A wheeled trailer to be moved across a lawn having integral structural frame and wheels for carrying said frame, a screen removeably affixed to an interior of the frame, a retractable deck with a plurality of tines extending from an underside of the deck, the tines configured to engage a ground surface, a lift assembly affixed to the frame to raise and lower/dynamically move the plurality of tines extending from an underside of the deck therethrough the screen, and a power system mounted on the frame with control to power the lift assembly, and, thus, functions to provide for automated collection and removal of yard debris such as leaves, pine straw, and other decomposing debris collected on the tines while raking and dethatching especially if the debris contains pine needles and depositing the debris where the operator chooses.

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 conveyor joint assembly (600) is provided including a support ledge (501) operably coupled to and extending from a first sealing surface (602), a first side wall and second side wall (507) operably coupled to opposite ends of the support ledge (501), a receiver (504) operably coupled to the first sealing surface (602), and at least one protrusion (503) operably coupled to a second sealing surface (604). The second sealing surface (604) is configured to engage the support ledge (501) and the receiver (504) is configured to retain the at least one protrusion (503) causing the first sealing surface (602) to engage the second sealing surface (604).

A harvesting system for harvesting stalky plants is mountable on a power unit such as an agricultural or construction tractor having hydraulic power and/or a power takeoff (PTO). The system includes at least a reel-based harvesting head configured to cut off at least the tops of the plants and to transport the cut plants laterally of the harvesting system without threshing or otherwise processing the plants. The harvesting head may be mounted on, for example, an upper lift arm assembly or a three-point hitch mechanism of the power unit. If the harvesting head is mounted on the upper lift arm assembly of an agricultural tractor, a second harvesting head may be mountable on the tractor's three-point hitch mechanism beneath the first harvesting head for cutting stalks near their base, gathering the cut stalks, and windrowing the cut stalks behind the second harvesting head.

A harvesting method includes the steps of operating a moveable harvesting machine in one or more fields to harvest plant matter and produce a secondarily processable harvest product for subsequent processing using secondary processing machinery; and while operating the harvesting machine to produce the secondarily processable harvest product, recording data that includes information on one or more characteristics of the secondarily processable harvest product. The method further includes transferring the recorded data from the harvesting machine to an external data store; causing moveable secondary processing machinery to retrieve at least some data on the secondarily processable harvest product from the data store; and controlling one or more controllable parameters of the secondary processing machinery based on the retrieved data during operation of the secondary processing machinery to process the secondarily processable harvest product.

A harvesting machine 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 for cutting the stems of the plants. A crimper mechanism is positioned downstream of the bottom plate and is capable of compacting the cut stems into a moving web. A moisture removal mechanism is positioned after the crimper mechanism to lower the moisture in the cut stems. A crop converging mechanism is located downstream of the moisture removal mechanism and reduces the width of the moving web into a ribbon. A chopper then chops the ribbon into small pieces so that they can be blown into a storage wagon for transport.

A yard waste collection assembly comprising a yard waste collector (200) comprising a yard waste inlet, a conveyor (100) configured to receive yard waste at a receiving end of the conveyor (100) and discharge the yard waste at a discharge end of the conveyor (100), wherein the conveyor comprises a telescopic seal (102) configured to cover an outlet (103), at the discharge end, in a shut position when the conveyor (100) is not engaged with the yard waste collector (200), and wherein the telescopic seal (102) is further configured to slide along a longitudinal axis (L) of the conveyor (100) to an open position when the conveyor engages the yard waste collector (200) causing the outlet (103) to be uncovered.

In one aspect, a system for detecting crop levels within an agricultural harvester may include an elevator extending between a proximal end and a distal end, with the elevator being configured to carry harvested crops between the proximal end of the elevator and the distal end of the elevator. The system may also include a crop level sensor provided in operative association with the elevator. The crop level sensor may include a sensor body and a paddle pivotably coupled to the sensor body such that the paddle is configured to pivot relative to the sensor body when a crop level of the harvested crops conveyed by the elevator exceeds a threshold crop.

A method for transferring seed during a planting operation includes receiving, by a theft detection system, a first equipment identity of first equipment, receiving the seed into a seed bin of second equipment from the first equipment, determining, using a sensing device disposed on the second equipment and communicatively coupled to the theft detection system, a first weight value indicative of weight of the seed received into the seed bin from the first equipment, and at least one of transmitting, by the theft detection system using a satellite data communication protocol, the first weight value and the first equipment identity to a tracking system, and determining, by the theft detection system, whether any of the seed was stolen based on the first weight value and the first equipment identity and selectively generating and transmitting a notification to the tracking system indicating that the seed was stolen.

A method for transferring seed during a planting operation includes receiving, by a theft detection system, a first equipment identity of first equipment, receiving the seed into a seed bin of second equipment from the first equipment, determining, using a sensing device disposed on the second equipment and communicatively coupled to the theft detection system, a first weight value indicative of weight of the seed received into the seed bin from the first equipment, and at least one of transmitting, by the theft detection system using a satellite data communication protocol, the first weight value and the first equipment identity to a tracking system, and determining, by the theft detection system, whether any of the seed was stolen based on the first weight value and the first equipment identity and selectively generating and transmitting a notification to the tracking system indicating that the seed was stolen.