Abstract: In apparatus comprising a rotor (30) and co-operating crop guide means (21), for selectively harvesting from uncut crops wanted plant parts by combing through the crop with resilient crop engaging elements (1) projecting outwardly from a rotor core structure (32), the inner and outer regions of elements (1) are particularly prone to wear, damage and distortion. By adapting mounting members (11) and/or clamping means (14), made of stiffer and/or more durable material than is provided in the intermediate yielding region of crop engaging elements (1), stronger and more convenient mounting of crop engaging elements may be provided and the shape of the important inner crop engaging profile protected. Alternatively or additionally protection of the susceptible regions, including the distal region of elements (1), may be provided by durable inserts embedded partly or wholly in the material from which resilient crop engaging elements are made.

Abstract: The apparatus for harvesting crops, particularly seed crops, comprises a mobile support structure (20) and a crop stripping device in the form of a rotor (30), which may be attached to height adjustable arms and is driven by drive means (22). The rotor (30) carries transverse rows of wedge form crop stripping elements (10) which may be combined with transverse ribs. The crop stripping elements having prominent leading edges, for example each formed at the junction between two faces which are acutely inclined with respect to each other. They may be attached to removable, raised, hollow mounting bars. The drive to the rotor may be so arranged that during forward movement of the apparatus the crop engaging elements (32) are propelled progressively through the crop, moving upwards at a front region. Seeds and other plant parts detached by the action of the rotor are impelled into a crop flow passage (27) under a crop guide cover (21).

Abstract: In a row crop harvester a rotor 11 has rows of crop engaging elements 15 extending transversely across the direction of forward travel of the machine, the elements being aligned with the rows to be harvested. Each element has inwardly coverging side edges for gathering the crop of a row and for detaching required crop parts which are impelled in a high-speed stream upwardly and rearwardly over the rotor beneath a hood 18. At the junction of each inwardly coverging pair of edges a space 21 is provided for stripping crop and releasing stripped stems. Preferably the space 21 is a relief space having re-entrant edges 20 for stripping forwardly facing parts of the crop.

Abstract: An apparatus for harvesting crop including a rotor (11) mounting on a movable frame (12) and carrying a succession of transverse combs (14) each formed of an array of outwardly projectint teetch (15) traverse to the direction of movement of the apparatus through the crop. Each tooth (15) is pointed with side edges diverging away from the distal tip of the tooth. The rotor rotates in the overshot mode and the combs intrude into the crop and gather crop stems between adjacent pairs of teeth and detach grain and grain heads, or other required crop parts, by rubbing or breaking the parts free from the stems. The junction of adjacent teeth (15) preferably has an enlarged aperture (21) to assist striping and to allow withdrawal of striped stems. In other embodiments, the teeth may be replaced by a brush-like structure or by rods or other crop engaging elements, backed by plain transverse ribs for collecting and conveying detached crop parts.

Abstract: The apparatus for harvesting crops, particularly seed crops, comprises a mobile support structure 20 and a crop stripping device in the form of a rotor 30, which may be attached to height adjustable arms and is driven by drive means 22. The rotor 30 carries transverse rows of crop engaging elements 32 comprising loosening beaters and/or combing teeth. The drive to the rotor is so arranged that during forward movement of the apparatus the crop engaging elements 32 are propelled progressively through the crop, moving upwards at the front region. Seeds and other plant parts detached by the action of the rotor are impelled into a crop flow passage 27 under a crop guide cover 21. A transverse auger 83 transfers the detached material into a duct 84 where an elevator 85 moves it over a screen 86 for separation of the seeds. The coarse crop material is directed for further processing to recover remaining seeds.

Abstract: In a row crop harvester a rotor 11 has rows of crop engaging elements 15 extending transversely across the direction of forward travel of the machine, the elements being aligned with the rows to be harvested. Each element has inwardly converging side edges for gathering the crop of a row and for detaching required crop parts which are impelled in a high-speed stream upwardly and rearwardly over the rotor beneath a hood 18. At the junction of each inwardly converging pair of edges a space 21 is provided for stripping crop and releasing stripped stems. Preferably the space 21 is a relief space having re-entrant edges 20 for stripping forwardly facing parts of the crop.

Abstract: The apparatus for harvesting crops, particularly seed crops, comprises a mobile support structure (20) and a crop stripping device in the form of a rotor (30), which may be attached to height adjustable arms and is driven by drive means (22). The rotor (30) carries transverse rows of crop stripping elements (1) which may be combined with transverse ribs. The crop stripping elements have prominent leading edges, for example each formed at the junction between two faces which are acutely inclined with respect to each other. The drive to the rotor is so arranged that during forward movement of the apparatus the crop engaging elements (32) are propelled progressively through the crop, moving upwards at the front region. Seeds and other plant parts detached by the action of the rotor are impelled into a crop flow passage (27) under a crop guide cover (21). A transverse auger (83) transfers the detached material into a duct (84) where an elevator (85) moves it over a screen (86) for separation of the seeds.

Abstract: An apparatus for harvesting crop including a rotor (11) mounted on a movable frame (12) and carrying a succession of transverse combs (14) each formed of an array of outwardly projecting teeth (15) traverse to the direction of movement of the apparatus through the crop. Each tooth (15) is pointed with side edges diverging away from the distal tip of the tooth. The rotor rotates in the overshot mode and the combs intrude into the crop and gather crop stems between adjacent pairs of teeth and detach grain and grain heads, or other required crop parts, by rubbing or breaking the parts free from the stems. The junction of adjacent teeth (15) preferably has an enlarged aperture (21) to assist striping and to allow withdrawal of striped stems. In other embodiments, the teeth may be replaced by a brush-like structure or by rods or other crop engaging elements, backed by plain transverse ribs for collecting and conveying detached crop parts.

Abstract: In a compression device 100 (FIG. 1), two shafts 4,6 carry double lobed packers 5,101 which force crop through a throat formed by static elements 7,8 into a chamber 9. The packers are intermeshed and angularly displaced around their shafts to reduce the driving torque of the device.

Abstract: In a row crop harvester a rotor 11 has rows of crop engaging elements 15 extending transversely across the direction of forward travel of the machine, the elements being aligned with the rows to be harvested. Each element has inwardly converging side edges for gathering the crop of a row and for detaching required crop parts which are impelled in a high-speed stream upwardly and rearwardly over the rotor beneath a hood 18. At the junction of each inwardly converging pair of edges a space 21 is provided for stripping crop and releasing stripped stems. Preferably the space 21 is a relief space having re-entrant edges 20 for stripping forwardly facing parts of the crop.

Abstract: For forming fibrous crop or like materials into self-supporting products, an apparatus comprising first and second compression members arranged so that opposed closing faces of the compression members co-operate to define the principal pressure-generating surfaces of a compression space for a charge of the material, protrusions extending from one or both of said opposed faces being effective to define walls of the compression space, and drive means operative to reduce the distance between the opposed faces of the two compression members until there is minimal separation of the two members in the vicinity of the leading edges of the protrusions.

Abstract: Apparatus for harvesting crop comprises a rotor (11) mounted on a mobile frame (12) and carries a succession of transverse combs (14) each formed of an array of outwardly projecting teeth (15) transverse to the direction of movement of the apparatus through the crop. Each tooth (15) is pointed with side edges diverging away from the distal tip of the tooth. The rotor rotates in the overshot mode and the combs intrude into the crop and gather crop stems between adjacent pairs of teeth and detach grain and grain heads, or other required crop parts, by rubbing or breaking the parts free from the stems. The junction of adjacent teeth (15) preferably has an enlarged aperture (21) to assist stripping and to allow withdrawal of stripped stems. In other arrangements the teeth may be replaced by a brush-like structure or by rods or other crop engaging elements, backed by plain transverse ribs for collecting and conveying detached crop parts.

Abstract: A dead-ended baler in which the bale chamber diverges in the overall direction of crop flow through the chamber, the overall divergence of the rear section of the bale chamber preferably being greater than the overall divergence of the preceding section of the bale chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus for picking up and conveying crop has a high-speed rotor 21 mounted on a mobile frame 50 for movement over the ground to pick up previously cut crop. A hood 54 extends around part of the front of the rotor and moves relative to the frame in response to the crop to effect automatic adjustment of the clearance. Heavy unwanted objects, whether metallic or non-metallic, are detected by an impact detector 25A. Metallic objects (whether large or small) are detected by an electromagnetic detector 25B. The detectors are positioned in various alternative locations, either on the moving hood, or on static portions of the frame.

Abstract: A crop engaging device for conveying and/or treating crop comprises a support means and a plurality of outwardly extending crop engaging elements. The support means may comprise a rotor with the crop engaging elements extending outwardly from the rotor center, or a stationary supporting plate with outwardly extending elements which protrude into a flow of crop driven by other means. An array of crop engaging elements is attached to a transverse support bar which is substantially transverse to the principal direction of crop flow. All the elements in the array are inclined at the same angle to the transverse support bar. Elements of succeeding bars may be inclined in opposite directions to each other or inclined in the same direction. The device finds use in crop conditioning apparatus, crop pick-up and conveying apparatus, particularly where an alignment effect is required, and grain threshing apparatus.

Abstract: A crop engaging device for conveying and/or treating crop comprises a support and a plurality of crop engaging elements extending outwardly from the base. The device may be a stationary array of elements protruding into a crop flow, or a rotor which may be driven to convey or retard crop, or may be freely rotating. The crop engaging elements may be outwardly extending fins, or transversely extending ribs, or discs perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The crop engaging elements may have specified yielding characteristics, being yieldable in a preferred direction and being yieldable predominantly at a region spaced from the outer tip. Each fin may be inclined relative to the direction of crop flow to impart lateral movement to the crop. Two cooperating rotors may have crop engaging elements which intermesh so that ribs or discs on one rotor press crop onto sharp tips of brushes or fins on the other rotor to condition the crop. Transverse ribs may be radially sprung to avoid damage.

Abstract: A crop engaging rotor for conveying and/or conditioning or otherwise treating crop comprises support members 12 and a plurality of outwardly extending crop engaging elements 11. Each crop engaging element 11 is made of stiff resilient synthetic plastics material and forms two outwardly extending arms 21 and 22 generally in a V-shape. The element 11 is secured to a flange 14 or 14A of a transverse mounting bar 12 which forms part of the rotor. The arms 21 and 22 are yieldable to move rearwardly under excess load conditions by a rocking movement about the bolt 23. The element 11 is prevented from rotating about the bolt 23 by abutment of the leading edge surfaces of the arms 21 and 22 against the inner surface of the upstanding portion 14A of the member 12, by abutment of the base of the element 11 against the base flange 14 of the member 12.

Abstract: Apparatus for picking up and conveying crop comprises a horizontal rotor driven from the top of a tractor in a sense such as to pick up crop and carry the crop upwardly and rearwardly over the rotor. The rotor comprises a main support structure and outwardly extending crop engaging elements formed of stiff resilient non-metallic material and arranged to be yieldable along the general direction of crop flow. The yielding can be due to the material of the elements or a separate biasing element, or both. Each crop engaging element is an outwardly extending fin-like element having a principal plane perpendicular to the direction of crop flow, having an outward length greater than its width transverse to the crop flow, and having side edges which converge towards each other in the outward direction. Preferably the shape includes or consists of a triangle the apex of which is truncated.

Abstract: A crop engaging device for conveying and/or treating crop comprises a support means and a plurality of outwardly extending crop engaging elements. The support means may comprise a rotor with the crop engaging elements extending outwardly from the rotor center, or a stationary supporting plate with outwardly extending elements which protrude into a flow of crop driven by other means. An array of crop engaging elements is attached to a transverse support bar which is substantially transverse to the principal direction of crop flow. All the elements in the array are inclined at the same angle to the transverse support bar. Elements of succeeding bars may be inclined in opposite directions to each other or inclined in the same direction. The device finds use in crop conditioning apparatus, crop pick-up and conveying apparatus, particularly where an alignment effect is required, and grain threshing apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus for picking up cut crop from the ground or from a mower comprises a rotor driven so that the rotor picks up crop and carries the crop upwardly and rearwardly over the rotor. A hood extends over the front of the rotor and defines therewith a crop flow passage along which the crop is conveyed by the rotor. The hood is pivotally mounted by arms to side plates of the frame, and is movable along a predetermined path which is eccentric relative to the axis of the rotor. The hood is movable in response to and by the effect of the crop to effect automatic adjustment of the clearance at the entrance to the crop flow passage. An increased crop load moves the hood upwardly and rearwardly against the effect of gravity and optionally against a biasing spring. In other examples, only a front portion of the hood moves, and this may comprise a transverse roller suspended on a hinge above the entrance to the crop flow passage.