A01D34/667

Agricultural mowing system with overlap control

An agricultural mowing system includes: a driving vehicle having a steerable axle and a pivotable tongue and defining a travel axis; a first mower coupled to the driving vehicle; a second mower coupled to the tongue; a tongue actuator configured to pivot the tongue; a tongue angle sensor configured to output signals corresponding to a tongue angle of the tongue; and a controller operatively coupled to the tongue actuator and the tongue angle sensor. The controller is configured to: determine a lateral overlap or underlap of the mowers exceeds a threshold value based at least partially on the tongue angle and a steering angle of the steerable axle; determine a correction angle needed for the tongue to pivot such that the lateral overlap or underlap no longer exceeds the threshold value; and output a correction signal to the tongue actuator to pivot the tongue by the correction angle.

Conditioner unit

A conditioner unit (6) for conditioning crop material comprises a rotor (17) having a shaft (18) that carries a plurality of conditioning elements, a drive mechanism for driving rotation of the rotor (17) about an axis, and a deflector element having a working surface (26) that surrounds at least part of the circumference of the rotor (17) to define a conditioning passage through which crop material is transported by rotation of the rotor (17). An adjusting mechanism (30) is provided for adjusting the position of the deflector element relative to the rotor (17), the adjusting mechanism (30) including an actuator (50), a sensor for sensing an operational condition of the conditioning unit (6) and a control system (56) that receives a sensor signal from the sensor and controls actuation of the actuator (50) in response to said sensor signal to provide a desired level of conditioning during operation of the conditioner unit (6).

Mower and swathing unit
11528845 · 2022-12-20 · ·

A mower has a plurality of rotary cutters for cutting a crop and a swathing unit for forming a cut crop into a swath. In some embodiments, the swathing unit includes an auger and a housing that extends around at least part of the auger and provides a swathing aperture through which cut crop material is ejected to form a swath. In some embodiments, the housing includes at least one guide plate that can be adjusted to adjust the width W of the swathing aperture.

VARIABLE CHUTE DEVICE FOR POWER MOWER
20220386525 · 2022-12-08 ·

A variable chute device includes an elongated member and a deflection plate. The elongated member extends between the deflection plate and a passenger area and a power mower. The deflection plate includes a main body and an attachment portion. The attachment portion extends from the main body and movably couples the main body to a deck of the power mower. The main body is movable between a closed position, an open position, and a plurality of variably controlled partially-open positions by actuation of the elongated member. In the closed position, the main body extends across the opening of the chute to prevent grass clippings from exiting the chute through the opening, and in the plurality of variably controlled open partially-positions, the main body is spaced apart from the opening of the chute at varying gaps to control an amount of the grass clippings to exit the chute through the opening.

CENTER PIVOT MOWER WITH TURN COMPENSATION
20220377963 · 2022-12-01 · ·

An agricultural mower system includes: a towing vehicle including an engine and a tongue coupler and defining a towing centerline; a mower including a frame carrying cutters and pivotably coupled to a tongue that is pivotably coupled to the tongue coupler, the frame defining a mower centerline that is offset from the towing centerline, the tongue defining a towing angle with respect to the towing centerline and a mower angle with respect to the mower centerline; a mower angle actuator coupled to the tongue and the frame; and a controller configured to: determine the towing angle has changed by a change amount relative to a defined towing angle; determine a turn compensation amount for the mower angle as a function of the change amount and a constant; and output a compensation signal to cause the mower angle actuator to adjust the mower angle by the determined turn compensation amount.

Mower deck insert

A mower deck insert includes a first cutting chamber, a second cutting chamber, and a discharge passage extending adjacent to the first cutting chamber and the second cutting chamber. The first cutting chamber includes a first axial scroll extending about a first vertical axis. The first axial scroll includes a first upper surface having a first start region and a first end region. The second cutting chamber includes a second axial scroll extending about a second vertical axis. The second axial scroll includes a second upper surface having a second start region and a second end region. The first start region is vertically lower than the first end region, and the second start region is vertically lower than the second end region.

AGRICULTURAL HEADER WITH SWATH GATE FOR SPREADING AND CONVERGING CROP MATERIAL

A header includes: a header frame; a cutter carried by the header frame; a roll disposed rearwardly of the cutter and configured to convey cut crop material rearwardly in a crop flow stream; a swath gate coupled to the header frame and movable between a spreading position and a converging position; a spreader coupled to the swath gate and configured to laterally spread the crop flow stream as the crop flow stream flows across the spreader; and a converger coupled to the swath gate and configured to converge the crop flow stream toward a centerline of the swath gate as the crop flow stream flows across the converger. The spreader and the converger are configured to not be in the crop flow stream at the same time, depending on the position of the swath gate.

CENTER PIVOT MOWER SYSTEM WITH END OF ROW MOWER ADJUSTMENT
20230200295 · 2023-06-29 · ·

An agricultural mower system includes: a towing vehicle having a tongue coupler and defining a towing centerline; a mower with a frame carrying cutters and pivotably coupled to a tongue pivotably coupled to the tongue coupler so the mower is on a first side of the towing centerline and defining a towing angle with respect to the towing centerline; a tongue actuator coupled to the tongue to pivot the tongue; a towing angle sensor associated with the tongue that outputs a towing angle signal; and a controller configured to: determine the towing vehicle has initiated an end-of-row turning operation; and output an adjustment signal to the tongue actuator responsively to determining the end-of-row turning operation has initiated so the tongue actuator moves the tongue such that the mower defines the towing angle on a second side of the towing centerline by a conclusion of the end-of-row turning operation.

ROTARY CUTTER WITH FULL-DISTRIBUTION CUTTING CHAMBER
20170339826 · 2017-11-30 ·

A rotary cutting implement is disclosed. The rotary cutting implement includes a housing that extends along a longitudinal axis. The rotary cutting implement also includes an annular wall coupled to the housing to define a cutting chamber having a width defined from a first sidewall to a second sidewall. The annular wall includes a distribution deflector having a body that extends along an axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis to form the second sidewall of the cutting chamber. The distribution deflector distributes cut residue over substantially the width of the cutting chamber.

Cut quality detection system for an agricultural mower
11672198 · 2023-06-13 · ·

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.