the windrow chute blocks the transition hood to either limit or prevent removal of the transition hood in a longitudinal direction, and in the retracted position, the windrow chute permits access to and removal of the transition hood in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: An agricultural harvester includes a straw hood having a hollow interior space for receiving material other than grain (MOG) from a threshing and separating system of the harvester and chaff from a cleaning system of the harvester. A drive system is provided for powering a straw chopper and a weed seed mill. The drive system includes a single belt positioned outside of the straw hood that is wound at least partially around (i) a straw chopper pulley that powers the straw chopper, (ii) a weed seed mill pulley that powers the weed seed mill, and (iii) a power take off shaft of the harvester that receives power from an engine or other power source of the harvester.

Abstract: A feeder conveyor system having a frame, an actuator with a fixed element and a moving element, and a telescoping assembly. The telescoping assembly has a first member having a first end connected to an actuator output and a first spring seat, and a second member slidably connected to the first member and having a second end and a second spring seat. The second member is movable relative to the first member between a retracted position in which the second end is relatively close to the first end, and an extended position in which the second end is relatively far from the first end, a spring between the first spring seat and the second spring seat, a linkage between the first member and the second member, and a position sensor connected to the linkage and configured to generate a signal indicating a relative position between the first and second members.

Abstract: A feeder housing shaft sprocket segment comprising: a sprocket segment body (300) extending in a circumferential direction around a center axis (A) from a leading edge (304) to a trailing edge (306), wherein the leading edge (304) and trailing edge (306) subtend a segment angle about the center axis (A), the segment angle being a first unit fraction of 360°; an outer sprocket perimeter (308) comprising a plurality of teeth (310) evenly arranged in the circumferential direction about the center axis (A) with each tooth (310) spaced by a tooth angle from each adjacent tooth (310), the tooth angle being a second unit fraction of 360°; and a plurality of engagement surfaces (312) extending towards the center axis (A) and facing in the circumferential direction (C), the plurality of engagement surfaces (312) being asymmetrical relative to a plane (P) defined by the center axis (A) and a radial projection from the center axis (A) that bisects the sprocket segment body (300) midway between the leading edge (304) and

Abstract: A combine feeder slat having a first base, a second base, and a slat body. The bases are located at respective ends of the slat, and have respective upper and lower surfaces. The slat body extends longitudinally and connects the bases. The slat body has a variable profile as viewed along the longitudinal direction, that transitions from a first profile shape at the first base, to an intermediate profile shape between the first base and the second base, to a second profile shape at the second base. The intermediate profile shape includes a front lip, a rear lip, and an upward-facing concave projection that connects the front lip to the rear lip and extends below an attachment plane defined between the first lower surface and the second lower surface. The first base, second base, and slat body are made from a unitary metal part.

Abstract: In one aspect, a system for monitoring the operational status of passive lift supports includes an actuatable component configured to be moved across a range of movement between a first position and a second position, and an actuator coupled to the component and being configured to actuate the component across the range of movement. The system also includes a passive lift support coupled to the component and being configured to provide a supplemental actuation force as the actuator is being used to actuate the component across the range of movement. In addition, the system includes a computing system configured to monitor a load-related parameter indicative of a load being carried by the actuator. The computing system is further configured to determine an operational status of the passive lift support based at least in part on the monitored load-related parameter.