Patent ID: 9622405
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: A01D

Claim:
1. A sickle cuffing apparatus comprising: a plurality of stationary knife guards arranged to be mounted along a cutter bar; a sickle bar mounted in transversely extending position and arranged to be driven for reciprocating movement relative to said knife guards; the sickle bar having a plurality of knife blades mounted thereon for movement therewith; each of the knife blades having a cutting surface for passing across the knife guards; each of the knife blades having on first and second sides first and second side cutting edges; each knife guard comprising: and a plurality of hold-down members arranged to be mounted along the cutter bar; each hold-down member comprising a base mounting member arranged to be attached to the cutter bar; each hold-down member comprising two hold-down fingers thereon carried on the base mounting member arranged to be at positions spaced longitudinally of the cutter bar so as to be cantilevered forwardly from the cutter bar to a position of a front tip of each hold-down finger located at a settable spacing in front of the sickle bar above the ledger surface of a respective one of the guard fingers; wherein each of the base mounting members is arranged to be attached to the cutter bar by at least two threaded fasteners passing through the cutter bar and through the base mounting member which can be adjusted to tighten the base mounting member onto the cutter bar; the threaded fasteners having axes of the threaded fasteners lying at spaced positions along an imaginary line longitudinally of the cutter bar; wherein each of said hold-down fingers is arranged to be adjustable on the cutter bar to change said settable spacing thereof; wherein each of said hold-down fingers is pivotal relative to the cutter bar about a fulcrum extending longitudinally of the cutter bar and located at a position forwardly of said imaginary line; wherein each of the two hold-down fingers includes a respective adjustment screw for individual adjustment of each of the hold-down fingers by extension of the respective adjustment screw, where each of the adjustment screws is located at a position rearwardly of said imaginary line; and wherein the two hold-down fingers are connected by an arrangement which is which is shaped and arranged to provide lateral strength between the two hold-down fingers and to be sufficiently flexible to allow twisting thereof to provide said individual adjustments by allowing each of the hold-down fingers to be adjusted independently of the other.