Harvesting machine

Claim 2

A mower-conditioner harvester comprising a frame and at least one pair of reversely rotating mowing units arranged transversely of the harvester on the frame and rotatable about forwardly and upwardly inclined axes and having peripheral cutting means operative to cut forage crops thereahead in a predetermined plane and having means disposed entirely radially inwardly of the cutting means to convey the cut crops and propel them in a predetermined trajectory rearwardly and including conveying surfaces transversely sloping with respect to said axes and projecting diagonally away from said axes, and cooperatively arranged conditioning rollers on the frame spaced rearwardly from said mowing units in alignment with the trajectory of the cut forage crops from said surfaces and having a forwardly directed intake nip disposed generally in alignment with said trajectory and in direct receiving relation to the cut crops, said rollers operative to discharge the crops rearwardly and including a lower roller extending below the cutting plane of the mower units.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 and said mowing units each comprising an upwardly extending drum, the drums of the pair of units defining a forwardly directed intake nip adapted to receive cut material therebetween and pursuant to rotation of the drums to draw the material between the drums and discharge the material rearwardly.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 1 and said conditioning rollers oriented in substantially parallel relation on horizontal axes.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1 and means adjustably mounting said units for changing the position of said axes.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 1 and a platform extending between said units and said rollers which are oriented substantially horizontally for guiding the material directly into the rollers.

Claim 7

A mower-conditioner harvester comprising at least one pair of reversely rotating mowing units arranged transversely of the harvester and rotatable about upright axes and having peripheral cutting means operative to cut forage crops thereahead in a predetermined plane and having means disposed entirely radially inwardly of the cutting means to convey the cut crops and propel them in a predetermined trajectory rearwardly, and cooperatively arranged conditioning rollers spaced rearwardly from said mowing units in alignment with the trajectory of the cut forage crops and having a forwardly directed intake nip disposed generally in alignment with said trajectory and in receiving relation to the cut crops, said rollers operative to discharge the crops rearwardly, and a platform mounted on said frame and disposed on a generally horizontal axis, and means for adjusting the inclination of the platform about said axis to provide a guide surface from the mowing units to said rollers.

Claim 8

A mower-conditioner harvester comprising at least one pair of reversely rotating mowing units arranged transversely of the harvester and rotatable about upright axes and having peripheral cutting means operative to cut forage crops thereahead in a predetermined plane and having means disposed entirely radially inwardly of the cutting means to convey the cut crops and propel them in a predetermined trajectory rearwardly, and cooperatively arranged conditioning rollers spaced rearwardly from said mowing units in alignment with the trajectory of the cut forage crops and having a forwardly directed intake nip disposed generally in alignment with said trajectory and in receiving relation to the cut crops, said rollers operative to discharge the crops rearwardly, and a platform mounted on said frame and disposed on a generally horizontal axis, and means for adjusting the inclination of the platform about said axis to provide a guide surface from the mowing units to said rollers.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 2 and each drum comprising an outwardly extending vane for engaging the cut material and slinging it rearwardly.

Claim 10

A mower-conditioner harvester comprising at least one pair of reversely rotating mowing units arranged transversely of the harvester and rotatable about upright axes and operative to cut forage crops thereahead in a predetermiNed plane and having means to convey the cut crops and propel them in a predetermined trajectory rearwardly, and cooperatively arranged conditioning rollers spaced rearwardly from said mowing units in alignment with the trajectory of the cut forage crops and having a forwardly directed intake nip disposed in receiving relation to the cut crops and operative to discharge the crops rearwardly, and said mowing units each comprising an upwardly extending drum, the drums of the pair of units defining a forwardly directed intake nip adapted to receive cut material therebetween and pursuant to rotation of the drums draw the material between the drums and discharge the material rearwardly, and each drum comprising an outwardly extending vane for engaging the cut material and slinging it rearwardly, and each vane having a wide lower portion and tapered upwardly to a narrow upper portion.

Claim 11

A mower-conditioner harvester comprising at least one pair of reversely rotating mowing units arranged transversely of the harvester and rotatable about upright axes and operative to cut forage crops thereahead in a predetermiNed plane and having means to convey the cut crops and propel them in a predetermined trajectory rearwardly, and cooperatively arranged conditioning rollers spaced rearwardly from said mowing units in alignment with the trajectory of the cut forage crops and having a forwardly directed intake nip disposed in receiving relation to the cut crops and operative to discharge the crops rearwardly, and said mowing units each comprising an upwardly extending drum, the drums of the pair of units defining a forwardly directed intake nip adapted to receive cut material therebetween and pursuant to rotation of the drums draw the material between the drums and discharge the material rearwardly, and each drum comprising an outwardly extending vane for engaging the cut material and slinging it rearwardly, and each vane having a wide lower portion and tapered upwardly to a narrow upper portion.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 3 and one of said rollers being an upper roller and the other being a lower roller and the axis of said upper roller being disposed in advance of the lower roller and said nip facing downwardly and forwardly.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 9 and said rollers discharging crops in an upward trajectory, and means for fluffing the crushed crops discharging from said rollers disposed atwarth the trajectory of such crushed crops for impingement thereby.

Claim 14

A mower conditioner comprising a frame, mowing means comprising a plurality of pairs of rotary swinging knife mowers operating in a common plane rotatably supported from the frame for rotation about upright axes for cutting the crops and having means for discharging the cut crops forcibly rearwardly, generally horizontally disposed upper and lower hay conditioning rollers spaced rearwardly of said mowing means and extending from one end thereof to the other and rotatable to receive the cut crops directly from said mowing means and to crush the crops and discharge the crops rearwardly, and said rollers defining a forwardly facing intake nip and a platform extending from adjacent to the rear of said mowing means to said intake nip for guiding cut crop material thereto, and means for adjusting said platform to vary the position and inclination thereof with reference to said rollers and said mowing means to provide optimum guidance of material from the latter to the former.

Claim 15

A mower conditioner comprising a frame, mowing means comprising a plurality of pairs of rotary swinging knife mowers operating in a common plane rotatably supported from the frame for rotation about upright axes for cutting the crops and having means for discharging the cut crops forcibly rearwardly, generally horizontally disposed upper and lower hay conditioning rollers spaced rearwardly of said mowing means and extending from one end thereof to the other and rotatable to receive the cut crops directly from said mowing means and to crush the crops and discharge the crops rearwardly, and said rollers defining a forwardly facing intake nip and a platform extending from adjacent to the rear of said mowing means to said intake nip for guiding cut crop material thereto, and means for adjusting said platform to vary the position and inclination thereof with reference to said rollers and said mowing means to provide optimum guidance of material from the latter to the former.

Claim 16

The invention according to claim 11 and said mowers each comprising a generally cylindrical drum, a conical peripheral shield projecting from the lower end of the drum, and a plurality of knife blades swingably mounted about the shield and projecting outwardly of the periphery thereof, and means for driving the rotary mowers in timed relation with each other.

Claim 17

The invention according to claim 12 and each drum comprising at least one chordal surface area in the respective cylinder, and a paddle extending outwardly from said surface area for engaging the crop material cut by the related mower and slinging the material rearwardly.

Claim 18

The invention according to claim 1 and at least certain of said units each comprising a crop conveying upper surface extending normal to the axis of rotation of the respective unit.

Claim 19

The invention according to claim 14 and other pairs of mowing units arranged in alignment with said pair transversely of the direction of traverse of the harvester and comprising end units each having a generally frustoconical upper portion with outwardly directed cropengaging paddles.

Claim 20

The invention according to claim 1 and said mowing units each comprising a shaft, a support mounted on the frame beneath said units and means in the support for rotating the respective shafts.

Claim 21

The invention according to claim 1 and a hollow support mounted on the frame above said units, and each unit comprising a shaft, and means in the support for driving the shafts.

Claim 22

The invention according to claim 1 and means mounted on the frame for bending the crops ahead of the mowing units to present the crops butt eNds first thereto and a cover extending from said means over said units.

Claim 23

The invention according to claim 5 and said platform having a forward edge spaced rearwardly from said mowing units and defining a gap therewith for discharging dirt and the like therethrough.