Combine harvester with secondary cutter

Abstract

A conventional header of a combine is modified by the addition of a second sickle knife positioned rearwardly of the pan of the header. The second sickle knife is mounted on a bar which is connected to a pair of arms extending under the pan to a forward end pivotally mounted just behind the conventional sickle knife of the header. The arms and the second sickle knife can thus pivot upwardly and downwardly and are mounted on suspension springs carried on the frame of the header. A simple drive from the conventional shaft of the header is connected through a belt to a drive wobble box carried on the second sickle knife at a position partway along its length.

I claim:  
     
       1. A combine harvester comprising a combine body mounted on ground wheels for transportation across the ground, a header at a forward end of the combine body for cutting a standing crop, a feeder housing for supporting the header and for transporting cut crop from the header to the combine body, a first cutter knife across the forward edge of the header and having a length substantially equal to the width of the header for cutting the crop at a position spaced from the ground and along the length of the crop stem leaving a stand crop stem, transport means for transporting the cut crop along the header to the feeder housing, a second cutter knife means having a length substantially equal to that of the first cutter knife and means mounting the second cutter knife means on the header at a position rearwardly of and downwardly of the first cutter knife for cutting the standing crop stem, the second cutter knife means being arranged such that the portion of crop stem cut thereby is released to the ground without engaging the transport means, said mounting means including a plurality of support arms each having a forward end pivotally mounted on the header with the second cutter knife means being mounted at a rearward end of the support arms such that the second cutter knife means is movable vertically by pivotal movement of the forward end of the support arms about a horizontal axis on the header and suspension means providing spring suspension of the second cutter knife means from the header. 
     
     
       2. The combine harvester according to claim  1  wherein the second cutter knife means is arranged rearwardly of the transport means. 
     
     
       3. The combine harvester according to claim  1  wherein the header includes bottom surface means and wherein the second cutter knife means is arranged rearwardly of the bottom surface means. 
     
     
       4. The combine harvester according to claim  1  wherein the header includes a frame having a main top beam and frame elements extending downwardly therefrom and wherein the suspension means is attached to the frame. 
     
     
       5. The combine harvester according to claim  4  wherein the header includes bottom surface means projecting forwardly from the frame to the first cutter knife and wherein the second cutter knife means is arranged rearwardly of the bottom surface means. 
     
     
       6. The combine harvester according to claim  5  wherein the second cutter knife means includes support means received in an area rearwardly of the bottom surface means and wherein at least a portion thereof positioned above a bottom edge of the bottom surface means. 
     
     
       7. The combine harvester according to claim  1  wherein the forward end of the support arms is connected to the header at a position closely adjacent the first cutter knife. 
     
     
       8. The combine harvester according to claim  1  wherein the support arms are spaced along the length of the second cutter knife means and are spaced inwardly from ends of the second cutter knife means. 
     
     
       9. A combine harvester comprising a combine body mounted on ground wheels for transportation across the ground, a header at a forward end of the combine body for cutting a standing crop, a feeder housing for supporting the header and for transporting cut crop from the header to the combine body, a first cutter knife across the forward edge of the header and having a length substantially equal to the width of the header for cutting the crop at a position spaced from the ground and along the length of the crop stem leaving a stand crop stem, transport means for transporting the cut crop along the header to the feeder housing, a second cutter knife means having a length substantially equal to that of the first cutter knife and means mounting the second cutter knife means on the header at a position rearwardly of and downwardly of the first cutter knife for cutting the standing crop stem, the second cutter knife means being arranged such that the portion of crop stem cut thereby is released to the ground without engaging the transport means, said mounting means including a plurality of support arms each having a forward end pivotally mounted on the header with the second cutter knife means being mounted at a rearward end of the support arms such that the second cutter knife means is movable vertically by pivotal movement of the forward end of the support arms about a horizontal axis on the header and suspension means providing spring suspension of the second cutter knife means from the header, the suspension means including tension spring means extending between a frame of the header and the support arms for providing upward spring suspension on the second cutter knife means in a vertical floating movement. 
     
     
       10. The combine harvester according to claim  9  including flexible tether means connected between support arms and the frame of the header for limiting downward movement of the support arms. 
     
     
       11. A combine harvester comprising a combine body mounted on ground wheels for transportation across the ground, a header at a forward end of the combine body for cutting a standing crop, a feeder housing for supporting the header and for transporting cut crop from the header to the combine body, a first cutter knife across the forward edge of the header and having a length substantially equal to the width of the header for cutting the crop at a position spaced from the ground and along the length of the crop stem leaving a stand crop stem, transport means for transporting the cut crop along the header to the feeder housing, a second cutter knife means having a length substantially equal to that of the first cutter knife, means mounting the second cutter knife means on the header at a position rearwardly of and downwardly of the first cutter knife for cutting the standing crop stem, the second cutter knife means being arranged such that the portion of crop stem cut thereby is released to the ground without engaging the transport means, the header including a frame having a main top beam and frame elements extending downwardly therefrom and drive means for driving the second cutter knife means including a pulley mounted on a horizontal shaft of the header rearwardly of the frame and means for communicating drive from the pulley to a knife drive wobble box. 
     
     
       12. The combine harvester according to claim  11  including a drive belt extending from the pulley to the knife drive wobble box, the drive belt being mounted in a plane generally at right angles to the length of the second cutter knife means and including idler pulley means movable to accommodate changes in distance between the pulley and the knife drive wobble box caused by vertical movement of the second cutter knife means relative to the frame. 
     
     
       13. The combine harvester according to claim  12  wherein the belt and knife drive wobble box are arranged at a position spaced inwardly from one end of the second cutter knife means. 
     
     
       14. A combine harvester comprising: 
       
         a combine body mounted on ground wheels for transportation across the ground;  
       
       
         a header at a forward end of the combine body;  
       
       
         the header including a cropping device for removing an upper crop portion from a standing crop leaving a standing crop stem and transport means for transporting the upper crop portion along the header;  
       
       
         a feeder housing for supporting the header, for receiving the upper crop portion from the header and for transporting the upper crop portion from the header to the combine body;  
       
       
         cutter knife means having a length substantially equal to a width of the header;  
       
       
         and means mounting the cutter knife means on the header at a position rearwardly of the header and downwardly of a top of the standing crop stem for cutting the standing crop stem;  
       
       
         the cutter knife means being arranged such that a portion of the crop stem cut thereby is released to the ground without engaging the transport means;  
       
       
         said mounting means including a plurality of support arms each having a forward end pivotally mounted on the header with the cutter knife means being mounted at a rearward end of the support arms such that the cutter knife means is movable vertically by pivotal movement of the forward end of the support arms about a horizontal axis on the header. 
       
     
     
       15. The combine harvester according to claim  14  wherein the mounting means includes suspension means between the cutter knife means and the header allowing said vertical movement. 
     
     
       16. The combine harvester according to claim  15  wherein the suspension means includes spring means providing spring suspension of the cutter knife means from the header. 
     
     
       17. The combine harvester according to claim  14  wherein the cutter knife means is arranged rearwardly of the transport means. 
     
     
       18. The combine harvester according to claim  14  wherein the header includes bottom surface means and wherein the cutter knife means is arranged rearwardly of the bottom surface means. 
     
     
       19. The combine harvester according to claim  15  wherein the header includes a frame having a main top beam and frame elements extending downwardly therefrom and wherein the suspension means is attached to the frame. 
     
     
       20. The combine harvester according to claim  19  wherein the header includes bottom surface means projecting forwardly from the frame and wherein the cutter knife means is arranged rearwardly of the bottom surface means. 
     
     
       21. The combine harvester according to claim  20  wherein the cutter knife means includes support means received in an area rearwardly of the bottom surface means and wherein at least a portion thereof is positioned above a bottom edge of the bottom surface means. 
     
     
       22. The combine harvester according to claim  14  wherein the support arms are spaced along the length of the cutter knife means and are spaced inwardly from ends of the cutter knife means. 
     
     
       23. The combine harvester according to claim  15  wherein the suspension means includes means extending between a frame of the header and the support arms for providing upward spring suspension on the cutter knife means in a vertical floating movement. 
     
     
       24. The combine harvester according to claim  23  including flexible tether means connected between support arms and the frame of the header for limiting downward movement of the support arms. 
     
     
       25. A combine harvester comprising: 
       
         a combine body mounted on ground wheels for transportation across the ground;  
       
       
         a header at a forward end of the combine body;  
       
       
         the header including a cropping device for removing an upper crop portion from a standing crop leaving a standing crop stem and transport means for transporting the upper crop portion along the header;  
       
       
         a feeder housing for supporting the header, for receiving the upper crop portion from the header and for transporting the upper crop portion from the header to the combine body;  
       
       
         cutter knife means having a length substantially equal to a width of the header;  
       
       
         and means mounting the cutter knife means on the header at a position rearwardly of the header and downwardly of a top of the standing crop stem for cutting the standing crop stem;  
       
       
         the cutter knife means being arranged such that the portion of crop stem cut thereby is released to the ground without engaging the transport means;  
       
       
         the header further including a frame having a main top beam and frame elements extending downwardly therefrom and drive means for driving the cutter knife means including a pulley mounted on a horizontal shaft of the header rearwardly of the frame and means for communicating drive from the pulley to a knife drive wobble box. 
       
     
     
       26. The combine harvester according to claim  25  including a drive belt extending from the pulley to the knife drive wobble box, the drive belt being mounted in a plane generally at right angles to the length of the cutter knife means and including idler pulley means movable to accommodate changes in distance between the pulley and the knife drive wobble box caused by vertical movement of the cutter knife means relative to the frame. 
     
     
       27. The combine harvester according to claim  26  wherein the belt and knife drive wobble box are arranged at a position spaced inwardly from one end of the cutter knife means.