Abstract: An assembly having a longitudinal webbed base plate, upright webbed diverter (e.g. “V”-shaped) and coupling stabilizer and brace arms that assemble to extend from a roof above typical snow cover depths to protect downstream appliances protruding from the roof from snow/ice slide damage. The base plate and/or stabilizer arm includes surfaces shaped to promote the scoring and shearing of a snow/ice slide prior to the sheared sections of the snow/ice being laterally displaced away from a downstream appliance via the upright diverter. Alternative serrated, saw tooth, pointed, spiked and wedged shear surfaces are formed into the base plate and/or a single or multi-section stabilizer arm. An appliance cover piece can be fitted to the upright diverter and suspended above the downstream appliance.

Abstract: An assembly having a longitudinal webbed base plate, upright webbed diverter (e.g. “V”-shaped) and coupling stabilizer and brace arms that assemble to extend from a roof above typical snow cover depths to protect downstream appliances protruding from the roof from snow/ice slide damage. The base plate and/or stabilizer arm includes surfaces shaped to promote the scoring and shearing of a snow/ice slide prior to the sheared sections of the snow/ice being laterally displaced away from a downstream appliance via the upright diverter. Alternative serrated, saw tooth, pointed, spiked and wedged shear surfaces are formed into the base plate and/or a single or multi-section stabilizer arm. An appliance cover piece can be fitted to the upright diverter and suspended above the downstream appliance.

Abstract: A diffuser adapted to dissipate air from seed conveyed in a stream of air at a planter to an opener arm and seed boot. The diffuser provides a housing that pivotally supports a counter-weighted valve piece and a resilient valve piece. Admitted seeds are resiliently deflected between the valve pieces. Repeated deflections between the dual valve pieces and simultaneous venting of the conveying air through an associated fulcrum screen and relief ports at the housing dissipate the conveying air. Spent seed momentarily collects on a surface inside the housing and gravitationally falls from the housing and through a lower lying seed boot at a relatively uniform, singulated rate without scatter and damage to the seed.

Abstract: A diffuser adapted to dissipate air from seed conveyed in a stream of air at a planter to an opener arm and seed boot. The diffuser provides a housing that pivotally supports a counter-weighted valve piece and a resilient valve piece. Admitted seeds are resiliently deflected between the valve pieces. Repeated deflections between the dual valve pieces and simultaneous venting of the conveying air through an associated fulcrum screen and relief ports at the housing dissipate the conveying air. Spent seed momentarily collects on a surface inside the housing and gravitationally falls from the housing and through a lower lying seed boot at a relatively uniform, singulated rate without scatter and damage to the seed.

Abstract: The phytoestrogen secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) and other beneficial compounds are extracted from oil-free flaxseed meal or flaxseed hulls. The phytoestrogens are extracted by aqueous ethanol solvent, which is then filtered and removed by evaporation to isolate the complexed phytoestrogens. The complexed phytoestrogens are then hydrolyzed with a base to provide uncomplexed phytoestrogens. The uncomplexed phytoestrogens are subsequently freeze dried and stabilized with a vegetable oil. The stabilized phytoestrogens can be formulated into products for consumption.

Abstract: A set of pans are provided for catching grain such as sunflower heads, that are broken from the stalks as they are being harvested. The pans are mounted onto the cutter bar and leave a space at the desired spacing of the rows of the crop being harvested. The leading ends of the pans are pointed, and have different tapers on each side. Every other pan is shorter than the intermediate pans, as well, for serving to guide the stalks positively into the slots for cutting. The pans catch heads of grain that might be broken or shaken loose and otherwise lost. The pans are pivotally mounted, quickly attached or detached, and the angle of the bottom of the pan can be adjusted.

Abstract: A spring loaded rock discharge assembly for use with hay mower-conditioner machinery including a plurality of spring fingers supported in an opening between a forage crop cutting mechanism and a conditioning roll. The spring fingers are sufficiently resilient, so that when dense objects such as rocks are carried to the conditioning rolls across the opening, the objects will cause the spring fingers to deflect and permit the rocks to discharge onto the ground.

Abstract: A no-till rotary hoe includes trash cutters for cutting field trash carried by the earthworking implements. The rotary hoe also has a walking beam mounted on a support arm with rotary hoe wheels mounted on forward and rear ends of the walking beam. The walking beam is connected to the arm about a pivot positioned to reduce the tendency of the walking beam to pivot excessively in use. A spring is used to aid in maintaining the walking beam properly oriented.

Abstract: An improvement for no-till rotary hoes to prevent trash from accumulating around a bearing of the rotary hoes thus destroying the bearing. An elongated axle mounts a hoe wheel distant from its corresponding support arm and in close proximity to an adjacent support arm, and the axle is protected by a spring-loaded protective sleeve which is spring loaded to provide a frictional seal against the bearing of the hoe wheel.