Patent ID: 8893462

Claim:
A sickle cutting apparatus comprising: a frame structure arranged for forward travel over ground having a standing crop thereon; a cutter bar secured to the frame structure and extending transversely across a front end of said frame structure; a plurality of stationary knife guards mounted along the cutter bar; each of said stationary knife guards including at least one finger projecting forwardly therefrom; each guard finger having an upwardly facing ledger surface with opposed side edges thereof arranged to provide first and second shearing edges; a sickle bar mounted in transversely extending position and being driven for reciprocating movement relative to said guard fingers; the sickle bar having a plurality of blade sections mounted thereon for movement therewith; each of the blade sections having a rear plate portion for mounting on the sickle bar and at least one forwardly extending blade portion; each of the blade portions having a cutting surface for passing across the knife guard fingers; each of the blade portions having on first and second sides first and second side cutting edges to cooperate with shearing edges of said guard fingers; a plurality of hold-down members; each of said hold-down members having a rear mounting section mounted at the cutter bar; each of said hold-down members including at least one forwardly extending hold-down element for engaging an upper surface of a blade section as it passes the hold-down element to hold down the blade sections onto the ledger surfaces of the guard fingers; each of the rear plate portions having at least one fastener hole cooperating with a mating hole in the sickle bar and receiving through the plate portion and the sickle bar a threaded mounting fastener which can be tightened to clamp the rear plate portion to the sickle bar and can be loosened to release the rear plate position to slide relative to the sickle bar; said at least one fastener hole being connected to an associated slot extending rearwardly in the rear plate portion from said at least one fastener hole to a rear edge of the rear plate portion to allow the rear plate portion to slide forwardly from the sickle bar.