A harvesting machine is disclosed along with a method of operating the harvesting machine. The harvesting machine includes a frame having a first end and a second end. A rotatable pick-up head is pivotally mounted on the first end and is capable of urging a crop into the machine. A cutting mechanism is mounted on a bottom plate of the frame for cutting the stems of the plants and forming a movable web. First and second moisture removal mechanisms are positioned downstream of the cutting mechanism, and each includes a suction roll and a press roll. A moving belt forms a closed loop around the pair of suction and press rolls, and has a plurality of apertures formed therethrough. The moving belt forms first and second nips between each pair of suction and press rolls for squeezing moisture out of said stems as the movable web is routed through the first and second nips.

An agricultural harvesting machine and a method for operating an agricultural harvesting machine is disclosed. The agricultural harvesting machine includes an attachment configured to receive a crop containing grain components, at least one work assembly for processing the received crop, a transfer device, a near-infrared (NIR), and an evaluation device. The crop is received by the attachment and traverses the harvesting machine, thereby defining a crop stream. The NIR sensor is positioned along the crop stream downstream from the at least one work assembly and generates one or more signals indicative of at least one aspect of the grain components in the crop stream. Further, the evaluation device receives and analyzes the signals from the NIR sensor in order to determine a degree to which the grain components contained in the crop stream are cracked.

A harvesting machine comprises a crop conveying channel with a movable bottom flap coupled to a hydraulic actuator controlling the position of the flap and a crop throughput sensing arrangement with a pressure sensor adapted to sense a hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic actuator.

An agricultural harvesting machine, equipped with a movable unloading apparatus to transport crop material to a container driven in the vicinity, so that the container, seen from the harvester, has a near upper border and a remote upper border, and wherein a 3D camera is provided on the harvester for capturing images in which at least the near border can be seen, to direct the unloading apparatus based on these images. The camera is rotatable mounted around a substantially horizontal axis. The angle of rotation of the rotatable camera can be arranged such that the near border always remains in the field of view of the camera. The unloading apparatus can be controlled such that the processed crop material is deposited in the container at a predetermined distance from the near border.

An automated hemp field harvester can be driven by a tractor or attached to various types of self-propelled machines. The automated hemp field harvester has a set of two combing belts that rotate up vertically with a plurality of comb assemblies for stripping the buds and flowers from the hemp plant as the automated hemp field harvester is directed down the row of hemp plants. A set of winged plates in front of the combing belts gather the hemp plants and directs them into the drive assemblies. The comb assemblies are inclined in an upward direction and strip the buds and flowers from the stalks and stems. There is a deflecting plate at the top end of the combing belts to deflect the buds and flowers in a controlled manner to a product discharge conveyor belt to be loaded into a trailer or wagon for removal from the field.

A head assembly can be operationally mounted to the outlet of a conventional harvester extractor, such as a sugarcane harvester. The ancillary fan assemblies can generally direct suspended trash materials (that would otherwise be expelled from an extractor outlet) in a substantially upward and laterally outboard directionthat is, toward both lateral sides of a harvester. A duct assembly having an inlet and an outlet generally extends from each ancillary fan assembly to a position generally above a track of a harvester. Trash material expelled by a harvester extractor enters the head assembly and is directed by the ancillary fan assemblies into the duct assemblies, through the duct assemblies, and onto the upper surfaces of the tracks of the harvesters. The trash material is then conveyed by the tracks toward the front or forward portion of the harvester, where it falls off of the tracks generally in the path of the harvester. As the harvester continues moving forward, the harvester runs over the deposited organic trash material, plowing the organic trash material into the underlying terrain.

A head assembly can be operationally mounted to the outlet of a conventional harvester extractor, such as a sugarcane harvester. The ancillary fan assemblies can generally direct suspended trash materials (that would otherwise be expelled from an extractor outlet) in a substantially upward and laterally outboard directionthat is, toward both lateral sides of a harvester. A duct assembly having an inlet and an outlet generally extends from each ancillary fan assembly to a position generally above a track of a harvester. Trash material expelled by a harvester extractor enters the head assembly and is directed by the ancillary fan assemblies into the duct assemblies, through the duct assemblies, and onto the upper surfaces of the tracks of the harvesters. The trash material is then conveyed by the tracks toward the front or forward portion of the harvester, where it falls off of the tracks generally in the path of the harvester. As the harvester continues moving forward, the harvester runs over the deposited organic trash material, plowing the organic trash material into the underlying terrain.

A mulching apparatus for attachment to a lawnmower includes a cutting assembly separate from the mower blades, wherein the grass clippings are finely cut and then dispersed onto the ground surface. A spreader assembly receives the mulched grass clippings from the cutting assembly and disperses the mulched grass clippings onto a ground surface. Optionally, the mulching apparatus includes a feeder assembly to facilitate supplying grass clippings to the cutting assembly.

A roller shell for a conditioning roller includes a number of teeth which are distributed over the periphery thereof and which extend in an axial direction. Each of the teeth includes a leading flank, a trailing flank and a radial outer surface region having an angulation defined therein. The angulation may include a recess or a step in the outer surface region.

Various types of lawnmowers are disclosed that include a cutter housing having a chamber wall and a discharge opening therein. A mulch gate can be provided with an interior scroll-shaped face and can be pivotably attached to the cutter housing so as to be movable between an opened gate position and a closed position. In the opened position, the mulch gate is positioned such that the discharge opening is opened to an exterior of the lawnmower to allow clippings to pass therethrough and out of the lawnmower. In the closed position the mulch gate closes the discharge opening to provide a mulch mode in which clippings remain in the cutter housing for added cutting by the lawnmower blade. When the mulch gate is in the closed gate position, the interior scroll-shaped face of the mulch gate can be substantially continuous with a wall interior surface of the chamber wall.