Cutting apparatus

A cutting apparatus for cutting material as field crops comprising:

• an elongated base, a member secured to the base, a housing having inside walls forming a passage secured to said member, said passage extended along said member and being open along the bottom thereof, a plurality of forwardly directed guards secured to the base, each guard having side cutting edges, a first sprocket rotatably mounted adjacent one end of the base, a second sprocket rotatably mounted adjacent the opposite end of the base, an endless chain trained about the first and second sprockets, a plurality of knife blades secured to the chain and extended outwardly away from the chain, each blade having side cutting edges, said chain having a front run located in the passage with the blades engageable with the guards and a rear run located behind said member, adjacent knife blades being located along longitudinal center lines having a lateral distance greater than the lateral space between the longitudinal center lines of adjacent guards, means mounted on the housing engageable with the blades to hold the blades in contiguous relationship with the guards, and means to drive at least one of the sprockets whereby said chain and knife blades move relative to the guards and the cutting edges of the blades move relative to the side cutting edges of the guards so as to cut material located between adjacent guards.

A cutting apparatus for cutting material, as field crops, comprising:

• an elongated base, a member secured to the base, a housing having inside walls forming a passage secured to said member, said passage extended along said member and being open along the bottom thereof, a plurality of forwardly directed guards secured to the base, each guard having side cutting edges, a first sprocket rotatably mounted adjacent one end of the base, a second sprocket rotatably mounted adjacent the opposite end of the base, and endless chain trained about the first and second sprockets, a plurality of knife blades secured to the chain and extended outwardly away from the chain, each knife blade having side cutting edges, said chain having a front run located in the passage with the blades engageable with the guards and a rear run located behind said member, adjacent knife blades being located along longitudinal center lines having a lateral distance greater than the lateral space between the longitudinal center lines of adjacent guards, an insert located within the passage in engagement with the inside walls of the housing and the member, said front run of the chain riding on a portion of the insert as it moves through said passage of the housing, and means to drive at least one of the sprockets whereby said chain and knife blades move relative to the guards and the cutting edges of the blades move relative to the side cutting edges of the guards so as to cut material located between adjacent guards.

A cutting apparatus usable with a combine header having a horizontal platform for receiving cut material comprising:

• an elongated base, a rear wall secured to the base adapted to be attached to the platform, a front wall secured to the base forming with the base and rear wall a chamber, a cover for closing the top of the chamber, means mounting the cover on the front wall, means releasably connecting the cover to the base to allow the cover to be moved to an open position, a housing having inside walls forming a passage secured to the front wall, said passage extended along said front wall and having an open bottom, a plurality of guards secured to the base, each guard having side cutting edges, a first sprocket rotatably mounted adjacent one end of the base, a second sprocket rotatably mounted adjacent the opposite end of the base, an endless chain trained about the first and second sprockets, a plurality of knife blades secured to the chain and extended outwardly from the chain, each knife blade having converging side cutting edges, said chain having a front run located in the passage of the housing with the blade engageable with the guards and a rear run located in the chamber below the cover, means mounted on the housing engageable with the blades to hold the blades in contiguous relationship with the guards, and means to drive at least one of the sprockets whereby said chain and knife blades move relative to the guards and the cutting edges of the blades move relative to the side cutting edges of the guards so as to cut material located between adjacent guards.