Patent ID: 8695316

Claim:
A cutter bed for a rotary mower used to sever standing crop as the cutter bed advances through a field, the cutter bed comprising a plurality of rotatable cutters having knives extending from opposing ends of the cutters, wherein each cutter is ninety degrees out of phase with respect to its adjacent cutters such that the circular paths of travel of the knives of adjacent cutters overlap one another, and wherein adjacent cutters rotate in opposite directions, each cutter comprising: a generally elliptical knife carrier; a pair of knives at opposites ends of the knife carrier, wherein a portion of each knife extends beyond the respective end of the knife carrier to expose a cutting surface to sever the standing crop; an attachment device rotatably connecting each knife to the knife carrier; and a fixed stop restricting rotational movement of the knives with respect to the knife carrier about the attachment device, wherein the fixed stop comprises a clip having a body portion configured to fit adjacent to and attach with an underside of the knife carrier and downward extending flanges at each end, a respective one of said downward extending flange abutting an inward surface of its respective knife to impede rotational movement of said knife, wherein the fixed stop is a shearing member configured to fail before the attachment device when at least one of the knives strikes a non-standing crop object during cutting operations such that the fixed stop fails and permits rotational movement of at least one of the knives with respect to the knife carrier about the attachment device.