A method for operating a baler including an initial step of providing a cleaning system that includes a floor plate having a plurality of slots therein, at least one knife tray, at least one actuator operably connected to the at least one knife tray, and a controller operably connected to the at least one actuator. The method further includes the steps of determining whether the plurality of knives of the at least one knife tray is retracted, determining whether to conduct a knife tray cleanout procedure for cleaning the floor plate based upon at least one cleaning parameter, and conducting the knife tray cleanout procedure by actuating the at least one actuator for cycling the plurality of knives of the at least one knife tray for dislodging debris from the floor plate.

An agricultural baler includes a feeder duct communicating with a bale chamber for charges of crop material to be transferred into a bale chamber. The baler also includes a door that defines at least a portion of a bottom wall of the feeder duct. The door is movable between: (i) a door-open-position, in which an opening in the bottom wall is provided; and (ii) a door-closed-position in which the opening is closed. The baler further includes a pick-up device that is movable between: (i) a lowered-position in which it is operable to convey crop material into the feeder duct; and (ii) a raised-position in which it is spaced further away from the ground than in the lowered-position. The pick-up device is mechanically coupled to the door of the bottom wall such that movement of the pick-up device causes the door to move from the door-open-position to the door-closed-position.

A harvesting machine comprises a crop conveying channel with a movable bottom flap coupled to a hydraulic actuator controlling the position of the flap and a crop throughput sensing arrangement with a pressure sensor adapted to sense a hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic actuator.

A cutting unit includes: a plurality of knives; a knife guard with at least one opening; a knife tray carrying the knives and movable between an exposed position where the knives extend through the at least one opening and a retracted position where the knives are shielded by the knife guard; and an overload protection assembly including a first slide member coupled to the knife tray and having a first engagement surface and a second slide member having a second engagement surface that is engaged with the first engagement surface. The first slide member and the second slide member are held together and slidable relative to one another such that the first slide member slides relative to the second slide member to move the knife tray from the exposed position to the retracted position when an overload force is applied to at least one of the knives.

An agricultural baler includes: a frame; a feeder system coupled with the frame and including: a cutting assembly coupled with the frame and including: at least one knife configured for cutting a crop material; an engagement apparatus configured for: being spaced apart from at least one overload protection mechanism individually associated with a single one of the at least one knife; selectively engaging with the at least one knife and thereby for forcing the at least one knife to occupy a first position; and selectively engaging with the at least one knife and thereby for forcing the at least one knife to occupy a second position.

An agricultural baler includes: a frame; a feeder system coupled with the frame and including: a cutting assembly coupled with the frame and including: at least one knife configured for cutting a crop material; an overload protection mechanism associated with a single one of the at least one knife and including a pivot device including an engagement device including an offset configuration; and a displacement apparatus configured for selectively forcing the at least one knife to occupy a first position and for selectively forcing the at least one knife to occupy a second position, each by way of the engagement device.

A cutting assembly includes: a rotor having extensions; a rotor floor disposed adjacent to the rotor and having knife slots formed therein, the rotor floor defining a cutting side and a shielded side on the opposite side of the rotor floor; movable knives that each extend through a respective knife slot into the cutting side to cooperate with the extensions in a cutting position and are disposed on the shielded side such that the knives do not cooperate with the extensions in a retracted position; and a knife guide including a pair of spaced apart guide surfaces coupled to the rotor floor on the shielded side and defining a gap therebetween. A respectively associated knife is at least partially disposed in the gap when in the retracted position. At least one of the guide surfaces defines a curved shape that corresponds to a cutting edge profile of the associated knife.

A conveying arrangement conveys loose material in a conveying direction, in particular agricultural material. Several knives of a cutting assembly are mounted below a cutting area guiding surface. The material is first conveyed along the cutting area guiding surface and afterwards along a further guiding surface. Both guiding surfaces are mechanically supported by a connecting assembly. A positioning mechanism can pivot the connecting assembly upwards and downwards. This pivotal movement causes both guiding surfaces to be moved upwards and downwards. The cutting area guiding surface together with the cutting assembly can be shifted laterally, i.e. perpendicular to the conveying direction, and is guided during this lateral movement.

A cutting blade overload protection device for a cutting mechanism of a harvester for leaf and stalk material, having a cutting blade pivotable about a cutting blade rotational axis and which is connected to a toggle lever mechanism. The toggle lever mechanism includes two coupled toggle levers pivotable about a toggle lever rotational axis and which move the cutting blade from an operating position to a resting position when a predefined force is exceeded. To protect the cutting blade better when contacting foreign objects, the device has a toggle lever mechanism which comprises a stop limit and a spring element, with the spring element and limit stop interacting such that when a predefined force is exceeded, the toggle lever rotational axis is moved past a dead center point, with the position of the toggle levers shifting from a first buckling position through a straight position into a second buckling position.

A conveying device for conveying crop material from a pick-up mechanism to a baler comprises a conveying channel having a base comprising an upstream base part and a downstream base part. The downstream end of the upstream base part is supported on a pair of first resilient mounting members and the upstream end of the downstream base part is supported on a pair of second resilient support members. The first and second resilient support members, in response to the force with which crop material is being urged by the feed rotor against the upstream and downstream base parts exceeding respective first and second predefined values, yield. This results in downward displacement of the upstream base part and the downstream base part to permit crop material to pass through the conveying channel.