Mechanism for guiding a windrower for making an initial cut for multiple windrows

A method for guiding an agricultural windrower along an first swath through a field of standing crop using a multiple windrow merging operation comprising the steps:

• providing a windrower with a forwardly disposed header for severing a standing crop from a field and depositing the severed crop on the ground in a windrow, the header having generally opposing first and second side walls and a cutter mechanism disposed therebetween, the cutter mechanism having a cutting width bounded by opposing first and second cutting edges;
• providing a merger apparatus for selectively directing the severed crop to a laterally displaced location on the ground;
• providing a first guide arm mechanism comprising an elongate guide arm having a first end for connection to the header and a generally opposing remote second end;
• providing a bracket for connecting the first end to the header adjacent to the first side wall, the bracket configured to allow movement of the first guide arm between a stowed position and a deployed position, the first guide arm disposed between the first and second side walls when in the stowed position and extending laterally away from the first side wall and the header when in the deployed position;
• providing an observable marker connected to the second end, the marker being displaced from the first cutting edge a distance generally equal to the cutting width when the first guide arm is in the deployed position;
• positioning the first guide arm in the deployed position;
• positioning the windrower to commence the first swath through a standing crop, the standing crop having an initial end, a terminal end, and a first edge extending therebetween;
• aligning the observable marker with the first edge;
• propelling the windrower along the first swath through the standing crop commencing at the initial end toward the terminal end while maintaining the observable marker aligned with the first edge and depositing a first windrow behind the windrower along the first swath to the terminal end to leave an area of standing crop between the first swath and the first edge having a width generally equal to the cutting width;
• reversing the direction of travel of the windrower by 180 degrees;
• aligning the header with the standing crop material left standing between the first edge and a closest edge of the first swath;
• engaging the merger apparatus to direct the severed crop material toward the first windrow;
• and
• propelling the windrower along a second swath commencing at the terminal end and ending at the initial end to sever the standing crop in the second swath and to direct the severed crop of the second windrow onto the first windrow.

A method for guiding an agricultural windrower along a first swath through a field of standing crop using a multiple windrow merging operation comprising the steps:

• providing a windrower with a forwardly disposed header for severing a standing crop from a field and depositing the severed crop on the ground in a windrow, the header having generally opposing first and second side walls and a cutter mechanism disposed therebetween, the cutter mechanism having a cutting width bounded by opposing first and second cutting edges;
• providing a merger apparatus for selectively directing the severed crop to a laterally displaced location on the ground;
• providing a first guide arm mechanism comprising an elongate guide arm having a first end for connection to the header and a generally opposing remote second end;
• providing a bracket for connecting the first end to the header adjacent to the first side wall, the bracket configured to allow movement of the first guide arm between a stowed position and a deployed position, the first guide arm disposed between the first and second side walls when in the stowed position and extending laterally away from the first side wall and the header when in the deployed position;
• providing an observable marker connected to the second end, the marker being displaced from the first cutting edge a distance generally equal to the cutting width when the first guide arm is in the deployed position;
• aligning the observable marker with the first edge;
• engaging the merger apparatus to direct the severed crop material laterally to a first windrow;
• propelling the windrower along the first swath through the standing crop commencing at the initial end toward the terminal end while maintaining the observable marker aligned with the first edge to leave an area of standing crop between the first swath and the first edge having a width generally equal to the cutting width and depositing the first windrow laterally displaced from the windrower along the first swath to the terminal end;
• reversing the direction of travel of the windrower by 180 degrees;
• aligning the header with the standing crop material left standing between the first edge and a closest edge of the first swath;
• and
• propelling the windrower along a second swath commencing at the terminal end and ending at the initial end to sever the standing crop in the second swath and to direct the severed crop of the second windrow onto the first windrow.