Abstract: The cutter guard assembly includes a cutter bar assembly, a window frame, and a floor sheet. The cutter bar assembly has a cutter bar and a reciprocating knife assembly operatively connected to a knife drive. The window frame is rigidly attached to the cutter bar. The window frame includes an opening through which a knife arm of the reciprocating knife assembly extends through. The floor sheet extends rearwardly from the cutter bar and pivots relative to the window frame.

Abstract: A harvesting head for a combine and method of operating. An attachment frame at an aft end of the head attaches with a combine feederhouse. A main frame of the head is movably connected to the attachment frame, and the main frame has a range of travel with respect to the attachment frame. A resilient float element is provided between the attachment and main frames. A flexible cutterbar on the main frame operates to cut crops. The cutterbar is supported on the main frame by a plurality of pivoting arms distributed across a width of the head. With the main frame in a nominal intermediate position within the range of travel, the plurality of pivoting arms have 10 percent or less of total available travel as upward travel and at least 90 percent of total available travel as downward travel when the head is set in the nominal position.

Abstract: A connecting arrangement (1) for connecting a mower knife drive to a mower knife (7), that moves back and forth along a knife or X-axis, has a driving element (2) and an output element (3). The driving element (2) connects the connecting arrangement (1) to the mower knife drive. The output element (3) connects the connecting arrangement (1) to the mower knife (7). The driving element (2) and the output element (3) rotate relative to one another about three mutually perpendicular axes of rotation (X, Y, Z). Also, the driving element (2) and output element (3) can be moved relative to one another along at least two of the axes of rotation (Y, Z).

Abstract: A cutter guard assembly for a knife drive of an agricultural farm implement is provided. The cutter guard assembly includes a cutter bar assembly, a floor assembly and a knife assembly. The cutter bar assembly has a cutter bar. The floor assembly includes a floor extending from the cutter bar and a cover extending from the floor. The knife assembly is covered by and situated below the floor assembly. In operation the cover drapes over a rigid frame of a header shielding the knife assembly from debris.

Abstract: A sealing system for the shoe in a combine harvester is disclosed wherein the separate flow areas in the shoe are sealed from one another. The sealing system discourages air from traveling through the components of the shoe other than the sieve system, thereby providing flow of air to the sieves. The positive differential and the containment of air in the shoe are accomplished by providing one or more seals between the moving shoe components and the stationary frame components. In those combines including self-leveling shoe assemblies, the distance between the shoe assembly rolls to maintain level operation. Various embodiment of this invention provide for sealing this change in the dimensions as the shoe moves.

Abstract: A wear shield is attached to a cutter bar and is formed from a molded wear body having a front mounting portion bolted onto the guards of the cutter bar by the guard mounting bolts with recesses for the guard fingers and a front edge of an upper planar mounting surface clamped onto the guard bar. A rear covering portion is cantilevered rearwardly from the front mounting portion underlying a bottom plate of the cutter bar for engaging the ground so as to underlie and protect the bottom plate. Resilience in the wear shield forces the rear part against the bottom plate of the cutter bar to avoid the necessity for a rear fastener. A series of the wear shields is arranged side by side across the cutter bar with two side edges each for locating adjacent a side edge of a next adjacent wear shield.

Abstract: A two-piece cutter member for mounting on a sickle bar has a rigid thin support element arranged for relatively permanent attachment to a sickle bar, and a flat planar pyramid-shaped spring metal blade. A portion of the blade provides at least one bridge or loop for encircling the support element and holding the blade on the support element. A section of either said the portion or the support element is displaced with respect to the support face to releasably hold the blade on the support when the blade is fully positioned on said support element.

Abstract: A two-piece cutter member for mounting on a sickle bar has a rigid thin support element arranged for relatively permanent attachment to a sickle bar, and a flat planar pyramid-shaped spring metal blade. A portion of the blade provides at least one bridge or loop for encircling the support element and holding the blade on the support element. A section of either said the portion or the support element is displaced with respect to the support face to releasably hold the blade on the support when the blade is fully positioned on said support element. The spring metal blade is preferably formed of two thin sheet welded together near their edges.

Abstract: A crop stalk guide assembly for use on a crop gathering header cutterbar of a crop harvesting machine includes a support framework and a plurality of flat guide plates. The support framework is attachable to the cutterbar of the crop gathering header so as to extend forwardly from below the sickle guards and a sickle of the cutterbar. The flat guide plates are attached on the top of a forward portion of the support framework so as to extend above the cutterbar sickle guards and sickle. The guide plates are spaced laterally from one another so as to define elongated passageways between them running in the direction of forward travel and leading rearwardly between the sickle guards to the sickle of the cutterbar.

Abstract: A pair of plastic skid plates are secured to the underside of skid pads at opposite lateral ends of a floating cutterbar and are connected at their forward ends to the dividers, at laterally opposite ends of a combine header, by elastic connectors.

Abstract: A cutterbar assembly for the header of an agricultural combine having a skid coextensive with the cutterbar but comprising individual skid segments. The knife guard likewise comprises individual segments positioned in aligned relationship with the skid segments, whereby the flexibility of the cutterbar is enhanced so that it is able to follow the contour of the ground without row sensitivity. The skid segments are corrugated to provide a more efficient strength to weight ratio.

Abstract: A machine for gathering and disintegrating standing, row-planted, trash stems of crops such as cotton, pineapples etc., comprises a frame adapted to be travelled along a row of trash stems and direct them into the nip of rotating resilient rollers in mutual contact. The rollers are mounted on parallel shafts which are tilted so that the upper ends of the shafts are further ahead in the direction of machine travel than are their lower ends; thus, trash stems caught up between the rollers are uprooted and then presented to an array of scissoring blades whereby the stems are cut into short easily-disposable fragments.

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.

Abstract: An attachment for a shoe of a reciprocating type mower. The attachment includes a generally planar upright shield mounted in substantially perpendicular relation to a generally planar rectangular blade terminating adjacent the outermost sickle knife in a terminal edge having serrations. The attachment blade coacts with the sickle blade to cut grass, hay and the like in the region adjacent to the shoe. The shield provides coverage of the slot in the shoe through which the outermost end of the sickle blade passes in its reciprocatory movement. The attachment minimizes accumulation of cuttings which reduce mower efficiency.