Patent ID: 11917949
Assignee: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A crop cutting device for an agricultural harvester comprising:
a crop guiding surface;
a plurality of substantially parallel knives mounted below the crop guiding surface and aligned with respective slots in the crop guiding surface, the knives being movable between a retracted inoperative position below the crop guiding surface and an extended operative position, wherein at least a portion of a cutting edge of the knives projects above the crop guiding surface;
an actuating mechanism for moving the knives between the retracted inoperative position and the extended operative position, the actuating mechanism comprising:
(i) a plurality of movable operating members, associated with respective ones of the plurality of knives and movable from a first position in which the knives are in the retracted inoperative position, to a second position in which the knives are in the extended operative position;
(ii) a support frame configured to hold the operating members in a sliding relation to the support frame; and
(iii) an actuator coupled to the support frame for moving the support frame between an employed position and a retracted position, the employed position being closer to the knives than the retracted position; and

a knife insert assistant that is coupled to the support frame and configured for blocking a sliding movement of the operating members relative to the support frame during a movement of the support frame from the retracted position to the employed position,
wherein each operating member has (i) an elongated shape, (ii) a first end coupled to one of the respective knives for bringing the respective knife into the extended operative position, and (iii) a second free end that is opposite the first end,
wherein the knife insert assistant comprises a transverse beam that is movable between a blocking position where the traverse beam is positioned to face the second free end for blocking the sliding movement of the operating members relative to the support frame, and a non-blocking position where the traverse beam is separated from the second free ends and does not block the sliding movement of the second free ends relative to the support frame.