Patent US3754384A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3754384A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mowing, conditioning and windrowing machine
Assignee: Hay and Forage Industries
•
Filing: 1972-07-26
•
Granted: 1973-08-28
•
Expires: 1992-07-26
Abstract
Abstract In the drying of hay, the stems only of the crop are conditioned, during cutting and before the cut crop is returned to the ground, by a flailing action which produces multiple transverse fractures along all of the stems as they are continuously blown and forcibly projected butt first in a wide, uniform, thin stream into a windrowing assembly. A single rotor with stem-fracturing hammers or blades not only conditions the stems while they are in movement, with sufficient severity to assure complete moisture release in accordance with stem coarseness and density of growth, all without undue loss of stem stiffness, leaf knock off or clipping, but also performs the function of creating air currents that provide the additional forces needed to properly propel the cut crop and produce a loose, fluffy, faster curing windrow.
Inventors
- 👤 C Case
- 👤 R Elder
- 👤 F Fell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 22:27
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01D; A01D57/00; A01D57/30; A01D43/00; A01D43/10; A01D43/107; A01D67/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S56/00; Y10S56/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
A harvester comprising: a vehicle adapted to be advanced over a field having a crop to be harvested; crop cutting mechanism carried by said vehicle; and a rotor mounted on the vehicle in superimposed relationship to said mechanism for rotation about a normally horizontal axis disposed transversely of the normal path of travel of the vehicle, and having its periphery in relatively close proximity to said mechanism, said rotor having a plurality of crop-engaging hammers mounted thereon and rotatable therewith for air and impact projection of the cut crop rearwardly from said mechanism and redeposit on the ground, said hammers being disposed to move rearwardly as they pass over said mechanism, each of said hammers having flailing structure for fracture conditioning of the crop while the hammers are in engagement with the crop.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
133 words
A harvester comprising: a vehicle adapted to be advanced over a field having a crop to be harvested; crop cutting mechanism carried by said vehicle; and a rotor mounted on the vehicle in superimposed relationship to said mechanism for rotation about a normally horizontal axis disposed transversely of the normal path of travel of the vehicle, and having its periphery in relatively close proximity to said mechanism, said rotor having a plurality of crop-engaging hammers mounted thereon and rotatable therewith for air and impact projection of the cut crop rearwardly from said mechanism and redeposit on the ground, said hammers being disposed to move rearwardly as they pass over said mechanism, each of said hammers having flailing structure for fracture conditioning of the crop while the hammers are in engagement with the crop.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A harvester as claimed in claim 1, said structure including a rigid blade on the hammer at the outermost free end thereof remote from said axis of rotation of the rotor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A harvester as claimed in claim 2, each blade having an elongated terminal edge substantially parallel with said axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A harvester as claimed in claim 3, said rotor having a hub; and means attaching the hammers to the hub for swinging movement relative to the latter about axes parallel with said axes of rotation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A harvester as claimed in claim 1; and means carried by the vehicle for confining the cut crop to an inclined path of travel extending upwardly and rearwardly from said mechanism.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A harvester as claimed in claim 5; and means within said path of travel of the cut crop for redirecting the latter downwardly and rearwardly to the ground.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A harvester as claimed in claim 6; and means within said path of travel of the cut crop for lateral gathering of the latter into the form of a windrow on the ground.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
89 words
A harvester comprising: a vehicle adapted to be advanced over a field having a crop to be harvested; crop cutting mechanism carried by said vehicle; and a rotor mounted on the vehicle in superimposed relationship to said mechanism, said rotor having a plurality of crop-engaging hammers mounted thereon and rotatable therewith for projection of the cut crop from said mechanism through the air and ultimate redeposit on the ground, each of said hammers having flailing structure for fracture conditioning of the crop while the crop is in the air.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
89 words
A harvester comprising: a vehicle adapted to be advanced over a field having a crop to be harvested; crop cutting mechanism carried by said vehicle; and a rotor mounted on the vehicle in superimposed relationship to said mechanism, said rotor having a plurality of crop-engaging hammers mounted thereon and rotatable therewith for projection of the cut crop from said mechanism through the air and ultimate redeposit on the ground, each of said hammers having flailing structure for fracture conditioning of the crop while the crop is in the air.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A harvester as claimed in claim 8; and means engageable with the crop prior to and during cutting for orienting the same so that it is projected with the severed, butt ends thereof leading.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A harvester as claimed in claim 8 wherein said hammers are adapted to produce currents of air for effecting said projection.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2333153A
Cited
US2515343A
Cited
US2878635A
Cited
US2919533A
Cited
US3014326A
Cited
US3092946A
Cited
US3208206A
Cited
GB995460A
Cited
US3241300A
Cited
US3487612A
Cited
US3676988A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-27 | 1977-02-26 | 1977-08-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-27 | 1981-02-26 | 1981-08-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-27 | 1985-02-26 | 1985-08-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |