Abstract: A round baler having a main frame, a tailgate pivotally connected to the main frame and an apron extending around a plurality of guide rolls disposed in the main frame and the tailgate. A pair of take up arms, rotatably mounted on the main frame, carry at least one additional guide roll for the apron. A bale forming chamber, including the apron, varies in size from a bale starting position to a full bale position. A crop loading monitor is provided for signaling the operator when the compactness of the crop material in at least one portion of the bale being formed in the bale forming chamber reaches a predetermined acceptable level.

Abstract: A round baler having a pickup, a chamber for forming a cylindrical package of crop material and a generally transverse opening for feeding crop that has been picked up into the chamber. The baler includes a twine handling assembly having at least one twine arm with a twine dispensing end from which twine is dispensed in the vicinity of the transverse opening for applying a plurality of helical wraps on the cylindrical package of crop material formed in the chamber. A twine cutting mechanism for cutting the twine, cooperates with a unique twine guide arrangement mounted to guide the twine to the cutting mechanism after a predetermined amount of twine has been dispensed.

Abstract: A method of forming bales in a round baler having a crop pickup and a bale forming chamber which is either fixed or expandable during bale formation. In one baler in which the method is readily carried out, the chamber is defined by a flexible apron comprising a plurality of side by side elongated belts trained about a plurality of rolls, a series of transverse crop engaging rolls and a floor roll. The method includes the steps of positioning the round baler to pick up crop material with the pickup, feeding the picked up crop material into the expandable bale forming chamber, sensing the compaction of the crop material in one or more regions during its formation in the bale forming chamber, generating a signal indicative of the level of compaction of the crop material in the region or regions, and repositioning the round baler in response to variations in the signal during expansion of the chamber to maintain the compaction at a predetermined level.

Abstract: A method of wrapping cylindrical bales of crop material with netting material for use with apparatus including a feed roller which may be selectively driven to dispense the netting material from a supply roll into a round baler. The apparatus has a home position and a cutting position wherein the feed roller is latched. The apparatus also has a feeding position wherein the feed roller is driven. The method includes the steps of latching the feed roller when the apparatus is in the home position, unlatching the feed roller when the apparatus is moved from the home position to the feeding position, relatching the feed roller when the apparatus is moved from the feeding position to the cutting position, and maintaining the feed roller latched as the apparatus is moved from the cutting position to the home position.

Abstract: A method of tensioning the apron of a round baler includes utilizing a pair of springs and a pair of hydraulic cylinders connected between apron take up arms and a tailgate of the round baler in a manner such that the springs normally urge the apron take up arms toward an inner position whereas the hydraulic cylinders resist movement of the apron take up arms from the inner position to an outer position. The hydraulic cylinders provide a primary source of apron tension and the springs provide a secondary source of apron tension so that, during bale formation, the apron tension generated by the hydraulic cylinders increases while the apron tension generated by the springs remains substantially constant.

Abstract: A system for tensioning the apron of a round baler includes a pair of springs and a pair of hydraulic cylinders connected between apron take up arms and a tailgate of the round baler. The springs normally urge the apron take up arms toward an inner position, and the hydraulic cylinders resist movement of the apron take up arms from the inner position to an outer position. The hydraulic cylinders provide a primary source of apron tension and the springs provide a secondary source of apron tension. During bale formation, the apron tension generated by the hydraulic cylinders increases while the apron tension generated by the springs remains substantially constant.

Abstract: Apparatus for wrapping cylindrical bales of crop material with netting material includes a feed roller which may be selectively driven to dispense the netting material from a supply roll into a round baler. The apparatus has a home position and a cutting position wherein the feed roller is latched by a latch arm. The apparatus also has a feeding position wherein the feed roller is driven by the PTO of a tractor. A lever mounted for rotation about the axis of the feed roller has an idler pulley on one end thereof engageable with a belt for effecting the driving of the feed roller. The lever also has a rod on the other end thereof connected to a latch arm for effecting the latching of the feed roller. An electrical actuator is connected to the lever for moving the apparatus between the home, feeding, and cutting positions. A knife for cutting the netting material is connected to the lever for movement between a retracted position and an operative position.

Abstract: A unitized raking implement having pivotably movable frame arms supported by ground engaging wheels is disclosed wherein a four-bar linkage is used to control the orientation of the wheels between an orientation parallel to the direction of travel of the implement and a non-parallel orientation. The rotation of the wheels into a non-parallel orientation permits the frame arms to be pivotally moved relative to the implement frame upon a corresponding movement of the raking implement. The control linkage includes a control link having a hydraulic cylinder operable to affect an extension of the length of the control link and, thereby, to affect a steering of the wheel between parallel and non-parallel orientations. The four-bar linkage permits the wheels to be returned into the parallel orientation whenever the hydraulic cylinder is fully retracted irrespective of the pivoted position of the respective frame arms.

Abstract: A system for controlling the density of bales formed in a round baler includes a hydraulic cylinder unit of the single acting type connected between the frame of the round baler and a pair of arms which are pivotally mounted on the baler frame. These arms carry a set of conveying members or rollers and are movable between a bale starting position and a full bale position. The bale density control system includes a control valve that is adjustable in order to permit fluid flow from the hydraulic cylinder unit to a reservoir when the fluid pressure in the hydraulic cylinder unit reaches a preselected level. When the arms move from their bale starting position to their full bale position, the hydraulic cylinder unit is contracted and fluid flows from the hydraulic cylinder unit to the reservoir via the control valve when the preselected level of fluid pressure is reached.

Abstract: Apparatus (52) is provided for wrapping bales with twine in a round baler. The twine wrapping apparatus (52) includes a twine dispensing member (56) mounted for pivoting movement, a clamp assembly (100) to clamp the twine dispensed by the twine dispensing member (56), and a trip mechanism (114) connected to the clamp assembly (100). The trip mechanism (114) is actuated by engagement with the twine dispensing member (56) during its pivoting movement to release the twine from the clamp assembly (100).

Abstract: Apparatus (52) is provided for wrapping bales with twine in a type of round baler (1) having bale forming mechanism comprised of a plurality of conveying members such as rollers (36a-36f). The twine wrapping apparatus (52) includes a twine dispensing member (56) mounted for pivoting movement to dispense twine through a gap (35) between two of the conveying members (36d and 36e). A stationary member (88) guides the twine into the gap (35) during the pivoting movement of the twine dispensing member (56).

Abstract: Quick or instantaneous stopping of rapidly rotating members places severe stress loads on components. These loads are substantially reduced by providing a quick-stopping apparatus including a damped member having an attached element which is movable into engagement with a rotating member. In response to such engagement, the energy of the rotating member is rapidly decelerated through the damped member thus reducing peak stress loads associated with almost instantaneous deceleration.

Abstract: A mechanism for selectively adjusting the cutting angle of a combine header relative to the ground is disclosed wherein a front face member is pivotably mounted to the forward end of the feeder house for rotation about the forward transverse axis of the crop conveyor within the feeder house. Structure is provided to adjustably lock the front face member into one of a plurality of alternative rotated positions. With the disclosed mechanism, the header cutting angle can be adjusted relative to the ground without increasing the distance between the header and the crop conveyor, thereby maintaining the efficiency of the crop conveyor to engage crop material and transport it rearwardly.

Abstract: In a crop harvesting and threshing machine of the type utilizing at least one axial flow threshing and separating rotor within a generally cylindrical elongate rotor casing there is provided an annular member fastened to a support member surrounding the front portion of the threshing rotor, a guide member fastened to the support member and contiguous with the annular member projecting linearly outwardly therefrom, a ramp section sloping rearwardly and outwardly affixed to the support member adjacent the guide member to direct the crop material from the guide member generally outwardly and upwardly towards the rear of the rotor casing into contact with a transport fin affixed to the top of the casing in an oblique angular relation therewith, thereby promoting the further rearward movement of crop material as it is transported axially about the threshing rotor.

Abstract: A self-propelled forage harvester having a longitudinally extending mobile frame supported by forward and rearward pairs of transversely spaced wheels. A cutterhead unit is mounted on the forward portion of the frame and includes a housing having a rear crop outlet. Within the housing a shear bar is mounted adjacent the path of the knives of a transverse cylindrical cutterhead rotatably mounted in cooperative relationship with the shear bar for cutting crop material fed thereto. Mounted on the frame rearwardly of the cutterhead unit is a blower unit with a housing having a crop inlet aligned with the crop outlet of the cutterhead unit. The blower includes blades rotating within the housing in a generally circular path about an axis inclined forwardly and upwardly to permit the lower limit of the circular path of the blades to be disposed forward of the upper limits of the path.

Abstract: Forage conveying apparatus for a forage harvester having a longitudinally extending frame supported by at least one pair of transversely spaced wheels. A cutterhead unit mounted on the frame includes a housing having a rear crop outlet. Within the housing a shear bar is mounted adjacent the path of the knives of a transverse cylindrical cutterhead rotatably mounted in cooperative relationship with the shear bar for cutting crop material fed thereto. Mounted on the frame rearwardly of the cutterhead unit is a blower unit with a housing having a crop inlet in communication with the crop outlet of the cutterhead unit. The blower includes a rotatably mounted conical base plate and blades mounted thereon for rotation within the housing in a generally circular path about an inclined axis.

Abstract: A rotatable cutterhead for a forage harvester having a plurality of parallel support members within plans perpendicular to a central shaft and spaced axially therealong. A plurality of similar chopping blades are affixed in circumferentially spaced relationship to each other around the support members, whereby the interior of said cutterhead is open and susceptible to ingress of cut forage material. Baffle strips extend from each blade inwardly from and adjacent the cutting edge at a sufficient distance and angle to deter the ingress of cut material into the interior of said cutterhead.

Abstract: A fast acting clutching and de-clutching mechanism in combination with a safety apparatus for a forage wagon is disclosed. Two interconnected alternative input drive shafts, one of the unloading from the front of the wagon and the other for the unloading to the rear thereof, are connected to the operable components of the wagon via a two-jaw clutch. Manually operated trip mechanisms adjacent the main openings in the wagon box are used to rapidly disengage the clutch jaws whenever sufficient contact is made therewith. A manual reset device is employed to engage the clutch jaws and reactivate the trip mechanisms.

Abstract: A multi-row crop header for a forage harvester has a central rear discharge outlet, a transversely extending consolidating auger and a plurality of fore-and-aft extending crop dividers. The crop dividers define forward crop passageways and rear crop passageways extending from the forward crop passageways. At least some of the rear crop passageways are angled inwardly from front to rear, toward the longitudinal centerline of the header. Disposed within each of the rear crop passageways is a set of butt-gripping chains that grip the butt-ends of the stalks and convey the same rearwardly toward the central discharge outlet.

Abstract: Quick or instantaneous stopping of rapidly rotating members places severe stress loads on components. These loads are substantially reduced by providing a quick-stopping apparatus including a damped member having an attached element which is movable into engagement with a rotating member. In response to such engagement, the energy of the rotating member is rapidly decelerated through the damped member thus reducing peak stress loads associated with almost instantaneous deceleration.