A Knife attachment arrangement for oscillatingly driven mower knives, including a shaft (1) defining a first longitudinal axis (X) and having a receiving space (4) and a mower knife drive pin (2) engaging in the receiving space (4) and being detachably connected to the shaft (1). A head bearing holding area (13) of the mower knife drive pin (2) engages in the receiving space (4) and has a first contact face (14) that is in contact with the first support face (6) and is curved opposite to the first support face (6). An undercut (8) is formed in the wall (5) delimiting the receiving space (4) and the head bearing holding area (13) of the mower knife drive pin (2) has a collar (16) engaging in the undercut (8), wherein the undercut is formed as a groove (8) in the wall (5), the groove (8) extends radially with respect to the second longitudinal axis (Y).

The pivoting action sickle drive has a low profile allowing incorporation in or below a floor of a header of a plant cutting machine to allow passage of cut plant material thereabout. The drive includes a substantially flat rotatable input element, and a drive arm connected eccentric thereto for eccentric rotation along an epicyclical path. The arm extends to a connection with a pivot arm of a pivot element that connects to a knife arm that drives a sickle knife assembly, such that the pivot element, knife arm and knife assembly will be reciprocatingly driven by the eccentric rotation of the drive arm. A second drive can oppositely drive a second sickle knife assembly, such that opposite forces generated by the drives will cancel. The drives can be packaged in a forwardly tapered or curved enclosure, and the pivot elements can be correspondingly shaped to streamline the drives.

The pivoting action sickle drive has a low profile allowing incorporation in or below a floor of a header of a plant cutting machine to allow passage of cut plant material thereabout. The drive includes a substantially flat rotatable input element, and a drive arm connected eccentric thereto for eccentric rotation along an epicyclical path. The arm extends to a connection with a pivot arm of a pivot element that connects to a knife arm that drives a sickle knife assembly, such that the pivot element, knife arm and knife assembly will be reciprocatingly driven by the eccentric rotation of the drive arm. A second drive can oppositely drive a second sickle knife assembly, such that opposite forces generated by the drives will cancel. The drives can be packaged in a forwardly tapered or curved enclosure, and the pivot elements can be correspondingly shaped to streamline the drives.

A header for an agricultural vehicle. The header includes a header frame and an elongate sickle knife mounted along a leading edge of the header. The header further includes an actuator for reciprocally moving the elongate sickle knife in its longitudinal direction relative to the header frame between a first position and a second position over an intermediate position. At least one accumulator extends between the header frame and the elongate sickle knife to accumulate energy during a first movement of the elongate sickle knife from the intermediate position towards at least one of the first position and the second position, and to release accumulated energy during a second movement of the elongate sickle knife opposite to the first movement.

A header for an agricultural vehicle. The header includes a header frame and an elongate sickle knife mounted along a leading edge of the header. The header further includes an actuator for reciprocally moving the elongate sickle knife in its longitudinal direction relative to the header frame between a first position and a second position over an intermediate position. At least one accumulator extends between the header frame and the elongate sickle knife to accumulate energy during a first movement of the elongate sickle knife from the intermediate position towards at least one of the first position and the second position, and to release accumulated energy during a second movement of the elongate sickle knife opposite to the first movement.

A header having a sickle cutter for a combine harvester is provided. The sickle cutter includes moveable first and second sickle knife assemblies oscillating at an offset phase. The sickle cutter further includes a stationary knife assembly positioned at a gap between the moveable first and second sickle knife assemblies.

A sickle drive incorporated into a generally flat package or enclosure or floor. The drive includes an epicyclic mechanism, including a rotatable input element in an upper region of a cavity of the enclosure, and an eccentric element below the input element rotatable eccentrically thereby. A drive arm is connected to the eccentric element for rotation about, and eccentric rotation with, the eccentric element, and extends to a pivot element which can be the only component extending upwardly from the enclosure or floor, such that the shaft will be pivoted by the eccentric movement of the drive arm. A knife arm connects to the pivot element and a sickle knife assembly which will be reciprocated by the pivoting action. A second epicyclic arrangement can be employed such that opposite forces generated by operation of the drive will be largely canceled.

A sickle drive incorporated into a generally flat package or enclosure or floor. The drive includes an epicyclic mechanism, including a rotatable input element in an upper region of a cavity of the enclosure, and an eccentric element below the input element rotatable eccentrically thereby. A drive arm is connected to the eccentric element for rotation about, and eccentric rotation with, the eccentric element, and extends to a pivot element which can be the only component extending upwardly from the enclosure or floor, such that the shaft will be pivoted by the eccentric movement of the drive arm. A knife arm connects to the pivot element and a sickle knife assembly which will be reciprocated by the pivoting action. A second epicyclic arrangement can be employed such that opposite forces generated by operation of the drive will be largely canceled.

A drive (100) has two gearing arrangements (101, 102) both with a first gearing (103) and a second gearing (104). Each gearing (103, 104) has at least one transfer element (106) for transferring a reciprocating motion of a driving hinge point (107) into a reciprocating motion of an output hinge point (108). Output elements (117) are coupled to the output hinge points (108) of the two gearings (103, 104). A drive element (116) is coupled to the driving hinge points (107). A common drive element (116) is connected to the driving hinge points (107) of the gearings (103, 104) of the two gearing arrangements (101, 102). The gearing arrangements (101, 102) are mirror-symmetrically arranged so that the output elements (117) are driven on a common output axis in an opposed manner with respect to each other.

A drive (100) has two gearing arrangements (101, 102) both with a first gearing (103) and a second gearing (104). Each gearing (103, 104) has at least one transfer element (106) for transferring a reciprocating motion of a driving hinge point (107) into a reciprocating motion of an output hinge point (108). Output elements (117) are coupled to the output hinge points (108) of the two gearings (103, 104). A drive element (116) is coupled to the driving hinge points (107). A common drive element (116) is connected to the driving hinge points (107) of the gearings (103, 104) of the two gearing arrangements (101, 102). The gearing arrangements (101, 102) are mirror-symmetrically arranged so that the output elements (117) are driven on a common output axis in an opposed manner with respect to each other.