Abstract: A cutter bar drive system for a draper header has a cutter bar disposed at a leading edge of the header to cut crop. A cutter bar gear box in operative engagement with the cutter bar is mounted on a forward portion of the header with a drive train mounted on the header to drive the gear box and cutter bar. An external flywheel is mounted along the drive train remote from the gear box and is engaged with the drive train to reduce vibration in the cutter bar and gear box from a remote, external position.

Abstract: A shock absorbing motor mount for heavy duty rotary cutting machines equipped with a frame and a hydraulic motor, or the like, mounted on the frame for driving a rotating cutting blade is disclosed. The shock absorbing motor mount includes a bearing for rotatably mounting the motor to the frame and a torsion arm for limiting the rotation of the motor with respect to the frame to permit an effective transfer of drive force from the motor to the cutting blade while maintaining the motor in a neutral position. The torsion arm includes a resilient shock absorber such as a compression spring mounted on one end of the torsion arm for progressively decelerating the rotation of the motor when the cutting blade strikes an object that possesses sufficient inertia to induce a rotation of the motor with respect to the frame, and returns the motor to the neutral position after the impact.

Abstract: This invention relates to a lawn mower comprising a motor, preferably of the combustion engine type, rotating a knife about a vertical axis, a chassis surrounding said knife and a support structure between the motor and the chassis comprising vibration insulating means. The vibration insulating means comprise several elongated blocks (22) of elastic material the blocks being placed with their longitudinal axis in the radial direction so that they when being acted on by tangential forces (B) are deformed more than when they are acted on by radial forces (C) the support structure joining the chassis (16) and a motor support (10) to each other by separate means (28,29) allowing a limited tangetial movement between the motor support and the chassis and preventing separation of the motor support and the chassis.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for securing an electric brake/clutch (14) against rotation relative to a stationary member (10). A preferred system includes an anti-rotation lever (26) attached to and extending from a brake/clutch housing (16). Anti-rotation lever (26) includes a flange (32) at its free end. Flange (32) is situated between a pair of spaced opposed rubber bumpers (34) attached to stationary member (10). Thus, torque applied to the housing (16) of brake/clutch (14) is transmitted through anti-rotation lever (26), rubber bumper (34), and ultimately to stationary member (10). The distance between rubber bumpers (34) exceeds the thickness of flange (32), whereby anti-rotation lever (26) and housing (16) can radially float relative to stationary member (10), thereby permitting "runout" of brake/clutch assembly (14).

Abstract: A knife drive centrifugal pendulum vibration absorber for an agricultural combine harvester includes a wobble drive assembly 82 with an input drive shaft 132. A flywheel 188 is secured to the wobble drive input drive shaft 132. The flywheel has apertures 192 with walls that are arcs about an axis that are parallel to the axis of rotation of the flywheel 188. A roller 194 is inserted in each aperture 194. The rollers 194 roll along the walls of the apertures 194 in response to changes in the speed of rotation of the flywheel 188 and absorb vibrations induced in the drive shaft 132 by a reciprocating knife assembly 74.

Abstract: An Agricultural combine having a sickle reciprocated by a wobble drive mechanism and a torsion bar coupled to the sickle to reduce the input torque requirement of the drive mechanism, is provided with a warning system to operate an alarm when energy is still stored in the torsion bar, unknown to the operator, when the drive mechanism is shut down and which stored energy could reciprocate the sickle and represent a hazard to the operator. The hazard warning system is disabled when the drive mechanism is operating.

Abstract: In order to provide a high cutting speed for a crop-cutting harvester (11), a torsion bar (101) is connected to the nondriven end of a crop-cutting sickle (28). The torsion bar (101) is connected to the sickle (28) by a lever (111 or 211) pivoting on the axis of the torsion bar. Counterweights (94, 131) may be added to adjust the resonant frequency, and hence, the resonant cutting speed. The use of a torsion bar on the nondriven end of the sickle, and none on the driven end, is believed to provide a high speed resonant sickle drive in which peak sickle forces are reduced.

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.