A header for an agricultural vehicle includes: a header frame; at least two row dividers carried by the header frame and defining a gap therebetween; and a crop material saver disposed in the gap and including a pair of saver flaps, each of the saver flaps being positioned such that the saver flaps co-act as a one-way pass-through to allow crop material flow past the saver flaps in an admission direction and inhibit crop material flow past the saver flaps in an inhibited direction opposite the admission direction

A method for operating an agricultural vehicle. The method includes an initial step of providing the agricultural vehicle which includes a feeder housing and a header. The header includes at least one row unit, which has a pair of deck plates, and a deck plate adjustment system. The deck plate adjustment system includes at least one actuator connected to the deck plates, an electronic control unit operably connected to the at least one actuator, and at least one sensor. The method includes the further steps of pivoting the feeder housing to raise the header, sending, by the at least one sensor, a signal to the electronic control unit, and cycling the deck plates, by the electronic control unit actuating the at least one actuator to move the deck plates, for removing a buildup of material on the deck plates.

The invention provides a device (10) for acquiring images of a plant, which device comprises:

i) a first structure (60) defining a cavity (33) for receiving a portion to be imaged of the plant, the cavity presenting a longitudinal axis (13) and an opening (65) at one of its ends, the cavity being defined by at least one transparent wall forming a window (12) for observing the portion to be imaged;

ii) a second structure (61) extending around the window (12) and mounted to move in translation along the longitudinal axis (13) relative to the first structure, and comprising: hollow reflective optics (11, 19) extending around the window and including a reflecting surface (19) directed towards the longitudinal axis; and a plurality of image sensors (18) regularly distributed around the window (12), the field of view (77) of each sensor including at least a portion of the reflective optics so as to capture images of the portion of the plant that is surrounded by the window, which images are reflected by the reflective optics; and. iii) an actuator (64) for driving the second structure to move relative to the first structure along the longitudinal axis.

The invention provides a device (10) for acquiring images of a plant, which device comprises:

i) a first structure (60) defining a cavity (33) for receiving a portion to be imaged of the plant, the cavity presenting a longitudinal axis (13) and an opening (65) at one of its ends, the cavity being defined by at least one transparent wall forming a window (12) for observing the portion to be imaged;

ii) a second structure (61) extending around the window (12) and mounted to move in translation along the longitudinal axis (13) relative to the first structure, and comprising: hollow reflective optics (11, 19) extending around the window and including a reflecting surface (19) directed towards the longitudinal axis; and a plurality of image sensors (18) regularly distributed around the window (12), the field of view (77) of each sensor including at least a portion of the reflective optics so as to capture images of the portion of the plant that is surrounded by the window, which images are reflected by the reflective optics; and. iii) an actuator (64) for driving the second structure to move relative to the first structure along the longitudinal axis.

A stalk roll assembly for header of a combine harvester. The assembly includes first and second stalk rolls spaced laterally with respect to one another and rotating in opposite directions. Each stalk roll includes a frusto-conical nose and a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body includes a plurality of radially extending flutes. The nose includes a pair of helical flights. The plurality of flutes includes at least one cutting flute having a straight edge and a plurality of puncturing flutes with teeth. The stalk rolls are laterally offset a distance that permits the tips of the flutes to laterally overlap and the teeth of the puncturing flutes are longitudinally offset so the tips of the teeth are received between with the valleys of the teeth of the other stalk roll.

An image capture device captures an image of crop after it has been processed by a kernel processing unit on a forage harvester. A size distribution indicative of the distribution of kernel fragment sizes in the harvested crop is identified from the image captured by the image capture device. A control system generates control signals to control a speed differential in the speed of rotation of kernel processing rollers based on the size distribution. Control signals can also be generated to control a size of a gap between the kernel processing rollers.

A harvester includes a main frame, first side frame, and a second side frame. The first and second side frames are rotatable about the main frame between a deployed position and a stowed position. A first crop divider is rotatable with respect to the first side frame to change an angle between the first crop divider and the ground. A first biasing member biases the first crop divider into the raised position. A second crop divider is rotatable with respect to the second side frame to change an angle between the second crop divider and the ground. A second biasing member biases the second crop divider into the raised position. During movement of the first and second side frames into the stowed position, the first and second crop dividers are moved into the lowered position against the biasing force of the respective biasing member.

A corn cob harvesting machine includes a tractor, cob harvester, and trailer that together lift, clean, and separate corn cobs from a corn harvester combine chaff windrow. The cob harvester has a floating cob lift immediately adjacent to and through various skirts engaging the earth that is supported by and floats with respect to a support frame. The floating cob lift has a rotary paddle that lifts and throws cobs into the first cross draft separator. The first cross draft separator has a blower that generates a vacuum within the floating cob lift. An adjustable flap intermediate between rotary paddle and blower deflects cobs and other heavier matter out of the air stream, while lighter matter is removed. A first cross draft separator removes chaff, a rock trap separates rocks, and a second cross draft separator removes additional chaff. A discharge conveyor transfers cleaned corn cobs to the trailer.

A dust restrictor is provided for eliminating dust and dirt accumulation between surfaces. The dust restrictor includes at least one dust restricting element and an attachment mechanism. The dust restricting element is disposed in a dust accumulating area of an arrangement. The attachment mechanism is provided for fixing each of the dust restricting elements to the dust accumulating area.

A row crop header for a harvester having a subframe removably coupleable to a feeder housing of the harvester. A pivot assembly is supported by the subframe permitting first and second header sections to pivotably move between raised and lowered positions together or independently of the other. A cross-auger center suspension assembly rotateably supports one end of the first cross-auger section and one end of the second cross-auger section as the first and second header sections pivotally move between the raised and lowered positions.