Abstract: The backing bar of the sickle overlies the cutter sections and is confined during its reciprocation within an elevated channel defined at the front by the rear ends of the tangs on the sickle guards and at the rear by the front ends of hold-down clips extending along and immediately behind the backing bar. No portions of the clips extend up and over the sickle, eliminating areas for crop clogging. The front ends of the clips overlie the rearmost edges of the cutter sections to maintain the sickle down against shearing surfaces on the uards.

Abstract: The two actuating levers of hydraulic pumps which control the direction and proportionate volumes of fluid flow to hydraulic motors in a hydraulic steering, speed, and direction control system may be locked in neutral by components located at the pumps but operated remotely from the cab of the vehicle. The geometry of the arrangement is such that any attempted movement on the part of the actuating levers once locked only tends to seat the locking components more firmly. Engine start-up is impossible unless the levers are locked in neutral.

Abstract: A sickle drive has a sway bar that is coupled with the sickle to reciprocate the latter during oscillation of the sway bar. The latter is operably coupled with a crank drive through a special linkage employing a pair of oppositely extending, short pitman links that compensate for one another adjacent opposite ends of the sickle stroke to vary the velocity of the sickle substantially sinusoidally. The oppositely directed inertia forces of the sickle adjacent opposite ends of its stroke, made equal by the special linkage, are balanced out by a pair of superimposed, oppositely rotating weights driven in timed relationship to reciprocation of the sickle, thereby presenting a substantially vibration-free drive.