Patent ID: 7827774

Claim:
A windrow merger, comprising: a merger assembly including a center pick up head, a left pick up head, and a right pick up head, each of the center, left, and right pick up heads having an interchangeable construction permitting each pick up head to mount at each of center, left, and right positions of the merger assembly, the interchangeable construction including an independent recessed drive mechanism; center, left, and right conveyors each associated with a corresponding one of the center, left, and right pick up heads, the center, left, and right conveyors being operable in either of both of a leftward conveying direction and a rightward conveying direction; wherein each of the center, left, and right pick up heads has a length, the left and right pick up heads each being positionable in an extended use position and a retracted travel position; wherein the lengths of the left and right pick up heads are generally transverse to a direction of travel when positioned in the extended use position; wherein the lengths of the left and right pick up heads are generally aligned with the direction of travel when positioned in the retracted travel position; wherein a majority of the length of each left and right pick up heads is located rearward of the center pick up head when positioned in the retracted travel position; wherein each end of the left and right pick up heads is located above the center pick up head when positioned in the retracted travel position; wherein each of the left and right pick up heads is operable when positioned in the retracted travel position; and wherein merger operations can be accomplished: i) when the left and right pick up heads are positioned in the extended use position; and ii) when the left pick up head is positioned in the extended use position and the right pick up head is positioned in the retracted travel position; and iii) when the right pick up head is positioned in the extended use position and the left pick up head is positioned in the retracted travel position; and iv) when the left and right pick up heads are positioned in the retracted travel position.