A crop cutting device including knives pivotally mounted below a crop guiding surface. Each knife is pivotable between a retracted position in which it is located below the guiding surface and an extended position. At least a cutting edge of the knife projects above the surface. A selector mechanism selectively holds spring loaded parts of operating members to maintain the corresponding knife in its retracted inoperative position while the operating member is moved to its second position. The selector mechanism includes a shaft carrying a plurality of cam elements which are mounted on the shaft and arranged to be moved to a position for blocking a respective spring loaded part upon rotation of the shaft from a non-holding to a holding position.

A crop cutting device including a crop guiding surface, a plurality of parallel knives, and an actuating mechanism for moving the knives between a retracted inoperative position below the crop guiding surface and an extended operative position. A portion of the knives projects above the crop guiding surface. A plurality of movable operating members is associated with respective ones of the plurality of knives and movable from a first position in which the knives are in the retracted inoperative position, to a second position in which the knives are in the extended operative position. A support frame holds the operating members in a sliding relation to the support frame. The knife insert assistant is coupled to the support frame and configured for blocking a sliding movement of the operating members relative to the support frame during a movement of the support frame from the retracted position to the employed position.

A crop cutting device including a crop guiding surface, a plurality of parallel knives, and an actuating mechanism for moving the knives between a retracted inoperative position below the crop guiding surface and an extended operative position. A portion of the knives projects above the crop guiding surface. A plurality of movable operating members is associated with respective ones of the plurality of knives and movable from a first position in which the knives are in the retracted inoperative position, to a second position in which the knives are in the extended operative position. A support frame holds the operating members in a sliding relation to the support frame. The knife insert assistant is coupled to the support frame and configured for blocking a sliding movement of the operating members relative to the support frame during a movement of the support frame from the retracted position to the employed position.

A knife and blade for agricultural machines, in particular mower knife blades, straw chopper knives, corn header knives, feed mixer knives, loader wagon knives and baler knives, has at least one toothed cutting edge extending from a cutting edge beginning to a cutting edge end on a blade surface. The cutting edge has a straight or curved configuration and the blade surface has a mounting section. The toothing of the cutting edge is varied along its length with regard to the tooth pitch and/or the tooth geometry.

A harvesting machine may include a main frame, a rotor assembly rotatably coupled to the main frame, a top frame movably attached to the main frame forming a passageway for crop material between the top frame and the rotor assembly, a bottom frame movably attached to the top frame, a plurality of knives movably attached to the top and bottom frames, and an actuator operatively connected to one of the top frame and the bottom frames. The plurality of knives extends through slots in the top frame. The top and bottom frames and the plurality of knives are in a raised position when the actuator is in a first position. The top and bottom frames and the plurality of knives are in a lowered position when the actuator is in a second position, which enlarges the passageway and partially retracts the knives through the slots in the top frame.

A harvesting machine may include a main frame, a rotor assembly rotatably coupled to the main frame, a top frame movably attached to the main frame forming a passageway for crop material between the top frame and the rotor assembly, a bottom frame movably attached to the top frame, a plurality of knives movably attached to the top and bottom frames, and an actuator operatively connected to one of the top frame and the bottom frames. The plurality of knives extends through slots in the top frame. The top and bottom frames and the plurality of knives are in a raised position when the actuator is in a first position. The top and bottom frames and the plurality of knives are in a lowered position when the actuator is in a second position, which enlarges the passageway and partially retracts the knives through the slots in the top frame.

A harvesting machine including a frame, a rotor assembly rotatably coupled to the frame configured to move crop material, and a plurality of knives movably attached to the harvesting machine. The rotor assembly includes a plurality of spaced apart rotating blades, wherein one or more of the plurality of knives extends into the spaces between the blades. Each of the plurality of knives includes a knife body and a cutting edge having a plurality of teeth, wherein each of the teeth includes a scallop or valley. Each one of the plurality of valleys extends from the knife body to the leading edge of one of the plurality of teeth, wherein adjacent valleys are located on opposite sides of the knife body. The valleys are lined with a wear resistant material to increase the longevity of the cutting edge and cutting ability.

A harvesting machine includes a main frame having a main actuator; a cutting frame having a crop guiding surface including a plurality of slots extending in a direction of travel of crop over the crop guiding surface and a plurality of knives pivotally mounted below the crop guiding surface; an outer frame being pivotable around a common pivot axis and being connected to the actuator; an inner frame having a plurality of operating units, and a selector mechanism configured to selectively engage one or more of the plurality of operating units. The outer frame includes an axis for pivotally holding a plurality of levers, each lever being pivotally connected to an operating unit of each knife. Guides are provided for lateral movement of the crop guiding surface with the plurality of knives from an operating position into a servicing position and vice versa.

The invention relates to a cutting blade overload protection device (10) for a cutting mechanism (11) of a harvester (100) for leaf and stalk material, comprising at least one cutting blade (13) which can pivot about a cutting blade rotational axis (12) and which is connected to a toggle lever mechanism (14). The toggle lever mechanism (14) includes two coupled toggle levers (16, 17) which can pivot about a toggle lever rotational axis (15) and which move the cutting blade (13) from an operating position (P1) to a resting position (P2) when a predefined force (F1) is exceeded.

The invention also relates to a harvester (100) which is equipped with at least one such cutting blade overload protection device (10).

In order to protect the cutting blade (13) better when contacting foreign objects, it is proposed to provide the cutting blade overload protection device (10) with a special toggle lever mechanism (14) which comprises a stop limit (24) and a spring element (19), with the spring element (19) and limit stop (24) interacting such that when a predefined force (F1) is exceeded, the toggle lever rotational axis (15) is moved past a dead center point (20), with the position of the toggle levers (16, 17) shifting from a first buckling position (21) through a straight position (22) into a second buckling position (23).

The invention relates to a cutting blade overload protection device (10) for a cutting mechanism (11) of a harvester (100) for leaf and stalk material, comprising at least one cutting blade (13) which can pivot about a cutting blade rotational axis (12) and which is connected to a toggle lever mechanism (14). The toggle lever mechanism (14) includes two coupled toggle levers (16, 17) which can pivot about a toggle lever rotational axis (15) and which move the cutting blade (13) from an operating position (P1) to a resting position (P2) when a predefined force (F1) is exceeded.

The invention also relates to a harvester (100) which is equipped with at least one such cutting blade overload protection device (10).

In order to protect the cutting blade (13) better when contacting foreign objects, it is proposed to provide the cutting blade overload protection device (10) with a special toggle lever mechanism (14) which comprises a stop limit (24) and a spring element (19), with the spring element (19) and limit stop (24) interacting such that when a predefined force (F1) is exceeded, the toggle lever rotational axis (15) is moved past a dead center point (20), with the position of the toggle levers (16, 17) shifting from a first buckling position (21) through a straight position (22) into a second buckling position (23).