A system and computer-implemented method for sensing an amount of free water in cut crop material and automatically adjusting an operating parameter of a mower conditioner to optimize the amount of free water. A sensor located at the exit of a conditioning mechanism measures an actual free water content value of the material as it exits the conditioning mechanism, a processor compares the actual value to maximum and minimum values, and if the actual value is outside this range, automatically adjusts an operating parameter, such as a gap between pairs of conditioning rollers, a pressure exerted by the rollers, or a speed of the mower conditioner, to optimize the actual value. Another sensor may be located at the entrance of the conditioning mechanism. The processor may take into account an operator-selectable value weighting the actual free water content versus a dry down time when adjusting the operating parameter.

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.

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.

An agricultural machine includes a chassis, a crop-cutting member coupled to the chassis; and a crop-conditioning member coupled to the chassis and positioned rearward of the crop-cutting member. The crop-conditioning member includes a first macerator assembly and a second macerator assembly. The first macerator assembly includes a first roll configured to rotate about a first rotational axis, a second roll configured to rotate about a second rotational axis, and a first endless member surrounding and engaged with the first roll and the second roll. The second macerator assembly is spaced apart from the first macerator assembly; and a maceration zone is defined between the first macerator assembly and the second macerator assembly. The endless member rotates to macerate crop disposed between the first macerator assembly and the second macerator assembly.

An agricultural mowing assembly that includes an agricultural vehicle and at least one mowing device connected to the agricultural vehicle. The at least one mowing device includes a frame and a cutter bar movably connected to the frame. The cutter bar is configured for mowing a crop material in a field. The agricultural mowing assembly also includes a cut quality detection system that includes a plurality of sensors connected to the frame and configured for sensing color variations on the field and a controller operably connected to the plurality of sensors and receiving the sensed color variations on the field from the plurality of sensors. The controller is configured for determining a cut quality of the cutter bar based upon the sensed color variations on the field.

A follower assembly of a cam assembly for a harvester reel including a baffle, a compressible member adjacent the baffle, and a roller spacer adjacent the compressible member. The follower assembly further includes a tubular cam follower housing the roller spacer, and a fastener extending through the tubular cam follower, the roller spacer, the compressible member and the baffle. The resultant follower assembly provides a construction which minimizes peening of the baffle, whereby the fastener maintains its clamp load such that the cam followers maintain engagement with the cam track and the potential for breakage of the fastener is minimized.

The Multipurpose Leaf Crop Harvesting Apparatus and Processing Method will accomplish seven steps in one pass of the combine harvester. This apparatus and processing method harvests leaf crops and is configured to perform multiple processing operations, including fractionation of the leaf crop, leaf maceration, leaf sizing, elevating the leaf fraction to a transport vehicle, and stem conditioning, cutting and windrowing, in a single pass through the crop field. These steps are accomplished using a header unit, an adapter feeder macerator and a forage harvester vehicle, expeditiously removing the leaf fraction from the field. Following leaf fraction harvesting, the leaf fraction is processed by densification into forage feed products. The processed leaf fraction can be combined with other feeds to make up customized feed rations. The stem fraction is also processed. The present invention can also be used to harvest grass crops.

The Multipurpose Leaf Crop Harvesting Apparatus and Processing Method will accomplish seven steps in one pass of the combine harvester. This apparatus and processing method harvests leaf crops and is configured to perform multiple processing operations, including fractionation of the leaf crop, leaf maceration, leaf sizing, elevating the leaf fraction to a transport vehicle, and stem conditioning, cutting and windrowing, in a single pass through the crop field. These steps are accomplished using a header unit, an adapter feeder macerator and a forage harvester vehicle, expeditiously removing the leaf fraction from the field. Following leaf fraction harvesting, the leaf fraction is processed by densification into forage feed products. The processed leaf fraction can be combined with other feeds to make up customized feed rations. The stem fraction is also processed. The present invention can also be used to harvest grass crops.

A cracker roller disc has a first portion radially outward of the centre of substantially constant thickness, and a second portion radially outward of the first portion which second portion tapers towards the periphery of the disc. A plurality of upstanding ridges extending radially outward across the second portion on opposed faces of the disc are machined to define respective conical surfaces forming radially extending edges on opposed faces of the disc. The disc is provided with one or more circular or spiral grooves which cut across the edges in a substantially perpendicular direction to the edges. The grooves extend the effective length of each edge.

A conditioning roller assembly includes two conditioning rollers which are rotatably mounted on associated bearing arrangements, and a holder which includes a first holder component and a second holder component that are connected together by a hinge and a spring arrangement for providing a pre-tensioning of the conditioning rollers. The first holder component is releasably connected to the first bearing arrangement, the second holder component is releasably connected to the second bearing arrangement, and the conditioning rollers, with the bearing arrangements, are detachable in each case from the components without the holder being disassembled.