Vertical-axis mower and roller conditioner

Vertical-axis mower and conditioner apparatus including:

• a chassis adapted to be moved over a crop to be mown;
• a plurality of rotary cutter assemblies disposed along said chassis and each comprising a substantially circular body member including a lower wear disc having a circular periphery, said body member supported for driven vertical-axis rotation on said chassis and a plurality of cutting members evenly disposed about the periphery of said body member;
• and
• conditioning apparatus adapted to accept crop cut by said cutter assemblies;
• said body member of each said cutter assembly includes an upper portion adapted to receive cut crop, said upper portion including a plurality of crop lifting assemblies each being associated with a corresponding cutting member, and each comprising:
• a wall portion extending in a curved direction outwardly on said body member from a substantially centrally directed inner end to a substantially circumferentially directed outer end terminating within said periphery, said outer end terminating at a position angularly displaced through an arc of rotation relative to the substantially centrally directed inner end of a next adjacent said wall portion;
• and
• a lifting surface having a first portion proximate to a plane of the corresponding cutting member and a second portion in a plane above said plane of said cutting member, said lifting surface being joined to said wall portion along a common edge.