A sickle cutting system is mounted on a header for forward travel over ground having a standing crop thereon and includes a cutter bar with a plurality of knife guards and two sickle bars driven at a phase angle difference where the drive system has a phase difference control component operable to drive the first and second sickle bars at a first phase angle difference typically at or around 180 degrees difference to minimize vibration when no cutting action is occurring and at a second phase angle difference which can be at or around 90 degrees to minimize variations in loading applied to the drive system when the cutting action is taking place.

A header for use by an agricultural harvester. The header includes a cutter bar that cuts crop material and includes a stationary knife section and a plurality of reciprocating knife sections extending along a portion of the stationary knife section. A substantial part of the length of the reciprocating knife sections do not extend along any portion of the stationary knife section.

A header for use by an agricultural harvester. The header includes a cutter bar that cuts crop material and includes a stationary knife section and a plurality of reciprocating knife sections extending along a portion of the stationary knife section. A substantial part of the length of the reciprocating knife sections do not extend along any portion of the stationary knife section.

A cutting system for a harvesting header includes a transversely extending cutter bar, a transversely extending knife back, a knife section mounted to the knife back having a knife edge extending generally in a forward direction, a knife guard component having a front guard portion and a rear portion interconnected by a medial portion having a recess. The medial portion is configured for receiving a lengthwise portion of the knife back with the knife section being received into, and the knife section is operable to move transversely into and out of a cutting slot in the front guard portion. A hold down component is located between an upper surface of the rear portion of the knife guard component and an underneath surface of the cutter bar, and an attachment mechanism is operable to secure the knife guard component and the hold down component to the underneath surface of the cutter bar.

A cutting system for a harvesting header includes a transversely extending cutter bar, a transversely extending knife back, a knife section mounted to the knife back having a knife edge extending generally in a forward direction, a knife guard component having a front guard portion and a rear portion interconnected by a medial portion having a recess. The medial portion is configured for receiving a lengthwise portion of the knife back with the knife section being received into, and the knife section is operable to move transversely into and out of a cutting slot in the front guard portion. A hold down component is located between an upper surface of the rear portion of the knife guard component and an underneath surface of the cutter bar, and an attachment mechanism is operable to secure the knife guard component and the hold down component to the underneath surface of the cutter bar.

The present invention relates to cutting tools, in particular, to control systems for cutters such as vegetation cutters, especially hedge cutters or trimmers (10). Hedge cutters (10) frequently suffer in use from a problem of blocked cutting blades when they encounter a twig or branch whose size or density exceeds the capacity of the blades. We describe a vegetation cutting apparatus (10) having a plurality of cutting blades (11,12), at least one of which blades (11,12) is drivable by an electric motor. At least one driven blade (11,12) is movable between two predefined points of maximum travel. The apparatus (10) includes a control mechanism which causes a change of direction in the movement of the at least one movable blade at a point intermediate the points of maximum travel in response to an event sensed by the control mechanism.

The present invention relates to cutting tools, in particular, to control systems for cutters such as vegetation cutters, especially hedge cutters or trimmers (10). Hedge cutters (10) frequently suffer in use from a problem of blocked cutting blades when they encounter a twig or branch whose size or density exceeds the capacity of the blades. We describe a vegetation cutting apparatus (10) having a plurality of cutting blades (11,12), at least one of which blades (11,12) is drivable by an electric motor. At least one driven blade (11,12) is movable between two predefined points of maximum travel. The apparatus (10) includes a control mechanism which causes a change of direction in the movement of the at least one movable blade at a point intermediate the points of maximum travel in response to an event sensed by the control mechanism.

A side cutting unit for a cutting unit of an agricultural harvesting machine is disclosed. The side cutting unit comprises a support frame designed as a bar rail, wherein the bar rail supports, in the longitudinal direction, at least one oscillating knife bar using blade holding apparatuses, and at one end is coupled to a drive that causes the oscillating movement of the at least one knife bar, with the bar rail being designed as a one-piece profiled tube, such as an extruded profiled tube.

A cutting system for a harvesting header includes a transversely extending cutter bar, a transversely extending knife back, a knife section mounted to the knife back having a knife edge extending generally in a forward direction, a knife guard component having a front guard portion and a rear portion interconnected by a medial portion having a recess. The medial portion is configured for receiving a lengthwise portion of the knife back with the knife section being received into, and the knife section is operable to move transversely into and out of a cutting slot in the front guard portion. A hold down component is located between an upper surface of the rear portion of the knife guard component and an underneath surface of the cutter bar, and an attachment mechanism is operable to secure the knife guard component and the hold down component to the underneath surface of the cutter bar.

A cutting system for a harvesting header includes a transversely extending cutter bar, a transversely extending knife back, a knife section mounted to the knife back having a knife edge extending generally in a forward direction, a knife guard component having a front guard portion and a rear portion interconnected by a medial portion having a recess. The medial portion is configured for receiving a lengthwise portion of the knife back with the knife section being received into, and the knife section is operable to move transversely into and out of a cutting slot in the front guard portion. A hold down component is located between an upper surface of the rear portion of the knife guard component and an underneath surface of the cutter bar, and an attachment mechanism is operable to secure the knife guard component and the hold down component to the underneath surface of the cutter bar.