Abstract: A method for harvesting crops, such as rows of corn, using a harvester, which provides independent drives and independent controls for gathering belts, and independent drives and independent controls for knife rolls used on the corn harvester. The independent drives and independent controls allow the speed of the gathering belts or the knife rolls to be varied without affecting other harvester components. The independent speed control between the gathering belts and the knife rolls, allow for better harvesting in various crop conditions. The harvester also includes a set up for changing the angle of the corn head to allow better harvesting under varying conditions.

Abstract: A harvester for harvesting crops, such as rows of corn, includes a corn head having a knife assembly and a gathering belt assembly whose speeds are independently controllable with respect to each other. The independent control permits optimization of the harvester for operation under a wide variety of ground conditions. The harvester also includes a mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the corn head with respect to an associated feeder house.

Abstract: The invention provides a harvester to harvest crops such as rows of corn. The invention provides independent drives and independent controls for gathering belts, and independent drives and independent controls for knife rolls used on a corn harvester. The independent drives and independent controls allow the speed of the gathering belts or the knife rolls to be varied without affecting other harvester components. The independent speed control between the gathering belts and the knife rolls, allow for better harvesting in various crop conditions. The invention also provides a means for changing the angle of the corn head to allow better harvesting under varying conditions.

Abstract: A robotic palletizer including a vertical column, a telescoping horizontal arm mounted for vertical movement along the column and a hand assembly mounted at the end of the horizontal arm. A pair of photodetectors, movable with the hand assembly, sense the presence and location of cartons in place on a pallet being loaded and signal the palletizer when the vertical height and horizontal extension of the hand assembly are sufficient to place cartons in the proper position for loading onto the pallet. A circuit controls operation of the palletizer in accordance with the sizes and shapes of the cartons and pallets and permits limited variation of the loading pattern provided by the palletizer. Separate conveyors transport cartons to the palletizer for loading and remove loaded pallets from the palletizer upon completion of the loading cycle.

Abstract: A layer clamp hand for use in unloading or loading layers of product from or to a pallet is provided with side clamps that assist primary clamps in maintaining a layer of product in position on the layer clamp hand while the layer clamp hand is loading or unloading a layer of product. The side clamps are mounted and controlled such that they are insensitive to the at rest position of the layer of product to be lifted by the layer clamp hand. In addition to side clamps a carton flap hold-down platen is provided to urge flaps on cartons to be folded down to a position where the flaps would be in a folded down position normal to a fully closed carton.

Abstract: A palletizer, having a stacking and article wrapping station, includes a rotatable circular plate having a rectangular opening therein for accommodating unstable articles as they are being stacked. The rectangular opening includes article guides which will support a stacked layer of articles prior to and during the wrapping of the articles.

Abstract: An article stack unifying device having article stacking elements is provided to stack a plurality of articles on a surface on or of a rotatable surface. While the articles are being stacked on the selected surface a quantity of wrapping film is wrapped around the stack of articles at intervals during the stacking process and at the completion of the stack.

Abstract: An article stack unifying device having article stacking elements is provided to stack a plurality of articles on a surface on or of a rotatable surface. While the articles are being stacked on the selected surface a quantity of wrapping film is wrapped around the stack of articles at intervals during the stacking process and at the completion of the stack.

Abstract: A double telescoping horizontal arm, adapted for use in a robotic palletizer, including an outer member, an intermediate member and an inner member in telescoping relationship to one another. An idler wheel, mounted to the intermediate member, simultaneously engages both the outer member and the inner member so as to rotate in response to movement of the inner member relative to the intermediate member. Rotation of the idler wheel, in turn, drives the intermediate member in the same direction as the inner member thereby resulting in a double telescoping action.

Abstract: Husked ears of corn are fed individually between the flights of a forwardly moving flight conveyor and are supported by a rearwardly moving conveyor belt which spins the ears about their axes causing them to move in the direction of their axes until the smaller ends of the ears have moved close to or engage one of the side walls of the conveyor, depending upon which direction the ears are pointing. This forms two lanes of preoriented ears. At the delivery end of the preorienting conveyor, the ears are dropped with their axes generally parallel and horizontal and the ears of each lane fall against one side of a V shaped butt deflector which defects the following butts of the ears from each lane from vertical free fall but allows the smaller ends to continue to fall freely until they encounter the deflector.

Abstract: A liquid manure spreader uses a centrifugal pump to propel a slurry like product through a discharge assembly outward in a broad swath behind the spreader. The discharge assembly includes a plain nozzle having a contracting bore, a shaped deflector plate positioned in front of but at an angle with the end of the nozzle, and a guard plate for restricting the product discharge angle to less than 180 degrees. Structure is provided for evenly distributing the liquid manure in a swath about ten yards wide.