| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080223591 | Push-Steer Implement Hitch - A system for push-steering an implement includes a pair of links, each link connecting the implement to a front portion of a motorized vehicle. Each link of the pair of connected links between the motorized vehicle and the implement is non parallel to each other. In response to the motorized vehicle traveling at a first predetermined steering angle, a traction element developed between at least two wheels of the implement and the driving surface rotatably urges one link toward a predetermined offset angle in a rotational direction opposite of the first predetermined steering angle. The pair of links simultaneously rotatably urges the implement to be steered toward a second predetermined steering angle in the same rotational direction as the first predetermined steering angle. The predetermined offset angle and second predetermined steering angle define a substantially stable position in response to the first predetermined steering angle. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20090107098 | HEADER WITH HIGH SPEED SICKLE DRIVES FOR A PLANT CUTTING MACHINE - A header for a plant cutting machine uses a plurality of compact sickle drive mechanisms incorporated into or beneath a floor or pan of the header at a location between and spaced from the sides or ends of the header, each of which mechanisms can be configured for reciprocatingly driving two knife assemblies disposed in end to end relation, in opposite directions, such that potentially vibratory forces, including those generated by the moving masses of the knife assemblies, at least substantially cancel one another and thus are not transferred to structure of the header. As a result, the knife assemblies can each be relatively short, to lessen the mass thereof so as to be capable of being operated at higher speeds, to enable operation of the header at faster ground speeds. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090145096 | Offset epicyclic sickle drive for a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine - A compact epicyclic drive includes a pinion rotatable about a ring gear and an eccentric element fixedly connected to the pinion so as to be rotated thereby, a knife head bearing supported on and extending around the eccentric element, and a knife head assembly connected to a sickle knife assembly. The knife head assembly is configured so as to translate rotation of the eccentric element into sideward reciprocating movements of the sickle knife assembly, and to transfer forces resulting from the movements to a housing supporting the drive. Two of the drives can be utilized for reciprocatingly driving two of the sickle knife assemblies in opposite directions, such that the transferred forces will at least partially cancel one another. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090145097 | Compact knife head assembly, bearing and eccentric for a sickle drive for a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine - A compact epicyclic drive includes a pinion rotatable about a ring gear and an eccentric element fixedly connected to the pinion so as to be rotated thereby, a knife head bearing supported on and extending around the eccentric element, and a knife head assembly connected in driving relation to a sickle knife assembly. The knife head assembly includes an element supported on and extending around the knife head bearing and configured so as to transfer sidewardly directed components of rotations of the eccentric element into sideward reciprocating movements of the sickle knife assembly. The eccentric element, knife head bearing, and knife head assembly are generally flat and axially coextensive, contributing to the compactness of the drive. The sickle drive is adapted to incorporated into or beneath a floor or pan of a header of an agricultural harvesting machine. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090145264 | Compact epicyclical drive - An epicyclical drive having a generally flat, disk shaped flywheel, a flywheel to pinion carrier in the form of an inner hub of the flywheel, and a flywheel support bearing and structure incorporated into the flywheel itself, all of which are concentric about a rotational axis of the flywheel so as to be axially compact, and so as to be particularly well adapted for being located beneath, or incorporated into, the floor of a grain header of an agricultural harvesting machine, for reciprocatingly driving knife knives of a sickle thereof. In particular, the flywheel support bearing is located in an annular space between the inner hub and an outer flange which is rotated by a belt or other drive for rotating the flywheel. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20100048270 | CAROUSEL MERGER - A carousel merger is provided that is designed to replace existing belt conveyor devices. The carousel merger device has a crop receiving passageway which extends through a top surface of the carousel merger device toward a bottom surface of the carousel merger device. The crop receiving passageway has a plurality of crop receiving regions and a crop flow region. The crop receiving regions have arcuate sidewalls, support plates rotatably mounted to the bottom surface and blades mounted to the support plates. The crop flow region is provided adjacent the crop receiving regions with a portion of the crop flow region extending through the crop receiving regions. The crop flow region has a back wall opposite from the arcuate sidewalls of the crop receiving regions. A discharge is in communication with the crop flow region. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20110173940 | DISC MOWER WITH FOLDING WING FRAME - A movable frame for connection to a prime mover that supports multiple individual similar implements in a manner similar to the manner each would be singly connected in a trail-behind implement pulled by a prime mover, but maintains relative positioning between the implements sufficiently to enable the multiple implements to function as a single, larger implement. The frame allows individual implements to be positioned generally transversely in an operating position for travel in a first direction providing maximum operating width, and generally longitudinally in a transport position for travel in a direction opposite to the first direction in which the overall with of the implements on the frame is minimized to three meters or less. | 07-21-2011 |
| 20110197561 | DISC MOWER NARROW TRANSPORT FRAME - A wheel-supported frame for an agricultural harvester header having a tongue and a pivotally connected transverse frame, a retractable transport wheel connected to the tongue, and a pivoting mechanism for pivoting one of the supporting wheels approximately 90 degrees to align with the deployed transport wheel. The invention enables the harvester to be easily reconfigured between an operating configuration and a transport configuration. By rotating the transverse frame to align its transverse width with the direction of travel during transport, deploying the transport wheel, and aligning one of the normal support wheels with the transport direction of travel, the harvester is reoriented for transport along its lateral axis. The lateral transport apparatus is easily reconfigured by a single individual and requires no additional equipment beyond that integral to the harvester in order to reconfigure the harvester between transport and operational modes. | 08-18-2011 |