Abstract: A chopping blade for a straw chopper comprises a fastening opening, two side faces, and cutting edges arranged on one or both ends of the side faces. At least one of the side faces is equipped with means for reducing the frictional resistance of the chopping blade relative to the air and/or the chopping material.

Abstract: A plant seed harvesting device comprises a multi-layer net unit; the multi-layer net unit comprises collecting net, intermediate layer net and bottom layer net; the collecting net, the intermediate layer net and the bottom layer net are all plate-like structure having a plurality of meshes; the peripheral edge of the plate-like structure is a net frame, area with the meshes is net face; The collecting net, the intermediate layer net and the bottom layer net are arranged closely in the axial direction to form the multi-layer net unit; mesh sizes on the collecting net, the intermediate layer net and the bottom layer net are configured to be successively and gradually decreased; plant seeds can pass through the meshes of the collecting net; air but not plant seeds can pass through the meshes of the bottom layer net.

Abstract: A cutting edge for agricultural use provides opposed cutting edges arranged to be rotationally symmetric about an axis so that the cutting edge may be reversed in the field to repair or replace the cutting edge without the need for separate spare parts. In some embodiments a support plate may provide a ledge stop supporting the unused cutting edge to absorb impact shocks without cutting edge damage.

Abstract: A cutting knife includes a base coupled to a head unit of an agricultural combine harvester. The cutting knife includes a blade extending away from the base. The blade includes an edge and a plurality of cutting teeth formed from the edge. The plurality of cutting teeth includes a first grouping of teeth positioned along the edge having a first pitch. The plurality of cutting teeth includes a second grouping of teeth positioned along the edge having a second pitch less than the first pitch. The first grouping of teeth is positioned closer to an end of the blade opposite the base than the second grouping of teeth.

Abstract: The pivoting action sickle drive has a low profile allowing incorporation in or below a floor of a header of a plant cutting machine to allow passage of cut plant material thereabout. The drive includes a substantially flat rotatable input element, and a drive arm connected eccentric thereto for eccentric rotation along an epicyclical path. The arm extends to a connection with a pivot arm of a pivot element that connects to a knife arm that drives a sickle knife assembly, such that the pivot element, knife arm and knife assembly will be reciprocatingly driven by the eccentric rotation of the drive arm. A second drive can oppositely drive a second sickle knife assembly, such that opposite forces generated by the drives will cancel. The drives can be packaged in a forwardly tapered or curved enclosure, and the pivot elements can be correspondingly shaped to streamline the drives.

Abstract: In a sickle cutting apparatus including a row of stationary knife guards and a sickle bar with a row of blade sections for reciprocating movement mounted thereon, each of the blade sections is simply removable from the sickle bar for replacement by mounting a rear plate portion on the sickle bar where each of the rear plate portions has a pair of holes bolted to mating holes in the bar and each hole in the blade is connected to an associated slot extending rearwardly in the rear plate portion from the hole to a rear edge. In this way the blade section can be pulled forwardly by loosening the bolt and sliding the bolt along the slot until the blade is released. A circular counter-bore in the blade section receives a nut when tightened to hold the blade section in place. The system can be used with pointed guards or stub guards.

Abstract: In a sickle cutting system, it has been found that a significant increase in ground speed while maintaining an acceptable level of cutting efficiency as measured by the average stubble length can be obtained by a combination of one or more of the features where the cutting stroke is reduced from the conventional length of 3.0 inches to a value of the order of 2.0 inches; the length of the cutting edge of each knife blade is increased to a length greater than 2.2 inches; the width at the rear of the ledger surface of each guard is increased to greater than 1.0 inches; and the front edge of the blade is formed with an apex to shed crop material to one or other side of the apex.

Abstract: A sickle bar assembly employs a plurality of laminated strips that are secured and that may be stacked vertically upon each other in abutting relation to form a sickle bar. The individual sickle sections are secured to the sickle bar in side-by-side relation. Laminated stacks may also be joined to each other by way of a splice joint to provide for even longer bar. The strips may be heat treated strips of steel as opposed to cold rolled steel or other high strength strip material.

Abstract: The epicyclical drive incorporates a dual flywheel carrying a pinion in a balanced axially compact assembly. The assembly includes a counterweight for the pinion nested between the flywheels, which also connects the flywheels and transfers loading conditions therebetween, to reduce and distribute torsional and eccentric loading conditions and reduce vibrations. The use of a second flywheel also provides an improved rotary seal capability for keeping out dust, debris and moisture. The drive is adapted for incorporation into a floor of a header of an agricultural harvesting machine for reciprocatingly driving a sickle thereof, advantageously jointly with a mirror image companion drive in a side by side relationship and timed such that forces generated by the reciprocating actions are cancelled.

Abstract: A knife section for use with a reciprocating cutter bar assembly of an agricultural machine includes a mounting base. A first knife extends outwardly from the mounting base. The first knife has a first linear extent from the mounting base. A second knife extends outwardly from the mounting base. The second knife has a second linear extent from the mounting base different than the first linear extent.

Abstract: Sickle cutting systems of the type used in mowers and other harvesting machines. A sickle is shown consisting of 1½ inches blade spacing with serrated or smooth knife sections, a knifeback bar and a knife head, a plurality of knife or sickle guards with alternate long and short prongs or fingers spaced at two inches of any number that are mounted to the support bar of a mower, harvesting machine, or the like and provide a cutting surface for the sickle, adjustable hold-down clips that hold the knife sections down to the cutting surface, and a driving mechanism with a three-inch stroke such as a wobble joint, a pitman type, or other device which can convert rotary motion to reciprocating motion. In a second embodiment, a staggered sickle cutting system is provided that demonstrates the benefits of the sickle cutting system with even greater efficiency and reduces sickle stress and vibration.

Abstract: An underwater lake weed cutting apparatus which is adapted to be driven by an electric auger motor from the rear portion of a boat. The weed cutting apparatus includes an elongated drive shaft extending through an elongated tubular housing, wherein the drive shaft is driven by the motor to consequently reciprocate a sickle bar at a lower end thereof. A geared driving mechanism converts rotary motion of the drive shaft to a reciprocating motion of a sickle bar to reciprocate a first elongated toothed cutting blade with respect to an identical second toothed cutting blade to generate a scissors action. The scissors action of the sickle bar severs lake weeds as the apparatus is swept through the water proximate the lake bottom by a boat. The cutting apparatus can be adjusted to various depths of water to facilitate cutting lake weeds proximate the root structure near the lake bottom.

Abstract: The invention relates to a reaping-cutter blade for reaping cutters of harvesting machines, with an orifice (11) made, if appropriate, in the base edge, wherein two or more orifices (12) are provided in the blade leaf in front of the cutter bar (4). The orifices can at the same time appropriately have walls which, on one side of the blade, are at an angle of less than 90.degree. relative to the plane of the blade leaf.

Abstract: A sickle bar is formed of upper and lower bar assemblies each including at least two bars arranged end to end. The split between the bars in the upper assembly is longitudinally offset from the split between the bars in the lower assembly. A plurality of sickle cutter sections are mounted to the bar assemblies by bolts that pass through the sickle sections and through both bar assemblies. A sickle section spans each split and the bolts for that sickle section are disposed on both sides of the split. A flat strap may overlay the exposed split in the bar assembly that is opposite to the sickle sections.

Abstract: Resonant frequency operation of a reciprocating sickle (28) of a mowing device is achieved by connecting a torsion bar (97) to its actuating lever (82). The torsion bar (97) spring rate is such that when installed in a sickle and drive system, the resonant frequency of the sickle and its drive falls within the range of frequencies at which the sickle is reciprocated during crop cutting operations.

Abstract: In order to provide a higher cutting speed for a high speed harvester (11) torsion bars (31, 68) are connected to opposite ends of a crop cutting sickle (28). A pair of levers (46, 62) which connect the torsion bars (31, 68) to the sickle (28) carry a pair of removable counterweights (56, 96) which can be sized to change the resonant frequency to substantially correspond to the desired cutting speed. The levers (46, 62) may be interconnected by an adjustable tie bar (111) for hard to cut crops which is of sufficient mass to replace the counterweights; or, counterweights (156, 196) may be added to adjust the resonant frequency and hence the resonant cutting speed.

Abstract: An improved knife section for reciprocating mower is disclosed wherein the improved knife section is constructed from less material than a standard knife section. The thickness of the improved knife section is made substantially equal to the thickness of the material of a standard knife section by forming convolutions in the body. A reinforcing ridge parallel to the cutting edge further improves the rigidity and strength of the improved knife section. The reinforcing ridge extends rearwardly beyond the cutting edge to encircle the rivet holes to allow for the inclusion of countersunk areas permitting the rivet heads to fit within the plane of the knife section, thereby producing a substantially uniform top surface. An extension of the countersunk area below the bottom surface of the knife section can interfit an embossed depression formed around the rivet hole in the support bar, resulting in an interlock between the knife section and support bar to reduce shearing stresses within the rivet.