A shredding and baling apparatus provided includes a shredding assembly operatively connected to a baling assembly via a conveyor. A rotatable drum with cutting teeth spirally arranged along the drum is preferably centered within a lower portion of an intake hopper for cutting through material as it is fed into the hopper. Fixed cutting teeth are preferably arranged in a row or rows along each of the longitudinal sidewalls of the hopper, adjacent the cutting drum. A touch screen display and computer may be used in combination with sensors to monitor and control the shredding and baling operation, and a hydraulic system is used to drive the components. The shredding and baling assembly is preferably designed in an industrial size to handle high volumes of material and may be driven or transported from one location to another.

A baler includes a near-infrared testing system configured to receive near-infrared radiation reflected by plant material in a bale and to analyze the near-infrared radiation and generate evaluation data reflecting one or more properties of the plant material. The near-infrared testing system is calibrated using a calibration sample at a calibration temperature. A temperature sensor measures a sample temperature of a crop sample of the plant material and a temperature alteration mechanism adjusts the sample temperature of the crop sample so that the sample temperature matches the calibration temperature of the calibration sample before the near-infrared testing system receives the near-infrared radiation reflected by the plant material. A computer receives and combine the evaluation data of the plant material to produce overall evaluation data reflecting one or more overall properties for the at least one bale of the plurality of bales, and assign the overall evaluation data to the bale.

A harvesting machine includes a main frame having a main actuator; a cutting frame having a crop guiding surface including a plurality of slots extending in a direction of travel of crop over the crop guiding surface and a plurality of knives pivotally mounted below the crop guiding surface; an outer frame being pivotable around a common pivot axis and being connected to the actuator; an inner frame having a plurality of operating units, and a selector mechanism configured to selectively engage one or more of the plurality of operating units. The outer frame includes an axis for pivotally holding a plurality of levers, each lever being pivotally connected to an operating unit of each knife. Guides are provided for lateral movement of the crop guiding surface with the plurality of knives from an operating position into a servicing position and vice versa.

The invention relates to a cutting blade overload protection device (10) for a cutting mechanism (11) of a harvester (100) for leaf and stalk material, comprising at least one cutting blade (13) which can pivot about a cutting blade rotational axis (12) and which is connected to a toggle lever mechanism (14). The toggle lever mechanism (14) includes two coupled toggle levers (16, 17) which can pivot about a toggle lever rotational axis (15) and which move the cutting blade (13) from an operating position (P1) to a resting position (P2) when a predefined force (F1) is exceeded.

The invention also relates to a harvester (100) which is equipped with at least one such cutting blade overload protection device (10).

In order to protect the cutting blade (13) better when contacting foreign objects, it is proposed to provide the cutting blade overload protection device (10) with a special toggle lever mechanism (14) which comprises a stop limit (24) and a spring element (19), with the spring element (19) and limit stop (24) interacting such that when a predefined force (F1) is exceeded, the toggle lever rotational axis (15) is moved past a dead center point (20), with the position of the toggle levers (16, 17) shifting from a first buckling position (21) through a straight position (22) into a second buckling position (23).

A crop cutting device including a crop guiding surface including parallel slots. A row of knives pivotally mounted below the guiding surface is pivotable between a retracted inoperative position in which it is located below the guiding surface and an extended operative position, wherein the knives project above the guiding surface. An actuating mechanism includes movable operating members. Each operating member is associated with a respective knife and is movable from a first position in which the knife is in its retracted position to a second position in which the knife is in its extended position. Further, there is included a lifting mechanism for raising at least a part of each knife above the guiding surface, while the operating members are in their first position.

A rotor feeder unit for an agricultural baler. The rotor feeder unit includes a rotor feeder carrying a set of tines, a rotor feeder unit bottom distant from the rotor feeder forming a lower boundary of a conveying channel through the rotor feeder unit, and scrapers placed in conveying direction behind the rotor feeder. The rotor feeder is rotatable about an axis of rotation. The scrapers extend in between the tines and have a leading face cooperating with the tines. The rotor feeder unit also includes a scraper position adjusting arrangement adapted for displacement of the leading face of the scrapers relative to the rotor feeder unit bottom. The scraper position adjusting arrangement is further adapted for rotating the scrapers about the axis of rotation of the rotor feeder for angularly displacing the leading face of the scrapers relative to the rotor feeder unit bottom.

Baling apparatus including a baling chamber having a stationary splitting knife disposed therein for dividing crop material picked up from a field to discharge divided bales simultaneously. Bale depth control allows production of bales of predetermined selected depths (or widths) by repositioning the roof of the baling chamber, using extensions to alter the crop-engaging surface of a plunger movable in the baling chamber and repositioning the splitting knife.

Rotor assemblies for conveying crop material from a pick-up device of a baler apparatus into the baling chamber may include a rotor stripper having a head section with a collar and a tail section removably attached to the head section to remove crop material from the rotating teeth of the assembly.

A pre-cutter assembly includes at least one knife rotatable about a knife rotation axis between a retracted position and a deployed position, and an associated engagement arm rotatable about an arm rotation axis between a latch position securing the knife in the deployed position, and a release position allowing the knife to move into the retracted position. A magnet may be positioned for engagement with the engagement arm when the engagement arm is disposed in the latch position. The magnet is operable to apply a magnetic force to the engagement arm when engaged with the engagement arm to hold the engagement arm in the latch position thereby securing the knife in the deployed position. A cam shaft having a cam lobe may be rotated to selectively move the engagement arm between the release position and the latch position.

A pre-cutter assembly includes a first set and a second set of knives. A controller is coupled to a first actuator and a second actuator for moving the first set and the second set of knives between a retracted position and a deployed position respectively. The controller may determine a current baler operating parameter and a status of the first and second sets of knives. The controller may then define a desired positional setting for the first and second sets of knives based on the current baler operating parameter and the status of the first and second sets of knives. The controller may then communicate a control signal to the first and second actuators to control the first and second actuators to position the first and second sets of knives in the desired position setting for the first and second sets of knives.