Abstract: A gardening trimmer may include: a conversion mechanism for converting rotational motion of a prime mover to linear motion along a first direction; a blade for moving in reciprocating motion relative to a guide bar and including a plurality of slots; and a plurality of guide members each disposed in a corresponding slot of the plurality of slots of the blade. The plurality of slots may include: at least one first slot in which a corresponding guide member of the guide members that is connected to a housing is disposed. A combination of the slots and the guide members may include: a first combination to reduce frictional resistance generated by the reciprocating motion; and a second combination to reduce vibration generated by the reciprocating motion, and at least one combination of the at least one first slot and its corresponding guide member is the second combination.

Abstract: A gardening trimmer may include a first blade configured to be driven by a prime mover in a reciprocating manner along a first direction and a guide disposed in a slot of the first blade to guide reciprocating motion of the first blade. The slot includes first and second inner side surfaces opposing each other and extending along the first direction. The guide includes an outer peripheral surface opposing the slot's inner side surfaces. The outer peripheral surface of the guide includes a first portion in contact with the first inner side surface and a second portion in contact with the second inner side surface. The outer peripheral surface of the guide is curved at least at the first and second portions, and curvature radii of the first and second portions are each greater than a half of a distance between the first and second inner side surfaces.

Abstract: An agricultural machine is with skids equipped with interchangeable liners. The agricultural machine is a disk mower, a swather or similar machine, resting at least partly in braced manner on the soil during its use and provided with a working element and with skids designed to slide on the soil. These skids are formed in a lower wall of the working element or are integral with this lower wall, and each skid is provided with a liner having at least one frontal end and a frontal rim on each side of this frontal end. At least one of the frontal rims of the liner of each skid has a relief, at least one part of which penetrates into an indentation formed in the corresponding skid.

Abstract: A header for an agricultural harvester comprising a frame and an epicyclical drive operatively connected to the frame. The epicyclical drive includes a first rotatable wheel having a first central rotational axis and a first flange. The first flange includes a first eccentric axis rotatable about the first central rotational axis, and a first output shaft spaced from the first eccentric axis. The epicyclical drive further includes a second rotatable wheel having a second central rotational axis and a second flange. The second flange includes a second eccentric axis rotatable about the second central rotational axis, and a second output shaft spaced from the second eccentric axis. The header further includes a first cutter bar directly connected to the first output shaft and a second cutter bar directly connected to the second output shaft. Operation of the epicyclical drive results in substantially linear oscillating motion of the cutter bars.

Abstract: An improved cutter assembly for use with a header of an agricultural harvester is provided. The assembly includes a pair of oppositely directed knife blades or cutter bars and a center knife drive. A crank shaft drives both knife blades in linear reciprocating paths with no fore and aft movement. As a consequence, harmful fore and aft vibration is eliminated. The assembly is simple and durable in design, less susceptible to vibration-induced wear and tear, and comparatively simple to manufacture and repair.

Abstract: A header for an agricultural harvester comprising a frame and an epicyclical drive operatively connected to the frame. The epicyclical drive includes a first rotatable wheel having a first central rotational axis and a first flange. The first flange includes a first eccentric axis rotatable about the first central rotational axis, and a first output shaft spaced from the first eccentric axis. The epicyclical drive further includes a second rotatable wheel having a second central rotational axis and a second flange. The second flange includes a second eccentric axis rotatable about the second central rotational axis, and a second output shaft spaced from the second eccentric axis. The header further includes a first cutter bar directly connected to the first output shaft and a second cutter bar directly connected to the second output shaft. Operation of the epicyclical drive results in substantially linear oscillating motion of the cutter bars.

Abstract: A header for stalk crop has a multi-part cutter bar with oscillatingly driven cutter bar parts. Cutter bar knives of the cutter bar interact with counter knives connected to header frame. A drive shaft ends in a first plane inside a gear housing arranged behind the cutter bar. An eccentric shaft supported in the gear housing carries a gear wheel arranged in a second plane above or below the first plane. The drive shaft drives the gear wheel through a bevel gear. First and second eccentric discs, arranged in third and fourth planes, respectively, are connected to the eccentric shaft; first and second eccentric levers are correlated therewith. First and second pivot levers are connected to the first and second eccentric levers and connected to stationarily supported pivot shafts. Crank arms connected to the pivot shafts, respectively, transmit their pivot movement to the cutter bar parts.

Abstract: An agricultural vehicle that includes a chassis and a header with at least three header frames, including a center section, a first wing section, and a second wing section carried by the chassis. The header includes: at least three knife assemblies; and at least three knife drives, each of the knife drives being drivingly coupled to at least one of the at least three knife assemblies.

Abstract: The knife head mounts to the sickle to hold a plurality of knife sections thereon while allowing removal of the knife sections individually without major disassembly for ease of in field repair and replacement. A knife pin of the knife head connects to a knife arm driven by the sickle drive mechanism and is removable from above also without major disassembly. The knife pin connection provides a vertical self adjustment capability to accommodate sickle wear and vertical misalignment between the sickle and drive. And the knife arm is streamlined for cut plant material flow thereabout and is also adapted for ease of removal and field repair.

Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center draper that delivers crop material to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers that deliver crop material to the center draper. The harvesting header is operable to flex and thereby follow an uneven terrain.

Abstract: A reciprocating-type cutting blade device (1) has first and second driving bodies (15, 16) driven reciprocatingly in opposite directions. First and second cutting blade bodies (13, 14) are driven reciprocatingly by detachably engaging the first and second driving bodies (15, 16). Two detachable guide plates (11, 12) slidably hold these driving and cutting blade bodies. A first boundary (Q1) is formed between engaging portions (31, 33) of the first cutting blade body (13) and the first driving body (15), and a second boundary (Q2) is formed between engaging portions (32, 34) of the second cutting blade body (14) and the second driving body (16). The boundaries intersect only at points in a planar view, and the engaging portions (31-34) of the cutting blade bodies (13, 14) and the driving bodies (15, 16) maintain this state of intersection over a whole stroke of reciprocating motion.

Abstract: A drive unit for oscillatingly driven mowing sickles has a first transmission unit {1} with a first housing (5) defining a first axis (6). A rotor (7) is rotationally supported in the first housing (5) around the first axis (6). A first internal gear wheel (10) is fixed in the first housing (5) and provided with internal teeth. A toothed pinion (14) is rotationally supported in the rotor (7) around a second axis (12). The second axis (12) is radially off-set to the first axis (6). The toothed pinion (14) forms the output element of the drive unit and meshes with the first internal gear wheel (10). A second transmission unit (2) has an output (34) non-rotationally connected to the rotor (7) of the first transmission unit (1). The second transmission unit (2) is formed as a step-down gear. A motor (4), with an output shaft (45), rotationally drives the second transmission unit (2).

Abstract: A double knife, that can be unitary or consisting of two separate knives, is configured to be mounted on a reciprocating bar of a reciprocating knife. The double knife comprises two cutting sections extending in a forward direction which is perpendicular to the direction of reciprocation. Each of the cutting sections has two lateral faces with serrated cutting edges. The serrations of one cutting section are offset in the forward direction from the serrations of the other cutting section. The two cutting sections can be provided on a single double knife or on separate knives. Preferably, the stroke of the knives is larger than their width, such that a guard finger interacts with two cutting sections and the wear of the guard finger is reduced, since each of the cutting sections interacts with different locations of the guard finger.

Abstract: Travelling device (20) particularly for self-propelled mower comprises a frame (1) provided with several identical travelling units (21) arranged on its circumference. Each travelling unit (21) comprises a flexibly suspended travelling wheel 92) rotating on its horizontal and vertical axes. A motor unit (3) with a driving shaft (13) is arranged on said frame (1) for driving a working device and said travelling wheels (2). Said travelling wheels (2) are arranged in said travelling units (21) turnably on vertical axis in an unlimited angular range of 360°.

Abstract: The center sickle overlap arrangement of a sickle type mower for a cutter bar that include a pair of sickles for reciprocating motion where each sickle is essentially half the length of the cutter bar for reduced forces and vibrations for high speed cutting. In the center, the sickle blades overlap at only guard and the blade of one sickle is inverted and co-operates with a top ledger surface of the associated guard so that both the blades are in proper shearing arrangement with the respective guard ledgers. Further the top ledger surface is adjustable to allow clearance adjustment to ensure tight clearance between all sickle cutting surfaces and guard ledgers. Further the arrangement ensures that all crop is cut between sickle sections and guard ledgers rather than between a pair of sections on the opposing sickles.

Abstract: A sickle knife system includes two reciprocating sickles each cooperating the same fixed knife guards and each extending across the full width of the cutter bar. The guards have slots approximately twice the height of the guard of a conventional single sickle arrangement so that the two sickles can be run one on top of the other inside the guards. The width of the sickle blades at the rear edge is similar to that of the guard near the rear of its cutting edge. The blades of the top sickle are sharpened to cut against the top surface of the slot and the blades of the bottom sickle are sharpened to cut against the bottom surface of the slot. The two sickles are run out of phase, preferably about 90 degrees, so that as a result, when one sickle is near the end of its stroke within the guard where it decelerates, stops, then accelerates in the opposite direction, the other sickle is starting its cut against the side surface of the next guard.

Abstract: A cutting device for agricultural machines comprising an upper cutting blade, a lower cutting blade, between the upper and lower cutting blades a separating plate is arranged, a counterblade fixed to the chassis of the agricultural machine, a driving mechanism for driving the upper and lower cutting blades with an alternative linear movement, each upper and lower cutting blade comprises a set of individual blades separated between each other, the counterblade comprises a "U" shaped fixed counterblade wherein each arm of the U-shaped counterblade defines an individual counterblade comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion is arranged above the upper cutting blade and the lower portion is arranged below the lower cutting blade whereby a shearing effect is created between each upper and lower cutting blades and the fixed counterblade.

Abstract: A hedge trimmer blade assembly preferably a double acting assembly having upper and lower reciprocating blades. Superimposed cutting teeth extend laterally from the sides of the assembly from each of the blades. Guard portions extend from the teeth of the upper blade only on one side and from the teeth of the lower blade only on the other side. The guard portions are asymmetrical with a straight side and a tapered side, the taper preferably including a shallow bevel near the base and a sharper bevel near the tip of the guard portion. The cutting teeth of both upper and lower blades on both sides form oval shaped cutting chambers with cooperative hook configurations at the entry to the cutting chambers. The upper and lower blades are preferably identical in configuration but inverted one relative to the other in the assembly. The straight sides of the guard portions are all faced toward the power head of the trimmer to produce a hooking action as the user sweeps the trimmer during operation.

Abstract: Silage cutter has a U-shaped frame which is movable vertically on a mounting rack. The frame has a pair of lateral members and a front member connected thereto by a pair of corner coupling elements. Each member has a front and a rear cutting blade slidably mounted thereon and driven in opposite directions by an arrangement of a drive cylinder and a lever on each lateral member. The blades on the lateral members drive the blades or the front member through force transmitting means such as upper and lower sets of steel rollers in each corner coupling element.

Abstract: A reciprocating cutterbar of the type utilizing a pair of counter-reciprocating sickles driven at the opposing outboard ends and overlapping at the inboard ends thereof is disclosed wherein the knife sections are detachably affixed to the respective support bars of these sickles by special threaded fasteners to permit the overlapped knife sections to maintain a close shearing relationship. These special threaded fasteners include a head portion adapted to be countersunk into the body of the knife section below the surface thereof, a threaded portion adapted to be threadably engaged with a nut to effect a clamping load between the knife section and support bar, and an intermediate portion having a non-circular cross-sectional configuration engageable with a corresponding non-circular opening formed in the support bar to restrict rotation thereof when the fastener is engaged therewith.

Abstract: A blade assembly normally driven by a power takeoff shaft has a frame normally displaced in a travel direction and provided with a pair of blade carriers horizontally reciprocal transverse to the direction. The drive unit comprises a right-angle transmission having a horizontal input connected to the power takeoff shaft and a vertical output, a vertical shaft offset from the output and having a pair of angularly offset eccentrics, and a belt drive interconnecting the transmission output and the vertical shaft. A pair of relatively long actuating arms extending in the direction flank the transmission and shaft and have rear ends pivoted on the frame and front ends connected to the respective blade carriers. A pair of respective connector plates extending transversely of the direction have respective inner ends carried on the eccentrics and outer ends connected to the arms between the ends thereof.

Abstract: A self-propelling harvester thresher comprises a conveyor, a two-part cutting mechanism having two cutting mechanism halves which are turnable substantially in a horizontal plane between a working position and a transporting position, elements allowing the turning of the cutting mechanism halves and including two turnable supports and a joint vertically extending hinge axle. The cutting mechanism halves are each connected through a respective one of the turnable supports with the inclined conveyor and also are connected with one another by the hinge axle.

Abstract: Sprockets of a toothed belt drive for a double sickle harvesting header are carefully aligned relative to each other and to the toothed belt so that the belt can be twisted about its longitudinal axis during advancement along a closed loop path of travel in order to translate rotary motion about a first axis to rotary motion about a second axis which is inclined relative to the first axis. The toothed belt has semicylindrical teeth, and two idler pulleys contact a return portion of the belt to insure that the same are maintained in parallelism with grooves formed in sprockets of the mechanism in order to avoid imposition of side thrusts on the belt or undue wear on the teeth. The toothed belt reciprocates both sickles of the harvesting header in synchronous, timed fashion along directions opposite to each other so that vibrations which would otherwise be established by non-synchronous movement of the sickles are significantly dampened.

Abstract: An attachment for forming standing straw snow traps comprises sickle blade, a curved guide and a support frame for mounting the attachment on the harvesting machine so that the sickle blade extends forwardly of, above and generally parallel to the machine's sickle blade over a short length thereof which is covered to prevent cutting of the crop. The attachment is connected to the reel arms of the machine for common height adjustment therewith. The curved guide directs the cut heads of the crop onto the collection draper of the machine. The attachment can be pivotaly mounted or mounted on scissors linkage from the cover.

Abstract: A mowing device with two sickle bars provides an effective cutting action of the sickle bars at the center where they cooperate in their reciprocation. The knife guards of one sickle bar are mounted at a higher level than those of the other so that one overlaps the other by a height difference slightly greater than the thickness thereof. The central knife guard is of a modified construction so that the end most knife element of the upper sickle bar cooperates with the upper surface of the knife retaining plate member provided for the end knife element of the lower sickle bar. An additional trash bar is provided between the upper plate members for cooperation with the trash bars of the upper sickle bar.

Abstract: A sickle-type mower includes a cutter bar assembly having a pair of sickles mounted for reciprocable motion along respective cutter bars. The sickles include inner knife sections located to cut against stub guards mounted at inner locations of the cutter bars, with the inner knife section of the upper sickle being disposed to cut against a finger of a double hold-down located centrally along the cutter bar assembly with its fingers disposed above respective stub guards located on opposite side of the centerline of the bar assembly.

Abstract: This invention relates to a combine harvester apparatus having a cutting mechanism apparatus of this invention connected thereto which may be of substantial length. The cutting mechanism apparatus is divided into three sections being a center platform assembly; a right platform assembly; and a left platform assembly. Each platform assembly is capable of performing a crop harvesting function as having (1) a reel assembly to direct the crop; (2) a sickle assembly to sever the crop; and (3) an auger assembly to carry the severed crop to a center point for elevation into a combine harvesting mechanism. The right and left platform assemblies are pivotally connected to the center platform assembly and adapted to be raised or lowered manually or automatically to compensate for variances in levels of the terrain. Numerous special design features are necessary to allow for this vertical movement while maintaining driving forces between the sickle assemblies; auger assemblies; and the reel assemblies.

Abstract: Hinged tables for swathers usually are provided with individual knife sections and the center section of this knife is difficult to drive. This invention eliminates the necessity for a center section drive by using a two section knife on a three section table with each knife section extending through one wing section and part of the center section. The knives are driven from the outer ends and are allowed to flex over the hinge area. The wing sections are provided with rigid guard bars and a flexible section of guard bars secured to the inner end of the rigid guard bar and is secured by the other end to the center of the center section by means of a swivel or sliding connection.

Abstract: A thrust swivel ring for resiliently supporting a mowing knife in a swing arm of a mower cutting system includes internal and external metal bushings and an annular rubber portion disposed between the two bushings. The external bushing is non-rotatably connected to the swing arm and the internal bushing is non-rotatably connected to the mowing knife. One of these connections can be quickly disconnected in axial direction of the bushings. The bearing is resistant to wear, requires little maintenance and ensures a quiet operation of the mower cutting system. Further, the bearing facilitates a quick replacement of the mower knife.

Abstract: A cutting mechanism for a maize cutter having several divider plates and at least one outside deflector for directing cornstalks into the maize cutter; the maize cutter also having entry chains or entry bands disposed between the divider plates and also between the divider plates and the outside deflector for holding the cornstalks fast and feeding the cornstalks to the cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism is a double cutter including upper sets of cutter blades and co-acting associated lower sets of cutter blades, with each of the upper and associated lower cutter blades being arranged in a column. The upper and associated lower sets of cutter blades are laterally spaced from each other to define bladeless sections therebetween. The sets of cutter blades are disposed between the divider plates and also between the divider plates and the outside deflector, respectively, with the bladeless sections being disposed under the divider plates.

Abstract: Two sickles, each slightly longer than half the width of the swath taken by the mower, are supported across the front of the mower for reciprocation in mutually opposite directions. Although the two sickles are located in the same vertical plane, they are situated in two different horizontal planes so as to permit overlap in the center during reciprocation. To further facilitate such overlap, the backing bar to which the knife sections of one sickle are attached is located on top of the sections, while on the other sickle, the backing bar is located along the bottom of the sections. The sections are so arranged adjacent the inner ends of the sickles that even when the sickles are at the extremes of their outward strokes away from one another, no gap is presented in the center between the two innermost sections of the two sickles, thereby promoting even cutting across the entire swath taken by the sickle assembly.

Abstract: A cutter bar has spaced apart guards projecting forwardly therefrom with shearing edges cooperating with the sickle knife elements secured to two aligned sickle bars. An extension bar is secured to the inboard end of one of the sickle bars which extends in overlying relation to the inboard end of the other sickle bar. The extension carries several inverted knife elements which cooperate with upper shear edges on special guards at the inboard ends of the sickle bars.

Abstract: A pair of cooperating elongated cutting members is mounted on the frame of a harvester for reciprocation along a common plane located intermediate the cutting members by means of arms pivotally connected to the frame and to the cutting members. A lever is pivoted to each of the cutting members and to the frame and has the same effective length as the associated arm, the pivot points of the associated arm and lever being located in the corners of an imaginary parallelogram. A crank drive moves a pair of connecting rods which are articulated to the respective levers intermediate the pivot points thereof. The cutting members have a plurality of recesses which are laterally bounded by cutting edges extending transversely of the elongation of the respective cutting members so that the objects which enter into the recesses are cut by the cutting edges in the common plane. The axis of rotation of the crank may be vertical, while the levers and arms may reciprocate in parallel horizontal planes.

Abstract: A mower using two knives which counterbalance one another and which can be removed from, and replaced in, the machine manually by an operator positioned behind the cutter bar: and which can operate throughout an arc of the cutter bar from substantially vertical above the horizontal to substantially vertical below the same; said knives and their co-operational components being protected from extraneous matter with the exception of the essentially exposed shearing elements.