An apparatus for automating the process of bunching straw in a farming operation is disclosed. The straw buncher is a towable implement that includes one or more rakes mounted on a rotatable axle. The rakes gather straw. Rotation of the rake assembly is prevented by a stop mechanism that holds a rake in position using a resistive force until sufficient straw has gathered in front of the rake and the drag created by the straw overcomes the resistive force. At this point the rake begins to rotate, a cam on the rake assembly engages a drive system that turns the rake assembly until the next rake is in position. The implement works automatically and does not require monitoring by an operator to have straw bunches of a desired size be formed.

A windrower has a crop merger attachment with a conveyor configured to receive crop material from a crop conditioning mechanism and direct the crop material to a side of the windrower, the crop merger attachment being mounted for adjusting movement between a lowered and a raised position. The windrower has a swathboard mounted for adjusting movement between a fully raised position in which the crop material passes beneath the swathboard for engagement with the merger attachment and a lowered position in which the crop material down to the ground under the merger attachment under the windrower. A control system automatically adjusts movement of the swathboard when movement of the merger attachment is detected.

A method of and apparatus for producing stacks of large square bales. Bales are received from the baler via a bale accumulator and formed into a stack, a plurality of bales high. The resulting bale stacks may be dropped in the field for pickup later.

An apparatus for automating the process of bunching straw in a farming operation is disclosed. The straw buncher is a towable implement that includes one or more rakes mounted on a rotatable axle. The rakes gather straw. Rotation of the rake assembly is prevented by a stop mechanism that holds a rake in position using a resistive force until sufficient straw has gathered in front of the rake and the drag created by the straw overcomes the resistive force. At this point the rake begins to rotate, a cam on the rake assembly engages a drive system that turns the rake assembly until the next rake is in position. The implement works automatically and does not require monitoring by an operator to have straw bunches of a desired size be formed.

A method of and apparatus for producing stacks of large square bales. Bales are received from the baler via a bale accumulator and formed into a stack, a plurality of bales high. The resulting bale stacks may be dropped in the field for pickup later.

A windrower has a crop merger attachment with a conveyor configured to receive crop material from a crop conditioning mechanism and direct the crop material to a side of the windrower, the crop merger attachment being mounted for adjusting movement between a lowered and a raised position. The windrower has a swathboard mounted for adjusting movement between a fully raised position in which the crop material passes beneath the swathboard for engagement with the merger attachment and a lowered position in which the crop material down to the ground under the merger attachment under the windrower. A control system automatically adjusts movement of the swathboard when movement of the merger attachment is detected.

A method of and apparatus for producing stacks of large square bales. Bales are received from the baler via a bale accumulator and formed into a stack, a plurality of bales high. The resulting bale stacks may be dropped in the field for pickup later.

A continuous windrow merger has a frame that supports center, right and left pickup assemblies. The pickup assemblies each include a pickup head and a conveyor assembly. The pickup head has a cylindrical reel and a plurality of tines extending radially outwardly from the reel. The pickup head is arranged to pickup and deliver crop material rearward to the conveyor assembly. The conveyor assembly has a draper belt with an upper surface arranged to receive crop material from the pickup head and transfer the crop material in a lateral direction. The draper belt is mounted with the upper surface sloping downwardly and rearwardly from the pickup head. The merger has a folded configuration for transport in which the right and left wing frame sections extend generally vertically above the center frame section. The frame can be attached to the front of a self-propelled traction unit or towed behind a tractor.