Machines for working mown crop

A machine for working cut crop which comprises means for receiving cut crop lying on the ground and means for delivering said crop back on the ground after working same, at least one group of resilient tines which extends throughout not less than one-half of the working width of the machine at a location between said receiving and delivery means, and two side-by-side rotating crop engaging means which are rotatable about upwardly directed axes in opposite directions whereby crop is moved between them relatively rearwardly with respect to the machine's operative direction of travel, said group of resilient tines occupying substantially an unchanging operative relationship to said axes of rotation of said crop engaging means and extending substantially radially inwardly towards a corresponding said axis of rotation as seen in plan, the outer ends of said tines each extending so at least to be spaced closely to the paths of said crop engaging means and arranged to co-operate with said crop engaging means during use of the machine whereby a carding, combing and/or teasing action is performed upon crop moved through the machine by said crop engaging means.

A machine for working cut crop which comprises rotating raking means which rotates about a substantially vertical axis for conveying said crop along the surface of the ground wherein throughout not less than one-half of the working width of the machine, relatively stationary tines are provided as seen in plan which project radially inwardly towards the axis of rotation of said crop conveying means, free ends of said tines extending closely proximate to a figure traced by movement of said crop conveying means.

A machine for working cut crop which comprises a receiving means, relatively stationary crop guide means for pressing cut crop to the ground before entering said receiving means, rotary moving means for moving said crop from said guide means through the machine having a horizontal axis of rotation transverse to the usual operational direction of the machine machine's travel and rotating rearwardly as seen in plan, said guide means extending closely proximate the path of rotation of said moving means, a delivery means, at least one continuously rotating rearwardly as seen in plan relatively non-resilient tine means having its outermost tip moving at least very close to said rotary moving means which performs the function of retarding displacement of at least entangled crop being moved by said moving means from said receiving means to said delivery means during operation of the machine, only part of said rotatable tine means extending into the region of crop movement between said guide means and said delivery means, the remaining part of said rotatable tine means extending outwardly of said region, drive means connected to said rotatable tine means for causing said rotatable tine means to rotate and at least one crop-shedding scraping member being provided which cooperates with said rotary tine means.

A machine for working cut crop which comprises a pair of side-by-side rotating conveying means for moving cut crop having vertical axes of rotation, a group of guide means mounted on a pair of arcuately curved supports concentric with respective said axes which are relatively stationary as seen in plan extending across not less than one-half of the working width of the machine, said group of guide means being in engagement with the ground surface or with mown crop which is lying on that surface when the machine is in use at a location which is in advance of said crop conveying means with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the machine, said guide means each extending in a substantially normal relationship from said supports and at least closely proximate relative to a path traced by the operative movement of said crop conveying means, said group of guide means comprising a plurality of guidance tines each of which extends substantially horizontally at its outward tip and towards the axis of rotation of at least one of said conveying means.

A machine for working cut crop which comprises means for receiving cut crop lying on the ground and means for delivering said cut crop back onto the ground after working same, at least one group of tines which extends throughout not less than one-half of the working width of the machine in a location between said receiving and said delivery means, and a rotating crop engaging means which rotates about a horizontal axis transverse to the machine's operational direction of travel, said tines of said group of tines being composed of rigid material and being freely pivotally supported relative to said crop engaging means whereby the outer ends of said tines extend so that they at least are spaced closely to the path of said crop engaging means and thereby cooperate with said crop engaging means during use of the machine whereby they perform through their downward weight a carding, combing and/or teasing action upon the crop moved through the machine by said crop engaging means.

A machine for working cut crop which comprises means for receiving cut crop lying on the ground and means for delivering said crop back on the ground after working same, at least one group of resilient crop guides which extends throughout not less than one-half of the working width of the machine at said receiving means, and two side-by-side rotating crop engaging means which are rotatable about upwardly directed axes in opposite directions whereby crop is moved between them relatively rearwardly with respect to the machine's operative direction of travel, said group of crop guides disposed forward of said rotating crop engaging means, said crop guides being substantially parallel to the ground at their free ends and directed rearwardly, mounting means for said group of crop guides providing movement of said group upwardly and downwardly relative to said crop engaging means, said movement being responsive to crop lying on the ground which is engaged by said guide means during use of the machine.