In a sickle cutting system, it has been found that a significant reduction in average stubble length, which is calculated based on the distance crop is pushed forwardly without cutting occurring, can be obtained by a combination of the features where the length of the cutting edge of each knife blade from a transverse rearmost cutting line at which a cutting action occurs is increased to a length greater than 2.2 inches; the width at the rear of the ledger surface of each guard is increased to greater than 1.2 inches; and the front edge of the blade is formed with an apex to shed crop material to one or other side of the apex.

In a sickle cutting system, it has been found that a significant reduction in average stubble length, which is calculated based on the distance crop is pushed forwardly without cutting occurring, can be obtained by a combination of features where the length of the cutting edge of each knife blade is increased to a length greater than 2.2 inches; the width at the rear of the ledger surface of each guard is increased to greater than 1.2 inches; and the front edge of the blade is formed with an apex to shed crop material to one or other side of the apex. Each blade has at least one cut out opening through the blade extending from a rear edge of the opening adjacent to but spaced from a rear edge of the blade toward the tip.

Mower blade utilizes a blade portion formed on the blade main body and an air circulator portion formed on the blade main body and generating airflow via rotation centered around the vertically-oriented axis of the mower blade. The blade portion is arranged in a length-direction end portion of the blade main body and extends along a predetermined area in the length-direction. The air circulator portion is located opposite the blade portion in a width direction, has a rising upward portion, and extends along a predetermined area in the length-direction. A boundary portion is arranged between the blade main body and a rising upward portion of the air circulator portion has a portion inclined or angled with respect to the blade portion such that, beginning at the length-direction end portion, a distance between the boundary portion and the blade portion increases along the length-direction and moving toward the vertically-oriented axis. A height of an upper end portion of the air circulator portion measured from a surface of the blade main body is a substantially constant height.

In a draper harvesting head having a frame, a left side conveyor supported on the frame, a right side conveyor supported on the frame, a central conveyor supported on the frame and disposed between the left side conveyor and the right side conveyor, and a reciprocating knife fixed to the front of the frame and extending laterally across the frame, a method of controlling slippage between an endless conveyor belt of one of the left side conveyor and the right side conveyor and a crop mat carried on the endless conveyor belt is provided, including determining a speed of the endless conveyor belt and a speed of the crop mat; comparing a difference in the speed of the endless conveyor belt and the speed of the crop mat with a first threshold speed difference; and changing the speed of the endless conveyor belt based upon the step of comparing.

A device for harvesting asparagus growing from a asparagus field that includes a frame displaceable over the asparagus field by a drive means in which frame is at least provided with cutting means for cutting the asparagus to be harvested close to the surface of the field, and stabilizing means for stabilizing the asparagus relative to the cutting means.

A device for harvesting asparagus growing from a asparagus field that includes a frame displaceable over the asparagus field by a drive means in which frame is at least provided with cutting means for cutting the asparagus to be harvested close to the surface of the field, and stabilizing means for stabilizing the asparagus relative to the cutting means.

The feeder device located at the centre section of a front of a harvester. The feeder device comprises one or more flights configured for improving operation of the feeder device. The feeder device comprises a shaft including a plurality of flights. They extend substantially along the entire length of the shaft and are arranged in a spaced apart relationship with respect to each other. In this manner, a threaded-like formation defined by the spaced apart arrangement of flights extends substantially along the entire length of the shaft of the feeder device.

The feeder device located at the centre section of a front of a harvester. The feeder device comprises one or more flights configured for improving operation of the feeder device. The feeder device comprises a shaft including a plurality of flights. They extend substantially along the entire length of the shaft and are arranged in a spaced apart relationship with respect to each other. In this manner, a threaded-like formation defined by the spaced apart arrangement of flights extends substantially along the entire length of the shaft of the feeder device.

In a draper harvesting head having a frame, a left side conveyor supported on the frame, a right side conveyor supported on the frame, a central conveyor supported on the frame and disposed between the left side conveyor and the right side conveyor, and a reciprocating knife fixed to the front of the frame and extending laterally across the frame, a method of controlling slippage between an endless conveyor belt of one of the left side conveyor and the right side conveyor and a crop mat carried on the endless conveyor belt is provided, including determining a speed of the endless conveyor belt and a speed of the crop mat; comparing a difference in the speed of the endless conveyor belt and the speed of the crop mat with a first threshold speed difference; and changing the speed of the endless conveyor belt based upon the step of comparing.

A sickle cutting system is mounted on a header for forward travel over ground having a standing crop thereon and includes a cutter bar with a plurality of knife guards and at least one sickle bar with a drive system for driving the sickle bar through repeated cycles of reciprocating movement from start-up of the system through to a shut-down. The drive system includes an arrangement to halt the sickle bar on shut-down at a predetermined position of the knife blades relative to the knife guards and preferably the position where the blades lie intermediate two knife guards. The system can be halted by either a physical stop member at the required position or by detecting the position of the sickle bar during operation and causing it to halt the required position. The detection can be carried out by counting pulses generated by markers on a rotary member of the drive system.