Patent ID: 7805919

Claim:
An epicyclic drive of a sickle comprising: a first input element supported on a housing for rotation about a first central rotational axis therethrough; a second input element supported on the housing for rotation about a second central rotational axis therethrough a first pinion gear supported in connection with the first input element for rotation relative thereto about a first eccentric axis offset from and parallel to the first central rotational axis; a second pinion gear supported in connection with the second input element for rotation relative thereto about a second eccentric axis offset from and parallel to the second central rotational axis; a first ring gear supported on the housing concentric with the first input element and enmeshed with the first pinion gear such that rotation of the first input element about the first central rotational axis will cause the first pinion gear to rotate around the first ring gear about the first central rotational axis and simultaneously rotate about the first eccentric axis; a second ring gear supported on the housing concentric with the second input element and enmeshed with the second pinion gear such that rotation of the second input element about the second central rotational axis will cause the second pinion gear to rotate around the second ring gear about the second central rotational axis and simultaneously rotate about the second eccentric axis; a first eccentric element fixedly connected to the first pinion gear so as to be rotated thereby about the first ring gear and the first central rotational axis when the first input element is rotated; a second eccentric element fixedly connected to the second pinion gear so as to be rotated thereby about the second ring gear and the second central rotational axis when the second input element is rotated; a first knife head bearing supported on and extending around the first eccentric element; a second knife head bearing supported on and extending around the second eccentric element; a first knife head assembly connected to a first sickle knife assembly, the first knife head assembly supported on and extending around the first knife head bearing and configured and restrained for sideward movement only, so as to transfer only sidewardly directed components of rotations of the eccentric element to the sickle knife assembly; a second knife head assembly connected to a second sickle knife assembly, the second knife head assembly supported on and extending around the second knife head bearing and configured and restrained for sideward movement only, so as to transfer only sidewardly directed components of rotations of the second eccentric element to the second sickle knife assembly; and the first and second knife head assemblies each including a sidewardly extending arm portion, wherein the arm portions of the knife head assemblies extend from opposite directions toward the center of the drive.