Pick-up crop baffle including integral crop hold down rods and suspension for use in widely varied crops

In combination with a crop processing implement including a main frame supported for movement across the ground, and a crop windrow pick-up coupled to the main frame for relative vertical movement and having tines supported for sweeping a path that carries them into engagement with a crop windrow for elevating the wind row into the implement for further processing, a crop control arrangement, comprising:

• a transverse baffle having opposite ends and being located ahead of said path for engaging the top of a given windrow being picked up;
• a suspension arrangement including first and second pairs of suspension members, with said first pair of suspension members being coupled one at each end of said baffle and extending upwardly and forwardly from said baffle and being coupled to said main frame at a respective first location for fore-and-aft guided movement, and with said second pair of suspension members having respective first ends coupled together with a respective one of said first pair of suspension members to said first location of said main frame for fore-and-aft movement, and with said second pair of suspension members each having a second end coupled to said pick-up;
• said first and second pairs of suspension members being so located relative to said main frame, pick-up and baffle that said baffle is caused to move in response to vertical movement of said pick-up so that a predetermined spacing is maintained between said baffle and said path of the tines.