Crop-handling apparatus

Claim 1

WHEELED VEHICLE APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING A STANDING CROP ON BEING TRAVERSED THEREOVER, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A CUTTER CONNECTED BENEATH THE VEHICLE FOR CUTTING THE CROP, AN ENCLOSED DRIER CONNECTED ON SAID VEHICLE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH THEREOF FOR DRYING THE CROP, AND HAVING A FRONT WALL, AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR HAVING AT LEAST FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD INTERCONNECTED STAGES, SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR HAVING AN OUTER REACH FOR ELEVATING THE CUT CROP AND AN INNER RETURN REACH, SAID SECOND CONVEYOR STAGE VERTICALLY CONNECTE TO THE FRONT OF SAID VEHICLE AND DISPOSE PARALLEL TO THE FRONT WALL OF SAID DRIER, SAID FIRST CONVEYOR STAGE MOVABLY CONNECTED TO ONE END OF SAID SECOND CONVEYOR STAGE AND EXTENDING BENEATH AND REARWARDLY OF SIAD VEHICLE IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE AND HAVING A FREE END TERMINATING FORWARDLY OF SAID CUTTER FOR RECEIVING CUT CROPS THEREFROM, PLURAL HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED DRYING BEDS CONNECTED IN SAI DRIER FOR PROGRESSING THE CROP THROUGH THE DRIER TO AN EXIT, SAID DRIER HAVING A TOP OPENING ADJACENT THE FRONT WALL AND ABOVE THE UPPERMOST DRYING BED, SAID THIRD CONVEYOR STAGE MOVABLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND CONVEYOR STAGE AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY OF SAID VEHICLE AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO SAI SECOND STAGE THROUGH SAID DRIER OPENING AND HAVING A FREE END POSITIONED TO DEPOSITE CUT CROPS ON THE UPPERMOST DRYING BED, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID THIRD CONVEYOR STAGE FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT THEREOF RELATIVE TO THE UPPERMOST DRYING BED TO PERMIT ADJUSTMENT AND CONTROL OF THE DEPTH OF THE CUT CROP ON THE RETURN REACH OF SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR AT SAID THIRD STAGE DISPOSED ABOVE AND ADAPTED TO LEVEL THE CUT CROP ON THE UPPERMOST DRYING BED AND RETURN SURPLUS THEREON TOWARD THE CUTTER THROUGH SAID SECOND AND FIRST STAGES.