A system for supplying electric power to components of an agricultural harvester may include a power storage device and a first agricultural harvester component. The system may also include a first bus electrically coupled to the power storage device and configured to supply electric power at a first voltage to the first agricultural harvester component. Furthermore, the system may include a second agricultural harvester component and a second bus configured to supply the electric power at a second voltage to second agricultural harvester component, the second voltage being less than the first voltage. Additionally, the system may include a converter electrically coupled between the first and the second bus, with the converter configured to reduce the first voltage supplied through the first bus to allow electric power to be supplied to the second agricultural harvester component at the second voltage via the second bus.

A drive arrangement of a conditioning apparatus of a forage harvester having two conditioning rollers, with at least one of the conditioning rollers able to be driven at variable speed via an electrical drive train, includes an electric motor/generator for driving the conditioning roller. The electric motor/generator is able to be operated as a generator for braking the conditioning roller and to return the generated electrical energy into a drive system of the forage harvester.

A sickle knife drive for an agricultural vehicle generally includes a first pump, a first motor, a second motor and a drive manifold having a plurality of connections used for connecting to other devices of the sickle knife drive and/or to devices outside of the sickle knife drive. Operation of the first pump in a forward direction causes the first motor to drive a sickle knife gearbox to cut a crop. During the forward direction, the second motor provides cooling to the fluid circuit. When the first pump direction is reversed, the agricultural vehicle supplements a fluid flow to the fluid circuit to clear any jammed crop from the sickle knives.

A mower conditioner implement includes a cutting system for cutting crop material, and a crop conditioning system for receiving the cut crop material from the cutting system and conditioning the cut crop material to facilitate drying. An image sensor senses an image of the cut crop material. The image includes a color spectrum of the cut crop material from reflected light emitted from a light source. A computing device compares the color spectrum of the image to a calibrated color measurement to determine an ash content in the cut crop material, and/or a degree of stem conditioning of the cut crop material. The computing device may then communicate the results to an operator, and/or adjust the cutting system or the crop conditioning system based on the ash content or the degree of stem conditioning.

A harvesting header of an agricultural machine includes a frame, a cutting mechanism coupled to the frame and configured to cut crop, an auger rotatably coupled to the frame at a location rearward of the cutting mechanism, and an impeller rotatably coupled to the frame at a location rearward of the auger. The impeller is configured to receive crop from the auger and condition the cut crop. The crop is projected by the auger in a rearward and upward direction relative to the impeller.

An agricultural machine includes a cutting mechanism and first and second conditioning elements driven by a transmission comprising a primary box including a first output connected to the cutting mechanism, a second output connected to the first conditioning element and a third output, connected with one another by primary transmission means, the transmission including a secondary box including an input connected to the third output and an output connected to the second conditioning element, connected with one another by secondary transmission means, the transmission comprising a lubrication device for the primary box with a pump and a primary distribution system for a lubricant towards the primary transmission means. The lubrication device comprises a secondary distribution system distributing the lubricant from the pump towards the secondary transmission means, and a return system for the lubricant from the secondary box towards the pump.

A mower-conditioner for cutting and conditioning crop material, comprises a mower unit for cutting crop material and a conditioner unit that is configured to condition the cut crop material. A drive input is configured to receive a rotational drive from an external drive unit, and a drive transmission system is configured to transmit rotary drive from the drive input to the mower unit and the conditioner unit. The drive transmission system includes a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that transmits rotary drive between the mower unit and the conditioner unit with a variable speed ratio.

A compression roll housing for an agricultural machine, in which the housing has a side panel provided with at least one elongated aperture for receiving a shaft. The aperture allows movement of the shaft within the aperture along its longitudinal axis. The elongated aperture has a flexible cover with a cover aperture. The flexible cover prevents the escape of processed crop material from the housing, while permitting movement of the shaft in the elongated aperture.

A drive system for self-propelling harvester is disclosed. The harvester includes a drive motor, a transfer case driven by the drive motor and having an output pulley arranged on a driveshaft of the transfer case and driving, using a main drive belt, at least one main pulley of a rotating cutter drum arranged on the end of a cutter drum shaft, a conditioning apparatus, an ejection accelerator, and a hydraulic pump for hydraulically driving an attachment and/or a feed device. The output pulley, the main drive belt and the main pulley form a main drivetrain for driving the cutter drum, the conditioning apparatus, and the ejection accelerator, and the attachment and the feed device are each driven by a separate drivetrain. At least one prop shaft, on the side of the main drivetrain, is arranged or positioned to lie in a common vertical plane with the main drive belt.

An agricultural machine capable of sensing a harvested crop load includes a mower or mower conditioner implement, which may be referred to as a crop cutting implement, and a retractable linear device such as a spring or linear actuator. The crop cutting implement includes a flexible drive assembly with an endless loop, such as a belt, that is driven and supported by rollers. The retractable linear device resists movement of a first roller relative to a second roller. With this arrangement various characteristics of the agricultural machine, all of which are proxies for the position of the first roller relative to the second roller, may be measured by a crop load sensor to determine the quantity or load of harvested crop being processed by the flexible drive assembly of the agricultural machine.