Abstract: A forage harvester adapted to be drawn by and powered from a tractor includes a feed roll mechanism for receiving and feeding crop material to a cutterhead mechanism which then supplies cut-up crop material to a blower for transfer to a forage wagon. A main drive shaft on the harvester is driven by the tractor PTO and drives the cutterhead mechanism and the blower. A drive mechanism supplies motive power from the main drive shaft to drive the feed roll mechanism and any harvester attachments in forward or reverse and includes a single normally disengaged electrically engageable electric clutch and a solenoid-operated forward/reverse transmission normally spring-biased in forward and shiftable into reverse when its solenoid is energized. Torque sensor devices are provided to mechanically disconnect the feed roll mechanism and any harvester attachment from being driven by the transmission when an overload occurs.

Abstract: A mobile forage harvester for harvesting crop material, chopping the material and blowing the chopped material to a receptacle, the harvester having a water supply system for periodically injecting a controllable amount of water into the stream of crop material as it passes through said harvester to thereby minimize gumming up of said material in said harvester.

Abstract: A shear clutch assembly for a rotatably driven power transmitting shaft and including a shear bolt which is sheared and causes a disconnect in the driving parts for the shaft. The assembly includes a flange rigidly fixed to the shaft and a rotatably driven member, for example, such as a sprocket rotatably mounted on the shaft and connected to the flange by the shear bolt. A reversing drive mechanism is carried by the driver or the driven member and when the power is transmitted in the normal or forward direction, the reversible drive connection is ineffective. However, when the shear bolt means has been severed and dislodged, power can be reversed and this causes the reverse drive connection to become effective for driving in the reverse direction.

Abstract: A chain drive includes a sprocket rotatable in a plane and comprising an even number of wide and narrow tapered teeth and a flexible chain comprising successive links having alternate wide and narrow tooth-engaging link openings, with tooth width and link-opening width being measured in a direction transverse to the plane of sprocket rotation. The arrangement ensures proper registration and engagement of the link opening of each oncoming link with a tooth of appropriate width despite displacement of the oncoming chain flight from the plane of sprocket rotation and thereby prevents disengagement of a loose chain from the sprocket or breakage of a tight chain by the sprocket.

Abstract: A multiple row crop harvester is provided with two endless chain drives and associated endless belt conveyors for simultaneously handling the crop from all rows. Each endless chain drive comprises a number of chain sprockets at fixed radial spacings from each other, a chain tensioning idler, and an endless drive chain trained about the sprockets and idler. The idler of one chain drive and the idler of the other are operatively interconnected by a self-adjusting, one-way tensioning device.

Abstract: A sprocket rotatable about a vertical axis and engaging a flexible roller chain having a sagging oncoming flight has a sloped portion on the upper side of each tooth near the forwardly moving edge thereof to facilitate initial engagement with the underside of the upper link plate of an oncoming sagging chain link and to lift the link plate up onto an adjacent flat horizontal surface near the tooth root whereby the chain link is firmly supported horizontally while engaged with the tooth. Preferably, each tooth has two oppositely sloped surfaces defining sloped edges and a commonly usable flat surface on its upper and lower sides so that the sprocket can be mounted for rotation in either direction regardless of which side faces upward.

Abstract: An attachment for mounting on a mobile forage chopper is provided with at least one endless belt conveyor and associated crop cutting assembly for severing a crop row from the ground and moving it along an upwardly and rearwardly inclined passage into the inlet of the chopper. A cutting assembly at the inlet end of the crop feeding passage comprises a stationary cutting blade and a crop engaging star wheel which is connected to the front idler of the belt conveyor. The star wheel cooperates with the cutting blade to shear standing crop material from the ground while cut crop material is being moved along the feeding passage by the belt conveyor.