Patent ID: 7520118

Claim:
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; a first epicyclic drive supported and disposed below the upwardly facing surface of the floor at a first 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; a second knife assembly supported along a second portion of the elongate forward edge portion of the floor in generally end to end relation to the first knife assembly, so as to be longitudinally movable sidewardly relative to the forward edge portion for severing plants from a field as the header is moved forwardly thereover; a second epicyclic drive supported and disposed below the upwardly facing surface of the floor at the first location between the first and second edge portions and connected in driving relation to the second knife assembly and operable for reciprocatingly moving the second knife assembly longitudinally sidewardly relative to the forward edge portion of the floor; third and fourth knife assemblies supported in generally end to end relation along third and fourth portions of the elongate forward edge portion of the floor, respectively, for longitudinal movement sidewardly relative thereto for severing plants from a field as the header is moved forwardly thereover; and third and fourth epicyclic drives supported and disposed below the upwardly facing surface of the floor at a second location between the first and second side edge portions thereof and connected in driving relation to the third and fourth knife assemblies, respectively, and operable for reciprocatingly drivingly moving the third and fourth knife assemblies longitudinally sidewardly relative to the forward edge portion of the floor, wherein the epicyclic drives are configured to at least substantially cancel sideward forces generated by the reciprocating movements of the knife assemblies.