Compact sickle drive for a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine
AssigneeCNH America LLC
InventorEdward H Priepke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The compact sickle drive mechanism is adapted to incorporated into or beneath a floor or pan of a header at a location between and spaced from the sides or ends of the header, and can be configured for reciprocatingly driving two knife assemblies disposed in end to end relation, in opposite directions, such that potentially vibratory forces, including those generated by the moving masses of the knife assemblies, at least substantially cancel one another and thus are not transferred to structure of the header. As a result, the overall width of the header and structure thereof can also be reduced.
Claims37
A header for an agricultural plant cutting machine, comprising:
- a floor having spaced apart first and second opposite side edge portions, an elongate forward edge portion extending between the side edge portions, and an upwardly facing surface extending between the side and forward edge portions defining a cut plant material flow area thereabove;
- an elongate first knife assembly including a linear array of knives, the first knife assembly being supported so as to extend longitudinally adjacent to a first portion of the forward edge portion of the floor and so as to be movable longitudinally sidewardly relative thereto for severing plants from a field as the header is moved forwardly thereover;
- and
- a first epicyclic drive incorporated supported and disposed below the upwardly facing surface of the floor at a location between the first and second side edge portions thereof, the first epicyclic drive being connected in driving relation to the first knife assembly and operable for reciprocatingly moving the first knife assembly longitudinally sidewardly relative to the forward edge portion of the floor.
Sickle apparatus for a header for an agricultural plant cutting machine, comprising:
- an elongate first knife assembly supported adjacent to a sidewardly extending first forward edge portion of a floor of the header for reciprocal sideward movement therealong;
- an elongate second knife assembly supported adjacent to a sidewardly extending second forward edge portion of the floor of the header for reciprocating sideward movement therealong in generally end to end relation to the first knife assembly;
- and
- a compact sickle drive mechanism including a first epicyclic drive connected in driving relation to the first knife assembly and operable for reciprocatingly moving the first knife assembly sidewardly relative to the first forward edge portion of the floor, and a second epicyclic drive connected in driving relation to the second knife assembly and operable for reciprocatingly moving the second knife assembly sidewardly relative to the second forward edge portion of the floor, the compact sickle drive mechanism being supported and located at least substantially beneath a portion of the floor spaced from opposite sides of the header.
A header for an agricultural harvesting machine, comprising:
- an elongate structure having a first end portion, a second end portion opposite the first end portion, an elongate forward edge portion extending between the first and second end portions, and an at least generally upwardly facing floor extending along the elongate forward edge portion between the first and second end portions;
- an elongate first knife assembly supported by the structure adjacent to a first portion of the forward edge portion thereof for longitudinal movement therealong;
- an elongate second knife assembly supported by the structure adjacent to a second portion of the forward edge portion thereof for longitudinal movement therealong in generally end to end relation to the first knife assembly;
- and
- a sickle drive mechanism supported on the structure and including a first epicyclic drive connected in driving relation to the first knife assembly and operable for reciprocatingly moving the first knife assembly relative to and along the first forward edge portion of the structure, and a second epicyclic drive connected in driving relation to the second knife assembly and operable for reciprocatingly moving the second knife assembly relative to and along the second forward edge portion of the structure, the sickle drive mechanism being disposed at least partially beneath a portion of the floor spaced from the first and second and portions of the structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.