Abstract: A manure spreader includes a box carried by a base frame for holding and transporting manure. The box has a floor made up of a plurality of individual boards preferably formed of plastic material such as polyethylene. A conveyor moves manure along the floor toward one end of the box where a distributor mechanism is mounted. Clips flastened to rearward ends of the floor boards slidably engage a cross frame member of the base frame, and an end cap slidably receives forward ends of the floor boards. Fasteners such as bolts securely fasten the floor boards to the base frame intermediate their forward and rearward ends. The clips and the end cap permit lengthwise expansion and contraction of the floor boards to insure that the floor maintains an even surface for the conveyor to travel across.

Abstract: A reciprocating cutterbar of the type utilizing a pair of counter-reciprocating sickles driven at the opposing outboard ends and overlapping at the inboard ends thereof is disclosed wherein the knife sections are detachably affixed to the respective support bars of these sickles by special threaded fasteners to permit the overlapped knife sections to maintain a close shearing relationship. These special threaded fasteners include a head portion adapted to be countersunk into the body of the knife section below the surface thereof, a threaded portion adapted to be threadably engaged with a nut to effect a clamping load between the knife section and support bar, and an intermediate portion having a non-circular cross-sectional configuration engageable with a corresponding non-circular opening formed in the support bar to restrict rotation thereof when the fastener is engaged therewith.

Abstract: A disc mower-conditioner having a disc cutterbar with transversely spaced rotatable disc cutters to sever standing crop material by an impact action and a rotatable conditioning mechanism mounted rearwardly of the cutterbar to receive and condition severed crop material is disclosed wherein each disc cutter is provided with a crop lifter affixed to the peripheral portion of the disc cutter adjacent each knife in leading relationship thereto. The crop lifter has an inclined ramp extending substantially a full guadrant of the disc cutter and being operable to lift previously severed crop material away from the corresponding knife before the knife severs standing crop material and to feed the severed crop material into the conditioning mechanism.

Abstract: A disc mower-conditioner having a disc cutterbar with transversely spaced rotatable disc cutters to sever standing crop material by an impact action and a rotatable conditioning mechanism mounted rearwardly of the cutterbar to receive and condition severed crop material is disclosed wherein each disc cutter member is provided with a crop lifting ramp portion adjacent the peripheral edge of the disc cutter adjacent each knife in both leading and trailing relationships thereto. The inclined ramp portions are operable to lift previously severed crop material away from the corresponding knife before the knife severs standing crop material and to feed the severed crop material into the conditioning mechanism. The inclined ramp portions are provided on both sides of the knives to permit the disc cutter member to be rotatable in either clockwise or counterclockwise directions and still provide a leading crop lifting action.

Abstract: Crop divider mechanism for attachment to a knockdown bar of an agricultural harvesting or conditioning machine and comprising a pair of similar interchangeable left-hand and right-hand rod members bent into substantially trapezoidal shape with parallel opposite long and short sides and intervening sides sloping from said long side to said short side, pairs of bracket members attachable respectively in spaced relation along opposite end portions of said knockdown bar and each pair pivotally receiving one of said intermediate sides of said rod members, similar positioning plates respectively fixed to one bracket of each pair thereof and having several spaced holes to receive selectively one end of a positioning pin selectively to support said rod members in upstanding inoperative position or forwardly extending operative position, and supplemental flat links connected to a second plate adjacent each positioning plate in positions to engage said knockdown bar in a manner to hold said rod members no lower than in

Abstract: A mobile processing machine for shredding a package of forage material such as a large cylindrical bale comprising a planar elevating member pivotally supported adjacent one edge in a frame and operated by hydraulic cylinder units from the under-surface to elevate the leading edge upwardly and having slidably related plate mechanism to prevent passage of said products at the pivoted area of said member and also provide a downwardly and inwardly directed surface for a bale of said products to urge the same against a pair of rotatable shredding members which direct the shredded product material to an auger for discharge from one end of the machine.