A harvesting apparatus includes a crop conditioning element and an associated hood for conditioning crop material. The hood is moveably mounted to a frame of the harvesting apparatus, at a position located above the crop conditioning element. The hood is moveably mounted to the frame for movement toward and away from the crop conditioning element to adjust a gap therebetween. A swathboard is attached to and moveable with the hood. The swathboard is moveable relative to the hood between a plurality of operating positions. The swathboard is operable to maintain its position relative to the hood during movement with the hood toward and away from the crop conditioning element to form a consistent swath while moving the hood relative to the crop conditioning element to adjust the gap therebetween.

In a rotary mower having ten generally horizontal cutter disks forming a total cutting length along the cutter bar of 16 feet, the discharge opening containing the parallel conditioner rolls and a parallel transfer roll has a width of at least 125 inches. This allows a first outermost one of the ten disks and approximately one half of the next adjacent disk to be mounted on the cutter bar outwardly of the discharge opening. A convergence system then includes only first and second impellers with the first impeller mounted on the first disk for rotation therewith and the second impeller mounted on an upper support above the impeller so that the second impeller hangs downwardly toward the second disk for contacting the cut crop and mounted immediately adjacent with the second impeller having a peripheral edge located at or immediately adjacent the vertical plane of the side of the discharge opening.

In a rotary mower having ten generally horizontal cutter disks forming a total cutting length along the cutter bar of 16 feet, the discharge opening containing the parallel conditioner rolls and a parallel transfer roll has a width of at least 125 inches. This allows a first outermost one of the ten disks and approximately one half of the next adjacent disk to be mounted on the cutter bar outwardly of the discharge opening. A convergence system then includes only first and second impellers with the first impeller mounted on the first disk for rotation therewith and the second impeller mounted on an upper support above the impeller so that the second impeller hangs downwardly toward the second disk for contacting the cut crop and mounted immediately adjacent with the second impeller having a peripheral edge located at or immediately adjacent the vertical plane of the side of the discharge opening.

A windrowing work vehicle with a swath flap arrangement is disclosed. The swath flap arrangement includes a swath flap that is supported for movement by a support structure between a raised position and a lowered position. The swath flap is configured to at least partially shape a windrow of a crop material. A method includes receiving, by a processor of a control system from a memory element, a stored position setting that corresponds to a position of the swath flap relative to the support structure. The method further includes processing, by the processor, a positioning control signal based, at least in part, on the stored position setting. Also, the method includes moving, with an actuator, the swath flap relative to the support structure between the raised position and the lowered position according to the positioning control signal.

A harvesting work vehicle includes a conditioning arrangement configured to condition a crop material. A method of operating the work vehicle includes receiving, by a processor of a control system from a memory element, a stored conditioning setting for a variable parameter of the conditioning arrangement. The method also includes processing, by the processor, a conditioning control signal based, at least in part, on the stored conditioning setting. Furthermore, the method includes changing, with an actuator, the variable parameter of the conditioning arrangement according to the conditioning control signal.

A conditioner unit (6) for conditioning an agricultural crop material comprises a pair of rolls (20a, 20b) configured for rotation in opposite directions and providing a nip (22) through which crop material passes. An adjusting mechanism (31) is provided for adjusting a pressing force applied by the rolls (20a, 20b) to the crop material as it passes through the nip. The adjusting mechanism (31) includes at least one hydraulic actuator (30) connected to at least one of the rolls (20a, 20b) and a hydraulic circuit (33) that supplies hydraulic fluid to the actuator (30), the hydraulic circuit being configured so that in a first operational mode the rolls (20a, 20b) are pressed towards one another and in a second operational mode the rolls (20a, 20b) are pushed apart to provide a gap between the rolls.

In accordance with an example embodiment, a mower-conditioner may include first and second conditioning rolls, at least one eccentric assembly, and a linkage. The first and second conditioning rolls are spaced apart a distance. The at least one eccentric assembly is coupled to the mower-conditioner. The linkage is coupled between the eccentric assembly and the first conditioning roll. The movement of the at least one eccentric assembly causes the first conditioning roll to move via the linkage, which adjusts the distance between the first and second conditioning rolls.

In accordance with an example embodiment, a mower-conditioner may include first and second conditioning rolls, at least one eccentric assembly, and a linkage. The first and second conditioning rolls are spaced apart a distance. The at least one eccentric assembly is coupled to the mower-conditioner. The linkage is coupled between the eccentric assembly and the first conditioning roll. The movement of the at least one eccentric assembly causes the first conditioning roll to move via the linkage, which adjusts the distance between the first and second conditioning rolls.

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.

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.