Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a flexible cutterbar assembly shiftably mounted to the header frame, and a draper assembly supported on the header frame behind the cutterbar assembly to flex therewith. The draper assembly includes a pair of side drapers and a fore-and-aft draper located between the side drapers. The cutterbar assembly includes a relatively inflexible center section and relatively flexible side sections on opposite sides of the center section.

Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center draper that delivers crop material to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers that deliver crop material to the center draper. The center draper includes a draper frame swingably supported on the header frame at a pivot to project forwardly therefrom and a draper belt supported on the draper frame to present a rearwardly moving run for conveying the crop rearwardly. The center draper includes a counterbalance mechanism coupled between the header and draper frames to counteract the weight of the center draper about the pivot so as to reduce the load of the center draper on the cutterbar assembly.

Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center draper that delivers crop material to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers that deliver crop material to the center draper. The harvesting header is operable to flex and thereby follow an uneven terrain.

Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center draper that delivers crop material to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers that deliver crop material to the center draper. The harvesting header is operable to flex and thereby follow an uneven terrain.

Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center draper that delivers crop material to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers that deliver crop material to the center draper. The harvesting header is operable to flex and thereby follow an uneven terrain.

Abstract: A retracting finger auger assembly is provided with a limiter inside the auger tube of the assembly that is disposed to make temporary engagement with the internal eccentrically offset finger shaft of the retracting finger mechanism in the event of flexure of the finger shaft beyond a predetermined amount. In a preferred embodiment, the limiter comprises a transverse, annular member with a guide ring of anti-friction material circumscribing the finger shaft, the member being secured to the interior surface of the auger tube for rotation therewith. The anti-friction guide ring is normally maintained slightly out of contacting engagement with the finger shaft, but is disposed to be engaged as necessary by the flexing shaft to limit such flexing and prevent over-retraction of the retracting fingers.

Abstract: The arcuate processing assembly of a combine harvester may be pivotally adjusted generally radially toward or away from a rotary processing device to adjust the operating clearance between the periphery of the rotary device and the assembly. Simultaneously with such adjustment of the assembly as a whole, in a compound pivoting action one arcuate member of the assembly is also pivoted relative to the other arcuate member to properly reshape the threshing region for the adjusted running clearance.

Abstract: The arcuate processing assembly of a combine harvester may be pivotally adjusted generally radially toward or away from a rotary processing device to adjust the operating clearance between the periphery of the rotary device and the assembly. Simultaneously with such adjustment of the assembly as a whole, in a compound pivoting action one arcuate member of the assembly is also pivoted relative to the other arcuate member to properly reshape the threshing region for the adjusted running clearance. Alternative embodiments are disclosed for axial flow and transverse flow systems.

Abstract: The rotary beater has a number of untwisted, flat, feeding plate segments angularly disposed about its periphery. The plates are arranged in a left-hand group and a right-hand group so oriented that they converge the crop material centrally as they feed and accelerate the crop material rearwardly toward and through the inlet of an axial flow threshing rotor assembly. The feeding segments of each group are arranged in diametrically opposed sets containing at least one segment each, and the sets of one group are offset circumferentially 90° from the sets of the other group. Each segment has a hardened crop-engaging face, and the segments are all detachably bolted to the drum of the beater to facilitate removal and replacement when worn or damaged.

Abstract: The cleaning apparatus of a combine harvester has an oscillating sieve assembly and an oscillating pan assembly beneath the sieve assembly. The sieve assembly comprises a pair of superimposed sieves, both of which are mounted on the same frame for oscillation in unison and always in the same direction. The pan assembly comprises a clean grain pan and a tailings return pan both mounted on a common frame that is separate from the frame of the sieve assembly so that the pans oscillate separately from the sieves. The sieve and pan assemblies are mounted and driven in such a manner that the feed stroke of each assembly is in the same direction as its direction of conveyance, so as to maximize their ability to deliver materials in the intended direction.

Abstract: The cleaning apparatus of a combine harvester has an oscillating sieve assembly and an oscillating pan assembly beneath the sieve assembly. The sieve assembly comprises a pair of superimposed sieves, both of which are mounted on the same frame for oscillation in unison and always in the same direction. The pan assembly comprises a clean grain pan and a tailings return pan both mounted on a common frame that is separate from the frame of the sieve assembly so that the pans oscillate separately from the sieves. The sieve and pan assemblies are mounted and driven in such a manner that the feed stroke of each assembly is in the same direction as its direction of conveyance, so as to maximize their ability to deliver materials in the intended direction.

Abstract: The rotary beater has a number of untwisted, flat, feeding plate segments angularly disposed about its periphery. The plates are arranged in a left-hand group and a right-hand group so oriented that they converge the crop material centrally as they feed and accelerate the crop material rearwardly toward and through the inlet of an axial flow threshing rotor assembly. The feeding segments of each group are arranged in diametrically opposed sets containing at least one segment each, and the sets of one group are offset circumferentially 90° from the sets of the other group. Each segment has a hardened crop-engaging face, and the segments are all detachably bolted to the drum of the beater to facilitate removal and replacement when worn or damaged.

Abstract: The rotary beater has a number of untwisted, flat, feeding plate segments angularly disposed about its periphery. The plates are arranged in a left-hand group and a right-hand group so oriented that they converge the crop material centrally as they feed and accelerate the crop material rearwardly toward and through the inlet of an axial flow threshing rotor assembly. The feeding segments of each group are arranged in diametrically opposed sets containing at least one segment each, and the sets of one group are offset circumferentially 90° from the sets of the other group. Each segment has a hardened crop-engaging face, and the segments are all detachably bolted to the drum of the beater to facilitate removal and replacement when worn or damaged.

Abstract: The rotary beater has a number of untwisted, flat, feeding plate segments angularly disposed about its periphery. The plates are arranged in a left-hand group and a right-hand group so oriented that they converge the crop material centrally as they feed and accelerate the crop material rearwardly toward and through the inlet of an axial flow threshing rotor assembly. The feeding segments of each group are arranged in diametrically opposed sets containing at least one segment each, and the sets of one group are offset circumferentially 90° from the sets of the other group. Each segment has a hardened crop-engaging face, and the segments are all detachably bolted to the drum of the beater to facilitate removal and replacement when worn or damaged.

Abstract: An accelerator roll assembly for combines wherein one of the accelerator rolls comprises a conveyor roller having a conveyor belt extending therearound. The improved accelerator roll assembly is particularly adapted for use in a combine including a threshing assembly, straw walkers and a cleaning section and which further includes a belt type conveyor for conveying threshed material falling through the straw walkers to an opening to the cleaning section. An accelerator roll is mounted in front of and in closely spaced relation to a drive roller for the conveyor such that the accelerator roll and the conveyor belt passing around the conveyor drive roller cooperate to accelerate, in a downward direction, threshed material passing therebetween. The threshed material is directed through a rearwardly directed stream of air of sufficient velocity to entrain and carry rearward the lighter chaff and stalk particles while the heavier kernels of grain pass downward through the stream of air to the grain pan.