A shutter assembly for a lawnmower can include a cutter housing, a shutter, and a lever. The shutter can be rotatably attached to the cutter housing so as to be movable between (a) a first shutter position in which a blocking panel is positioned such that the blocking panel opens the discharge opening, and (b) a second shutter position in which the blocking panel is positioned such that the blocking panel closes the discharge opening, and the second shutter position corresponds to a mulching position. The lever can be attached to the shutter and extend through the cutter housing slot. The lever can move the shutter between the first shutter position and the second shutter position. The lever can include a handle knob assembly that includes a button that is biased, by a spring, to lock in any one of a plurality of positions on the cutter housing.

A shutter assembly for a lawnmower can include a cutter housing, a shutter, and a lever. The shutter can be rotatably attached to the cutter housing so as to be movable between (a) a first shutter position in which a blocking panel is positioned such that the blocking panel opens the discharge opening, and (b) a second shutter position in which the blocking panel is positioned such that the blocking panel closes the discharge opening, and the second shutter position corresponds to a mulching position. The lever can be attached to the shutter and extend through the cutter housing slot. The lever can move the shutter between the first shutter position and the second shutter position. The lever can include a handle knob assembly that includes a button that is biased, by a spring, to lock in any one of a plurality of positions on the cutter housing.

A method for delivering at least one replacement machine to replace at least one broken-down machine. The method includes providing a delivery system with at least one transport vehicle for transporting the at least one replacement machine and a controller. The method also includes receiving, by the controller, information that includes standby location variables and calculating, by the controller, a standby location for the at least one transport vehicle based upon the standby location variables. The method also includes sending, by the controller, the standby location to the at least one transport vehicle. The method further includes positioning, by the at least one transport vehicle, the at least one replacement machine at the standby location.

An automatic uniform distribution apparatus for the threshed material from the combine harvester comprises a tangential flow threshing and separating device, a shaking plate threshed material detecting device, a shaking plate, a shaking plate flow guiding mechanism, an axial flow threshing and separating device, a chaff screw conveyor, a return plate, a return plate flow guiding mechanism, a return plate threshed material detecting device, a vibrating sieve, and an on-line detection controller. Force sensors are provided at lateral positions below discharge ports of the shaking plate and the return plate to measure flow rates of the threshed material in lateral regions of the shaking plate and the return plate.

An agricultural apparatus including an agricultural vehicle and a number of work units suitable for cutting standing crop, including a front work unit and two lateral work units located behind and to the sides of the front work unit, each of the work units deposit cut crop as a swath. Each of the lateral work units include a conveyor to deposit cut crop. A plurality of sensors determine the speed of the agricultural apparatus and the speed of operation of each of the conveyors. A control unit receives inputs from the sensors, compares the inputs to a predetermined set of values for a desired vehicle speed and a speed of operation of the conveyors, and as indicated by the comparison, adjusts the speed of operation of at least one conveyor.

Systems and methods for automatically establishing a gap between a concave and a rotor of a rotary crop processing system are disclosed. Establishing the gap may include displacing the concave towards the rotor until contact is detected therebetween. Contact may be detected using a sensor configured to detect contact between the rotor and the concave. The sensor may be a knock sensor. The concave is displaced away from the rotor when contact is detected until contact between the rotor and the concave is no longer detected. One or more actuators may be coupled to the concave to move the concave relative to the rotor. In some implementations, the actuators may be operated in sequence to form the gap between the rotor and the concave.

An orchard sanitation implement disposes of unharvested nuts which may otherwise be utilized as habitat and food for navel orangeworms. Unharvested nuts are lifted from the orchard floor and delivered to a storage bin of the implement. Once received within the storage bin, the unharvested nuts are separated from other orchard debris by a looping belt which allows unharvested nuts to fall through, but other orchard debris is conveyed outside of the storage bin for deposit either into a container or back to the orchard floor. The unharvested nuts fall through openings in the looping belt, through an outlet at the bottom of the storage bin and into a shredding unit attached to the outlet. The shredding unit shreds and pulverizes the unharvested nuts into a composition which is too small to be utilized by navel orangeworms for habitat or a source of food.

A forage harvester includes a shear bar and a panel that directs the crop material downstream of the shear bar. A processing component is disposed downstream of the panel. An impact sensor is coupled to the shear bar and operable to detect data related to a magnitude of a force applied to the shear bar. The panel is moveable from a first position to a second position. The first position of the panel forms a channel for directing the crop material in the direction of crop processing along a first path toward the processing component. The second position of the panel alters the channel to direct the crop material along an alternative path not including the processing component. In response to a sufficiently high impact force applied to the shear bar by debris moving with the crop material, the panel is moved from the first position to the second position.

A forage harvester including a frame, a cutting arrangement and a plurality of displacement mechanisms. The cutting arrangement includes a cutting drum that is rotatable about a rotation axis with respect to the frame, and a shear bar holder configured to receive a shear bar attached thereto. Each of the displacement mechanisms including an actuator for displacing the shear bar with respect to the cutting drum and the frame. The displacement mechanisms include a sensor arrangement to measure one or more values representative of a force exerted on the shear bar and the shear bar holder when the cutting drum is rotating and cutting crops supplied to an area between the cutting drum and the shear bar.

An agricultural working device, such as a mulcher, is improved with a working rotor which is driven by a drive shaft and a cutting rail with a cutting edge which can be directed towards the working rotor. Sensors for acquiring parameters of working rotor and/or cutting rail are provided. An electronic control apparatus is provided with at least one encoder to set the cutting rail. A method for setting the position of a cutting rail of a working device, such as a mulcher, relative to a working rotor, is configured in such a way that the rotational speed of a drive shaft and the rotational speed of the working rotor are measured and compared with one another. When a ratio of the rotational speeds differs by a predefined threshold, a change in the position of the cutting rail is brought about.