Abstract: A crop harvesting machine is provided having a crop feeder device that is movable through various heights via manipulation of first hydraulic cylinders. A crop gathering attachment is mounted onto a front side of the crop feeder device. A crop gathering attachment is provided having fixed height sensors that measure a distance of the attachment above the ground. A second hydraulic cylinder is provided between the crop feeder device and the crop gathering attachment to control the angle of tilt of the crop gathering attachment relative to the crop feeder device. The angle of tilt is measured by a tilt sensor. A controller is connected to the sensors and provides output to the cylinders to control the machine height and angle of tilt.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for forage processing, in order to accelerate its drying process, mown stalk material is fed to rotating pressing elements (7, 7a, 7b), which consolidate the stalk material into a mat of stalk material. In order to produce an inherently stable mat of stalk material, the thickness and density of said mat are to be held constant, independent of the quantity of stalk material supplied by a mowing or collecting means (1), and the forage constituents within the mat are to be better mixed. To this end, the volume of stalk material fed to the pressing means (7) and a conveying speed of the pressing elements (7a and 7b) are continuously transmitted to a control means (20) as measured values, and on the basis of these parameters the conveying speed is reduced by means of the control means (20) in the case of a small quantity of stalk material accumulating (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A method and mechanism for harvesting standing crops for a combine such as rows on corn of sunflowers including flattening the stalks and removing the tops, first encountering the stalks with leading separating devices fashioned as ships for separating the crop plants arranged in rows, engaging the stalks with a rotary shaft and with a draw-in drum having dogs on the surface, engaging the plants with a reaper element and then with a deflection shaft all for flattening the plants and removing the tops and conveying the tops laterally inwardly with an auger to pass to a conveying channel to be transported to a harvesting combine.

Abstract: A mowing machine adapted to be towed by and in laterally displaced relation to a tractor. The mowing machine has an undercarriage frame and a cross beam to which a plurality of cutting tools are mounted for rotation about vertical axex. Cutter blades are connected to the lower ends of the cutting tools. The cutting machine is connected to the tractor by means of a pivotable tractor hitch and the cutting tools are driven by a drive shaft interconnecting a power take-off shaft of the towing tractor and a gear box on the cross beam. The gear box is pivotally mounted on a middle part of the cross beam and the drive shaft is connected with the gear box by means of a support joint having forked parts pivotally interconnected on a horizontal axis.

Abstract: A rotary mower with at least one rotary cutter unit rotated on a vertical axis by means of a drive shaft which has a first bearing hub secured to its lower end. A cutter disc is secured to the first bearing hub and a second bearing hub is coaxially and rotatably mounted on the first bearing hub. A rigid intermediate disc is secured to the second bearing hub so as to be disposed beneath the cutter disc. A skid disc on a third bearing hub is disposed coaxially beneath the intermediate disc in such a way that its central portion can be axially adjusted by means of an adjustment device to change the height of cut. The skid disc is elastically flexible with its outer rim engaging the outer rim of the intermediate disc in all positions of height adjustment.

Abstract: An adjustable length upper guide member for the hitch attachment of a tractor has an outer tubular guide element within which is telescopingly positioned an inner guide element so as to be relatively displaceable thereto. A housing on the outer guide element has a pair of jaws pivotally mounted therein and the jaws each have first arms which are engageable with annular grooves on the inner guide element and second arms which form actuating cams facing each other. An operating lever has an eccentric portion within the housing and one side of the eccentric portion is engageable against the housing and the other side of the eccentric portion engageable with the actuating cams so that pivoting of the lever causes the eccentric portion to act upon the cams and pivot the jaws to a disengaged position. A support lever is pivotally connected to the operating lever so as to support the operating lever in the position in which the jaws are disengaged.