Abstract: A pickup head for long-stalk crops, generally grown in rows, such as corn, especially for a field chopper or harvester, has a multiplicity (more than three) of mouths each aligned with a respective row and adapted to guide the crop into the throat of the machine. According to the invention, each of the mouths is provided with a respective guide channel, two of the guide channels merging ahead of the throat along the path of the crop toward the latter. Along each of the guide channels prior to the merger, a respective chain or other advancing mechanism is provided, the advancing mechanism of one of the channels continuing beyond the merger point to the throat of the machine. The arrangement permits a large number of rows to be swept although the throat of the machine is substantially narrower than the width of the intake side of the pickup head.

Abstract: A hay-type crop harvester has a chassis supported on the ground on wheels and normally displaceable along the ground in a predetermined travel direction. A crop cutter is mounted ahead of the wheels on the chassis and extends transversely substantially the full width of the chassis so as to cut a swath of crop and pass it backward. A central crop conditioner is provided on the chassis between the wheels thereof and two outer crop conditioners are each provided on a respective side of the chassis to respective sides of the wheels. An auger provided with oppositely directed screwthread formations at each of the conditioners transports the crop laterally so that after being cut in a single wide swath it is subdivided into three portions each of which is fed to a respective conditioner. Thereafter the portions may be laid down in windrows between and outside the wheels of the harvester.

Abstract: A stalk-crop harvester displaceable along the ground has a plurality of forwardly open throats each adapted to receive a row of the crop during harvesting thereof and having at its front end to one side a cutting rotor and to the other side a sprocket for a conveyor chain extending back along the respective throat. Provided at the front end of each of the throats is one of a plurality of identical mounting plates which are each symmetrical about a respective upright plane bisecting the respective front end and extending generally in the normal direction of displacement of the harvester. Each such plate carries a pair of similar mounts which axially flank the respective plane, and one of which rotatably carries the respective sprocket and the other of which rotatably carries the respective rotor.

Abstract: A row-crop harvester has a frame displaceable in a predetermined travel direction and formed with a plurality of forwardly open throats each provided with a respective conveyor chain each in turn spanned over a respective drive sprocket. Each such drive sprocket is carried on a respective drive shaft having a drive gear that meshes with the drive gears of the conveyor chains to each side. Each drive shaft with its respective sprocket and gear are together mounted in a respective housing bolted to the frame of the harvester and having a mounting flange whose outer periphery corresponds to the pitch circle of the respective drive gear. A main gear meshing with one of the drive gears rotates all of these drive gears simultaneously, and each conveyor chain has a stretch exposed in a respective throat of the machine which is opposite the stretch of the flanking chains for backward advance of cut crop.

Abstract: A row-crop harvester has a frame displaceable along the ground and formed with a plurality of forwardly opening throats at each of which is provided an endless conveyor chain spanned over a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket. A fluid cylinder mounted on the frame is provided for each of the idler sprockets so that when this cylinder is pressurized it can urge the respective idler sprocket away from the respective drive sprocket and tension the respective conveyor chain. A pressure-responsive switch is connected to each of the fluid cylinders and to a magnetic clutch between the drive for the chopper and drive sprockets for the harvester. When the pressure drops suddenly in any of the cylinders, as happens when a chain breaks, his pressure-responsive switch will respond and open the clutch to shut down the harvester.

Abstract: An agricultural machine displaceable in a predetermined travel direction and having relative thereto a plurality of forwardly extending arms forming forwardly open throats for receiving respective rows of a crop during harvesting thereof has a position-detecting system comprising a feeler pivoted about an upright axis underneath each of the arms. Each feeler is an elastically flexible plate carried on a rigid arm connected to the respective pivot and each plate has a pair of lateral edges each exposed in front of a respective one of the throats flanking the respective plate. The feelers are all mechanically connected for joint pivoting by a common link that is connected to a signal generator in turn connected to the steering system of the agricultural machine.

Abstract: A harvester for a multirow corn crop comprises a cutting head whose leading edge is formed with individual cutting members at each of a plurality of channels. The channels run rearwardly and unite at the rear portion of the head. Each of the channels is provided along one flank with a yieldable wall and along the other flank with a chain having entraining members reaching substantially across the full width and height of the channel. The entraining members are preferably of L-shape in plan view and have a pair of friction strips resting against the respective wall of the channel above and below the chains.