Patent ID: 7673439

Claim:
An agricultural machine for grouping windrows together or for windrowing products such as grass, hay or straw that are lying on the ground, comprising: a main frame supporting: a central gathering and windrowing device that is connected to said main frame by a lifting device; two side gathering and windrowing devices that are connected to support arms that extend laterally relative to the frame, which side devices and central device are substantially in line and extend substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the machine during work; wherein each side support arm of a side gathering and windrowing device is articulated relative to said frame on a substantially vertical axis about which it is foldable at an angle of approximately 90° into a transport position in which said side gathering and windrowing devices are situated on either side of the central gathering and windrowing device; wherein each side gathering and windrowing device is articulated on its support arm via a substantially horizontal axis directed substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel in the working position, about which horizontal axis of articulation it is foldable upwards at an angle of approximately 90° for transport; and wherein the substantially vertical axis of articulation of each side support arm is situated at the rear of the corresponding side gathering and windrowing device and in the vicinity of an end of the respective side support arm closest to the central gathering and windrowing device.