Side-pull mower-conditioner tongue operatively associated with access door for closing door when tongue is swung

Abstract

The cutter bar of a side-pull mower-conditioner is located within a housing including a forward top wall section defined by an access door that is hinged for being lifted from a substantially horizontal position to a raised position permitting access to the cutter bar. A towing tongue mounted at the side of the carrier frame of the mower-conditioner is mounted for swinging horizontally about a vertical axis and is operatively associated with the access door so that the open access door is closed when the tongue is swung toward the open door. In one embodiment, the association is a specially shaped door support member fixed to the tongue. In a second embodiment, the association is established by a linkage, and in a third embodiment, the association is through a hydraulic circuit, including a door cylinder coupled for moving the door between its open and closed position, coupled to the hydraulic tongue swing cylinder such that when the tongue swung cylinder is actuated for swinging the tongue toward the open access door, the access door is closed by the door cylinder prior to the operation of the tongue swing cylinder.