A merger apparatus including a pick-up header; a conveyor with a conveyor belt; a skid shoe disposed below the pick-up header and the conveyor; and an operative connection between the pick-up header and the skid shoe that enables the merger apparatus to articulate independently of an external frame underneath the conveyor, such that loose material transported by the conveyor belt that lags beneath the return side may fall to the ground keeping the return side of the conveyor belt free from obstructions.

A swather includes a swath compression panel with a downwardly and rearwardly inclined undersurface for applying a downward compression force on the swath between the front and rear wheels. A mounting assembly includes an actuator operable in response to a speed and/or direction of travel of the tractor for raising the panel to a retracted position under the tractor. A bottom stop halts downward movement of the actuator before the panel engages the ground. The panel includes an upwardly and rearwardly inclined curved rear portion to smoothly release the compressed crop. The panel is mounted on the tractor frame at a position thereon rearward of a transverse beam connected to the front wheels so that the swath is released from the discharge opening of the header and can expand for discharge to the ground before the swath is engaged by the front end of the panel.

A merger apparatus including a pick-up header; a conveyor with a conveyor belt; a skid shoe disposed below the pick-up header and the conveyor; and an operative connection between the pick-up header and the skid shoe that enables the merger apparatus to articulate independently of an external frame underneath the conveyor, such that loose material transported by the conveyor belt that lags beneath the return side may fall to the ground keeping the return side of the conveyor belt free from obstructions.

A windrow forming device is movable over ground in a direction of travel. The windrow forming device is provided with a rigid frame, at least one pick-up mechanism for picking up a product from the ground, and at least one conveyor belt arranged to convey the picked up material in at least one direction extending sidewards with respect to the direction of travel, and to deposit the material on the ground for forming a windrow. The windrow forming device may be a self-propelled agricultural machine, for example a self-propelled merger, or a pulled agricultural machine having at least one windrow forming device.

A windrow forming device is movable over ground in a direction of travel. The windrow forming device is provided with a rigid frame, at least one pick-up mechanism for picking up a product from the ground, and at least one conveyor belt arranged to convey the picked up material in at least one direction extending sidewards with respect to the direction of travel, and to deposit the material on the ground for forming a windrow. The windrow forming device may be a self-propelled agricultural machine, for example a self-propelled merger, or a pulled agricultural machine having at least one windrow forming device.

A system includes an agricultural raking vehicle, including a motor drive and raking members mechanically coupled to the motor drive. The raking members rake agricultural product via rotation about an axis substantially orthogonal to a field on which the agricultural vehicle travels. The system also includes a sensor assembly that outputs a signal indicative of a determined windrow quality of the agricultural product raked by the raking members. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the motor drive and to the sensor assembly. The controller receives the signal and controls an angular speed of the motor drive, a ground speed of the agricultural vehicle, and/or a height of the raking members or tines above the field, based on a comparison of the determined windrow quality to a target windrow quality.

A system includes an agricultural raking vehicle, including a motor drive and raking members mechanically coupled to the motor drive. The raking members rake agricultural product via rotation about an axis substantially orthogonal to a field on which the agricultural vehicle travels. The system also includes a sensor assembly that outputs a signal indicative of a determined windrow quality of the agricultural product raked by the raking members. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the motor drive and to the sensor assembly. The controller receives the signal and controls an angular speed of the motor drive, a ground speed of the agricultural vehicle, and/or a height of the raking members or tines above the field, based on a comparison of the determined windrow quality to a target windrow quality.

An agricultural machine, includes a frame with a pair of wheels enabling movement in one direction, at least two harvesting devices for agricultural products connected to the frame that, in a work position, are arranged frontally to the wheels and aligned with each other transversely to the one direction. Unloading equipment is arranged operationally downstream of the harvesting devices to receive the harvested agricultural products and to move them in an unloading direction transverse to the one direction. The unloading equipment includes a central unloading device that is movable with respect to the harvesting devices between a work position, wherein it directly receives the harvested agricultural products from the harvesting devices, and a non-operational position, wherein offset with respect to the work position so as to enable the harvested agricultural products to fall immediately downstream of the first harvesting device.

An agricultural machine, includes a frame with a pair of wheels enabling movement in one direction, at least two harvesting devices for agricultural products connected to the frame that, in a work position, are arranged frontally to the wheels and aligned with each other transversely to the one direction. Unloading equipment is arranged operationally downstream of the harvesting devices to receive the harvested agricultural products and to move them in an unloading direction transverse to the one direction. The unloading equipment includes a central unloading device that is movable with respect to the harvesting devices between a work position, wherein it directly receives the harvested agricultural products from the harvesting devices, and a non-operational position, wherein offset with respect to the work position so as to enable the harvested agricultural products to fall immediately downstream of the first harvesting device.