Silage cutting implement

Silage cutting implement for mounting to a mobile working vehicle, comprising:

• a lower part having a rear side frame structure and a loading plane connected to said frame structure by a first angled section;
• an upper part having a rear side frame and a separation plane equipped with cutting edges and connected to said frame by a second angled section, said upper part being pivotably connected at a substantially horizontal pivot axis to said lower part, wherein said first and second angled sections define a largest interior width of the cutting implement in a pivoting direction about said pivot axis in a closed condition of said cutting implement;
• at least one vehicle connection assembly provided at the side of said frame structure of said lower part opposite to said loading plane, said frame structure having at least one prolongation extending upwardly beyond side walls of said lower part with said pivot axis being situated in said at least one prolongation;
• hydraulic cylinders connected to said upper and lower parts between said pivot axis and said loading plane and said separation plane at the outer sides of said upper and lower parts and having linkage points in said angled sections, said hydraulic cylinders in their fully retracted condition having a length corresponding substantially to said largest interior width;
• a hydraulic synchronization control associated to said hydraulic cylinders to operate said cylinders to have substantially equal active lengths under different cutting conditions;
• a sensing device for sensing distortions of at least one cutting implement part provided at at least one of said cutting implement parts for overruling said synchronization control, said sensing device comprising:
• two linkage mechanisms situated at both sides of said cutting implement parts, said linkage mechanisms being interconnected by a mechanical coupling, each of said linkage mechanisms for sensing the actual relative pivoting angle of a said cutting implement part at one side thereof, and
• a signal member associated with said mechanical coupling which is actuable when an out-of-tolerance deviation between the pivoting angles at both sides of a cutting implement part is exceeded, and for generating an alarm signal and/or a switch off signal and/or a correction signal for said synchronization control.