A crop processor for cracking kernels in a forage harvester, the crop processor including: a housing having an inlet and an outlet; and a first and a second comminuting roll mounted inside the housing, the comminuting rolls being arranged in parallel to define an opening between the rolls, the comminuting rolls being configured to rotate, during use, in opposing rotation directions to transport a flow of harvested crop, received from the inlet, through the opening towards the outlet, wherein the first comminuting roll is configured to rotate at a greater speed than the second comminuting roll; wherein the first and second comminuting rolls each include a plurality of teeth arranged on a circumferential surface of the comminuting roll, each of the plurality of teeth includes a leading edge which faces in the rotation direction of that comminuting roll.

Stalk conditioners for conditioning stalk stubble present in a field after harvesting of a crop are disclosed. In some instances, the stalk conditioners may include a bracket configured to be secured to a piece of agricultural equipment, such as an implement; an arm pivotably coupled to the bracket; and a blade that is disposed in a slot formed in the arm. The blade may be rotatable relative to the arm. The blade and arm may be configured to engage stalks stubble within a field following harvesting of crops, including during the course of a harvesting operation, to break and cut the stalks so as to promote decomposition of the stalk stubble.

Stalk conditioners for conditioning stalk stubble present in a field after harvesting of a crop are disclosed. In some instances, the stalk conditioners may include a bracket configured to be secured to a piece of agricultural equipment, such as an implement; an arm pivotably coupled to the bracket; and a blade that is disposed in a slot formed in the arm. The blade may be rotatable relative to the arm. The blade and arm may be configured to engage stalks stubble within a field following harvesting of crops, including during the course of a harvesting operation, to break and cut the stalks so as to promote decomposition of the stalk stubble.

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 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 conditioner unit (6) for conditioning an agricultural crop material comprises a pair of rolls (20a, 20b) configured for rotation in opposite directions and providing a nip (22) through which crop material passes. An adjusting mechanism (31) is provided for adjusting a pressing force applied by the rolls (20a, 20b) to the crop material as it passes through the nip. The adjusting mechanism (31) includes at least one hydraulic actuator (30) connected to at least one of the rolls (20a, 20b) and a hydraulic circuit (33) that supplies hydraulic fluid to the actuator (30), the hydraulic circuit being configured so that in a first operational mode the rolls (20a, 20b) are pressed towards one another and in a second operational mode the rolls (20a, 20b) are pushed apart to provide a gap between the rolls.

A conditioner unit (6) for conditioning an agricultural crop material comprises a pair of rolls (20a, 20b) configured for rotation in opposite directions and providing a nip (22) through which crop material passes. An adjusting mechanism (31) is provided for adjusting a pressing force applied by the rolls (20a, 20b) to the crop material as it passes through the nip. The adjusting mechanism (31) includes at least one hydraulic actuator (30) connected to at least one of the rolls (20a, 20b) and a hydraulic circuit (33) that supplies hydraulic fluid to the actuator (30), the hydraulic circuit being configured so that in a first operational mode the rolls (20a, 20b) are pressed towards one another and in a second operational mode the rolls (20a, 20b) are pushed apart to provide a gap between the rolls.

An apparatus with a projection defining first and second openings and a channel between the openings. An interior surface adjacent the channel tapers inwardly from the first opening to the second opening, and a shearing edge is positioned adjacent the second opening. A method of using the apparatus to separate protuberances of a plant from an elongate portion of the plant by pulling the elongate portion through the channel. Another apparatus with first and second counter-rotating rollers. Each roller having alternating projecting portions and valleys and oriented so that projecting portions of one roller are aligned with valleys of the other roller as the rollers rotate. A method of using the rollers to deform an elongate portion of a plant between the projecting portions of one roller and the valleys of the other roller.

An apparatus with a projection defining first and second openings and a channel between the openings. An interior surface adjacent the channel tapers inwardly from the first opening to the second opening, and a shearing edge is positioned adjacent the second opening. A method of using the apparatus to separate protuberances of a plant from an elongate portion of the plant by pulling the elongate portion through the channel. Another apparatus with first and second counter-rotating rollers. Each roller having alternating projecting portions and valleys and oriented so that projecting portions of one roller are aligned with valleys of the other roller as the rollers rotate. A method of using the rollers to deform an elongate portion of a plant between the projecting portions of one roller and the valleys of the other roller.

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.