Abstract: A header flotation mechanism for a hay harvesting machine having a header is disclosed wherein a first flotation mechanism floatingly supports a first header section from the frame of the harvester and a second flotation mechanism floatingly suspends a second header section from the first header section. A pair of intermeshing conditioning rolls is mounted in the first header section, while a reel and a cutterbar are mounted in the second header section. The second header section is connected to the first header section by upward and lower links, the lower links having first and second stops to limit the amount of vertical movement of the second header section relative to the first header section. The header lift mechanism is operatively associated with the linkage mechanism interconnecting the frame of the harvester in the first header section and is operable to raise both header sections.

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: Standing crops severed by sickle mechanism at the leading edge of the machine are swept upwardly and rearwardly along a platform by a rotating reel to a lower, center-gathering auger and an upper, spaced distributing auger that converge the materials centrally and distribute them evenly across a discharge opening ahead of rearwardly positioned conditioning rolls. As severed materials pass through the machine, the flow is gently and progressively converged vertically due to the distances between the reel and the underlying platform, the two augers, and the conditioning rolls becoming progressively smaller.

Abstract: A forage or picking harvester unit includes a cylindrical cutter followed by an impeller fan with a crushing device in the path between the cutter and the fan. In the cylindrical cutter, the cutting wheel shaft is arranged perpendicularly relative to the shaft of the impeller fan. The crushing device is formed of crushing rollers with the roller axes extending parallel to the cutting wheel shaft. The crushing rollers are positioned in the path of the material flowing from the cylindrical cutter into the impeller fan. The circumferential surfaces of the crushing rollers are fluted in the direction parallel to the roller axes. The fluted surfaces form alternating teeth and recesses so that the circumferential surfaces of the crushing rollers can intermesh.

Abstract: A processing apparatus for agricultural stalk-shaped products, and wherein the products are adapted to be formed into a stream of products following cutting thereof from the ground, includes a rotatably driven conveyor element with a plurality of approximately radially outwardly extending conveyor tools separated from one another by gaps, and operatively defining a trajectory, a guidance element defining a plurality of openings, cooperating with the conveyor element for guiding the products, and forming with the conveyor element a guidance channel extending transversely to the stream of products, and wherein the guidance element intersects the trajectory near the front end and near the rear end of the guidance channel, so that the conveyor tools project at least partially outwardly through corresponding openings in the guidance element.

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 fodder conditioner, also known as a fodder squeezer, includes at least two horizontal rotating rollers, kinematic and constructional devices for securing the rollers in a mutual substantially parallel relationship, spaced apart at preset positions with respect to each other and to the ground, and a motor kinetically coupled to the rollers. At least one of the rollers is formed from an elastomeric material such as rubber, is of hollow construction, and is secured, mechanically and in an air-tight manner, to a shaft extending coaxially with the rotation axis of the rollers, with the two ends of the shaft protruding out of the roller ends.

Abstract: A mowing device comprises a frame movable across a field and a cutter bar carried by said frame and having a plurality of cutting members rotatably driven about standing shafts through a transmission housed in said bar, said frame being adapted to accommodate crop crushing means at a higher level than the cutter bar, wherein a common main drive rotates one of the outermost cutting members and, if necessary, the crushing means through an intermediate drive arranged in a rotating drum on top of said outermost cutting member.In order to limit the disadvantage of crop winding around the drum at low numbers of revolution and to minimize the imbalance of fast rotating cutting members the drum of the mowing device is constructed in the form of two coaxial, aligned drum parts, between which a gap-shaped space is left free.

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: Roll opening apparatus for separating the crop conditioning rolls of a mower conditioner is presented. The mower conditioner is of the type wherein a wheel supported main frame has mounted thereto by pivotal linkage a transversely disposed header having a sickle spanning its forward edge, a rotary reel for rearwardly sweeping the crop cuttings across a platform, and an auger at the rear of the platform for delivering the crop cuttings to the nip of a pair of laterally extending upper and lower crop conditioning rolls. The lower conditioning roll is rotatably mounted to the header on a fixed axis. The upper conditioning roll is mounted on lever arms pivoted to the header and biased by tension springs to an operating position adjacent the lower roll. Each lever arm is fitted with a hydraulic cylinder mounted so that extension of its piston causes the upper conditioning roll to open against the force of the tension springs.

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: In apparatus for conditioning crops such as grass, one or more conditioning devices engage crop passing through a passage and condition the crop by relative movement between the conditioning device and the crop. Preferably each conditioning device is a brush having a multiplicity of stiff, resilient, elongated elements which are yieldable in more than one plane in response to engagement by the crop by bending of the elements. One brush may form a rotary conveying device for conveying crop through the passage, and another brush may accelerate or retard the crop relative to the first brush. The second brush may be stationary or may be another rotary brush. The conditioning apparatus may be mobile or stationary, and when mobile may include cutting means for cutting crop to be conditioned.

Abstract: A linkage for equalizing the biasing forces exerted on the opposing transverse ends of the upper conditioning roll in a mower-conditioner is disclosed wherein a separate torsion bar is utilized to bias each respective end of the upper conditioning roll toward the lower conditioning roll, each torsion bar being connected to a biasing force equalization member for equalizing the pressure exerted on the opposing transverse ends of the upper conditioning roll. The equalization member includes a pair of arms interconnected by a trunnion to permit a limited relative movement between the two arms to accommodate differences in manufacturing tolerances in the torsion bars. An adjustment crank is connected to the trunnion to effect a selective simultaneous movement of the arms to vary the roll pressure.

Abstract: A mower-conditioner having a pair of rotatable conditioning rolls cooperable to condition severed crop material passing therebetween is disclosed wherein the bearings rotatably supporting each conditioning roll are recessed into the end of the conditioning roll. The recessed bearings are mounted within a cup-shaped housing, the conditioning roll drive shaft being affixed to a support plate recessed from the end of the conditioning roll to permit the recessed mounting of the bearings. Hexagonal bore bearings and short throated clamp yokes are utilized to eliminate the need for locking devices and minimize the overall transverse width of the mower-conditioner. Timing flanges to permit a timed intermeshing relationship between the conditioning rolls is formed as a part of the conditioning roll drive shaft.

Abstract: A disc mower-conditioner having rotatable disc cutter units for severing standing crop material by impact action and a rotatable conditioning mechanism disposed rearwardly of the disc cutters to condition severed crop material is disclosed wherein a hat-shaped baffle is disposed above the disc cutters to restrict the movement of light crop material above the disc cutters and assist the feeding of crop material into the conditioning mechanism. The light hay baffle extends transversely and is mounted on opposing side sheets of the disc mower-conditioner. The light hay baffle includes an upper section having forwardly and rearwardly sloped portions meeting in an upper apex and a lower section having a generally planar horizontal portion and an upwardly sloping portion connected to the upper section. This baffle construction restricts the air turbulence caused by rotation of the disc cutters and conditioning mechanism and prevents material from accumulating on top of the baffle.

Abstract: A crop cutting and conditioning apparatus has two vertical axis rotary drum cutters 13, each having an upper rotor with a crop conveying surface 19 and a lower rotor carrying knives 21. Gears drive the upper and lower rotors at different peripheral velocities. The lower rotor has an annular rim 18 having an upper surface shaped to continue the outline of the conveying surface 19. The knives 21 protrude outwardly from beneath the rim 18 and rotate with the rim. The upper rotor has conditioning elements comprising brushes 35 (or sheets of plastics material), for conveying crop and conditioning crop by relative movement between the brushes and the crop. The outer tips of the brushes 35 (or the edges of the sheet or rib-like elements) lie along one or more helical or part helical paths around the rotor axis. Preferably the lower end of each helix leads during the rotation so as to exert a lifting action on crop engaged by the rotors.

Abstract: Two cooperating rotors are mounted for counter rotation about parallel axes for passage of crop between the rotors. At least one rotor has stiff, resilient, outwardly directed crop engaging elements having sharp tips on the outer ends for treating crop. The rotors rotate with the outer perimeters of the rotors overlapping and with regular inter-meshing of crop engaging elements on one rotor with crop engaging elements on the other rotor. Crop engaging elements of one rotor press crop into gaps between crop engaging elements on the other rotor so that the crop is laid across the sharp tips of the elements to treat the crop by a spiking action. The crop engaging elements may be outwardly extending fins, or transversely extending ribs of 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.

Abstract: A disc mower-conditioner having a disc cutterbar provided with transversely spaced rotatable cutter units operable to sever standing crop material by impact action and a flexible curtain extending around the perimeter of the disc cutterbar is disclosed wherein a transverse deflector panel is supported by the mower-conditioner frame between the disc cutterbar and the flexible curtain to restrict the movement of the forward transverse portion of the flexible curtain toward the cutterbar. The deflector panel is pivotally mounted for fore-and-aft movement about a generally transverse axis and has sufficient mass to resist movement of the curtain induced by an air flow created by rotation of the disc cutters. The deflector panel includes a lower curved portion to facilitate the passage of crop material therebeneath for presentation to the disc cutterbar.

Abstract: A satellite mower-conditioner comprising a frame, a pair of rotary members mounted on the frame and rotatable about generally upright axes with each rotary member having mounted thereon for rotation therewith a plurality of rotary cutter units rotatable also about respective generally upright axes offset from the rotational axis of the rotary member, two sets of tines stationarily mounted on the frame and associated with the respective rotary members such that the tines of one set define, generally between the rotary members, an angle with the corresponding tines of the other set, and at least two additional sets of tines mounted for rotation with the respective rotary members.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hay conditioner of basically typical construction in which the improvement lies in adjustable stop means for use in setting and varying the clearance between the upper and lower conditioning rolls. There is provided at each side of the machine a means including a lever arm disposed below a support for the upper roll and pivoted at one end on the adjacent side of the machine frame, the other end being connected to a screw-threaded adjustment link effective to elevate the lever for engagement with the upper roll support and thus to selectively limit downward movement of the upper roll under action of the usual biasing means. Thus, the upper roll is free to move upwardly in response to crops passing between the rolls, but its downward movement is limited to the stopped position selected by the adjustment link. The link extends upwardly to a free end that is easily accessible to receive a force-applying tool.

Abstract: A crop cutting apparatus has two vertical axis rotary drum cutters 13, each having an upper rotor with a crop conveying surface 19 and a lower rotor carrying knives 21. Gears drive the upper and lower rotors at different angular velocities. The lower rotor has an annular rim 18 having an upper surface shaped to continue the outline of the conveying surface 19. The knives 21 protrude outwardly from beneath the rim 18 and rotate with the rim. A wiper brush 34 mounted on the conveying surface 19 projects outwardly over the rim 18 for lifting and transferring crop to the surface 19. The upper rotor may have conditioning brushes 35 for conveying crop and conditioning crop by relative movement between the brushes and the crop. The upper and lower rotors may be rotated in opposite senses to effect at least partial shear cutting.

Abstract: A rotative plant material squeezing and shear force cell rupturing machine having a plurality of rollers, each with lobes and grooves intermeshing with the lobes and grooves of other rollers; the lobes and grooves may be either radial or axial irregularities of the rollers. By adjustment of roller spacing material processing may be varied from slight squeezing and shear fracture of the cells to almost total pulverization of the plant material.

Abstract: An improvement in mower-conditioners for forage crops such as hay, in which a pair of ribbed rollers is used to crimp the stems of the crop passing between, to promote drying of the crop.The improvement comprises the use of additional pairs of ribbed rollers, synchronized such that each additional pair of rollers positioned to crimp the crop stems at a different point from the preceding pairs.

Abstract: A mower conditioner having a conditioning rotor (22) which is supported at its ends in bearing units (51) that are secured to side support walls (24) by releasable fastening means (56) including a pair of coaxial fasteners defining an axis (68), parallel to that of the rotor axis (23), about which the bearing units (51) and rotor (22) can swing downwards until the rotor (22) contacts the ground, thereby facilitating removal and re-attachment of the conditioning rotor (22). The rotor axis and axis of the fasteners may lie in a plane that is inclined upwards and rearwards from the ground. The rotor (22) may be driven at one end by a spindle (81) that is axially disengageable from the rotor. The spindle (81) may be driven by a chain drive mechanism (71, 76) including an intermediate double ring sprocket (73) that is reversible on its shaft (86) to allow two drive ratios to be selected.

Abstract: The preferred and illustrated embodiment of this disclosure sets forth a harvesting device for stalk crops such as sweet sorghum or sugar cane. The apparatus incorporates a pair of spaced counter-rotating cutter blades which include cutters or splines which pinch the stalks at many places to feed the stalks. They feed the stalks toward an extraction drum. The extraction drum crushes the stalks cooperative with a pair of counter-rotating rollers. This squeezes the recoverable liquid and pulp from the stalk, and that flows downwardly into the bottom of the apparatus where a container collects it and it is subsequently removed. The dry, broken pieces of the stalks are then fed out of the apparatus into a chopper and then into a large centrifial blower which blows the pulp and chopped pieces away from the apparatus.

Abstract: In apparatus for conditioning crops such as grass, one or more conditioning devices engage crop passing through a passage and condition the crop by relative movement between the conditioning device and the crop. Preferably each conditioning device is a brush having a multiplicity of stiff, resilient, elongated elements which are yieldable in more than one plane in response to engagement by the crop by bending of the elements. One brush may form a rotary conveying device for conveying crop through the passage, and another brush may accelerate or retard the crop relative to the first brush. The second brush may be stationary or may be another rotary brush. The conditioning apparatus may be mobile or stationary, and when mobile may include cutting means for cutting crop to be conditioned.

Abstract: A cooperative roll hay conditioner in which the rolls are pneumatic tired wheels and one of the pneumatic tired wheels is snuggly surrounded by a steel cage to effect the crimping of harvested hay as the hay passes between the cooperative pneumatic tired wheels.

Abstract: A crop harvesting machine having a disc cutterbar is disclosed wherein the shields covering each individual disc cutter unit are connected to a transverse rotatable shaft so that the shields can be pivotally moved between a lowered operative position immediately above the disc cutter unit and a raised inoperative position, wherein convenient access can be had to the disc cutterbar for service and maintenance thereof. The shields are connected to the shaft by mounting tabs having a downwardly depending leg that engages a stop on the header frame to prevent the shields from lowering into a position that would interfere with the rotative operation of the disc cutters. A spring-loaded pin and bracket control mechanism is also provided to selectively lock the shields in either the lowered or raised position by controlling the rotative position of the shaft.

Abstract: A frame assembly mounted in the windrow discharge area on a swather or windrower on which a plurality of vertical assemblies, are mounted thereto. On these assemblies are mounted fraying and cutting blades. These blades are operated at a required speed to fray and distort the tips of the stubble and/or cut and reduce the length of the straw of the standing stubble so as to ensure that the supportive strength of the straw is not exceeded by the weight of the swath or windrow placed upon it. This will eliminate any distortion or buckling of the remaining conditioned standing stubble straws. A windrow delivery plate is mounted on the swather frame assembly within the windrow discharge area. This plate assures delivery of the windrowed material onto the swath support fingers which effect a gradual release of the windrowed material onto the remaining standing frayed and conditioned stubble directly behind the frayer conditioners track of travel in the field.

Abstract: A crop crushing device has two crushing members rotating about substantially parallel rotary axes. One crushing member has a plurality of fillets extending substantially in the direction of the length of the crushing member and arranged at equal intervals around the circumference of this crushing member. The other crushing member is provided with flexible wings extending outwardly away from the rotary axis.

Abstract: A mower-conditioner for cutting and conditioning grass or other fodder comprises in combination a housing accommodating a cutting device (for example a bottom-driven disc-type rotary scythe device or a reciprocating cutter bar device) and a first conditioning device (for example a flail drum rotating about a horizontal axis and provided with pivotally-mounted flails), and a second conditioning device (for example a belt-driven fluted drum). The said first and second devices have at least one element (for example the said flail drum and driving belts or the like) in common. There are combs and grids to act on the cut fodder, and the mower-conditioner is readily adjustable for the treatment or production of different kinds of fodder.

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 crop harvesting machine is disclosed wherein a crop engaging reel is mounted forwardly of a disc-type cutterbar so as to pick up downed crop material and to pull it rearwardly over the cutterbar toward a crop conditioner. The cutterbar includes a plurality of bottom driven rotary disc cutter units and an individually removable arcuate shield over each disc cutter unit partially forming a floor to aid the reel in conveying the severed crop material to the crop conditioner and to prevent the cutterbar from recutting the crop once initially severed from the ground. The shields are positioned so that only the cutter blade projects beyond the forward peripheral edge thereof to sever crop material from the ground.

Abstract: In a mowing device comprising besides cutting members also a rotor having catches which crush the cut crop, the crushing effect is increased by providing ballast at the free ends of the catches along the arcs of a circle of the catches.

Abstract: Apparatus in a crop roll forming machine for collecting particles of crop material lost from either the crop package or loose crop material during the roll formation process consisting of a collection pan, a horizontal collecting auger, an elevated delivery auger, intermeshing bevel gears, drive means and a discharge chute. The particles are recycled from the collection pan back into the roll forming region by the cooperative interaction of the horizontal collecting auger and the elevated delivery auger so that the crop material particles are directed out of the discharge chute and downwardly into the forwardmost portion of the bale forming region where the upper bale forming means works to include the particles in the crop roll being formed.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for treating agricultural products to enhance drying of the products by macerating the products and then forming the macerated products into a mat. The agricultural products, such as forage products and more particularly hay, are macerated by passing the products between two cylindrical rollers rotating in opposite directions at different speeds. The macerated products are then formed into a mat, if desired, by conveying the products between conveyor belts to a matting roller adjacent to one of the conveyor belts. The thus formed mat of macerated material permits drying of the products within a few hours.

Abstract: A seed corn detasseling apparatus has a mounting base extending across the front of a wheeled vehicle, and three evenly spaced parallelogram linkages are vertically adjustable by separate hydraulic cylinders. A tool bar at the front of each linkage carries two laterally adjustable detasseling heads. Each head consists of a supporting frame the front of which forms an inverted V-shaped guide; and a forwardly and downwardly extending guide frame on the supporting frame cooperates with the inverted V-guide to guide upper leaves and tassels of corn plants between a pair of positively driven longitudinal rollers which are slightly spaced at the front and converge toward the rear. The rollers have short lands and grooves, with the grooves of one roller confronting the lands of the other roller. Tassels are pulled with practically no permanent damage to the upper leaves.

Abstract: A rotary lawnmower of the hovering air cushion type, or of conventional design, is provided with a grass clearing plate which is preferably mounted on the front of the mower and projects a distance therefrom whereby a part of the mower housing and the grass clearing plate together provide a loading surface for the cut grass. The mowing and cut grass clearing operations occur at the same time, thus eliminating a separate after treatment of the cut lawn.

Abstract: A tractor drawn and powered impeller mower-conditioner includes a transverse disk type cutter bar. An impeller rotor with free swinging flails is mounted above and slightly to the rear of the cutter bar with its axis of rotation parallel to the cutter bar. A transversely extending concave conditioning plate conforms closely to the forward upper quadrant of the rotor. A hood covers the rotor and conditioning plate and includes a forward portion which serves in part as safety shielding and a rearwardly extending crop deflecting and windrow forming portion. The rotor is disposed and rotated so that the flails intercept cut material delivered rearwardly by the cutter bar and carry it inside the hood up and over the rotor through the confined space or conditioning zone between the rotor flails and the conditioning plate and discharge it rearwardly. In its passage through the conditioning zone, the crop material is bruised or conditioned in such a way that its rate of drying in the window is accelerated.

Abstract: A hay conditioner is provided with a crop deflecting baffle having an operative position for deflecting crops for deposit in a swath. Rearwardly converging deflector vanes are mounted on the baffle, preferably about halfway respectively between the transverse edges of the baffle and the center of the crop stream. Preferably, the angle of convergence of the vanes is less than that of the fixed side deflectors of the preferred windrowing apparatus.

Abstract: A twin sickle drive system for a crop harvesting machine is disclosed wherein universal rotary input shafts are connected to each end of the upper conditioning roll to transfer rotational forces therefrom to individual wobble drive units situated along the outside of the machine to either side of the crop conditioning unit. Each wobble drive unit is connected to a drive shaft which transmits reciprocating motion to the sickle bar located adjacent that respective side of the machine.

Abstract: A hay conditioner is provided with a crop deflecting baffle having a raised inoperative position and a lowered operating position for deflecting crop downwardly for deposit in a swath. The baffle position control includes a transverse rod having chains attached to its periphery and to the baffle, a ratchet and pawl for holding the rod against the force of gravity, and a handle selectively engageable for rotating the ratchet.

Abstract: The invention seeks to improve the versatility of mower-conditioners by providing a single machine which can produce a relatively confined windrow of cut crop or a relatively scattered windrow for fast drying of the crop and without the need for a separate tedding operation. In accordance with the invention a mower-conditioner comprises mower means for cutting standing crop, rotary crop conditioner and spreader means located rearwardly of the mower means for operating on the cut crop, fixed deflector means positioned rearwardly of the crop conditioner and spreader means and further deflector means movable between first and second positions relative to the fixed deflector means, the fixed and movable deflector means being operable in one position of the movable deflector means to form a windrow of the crop discharged from the crop conditioner and spreader means and in the other position of the movable deflector means to allow the crop conditioner and spreader means to widely spread the cut crop.

Abstract: A machine for cutting and conditioning forage comprises a main frame having, pivotally connected thereto, a cutter platform carrying a cutter bar and two counter-rotating transverse rolls for crushing the forage cut by the cutter bar; the cutter platform is attached at each side to the main frame by an upper side arm and a lower side arm the latter being a hydraulic actuator, the arrangement being such that when the hydraulic actuators are extended from the fully retracted position the upper side arms first turn about their pivots, allowing preliminary forward movement of the cutter platform with respect to the main frame, before they meet respective abutments which prevent further movement, whereupon the cutter platform turns about the pivots fixing it to the upper side arms and is raised from the ground.

Abstract: A self-propelled windrower having a crop cutting header mounted forwardly thereof by a pair of laterally spaced lower suspension links and an upper centrally located stabilizing link, is provided with lifting linkages including upper lift arms mounted on the frame and lifting links interconnecting the lift arms and the lower suspension links wherein the upper lift arms are actuated by hydraulic cylinders connected hydraulically in a master-slave relationship, the rod end of the cylinders being connected to the lift arms through axially acting lost motion connections. Stops are provided to limit the upward motion of the lift arms at the transport position thereby rendering the lost motion connections ineffective.

Abstract: A tractor drawn and powered impeller mower-conditioner includes a transverse cutter assembly comprising a series of side-by-side rotating cutting disks. An impeller rotor with free-swinging flails is mounted above and slightly to the rear of the cutter bar with its axis of rotation parallel to the cutter assembly. A hood over the rotor includes a confining forward conditioning plate conforming fairly closely to the rotor periphery to form a conditioning zone and a rearwardly extending deflecting and windrow forming portion. The rotor is disposed and rotated so that the flails intercept cut material delivered rearwardly by the cutter assembly and carry it inside the hood up and over the rotor through the conditioning zone to be discharged rearwardly into a windrow.

Abstract: The disclosure is of a mower-conditioner comprising a cutting mechanism and a conditioning mechanism, the said machine being hitched laterally beside a tractor, preferably beside one of its rear wheels, and comprising at the same time a post connected on the one hand to a double-output control box fixed to the said wall and on the other to the bearing of an input pulley and a tube permitting the machine to oscillate about an axis oriented substantially according to the direction of travel of the machine, the said tube constituting its device for hitching in the working position, and the afore-mentioned post extending parallel with the wall of the conditioning passage nearer to the tractor.

Abstract: The disclosure is of a mower-conditioner comprising a cutting mechanism with discs driven from beneath and a conditioning mechanism extending in a conditioning passage the width of which is less than the cutting width, the discs situated outside the zone in which the conditioning mechanism extends being provided respectively with a truncated cone intended to separate the standing fodder from the cut fodder, each of these truncated cones being respectively surmounted by a fixed deflector the flank of which extends at the same time upwards and towards the interior of the conditioning passage, said deflector being connected to the front edge of the said conditioning passage in a smoothly continuous manner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a harvesting machine such as a mower-conditioner and comprises a header with a subframe, the subframe comprising a transverse upperbeam, opposed downwardly-extending legs connected thereto, and a lower transverse beam interconnecting and extending between the legs; the upper and lower beams and the legs together forming a rigid, generally rectangular structure. The header further also comprises at least one rotatable cutter unit having a mounting shaft detachably mounted between the upper and lower beams at a location inbetween the legs.