The present invention relates to a belt guard assembly suitable for the harvesting platforms of the type that are carried on the front end of an agricultural combine. More specifically, belt guard assembly covers the void region at the front margin of the draper conveyor system and seals it against the entry of crop residue and foreign objects. The belt guard assembly is provided with a resilient seal strip that overlaps with the upper belt run, and with a rotary joint to permit flexibility between the cutterbar assembly and the draper conveyor.

The present invention relates to a belt guard assembly suitable for the harvesting platforms of the type that are carried on the front end of an agricultural combine. More specifically, belt guard assembly covers the void region at the front margin of the draper conveyor system and seals it against the entry of crop residue and foreign objects. The belt guard assembly is provided with a resilient seal strip that overlaps with the upper belt run, and with a rotary joint to permit flexibility between the cutterbar assembly and the draper conveyor.

A sickle cutting apparatus includes double finger knife guards where the ledger surface of each guard finger has a width at an imaginary line joining the apexes between the rear edges of the blades which is greater than a spacing at the imaginary line between the first side edge of the ledger surface of each guard finger and the second side edge of the ledger surface of each next adjacent guard finger. The first and second side edges of the ledger surfaces of each of the guard fingers extend to a position behind the imaginary line so as to be free from any trash bar connecting each to the next in front of said imaginary line. The hold down fingers are all individually adjustable so that the double hold-down have two adjustment screws which can be individually operated causing flexing of the bridge between the double fingers.

A sickle cutting apparatus includes double finger knife guards where the ledger surface of each guard finger has a width at an imaginary line joining the apexes between the rear edges of the blades which is greater than a spacing at the imaginary line between the first side edge of the ledger surface of each guard finger and the second side edge of the ledger surface of each next adjacent guard finger. The first and second side edges of the ledger surfaces of each of the guard fingers extend to a position behind the imaginary line so as to be free from any trash bar connecting each to the next in front of said imaginary line. The hold down fingers are all individually adjustable so that the double hold-down have two adjustment screws which can be individually operated causing flexing of the bridge between the double fingers.

A cutting assembly for an agricultural or forestry cutter, the cutting assembly comprising a lower member and an upper member, which together form at least one finger guard extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein a blade gap is formed between the lower member and the upper member, and a knife, which is guided in a reciprocating manner in the blade gap in a drive direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, and which has at least one cutting edge.

A cutting assembly for an agricultural or forestry cutter, the cutting assembly comprising a lower member and an upper member, which together form at least one finger guard extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein a blade gap is formed between the lower member and the upper member, and a knife, which is guided in a reciprocating manner in the blade gap in a drive direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, and which has at least one cutting edge.

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.