Cnh America LLC

New Holland North America, Inc.

Faulring Mechanical Devices, Inc.

Morning Star Company

Charles H Hoffman

Robert L Fackler

Douglas R Otto

Richard Paul Strosser

Kenneth W McLean

Mark K Chow

Thomas L Stiefvater

Larry W Miller

David A Hess

Philip J Ehrhart

James T Clevenger, Jr

Melanie W Harkcom

Robert L Rice

Donald L Osborne

David Michael DeChristopher

Frank W Faulring

J T Clevenger, Jr

Chad S Lookabill

Stephen V Paulin

Foliage separator for a transplanter, and more particularly an apparatus for separating the foliage of adjacent rows of seedlings which are grown in trays having a plurality of side-by side rows of seedling cells. The foliage separator includes a rotating beater bar, the beater bar being positioned at an angle with a progressive taper, the beater bar being mounted for movement with a carriage which carries a subassembly for picking up an entire row of seedlings from a nursery tray and positioning them for hand-off to a seedling loader group. An air knife may be mounted on the same carriage, the air knife facilitating separation by keeping the seedling foliage and stems up and helping the beater bar enter between adjacent rows.

Foliage separator for a transplanter

A control system for the header flotation and lift hydraulics of an agricultural windrower that manages the effective and efficient removal of the header.

System for removal of agricultural header

An apparatus and method for varying the speed of a reel versus ground speed of an agricultural windrower, wherein a programmable control module in connection with a signal operated device operable for controlling operation of the reel, is programmed to operate in an automatic mode to control the reel speed as a percentage of the ground speed, while preventing the reel speed from falling below a minimum value.

Apparatus and method to vary the reel speed versus ground speed of an agricultural windrower

A system and method for managing the electrical control system of a header flotation and lift system of an agricultural harvesting machine, particularly one using only once fluid cylinder in connection with each respective side of the header, which system and method, in addition to executing header raise and lower commands, provides several automatically executable operating modes for the flotation and lift system, including a wake-up mode; a normal mode, which can include float; a charge accumulator mode; a transport mode; and a header remove mode, and the ability to seamlessly and easily transition between the modes.

Method for managing the electrical control system of a windrower header flotation and lift system

System and method for managing the electrical control system of a windrower header flotation and lift system

An apparatus and method for calibrating the reel of an agricultural windrower, wherein a programmable control module in connection with a signal operated device in operative control of a variable displacement pump operable for controlling operation of the reel, is programmed as part of an automatic calibration routine for directing signals to the device having different values, for rotating the reel at two different speeds. The controller will then determine a characteristic algorithm or relationship between reel speed and signal value which will be predictive of reel speeds which will be achieved for a range of signal values.

Apparatus and method to calibrate the reel of an agricultural windrower

A visual steering wheel direction indicator for a self-propelled machine. The indicator may additionally exhibit an indicator of the amount that the steering wheel must be turned in order to reach neutral. The indicator may be integrated into a neutral start system.

Steering wheel direction indicator for neutral start

A method for controlling and modifying the drop rate of a header on an agricultural harvesting machine by providing a programmable electronic control unit capable of receiving operator input through an input device. The programmable electronic conrol unit generates output signals based on the operator input to raise and lower the header according to a corresponding output drop rate signal.

Drop rate control for agricultural header

A hydraulic lift/flotation system for the header of a crop harvesting machine wherein each side of the header is supported by a single cylinder, which performs both the flotation and lift functions. For even lifting and flotation of an unbalanced header, each cylinder has its own control valve, pump, and accumulator. The operator sets the desired flotation force by actuating rocker switches; one switch position allows hydraulic oil to enter an accumulator to reduce header contact force with the ground. The other position allows oil to exit the accumulator to increase header contact force with the ground. To evenly float an unbalanced header, separate switches adjust each side independently. Once the flotation forces are set, the control valves will return to this preset flotation condition whenever float mode is selected, regardless of subsequent header lift and lower operations.

Independent hydraulic header lift and flotation system

A rotary disc cutterhead knife mounting system uses a spring plate bolted to the underside of the cutterhead cover. A knife pin is attached also to the underside of the cover, adjacent the outer edge thereof, and extends downwardly therefrom. The knife has a mounting hole therethrough, slightly larger that the diameter of the knife pin. With the knife hole fitted on the knife pin, the spring plate compresses the knife toward the underside of the cover; holding the knife in operating position. A special tool is used to remove the knife by forcing the spring plate downward, freeing the knife.

Quick change disc knife mounting mechanism

A disc cutterbar having a two-piece mounting hub, one piece rotatably driven and the other supporting a knife for severing standing crop material, with spring-mounted ball and detent devices holding the two pieces members together and forming a shear device therebetween is disclosed. A specially threaded retaining bolt is associated with the knife-supporting piece whereby, upon failure of the shear device, the knife-supporting piece is rotated out of the cutting plane and away from the operational cutterheads.

Disc cutterbar shear protection

A pivot tongue crop harvester, having an hydraulic system to selectively swing the pivot tongue about a pivot point on the harvesting mechanism, including a selector valve to cut off flow of hydraulic fluid to the tongue swing cylinder during loading of the harvester onto a transporter is the driveline of the harvester has not been disconnected.

Method and apparatus for controlling pivotal movement of the tongue of a harvesting machine

A disc mower conditioner utilizing a modular disc cutterbar to sever standing crop material by impact action. The side sheets of the disc mower conditioner are provided with a rolling crop divider that can be an optional attachment. The rolling crop divider is constructed as a series of overlapping rolling coulters mounted to the side sheet by bearings to enhance the rolling operation of the coulters. The rolling coulters effectively divide the crop material to direct tall and entangled crops into the header to be severed by the rotating knives. The coulters are arranged in a trailing orientation to present a curved leading edge that is highly effective in directing tall, entangled or viney crops downwardly into engagement with the adjacent disc cutter.

Rolling crop guide for disc mower conditioners

A crop harvester having a wheeled frame with a tongue pivotally connected to the frame in the vicinity of a longitudinal centerline. The tongue, rotatable about a first generally vertical pivot axis, is swingable between extreme left and right positions on opposing sides of the longitudinal centerline with its distal end adapted for connection to a prime mover. A drive line transmits rotational power from the prime mover. A crop harvesting header, suspended from the frame in a forward disposition, includes operable components for engaging and processing crop material as the harvester is pulled over a field of standing crop. A gearbox receives rotational power from the drive line and transmits it to the operable components. The gearbox, mounted on the crop harvesting header in the vicinity of said longitudinal centerline forwardly of the first generally vertical pivot axis, is journaled for rotation about a second generally vertical pivot axis. A unique electrical control system effects rotational movement of the gearbox in concert with the pivotal movement of the tongue to maintain appropriate alignment between the tongue and the gearbox.

Control apparatus for rotatable gearbox on crop harvester

A crop harvester having a wheeled frame with a tongue pivotally connected to the frame in the vicinity of a longitudinal centerline. The tongue, rotatable about a first generally vertical pivot axis, is swingable between extreme left and right positions on opposing sides of the longitudinal centerline with its distal end adapted for connection to a prime mover. A drive line transmits rotational power from the prime mover. A crop harvesting header, suspended from the frame in a forward disposition, includes operable components for engaging and processing crop material as the harvester is pulled over a field of standing crop. A gearbox receives rotational power from the drive line and transmits it to the operable components. The gearbox, mounted on the crop harvesting header in the vicinity of the longitudinal centerline forwardly of the first generally vertical pivot axis, is journaled for rotation about a second generally vertical pivot axis. A unique control system effects rotational movement of the gearbox in concert with the pivotal movement of the tongue to maintain appropriate alignment between the tongue and the gearbox.

Growing community of inventors

New Holland, PA, United States of America

Charles H Hoffman