Ford New Holland, Inc.

New Holland North America, Inc.

Sperry Corporation

Cnh America LLC

New Holland Inc.

Sperry Rand Corporation

James T Clevenger, Jr

Gilbert W Linde

John R McClure

Richard Paul Strosser

Willis R Campbell

Richard E Jennings

John G Berger

John H Freimuth

Thomas L Stiefvater

Anthony F Diederich, Jr

Dale A Ashcroft

Mark S Anderson

Christopher Alan Foster

Kenneth R Underhill

Shaun A Seymour

Philip J Ehrhart

Mark K Chow

Irwin D McIlwain

Barry E Lehman

John H Merritt

Charles H Hoffman

Steven J Campbell

John B Crego

Douglas G Branham

Cecil Sudbrack

William Dale Hotaling

Fred M Horchler

Charles A Parrish

Cecil R Sudbrack

Donald L Sheesley

Ronald L McAllister

John S Richardson

Jeremy Daniel Peters

Joseph N Smith

Larry W Miller

Randy A Greaser

A round baler having storage and dispensing mechanisms for both twine and net/plastic wrapping materials for the bales can be modified to provide a lower cost twine baler. A pivoting dispensing assembly across the front of the baler is replaceable by a similar-sized twine box to convert the baler to an all-twine baler with sufficient twine storage to make the machine efficient in field operations.

Twine box for round balers

The apparatus is an electronic speed control for farm machines. A microprocessor is fed data on the tractor engine speed, the tractor ground speed, and the manual speed lever setting, and electronically matches the desired ground speed to the engine speed to prevent stalling the engine. Ground speed is controlled by using the microprocessor to electrically vary a control valve that replaces the usual mechanical linkage between the speed control lever and the hydraulic pumps driving the hydraulic wheel motors.

Electronic speed control system for farm machines

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.

Control apparatus for rotatable gearbox on crop harvester

A guide link mechanism is supported from the draft tongue of a pull-type harvester and connected to the gearbox mounted on the crop harvesting header to provide rotational power thereto wherein the guide link is supported from a sliding mechanism mounted on the tongue that accommodates the changes in distance in respective points associated with the pivotal movement of the draft tongue about a different pivot center than the gearbox. The sliding mechanism includes a bracket affixed to the underside of the draft tongue and low friction inserts, such as nylon, phenolic, urethane or polyethylene inserts, carried by the bracket. The guide link is connected to a slider plate that is slidably received by the phenolic inserts to permit a sliding movement thereof relative to the draft tongue. The rearward end of the guide link is pivotally connected to the gearbox to accommodate vertical movements of the crop harvesting header relative to the draft tongue. The guide link mechanism effects pivotal movement of the gearbox in response to the pivotal movement of the draft tongue to minimize angular deflection of the universal joints in the drive line supported on the draft tongue to deliver rotational power to the gearbox.

Guide link for a rotatable harvester gearbox

A disc mower incorporates a modular disc cutterbar. The drive mechanism for the mower utilizes a V-belt drive apparatus that requires proper tensioning which is accomplished through a spring tensioning mechanism that includes an indicator to visually determine when the proper tension has been applied. A split guard is mounted to the distal end of the mower canopy to keep objects away from the end of the disc cutterbar. The guard presents a smooth contiguous surface to prevent debris and crop material from catching the guard. The flotation mechanism supporting the cutterbar from the mower frame must be disconnected before the mower is dismounted from the tractor three-point hitch. The support jack is tethered to the mower frame from the pin engaging the flotation mechanism, requiring the pin to be removed to install the support jack.

Disc mower with modular cutterbar

A round baler having a main frame, a bale forming chamber on the main frame, a pickup for feeding crop material into the chamber, and a tailgate pivotally connected to the main frame for rearwardly discharging completed bales. The chamber is defined by an apron extending around a plurality of guide rolls on the periphery of the chamber, the tailgate, and a floor. The bale forming chamber varies in size from a core starting position to a full bale position. A crop loading monitor, having sensors in the bale forming chamber, provides signals representing compactness of the crop material during bale formation. The signals are utilized in a system that displays information in a bar graph format that enables the operator to enhance his capabilities for making properly shaped bales.

System for monitoring the shape of round bales

A method of splicing a belt in a round baler having a bale forming chamber defined by at least one elongated belt having opposing ends spliced together to form a continuous band. The splice includes a first and a second series of similar side-by-side loops connected to and extending from the respective opposing ends of the belt, and an attaching element extending through both series of loops to maintain the opposing ends of the belt in alignment and close proximity to each other. Retention components affixed to the attaching element retain it in operative relationship to the loops and are disposed outwardly of the outer loops.

Method of splicing round baler belts

A round baler having a frame with opposing side walls, a series of inwardly facing moving surfaces defining a baling chamber for forming cylindrical packages of crop material, a pick up for feeding crop material into the chamber, a plurality of rotatable transverse rollers mounted between the opposing side walls of the frame, and a support assembly for mounting at least one of the rollers. The support includes a bearing assembly having a generally cylindrical stationary first race and a concentrically disposed generally cylindrical rotatable second race between which races a bearing cavity is formed for seating a series of bearings housed between the first and second races. The second race is rotatable with the one roller relative to the first race. A generally concentric ring shaped outer member, affixed to the outer race, includes a plurality of integral ribs extending radially and outwardly from the outer member to engage crop residue and urge it away from the journal under conditions where the roller is rotating.

Trash removal apparatus for a round baler

A manure spreader has a tank with endwalls including guides for receiving opposite ends of a rotating auger shaft thus permitting a change of position of the rotating auger in the tank relative to the manure. The auger may change position in response to the condition of the manure or may be a controlled change in response to actuation of fluid powered pistons.

Manure spreader having floating auger

A round baler having a main frame, a tailgate pivotally connected to the main frame and an apron extending around a plurality of guide rolls disposed in the main frame and the tailgate. A pair of take up arms, rotatably mounted on the main frame, carry at least one additional guide roll for the apron. The apron defines a bale forming chamber which varies in size from a bale starting position to a full bale position under conditions where crop material is conveyed thereto. A pair of levers, connected to rotate with the take up arms as the girth of the bale being formed increases, are attached to a tensioning mechanism to urge the take up arms to the bale starting position of the apron. The tensioning mechanism includes a spring and a hydraulic cylinder mounted in tandem on one side of the baler and a spring on the other side of the baler.

Round baler apron tensioning apparatus

A round baler having a main frame, a tailgate pivotally connected to the main frame and an apron extending around a plurality of guide rolls disposed in the main frame and the tailgate. A pair of take up arms, rotatably mounted on the main frame, carry at least one additional guide roll for the apron. A bale forming chamber, including the apron, varies in size from a bale starting position to a full bale position. A pair of levers, connected to rotate with the take up arms, have attached thereto a tensioning mechanism to urge the take up arms to the bale starting position of the apron. The machine is provided with apparatus for wrapping the formed bale with twine and a unique system that operates in conjunction with the levers to automatically trip the wrapping apparatus when the bale formed in the chamber has attained a desired size.

Adjustable trip mechanism for round baler

A round baler having a bale forming chamber including one or more transversely mounted rolls and at least one elongated belt having opposing ends spliced together to form a continuous band. The splice includes a first and a second series of similar side-by-side loops connected to and extending from the respective opposing ends of the belt, and an attaching element extending through the first and second series of loops to maintain the opposing ends of the belt in alignment and close proximity to each other. Retention components affixed to the attaching element retain it in operative relationship to the first and second series of loops and are disposed outwardly of the outer loops.

Splice for round baler belts

An agricultural baler for making cylindrical bales of crop material having a sledge assembly moveable between bale starting and full bale positions. The sledge assembly includes a plurality of rollers which cooperate with an apron to define a bale forming chamber. A dispensing mechanism is carried on the sledge assembly for dispensing web material, such as net or the like, into the bale forming chamber whereupon it is wrapped circumferentially around a cylindrical package of crop material in the bale forming chamber. A net supply assembly is associated with the dispensing mechanism to provide net for feeding into the bale chamber via the dispensing mechanism. Included along the path of the net between the supply assembly and the dispensing mechanism is a net severing assembly for cutting the net after it has been wrapped around the cylindrical hay package formed in the chamber. The net severing assembly comprises a cutting element operatively associated with a comb element in a manner that provides improved net cutting.

Net severing apparatus for round baler

A position locking mechanism for a windrow inverter having a wing draper attachment mounted on the frame of the windrow inverter on the opposing side of the transverse cross conveyor from the discharge chute and being manually movable between a horizontal operative position and a vertical transport position is disclosed wherein the wing extension is latched automatically when raised to the transport position. A rod connected to the pivotally movable wing extension is telescopically received within a bracket mounted to the frame of the windrow inverter and is appropriate notched and biased into engagement for fixing the wing extension when placed in both the operative and transport positions. A concentric compression spring mounted on the rod reduces the effort required to lift the wing extension into a raised transport position. A set of elastomeric bumpers requires the wing extension to be forced into the operative position to be latched.

Inverter extension position lock

Manure spreader auger indicator

Growing community of inventors

Lancaster, PA, United States of America

James T Clevenger, Jr