A combine header includes a header frame and a set of reciprocating knives at a front of the combine header. The combine header includes a driveline for driving reciprocating movement of the knives, the driveline including a transverse drive shaft at a back of the header frame, a bevel gearbox, a lateral drive shaft, and a transmission near the knives. The lateral drive shaft is coupled respectively to the bevel gearbox and the transmission by first and second universal joints. An inlet axle of the transmission is integral with or fixed to a flywheel configured to stabilize rotation of the lateral drive shaft. The second universal joint includes two orthogonal forks coupled by a cross-piece One of the forks is integral with or fixed to a flange that is attached to a surface of the flywheel that faces the lateral drive shaft. The flange is configured to contribute to the stabilizing function of the flywheel when the flange is attached to the surface.

A cutter bar skid shoe for a header of an agricultural harvester. The cutter bar skid shoe includes a skid plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, a fore end and an aft end. The cutter bar skid shoe further includes a cutter knife clip integral with and extending forwardly of the fore end of the skid plate for engaging a cutter knife blade.

A cutter bar skid shoe for a header of an agricultural harvester. The cutter bar skid shoe includes a skid plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, a fore end and an aft end. The cutter bar skid shoe further includes a cutter knife clip integral with and extending forwardly of the fore end of the skid plate for engaging a cutter knife blade.

A knife drive assembly for use in a harvesting header may be mounted near the center line of the cutter bar of the header. Mechanical power from the power unit behind the header (typically the combine power output shaft) may be translated for application to two knife assembly sections in the cutter bar at the front of the cutter table. Movement of the two knife assembly sections with this apparatus can be fully synchronized and 180 degrees out of phase, to maximize cutting effectiveness and minimize vibration of the header. The unitary drive assembly may allow for rapid repair and manufacture, and the size and weight of the knife drive assembly may represent a significant weight and balance advantage over the prior art.

A cutting system includes knives attached to a continuously moving belt-type carrier. The carrier motion moves the knives past stationary counterknife fingers which are attached to or uniform with a cutterbar, as the cutting system is driven through a field of crop stalks, which are cut by the interaction between the knives and counterknives. One or more sensing devices produce signals or images related to the condition of the knives when the knives are moving past the sensing devices. A processing unit processes the signals or images and derives therefrom one or more parameters representative of the condition of the knives, and compares the parameters to a reference, to thereby monitor the condition. An agricultural implement such as a combine harvester, can be equipped with the cutting system.

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 cam member includes an intermediate disk, a first eccentric cam disposed on an upper surface of the intermediate disk and connected to a first blade and a second eccentric cam disposed on a lower surface of the intermediate disk and connected to a second blade. A center of gravity of the first eccentric is positioned in a first direction from a rotation axis of the cam member. A center of gravity of the second eccentric cam is positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction from the rotation axis. A center of gravity of an upper half of the intermediate disk is positioned in the second direction from the rotation axis. A center of gravity of lower half of the intermediate disk is positioned in the first direction from the rotation axis.

A cam member includes an intermediate disk, a first eccentric cam disposed on an upper surface of the intermediate disk and connected to a first blade and a second eccentric cam disposed on a lower surface of the intermediate disk and connected to a second blade. A center of gravity of the first eccentric is positioned in a first direction from a rotation axis of the cam member. A center of gravity of the second eccentric cam is positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction from the rotation axis. A center of gravity of an upper half of the intermediate disk is positioned in the second direction from the rotation axis. A center of gravity of lower half of the intermediate disk is positioned in the first direction from the rotation axis.

A working machine may include: a conversion mechanism configured to convert motion of a prime mover; a first blade connected to the conversion mechanism; a second blade overlapping with the first blade in an up-down direction and facing a first facing surface of the first blade; a sealing member engaged with a first non-facing surface of the first blade that is opposite to the first facing surface, wherein the sealing member includes a first sealing surface facing the first non-facing surface in the up-down direction; and a cover member facing a second sealing surface of the sealing member that is opposite to the first sealing surface of the sealing member. The sealing member may be disposed forward of the conversion mechanism and configured to suppress the object cut with the first blade and the second blade from moving toward the conversion mechanism between the first blade and the cover member.