Header conditioning roll system for an agricultural harvesting machine

An agricultural machine comprising:

• a chassis;
• one or more wheels configured to support the chassis for movement on a ground surface;
• and
• an agricultural crop conditioner mounted on the chassis and comprising:
• a frame;
• a first conditioner roll rotatably mounted to the frame;
• a second conditioner roll rotatably mounted to the frame and extending parallel to and alongside the first conditioner roll, wherein the second conditioner roll is movable relative to the frame in a closing direction to decrease a size of a gap between the first conditioner roll and the second conditioner roll, and an opening direction to increase the size of the gap;
• a tensioner operatively connected between the frame and the second conditioner roll, and configured to generate a contribution to a closing force to bias the second conditioner roll in the closing direction;
• a conditioner roll drive circuit comprising:
• a hydraulic pump having a forward pump outlet and a reverse pump outlet,
• a hydraulic motor operatively connected at least one of the first conditioner roll and the second conditioner roll, and having a forward motor inlet and a reverse motor inlet,
• a forward supply line hydraulically connecting the forward pump outlet to the forward motor inlet, and
• a reverse supply line hydraulically connecting the reverse pump outlet to the reverse motor inlet;
• and
• a hydraulic actuator operatively connected between the frame and the second conditioner roll and having an actuator inlet operatively connected to the reverse supply line, wherein the hydraulic actuator is configured to convert pressure from hydraulic fluid in the reverse supply line into a contribution to an opening force to bias the second conditioner roll away from the first conditioner roll;
• wherein the opening force is less than the closing force when the hydraulic pump is operated in a forward direction to move hydraulic fluid from the forward pump outlet to the forward motor inlet, and the opening force is greater than the closing force when the hydraulic pump is operated in a reverse direction to move hydraulic fluid from the reverse pump outlet to the reverse motor inlet.

A method for operating an agricultural crop conditioner comprising:

• a frame;
• a first conditioner roll rotatably mounted to the frame;
• a second conditioner roll rotatably mounted to the frame and extending parallel to and alongside the first conditioner roll, wherein the second conditioner roll is movable relative to the frame in a closing direction to decrease a size of a gap between the first conditioner roll and the second conditioner roll, and an opening direction to increase the size of the gap;
• a tensioner operatively connected between the frame and the second conditioner roll, and configured to generate a contribution to a closing force to bias the second conditioner roll in the closing direction;
• a conditioner roll drive circuit comprising:
• a hydraulic pump having a forward pump outlet and a reverse pump outlet,
• a hydraulic motor operatively connected at least one of the first conditioner roll and the second conditioner roll, and having a forward motor inlet and a reverse motor inlet,
• a forward supply line hydraulically connecting the forward pump outlet to the forward motor inlet, and
• a reverse supply line hydraulically connecting the reverse pump outlet to the reverse motor inlet;
• and
• a hydraulic actuator operatively connected between the frame and the second conditioner roll and having an actuator inlet operatively connected to the reverse supply line, wherein the hydraulic actuator is configured to convert pressure from hydraulic fluid in the reverse supply line into a contribution to an opening force to bias the second conditioner roll away from the first conditioner roll;
• wherein the opening force is less than the closing force when the hydraulic pump is operated in a forward direction to move hydraulic fluid from the forward pump outlet to the forward motor inlet, and the opening force is greater than the closing force when the hydraulic pump is operated in a reverse direction to move hydraulic fluid from the reverse pump outlet to the reverse motor inlet;
• wherein the method comprises:
• operating the hydraulic pump in the forward direction to rotate at least one of the first conditioner roll and the second conditioner roll in a forward processing direction to condition a flow of crop material moving in a downstream direction;
• and
• operating the hydraulic pump in the reverse direction to rotate at least one of the first conditioner roll and the second conditioner roll in a reverse processing direction to thereby move the second conditioner roll in the opening direction to increase the size of the gap, and move at least a portion of the flow of crop material in an upstream direction opposite the downstream direction.