The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 09, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 05, 2000
Roger Franet, Sarreguemines, FR;
Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US);
Abstract
A mowing arrangement includes a tractor carrying a front-mounted mower unit and towing a mobile carrier frame having left and right mower units mounted to opposite sides of the carrier frame. In a first embodiment, the carrier frame is box-shaped in plan view. A pair of mower unit support arms are respectively mounted to forward outer locations of the carrier frame for pivoting vertically between horizontal first positions, wherein they dispose the mower units in respective operating positions, and vertical second positions, wherein they dispose the mower units in raised transport positions. Right and left swath formers, in the form of flat belt conveyors, are respectively mounted to outer rear locations at the opposite sides of the carrier frame by support structures permitting the swath formers to be moved horizontally between operating positions wherein they intercept crop discharged by the mower units and convey the crop inwardly to deposit it in respective swaths on opposite sides of the swath deposited by the front-mounted mower unit. In a second embodiment, the right and left mower units are mounted to the opposite ends of a beam forming the main structural member of the mobile carrier frame, these mowing units being mounted for movement between operating positions and transport positions alongside a draft tongue projecting forwardly from a center front location of the beam. In this embodiment, the swath formers are mounted for vertical movement between operative and non-operative positions.