A reciprocating cutting blade apparatus includes: a pair of reciprocating cutting blades disposed to overlap one another in a thickness direction; an upper support member and a lower support member sandwiching and reciprocably supporting the reciprocating cutting blades; and a transmission case to which the upper and lower support members maintaining a distance therebetween are mounted. The transmission case includes: a grease inlet and an upper grease reservoir provided above the upper support member accumulating grease poured from the grease inlet and; a lower Grease reservoir provided below the lower support member and accumulating the grease poured from the grease inlet. The upper support member includes a through-hole communicating with the upper grease reservoir. The lower support member includes a through-hole communicating with the lower grease reservoir. The reciprocating cutting blades includes through-holes allowing communication between the through-holes of the upper support member and the lower support member, respectively.

A system for monitoring a condition of a sickle of a header of an agricultural machine. The system includes a knife guard mounted to the header, a knife section of the sickle that is configured to move either along or with respect to a surface of the knife guard, and a sensor either mounted to the knife guard or another surface of the header for sensing the condition of the knife section.

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.

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.

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.

A boom mower attachment that moves a cutting mechanism in a first movement, a second movement, and a third movement by only using two motions of a single control and method of use thereof is provided. The boom mower may include a frame, a boom assembly carried by the frame, a cutting mechanism operably engaged with the boom assembly, and at least one translation assembly operably engaged with the boom assembly and the cutting mechanism that moves the cutting mechanism in one or more of the first movement, the second movement, and the third movement. An implement control system including a control, at least one function switching mechanism, and an implement is also provided. Activation of the control is operative to move the implement in a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode by only using two motions of the control.

A boom mower attachment that moves a cutting mechanism in a first movement, a second movement, and a third movement by only using two motions of a single control and method of use thereof is provided. The boom mower may include a frame, a boom assembly carried by the frame, a cutting mechanism operably engaged with the boom assembly, and at least one translation assembly operably engaged with the boom assembly and the cutting mechanism that moves the cutting mechanism in one or more of the first movement, the second movement, and the third movement. An implement control system including a control, at least one function switching mechanism, and an implement is also provided. Activation of the control is operative to move the implement in a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode by only using two motions of the control.

A drive arrangement for the reciprocating drive of a cutter bar comprises a hydraulic gear motor with a housing and a gearwheel, which is set in motion around a first axis by a hydraulic medium, and an eccentric drive, which comprises an eccentric element that can be rotatably driven by a gearwheel around a second axis parallel to the first axis, and a drive element connected to the eccentric element, which is, or can be, connected to the cutter bar.

A header for an agricultural harvester including an infeed conveyor having a fore end and an aft end, a center knife drive disposed adjacent to and forwardly of the infeed conveyor, and a knife drive cover covering the center knife drive. The knife drive cover includes a main body substantially covering an entire width of the center knife drive, and a seed saver extending rearwardly from an aft end of the main body. The seed saver is substantially planar, includes a width substantially the same as a width of the infeed conveyor, and defines a plane substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the infeed conveyor. The seed saver is integrated with the knife drive cover. As such, the seed saver is secured to the header without need for metal brackets and other associated mounting hardware.

A cutting system for a header of an agricultural machine includes a knife guard having a plurality of guards that are spaced apart by a guard pitch, and a knife section that is configured to move with respect to the knife guard for cutting crop material. The knife section includes a plurality of knives that are spaced apart by a knife pitch. The guard pitch is neither equal to nor is a whole number multiple of the knife pitch.