Patent ID: 7516604

Claim:
A crop take-up arrangement comprising: a take-up rotor that includes a central shaft extending transversely to a direction of travel of the take-up arrangement, with said central shaft being adapted for being driven in forward and reverse directions of rotation; at least two retainers spaced longitudinally from each other along, and being coupled for rotation with, said central shaft; a plurality of elongate tine carriers extending parallel to, and being spaced equally from each other angularly about, said central shaft, with said tine carriers being supported from said at least two retainers, free to rotate about respective longitudinal pivot axes located equidistant from, and extending parallel to, said central shaft such that said tine carriers move along a circular path during rotation of said central shaft; a plurality of resilient tines being mounted along a length of each of said tine carriers and having outwardly projecting sections extending away from an associated one of said tine carriers; a housing enclosing said take-up rotor and including a plurality of transversely spaced strippers with elongated intervening spaces being defined between adjacent ones of said strippers and with outer parts of said outwardly projecting sections of the tines projecting through an associated intervening space over a part of a circular track described by a given tine during one rotation of said central shaft; a drive shaft that can be driven in two directions of rotation being coupled to drive said central shaft so as to selectively drive the tine carriers in said forward and reverse directions of rotation around the circular path; and a stop arrangement mounted for rotation with said central shaft and being so located relative to said plurality of tine carriers that the tine carriers can be freely pivoted about their respective longitudinal axes between first and second end positions separated angularly from each other by approximately 90° and in which the carriers are engaged with said stop arrangement and can be moved between the first and second end positions by crop forces imposed on said tines, with crop force directions being a function of the direction of rotation of the drive shaft.