US Patent No: 7,028,459

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Triple windrowing method and apparatus

Stats

ALSO PUBLISHED AS: 20050120696
ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)
 

Importance

Loading Importance Indicators... loading....

Abstract

A harvester suitable for triple windrowing operations has a cross-conveyor located behind the harvesting header for intercepting a stream of severed materials projected rearwardly from the header as the machine moves through the field. The cross-conveyor may be maintained in a raised or lowered position independently of the header so that, when the cross-conveyor is raised, the stream of severed materials from the header can be projected straight back underneath the raised conveyor to fall onto the ground generally in line with the header. For triple windrowing, a first pass is made with the cross-conveyor raised so that the first deposit is made directly behind the header on the mowed strip of the first pass. The first pass is carried out at a distance inwardly from the uncut edge of standing materials that is equal to or less than the width of the header so that a band of standing materials is left along one side of the mowed strip and the main remaining body of standing materials is presented along the other side. During the second pass, either through the main body or the band of materials depending upon the direction at which the cross-conveyor is angled rearwardly, the cross-conveyor is in its lowered position so as to intercept the stream of materials from the header, convey them laterally, and project them into a second deposit of material in the mowed strip from the first pass. The third pass is then made with the cross-conveyor also in a lowered position to form a third deposit of materials in the first mowed strip. When all three passes are complete, a total of three deposits of material are presented in the mowed strip from the first pass. An extension conveyor in the discharge area of the cross-conveyor accelerates the crop materials and is cocked upwardly to provide additional loft to the materials, thus enabling the materials to travel the extra distances needed to carry out the triple windrowing process.

Loading the Abstract Image... loading....

First Claim

Related Publications

Loading Related Publications... loading....

Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
AGCO CORPORATIONDULUTH, GA312

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Lohrentz, Randy Buhler, KS 74 185
Nickel, Dwight E Newton, KS 14 45
Nolt, Ben G LeRoy, MN 1 9

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
DEERE & COMPANY (3)
4,590,751 Double windrowing attachment for harvester 12 1984
6,145,289 Windrow grouper arrangement 10 1999
6,862,873 Windrow merging attachment 4 2002
 
BLUE LEAF I.P., INC. (1)
5,231,826 Wing extension for windrow inverters 9 1992
 
FMC CORPORATION (1)
4,257,218 Harvester for vegetable crops such as tomatoes or the like 12 1979
 
FORTSCHRITT LANDMASCHINEN GMBH (1)
4,274,247 Windrow-forming harvester 3 1978
 
GEHL COMPANY (1)
4,910,951 Windrow merger 21 1988
 
H&S MANUFACTURING CO., INC. (1)
6,715,274 Accelerator roller for windrow merger 3 2002
 
HAY & FORAGE INDUSTRIES, A KANSAS GENERAL PARTNERSHIP (1)
6,415,590 Double windrow attachment lift mechanism for harvesters 7 2000
 
MAASLAND N.V. (1)
6,164,051 Machine combination, a rake and pick-up and displacing member, as well as a method 3 1998
 
OXBO INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION (1)
6,205,757 Windrow merging machine and method of merging windrows 13 1999
 
PEIRCE WELDING & FABRICATING, INC. (1)
5,203,154 Hay rake and merger 34 1991
 
UNIVERSAL FOODS CORPORATION (1)
4,392,533 Root crop harvester 5 1981
 
OTHER [CHECK PATENT PROFILE FOR ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION] (1)
4,809,490 Swath inverter 9 1988

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
BLUE LEAF I.P., INC. (6)
7,624,561 Windrow merger lift mechanism 1 2007
7,526,908 Windrow merger lift assist bar 0 2007
7,574,851 Flexibly mounted side deflector 0 2008
7,757,469 Carousel merger 0 2008
7,743,594 Mechanism for guiding a windrower for making an initial cut for multiple windrows 0 2009
7,877,975 Windrow merger lift mechanism 0 2009
 
DEERE & COMPANY (1)
8,353,377 Steering cylinder mounting arrangement used with a length-adjustable axle 0 2009
 
MACDON INDUSTRIES LTD. (1)
7,484,349 Operating and storage positions of a swather conveyor 0 2005
 
OTHER [CHECK PATENT PROFILE FOR ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION] (1)
7,766,158 Extendable conveyor system 1 2007

Maintenance Fees

Fee Large entity fee small entity fee micro entity fee due date
7.5 Year Payment $3600.00 $1800.00 $900.00 Oct 18, 2013
11.5 Year Payment $7400.00 $3700.00 $1850.00 Oct 18, 2017
Fee Large entity fee small entity fee micro entity fee
Surcharge - 7.5 year - Late payment within 6 months $160.00 $80.00 $40.00
Surcharge - 11.5 year - Late payment within 6 months $160.00 $80.00 $40.00
Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unavoidable $700.00 $350.00 $175.00
Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unintentional $1,640.00 $820.00 $410.00