Reciprocating cutting bar
Patent Information
- Application Number
- AU2025258027
- Authority / Receiving Office
- AU · AU
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-04-15
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-08
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
The invention relates to a cutter bar, in particular for an agricultural harvester, wherein the cutter bar comprises a finger bar, a mower finger assembly, and a fastening assembly with a clamping bolt. The mower finger assembly includes a fastening portion by means of which the mower finger assembly is fastened to the finger bar, wherein a fastening slot is formed in the fastening portion, the fastening slot being open towards an end face of the fastening portion and extending in a mounting direction. The mower finger assembly is slid onto the clamping bolt with the fastening slot in the mounting direction, transversely to a longitudinal axis of the clamping bolt, such that the clamping bolt extends through the fastening slot of the fastening portion, and wherein the fastening portion and the fastening assembly are fastened to the finger bar by means of the clamping bolt. Cutter bars of this type are used in finger bar mowers on harvesters. The mower finger assembly is designed to cooperate with an oscillating or reciprocating mowing knife to effect cutting. For this purpose, the mower finger assembly guides the mowing knife and forms counter cutting edges for the knife blades arranged on the mowing knife. The finger bar typically accommodates several mower finger assemblies, each with one or more mower fingers. The mower finger assemblies may be manufactured as drop-forged parts or castings and essentially comprise a sturdy lower mower finger element that is bolted to the finger bar at its rear end, a tapered, forward-facing finger tip, and a finger lip or upper mower finger element that extends backward from the finger tip and forms a blade gap with the lower mower finger element, within which the mowing knife is guided in a back-and-forth motion. The side flanks of the mower finger, specifically both the lower mower finger element and the upper mower finger element, form the counter cutting edge for the mowing knife in the area of the mowing knife. However, the mower finger assembly may also be made of sheet metal parts, such as a lower mower finger element and an upper mower finger element, each of which is made of sheet metal. A mowing knife typically comprises a knife bar to which several knife blades, usually triangular in shape, are attached. During the cutting process, the crop material is pressed against the mower fingers by the back-and-forth motion of the mowing knife and is cut. For mounting the mower finger assemblies, these usually comprise one or more fastening portions having fastening bores. The finger bar is also equipped with fastening bores, so that the mower finger assemblies can be secured to the finger bar with screws. To remove the mower finger assemblies, the screws must be completely removed from the fastening bores. When operating the finger bar mower, it may be necessary to replace individual mower finger assemblies or knife blades due to wear or damage. To minimize the harvesters’ downtime as much as possible, it is desirable to be able to quickly disassemble and reassemble individual mower finger assemblies in order to replace them or to gain access to the knife blade that needs to be replaced. For this purpose, U.S. Patent 3,525,203 A proposes a mower finger assembly of the type mentioned above, in which a fastening slot is formed in the fastening portion of the mower finger assembly, extending from a rear end face, which, when the mower finger assembly is mounted on the finger bar, accommodates the clamping bolt. The clamping bolt is a screw secured to the finger bar with a nut and is used to tighten the fastening portion to the finger bar. In this case, the fastening portion is secured below the finger bar, with the screw head being held downwards by gravity, so that the fastening portion can be slid, by way of its fastening slot, onto the screw shank between the finger bar and the screw head. A groove extending transversely to a mounting direction is formed in the finger bar, into which a correspondingly configured rib on the mower finger assembly engages in the mounted state. These form-fitting elements, on the one hand, those of the finger bar, and on the other hand, those of the mower finger assembly, are designed to prevent the mower finger assembly from becoming unintentionally disengaged. By loosening the clamping bolt, the rib of the mower finger assembly can first be removed from the groove, and then the mower finger assembly can be detached from the finger bar in the direction of disassembly without having to remove the clamping bolt. To install the mower finger assembly, it can be slid onto the clamping bolt in the direction of the fastening slot. This eliminates the need for the time consuming process of completely removing the fastening screws, thereby speeding up the process of replacing the mower finger assemblies. However, one drawback is that, for this type of form-fitting element, the finger bar must be specially equipped with a groove, which means that existing mowers cannot be retrofitted with mower finger assemblies that have a fastening slot. EP 0 473 893 A1 describes a cutting unit with flat, even mulching fingers, a reciprocating mowing knife with knife blades, and a spring-loaded blade presser for agricultural mowers, particularly for harvesting forage and grass. The blade pressers and the mulching fingers are attached to a finger bar using mounting screws inserted into fastening bores. The objective of the present invention is to provide a cutter bar that ensures safer and easier installation and removal of the mower finger assembly from or onto the finger bar and enables the retrofitting of existing systems. The object is achieved by a cutter bar, in particular for an agricultural harvester, wherein the cutter bar comprises a finger bar, a mower finger assembly, and a fastening assembly with a clamping bolt. The mower finger assembly includes a fastening portion by means of which the mower finger assembly is fastened to the finger bar, wherein a fastening slot is formed in the fastening portion, the fastening slot being open towards an end face of the fastening portion and extending in a mounting direction. The mower finger assembly is slid onto the clamping bolt with the fastening slot in the mounting direction, transversely to a longitudinal axis of the clamping bolt, such that the clamping bolt extends through the fastening slot of the fastening portion, and wherein the fastening portion and the fastening assembly are fastened to the finger bar by means of the clamping bolt. The fastening portion of the mower finger assembly and the fastening assembly comprise form-fitting elements that are in engagement with one another. Since the form-fitting elements are effective between the mower finger assembly, on the one hand, and the fastening assembly, on the other hand, the finger bar does not need to have any special configuration when the mower finger assembly with a fastening slot is used. This makes it easy to retrofit conventional cutter bars. Mower finger assemblies with fastening holes, in which the fastening screws must be completely removed for installation and removal, can be easily replaced with mower finger assemblies featuring fastening slots and fastening assemblies without the need to modify the finger bar. The mower finger assembly can be slid onto the finger bar in a mounting direction, wherein the fastening slot extends in the mounting direction to the end face of the fastening portion and completely penetrates the fastening portion in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the clamping bolt. The fastening slot is slid onto the clamping bolt transversely to its longitudinal axis in the mounting direction, until the clamping bolt passes through the fastening slot in the fastening portion. The fastening portion and the fastening assembly are then clamped to the finger bar using the clamping bolt. The form-fitting elements may, for example, comprise a combination of a recess and a projection that are arranged opposite each other parallel to a longitudinal axis of the clamping bolt. When tensioned or mounted, the projection engages with the projection in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and thus perpendicular to the mounting direction of the mower finger assembly. Thus, the form-fitting elements secure the mower finger assembly, in addition to the force-fit clamping effect provided by the clamping bolt, against being pulled off the finger bar in a direction opposite to the mounting direction. Alternatively, the form-fitting elements may also comprise a combination of an edge of the fastening assembly and a projection of the mower finger assembly, wherein the projection of the mower finger assembly engages behind the edge of the fastening assembly. This results in an overlap between the projection and the fastening assembly when viewed against the mounting direction of the mower finger assembly. In this way, too, the form-fitting elements secure the mower finger assembly, in addition to the force-fit clamping effect provided by the clamping bolt, against being pulled off the finger bar in a direction opposite to the mounting direction. According to an exemplary embodiment, the fastening assembly comprises a bracket via which the fastening portion of the mower finger assembly is clamped against the finger bar by means of the clamping bolt, at least indirectly, that is, either directly or indirectly. The form-fitting elements can be attached to the bracket or incorporated into it. To engage and disengage the form-fitting elements of the mower finger assembly and the bracket, the bracket may be designed to be movable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the clamping bolt or perpendicular to the mounting direction, and / or is elastic. The fastening portion may be clamped directly or indirectly between the bracket and the finger bar. In the case of indirect clamping on the finger bar, for example, a guide plate for guiding the mowing knife may be arranged between the fastening portion of the mower finger assembly and the finger bar. A receptacle may be formed between the bracket and the finger bar, receiving the fastening portion of the mower finger assembly. The receptacle is located between the bracket and the finger bar, wherein additional components or elements may be located between the receptacle and the bracket and / or between the receptacle and the finger bar. For example, the receptacle toward the finger bar may be limited by a guide plate that guides the mowing knife or by a base plate of the fastening assembly. Preferably, means are provided to maintain the bracket at a minimum distance from the finger bar, so that the receptacle remains open even when the fastening portion of the mower finger assembly has been removed from the finger bar, thereby allowing the fastening portion of the mower finger assembly to be inserted into the receptacle unhindered and without the bracket first having to be repositioned or adjusted. The bracket may include a retaining portion, with the receptacle located between the retaining portion and the finger bar. In this configuration, the bracket may have, laterally of the receptacle, a support portion which is supported against the finger bar without the fastening portion of the mower finger assembly being interposed. The support portion may be positioned at a shorter distance from the finger bar than the retaining portion. The clamping bolt passes through an opening, such as a bore, in the bracket and through an opening, such as a bore, in the finger bar, and is supported on opposite sides of the finger bar. The bracket can be mounted on the top or bottom vertical side of the finger bar. According to an embodiment, the mower finger assembly may include, in addition to the aforementioned fastening portion, a further fastening portion, wherein the further fastening portion is formed with a fastening slot that is open toward an end face of the further fastening portion. The fastening assembly comprises two clamping bolts, each of which passes through one of the fastening slots in the two fastening portions. The clamping bolts pass through an opening, such as a bore, in the bracket and through an opening, such as a bore, in the finger bar, and are supported on opposite sides of the finger bar. According to an embodiment, the mower finger assembly may include a fixing portion, wherein the fastening portion and the fixing portion are arranged on different sides of the finger bar and are fastened to the finger bar by means of a common clamping bolt. The clamping bolt passes through the fastening slot of the fastening portion and through the fastening slot of the fixing portion. The clamping bolt may be a screw that is axially supported on one side of the finger bar by a screw head and is supported against the finger bar on the opposite side by a nut. The screw can be secured to prevent it from rotating about its longitudinal axis in one of the fastening slots. This means the nut can be tightened on one side of the finger bar without having to use an additional tool to prevent the screw from turning. For this purpose, the screw may have a square cross-section in the axial section that fits into the fastening slot, and the fastening slot is designed to be compatible with this. The square-shaped profile of the screw is thus supported against the walls of the fastening slot. Preferred embodiments are described in the following in detail by using the drawings. Herein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cutter bar, Figure 2 is a cross-section, viewed in the mounting direction, of a fastening as sembly as shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through a mower finger assembly and a fastening assembly as shown in Figure 1, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cutter bar, Figure 5 is a cross-section, viewed in the mounting direction, of a fastening as sembly as shown in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through a mower finger assembly and a fastening assembly as shown in Figure 4, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cutter bar, Figure 8 is a cross-section, viewed in the mounting direction, of a fastening as sembly as shown in Figure 7, Figure 9 is a longitudinal section through a mower finger assembly and a fastening assembly as shown in Figure 7, Figure 10 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cutter bar, Figure 11 is a cross-section, viewed in the mounting direction, of a fastening as sembly as shown in Figure 10, Figure 12 is a longitudinal section through a mower finger assembly and a fastening assembly as shown in Figure 10. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cutter bar 1 for an agricultural harvester, with a working direction A along a longitudinal axis X, in which the agricultural harvester, and thus the cutter bar 1, is moved. The cutter bar 1 has a principal direction of extension transverse to the longitudinal axis X, toward a transverse axis Y. The longitudinal axis X and the transverse axis Y are perpendicular to a vertical axis Z and together form a Cartesian coordinate system. The cutter bar 1 comprises a finger bar 2, which, in this embodiment, is designed as an L-shaped steel profile. Finger bar 2 may also have a different cross-sectional shape and be made of a different material. A plurality of mower finger assemblies 3, 4, 5 are attached to the finger bar 2, wherein in the illustration shown, one of the mower finger assemblies 3 is shown in a disassembled state, and the other two mower finger assemblies 4, 5 are shown in an assembled state. Since, in the illustrated embodiment, all mower finger assemblies 3, 4, 5 are identical, the following description, for the sake of simplicity, applies to all mower finger assemblies 3, 4, 5, the disassembled mower finger assembly 3 will be described in detail. The mower finger assembly 3 can be slid onto the finger bar 2 in a mounting direction M, which is parallel to the longitudinal axis X and opposite the working direction A, and secured to the finger bar 2 using a fastening assembly 6. When all mower finger assemblies 3, 4, 5 are installed, they serve to guide a mowing knife 7 and to interact with the mowing knife 7 during cutting. The mowing knife 7 is driven in an oscillating motion, that is, back and forth, along the transverse axis Y. To secure the mower finger assembly 3, it comprises a first fastening portion 8 and a second fastening portion 9. In principle, however, a single fastening portion or more than two fastening portions are also possible. The fastening portions 8, 9 are formed in an upper element 16 of the mower finger assembly 3, which is made of sheet metal. A first fastening slot 10 is formed in the first fastening portion 8, extending from a first end face 12, wherein the first end face 12, viewed in the working direction A, is located at the rear of the mower finger assembly 3. The first fastening slot runs parallel to the longitudinal axis X and extends completely through the first fastening portion 8 in the direction of the vertical axis Z. The second fastening portion 9, similar to the first fastening portion 8, has a second fastening slot 11 that extends from a second end face 13, wherein the second end face 13 is also located on a rear side of the mower finger assembly 3 with respect to the working direction A. The second fastening slot 11 also runs parallel to the longitudinal axis X and extends completely through the second fastening portion 9 in the direction of the vertical axis Z. The fastening assembly 6 includes a clamping bolt in the form of a first screw 14 and a further clamping bolt in the form of a second screw 15. To fit the mower finger assembly 3, it is slid onto the bolts 14, 15 in the mounting direction M with the fastening slots 10, 11 until the bolts 14, 15 are each positioned within one of the fastening slots 10, 11. In this case, the screws 14, 15 are aligned parallel to the vertical axis Z, so that the fastening portions 8, 9 are slid onto the screws 14, 15 radially. A first nut 17, screwed onto the first bolt 14, and a second nut 18, screwed onto the second bolt 15, are used to clamp the fastening portions 8, 9 against the finger bar 2. Mowing knife 7 has a knife back 19, which, in the illustrated embodiment, is formed by a flat steel strip and extends in the direction of the transverse axis Y. The knife back 19 may also be made from a component other than flat steel, such as any type of longitudinal profile. Along the transverse axis Y, a plurality of knife blades 20 are attached side by side to the knife back 19 in direction of the transverse axis Y. Each knife blade 20 extends forward in the working direction A, tapering to a point, and forms two lateral cutting edges 21, 22. These interact with the mower finger assemblies 3, 4, 5 to effect cutting. The mower finger assemblies 3, 4, 5 are designed as double fingers and each have two fingers 23, 24 that point forward in the working direction. In principle, it is also possible that there is only one finger or more than two fingers. The fingers 23, 24 are formed by the upper element 16, a middle element 25, and a lower element 26, each of which is made of sheet metal and is welded, glued, or otherwise joined to each other using known joining methods. The upper element 16 and the middle element 25 form counter-cutting edges 30, 31 for the knife blades 20. Two counter-cutting edges 30, 31 are formed on two opposite sides of the fingers 23, 24, with one of the countercutting edges 30 located on the middle element 25 and the other counter-cutting edge 31 located on the upper element 16. The cutting edges 21, 22 are each formed by an oblique bevel on the respective knife blade 20. The knife blades 20 are mounted alternately in the direction of the transverse axis Y such that a knife blade 20 with cutting edges 21, 22 on a lower side, in the direction of the vertical axis Z, alternates with a knife blade 20 with cutting edges 21, 22 on the upper side, in the direction of the vertical axis Z. The knife blades 20, with their cutting edges 21, 22 on the lower side, interact with the counter-cutting edge 30 on the middle elements 25 of the mower finger assemblies 3, 4, 5. The knife blades 20, with their cutting edges 21, 22 on the upper side, interact with the counter-cutting edges 31 on the upper element 16 of the mower finger assemblies 3, 4, 5. A fixing portion 27, which faces rearwards when viewed in working direction A, is arranged on the lower element 26 and has a third fastening slot 28 and a fourth fastening slot 29, both of which are also open at the rear. When viewed in the direction of the vertical axis Z, the third fastening slot 28 is aligned with the first fastening slot 10 of the first fastening portion 8. When viewed in the direction of the vertical axis Z, the fourth fastening slot 29 is aligned with the second fastening slot 11 of the second fastening portion 9. The third fastening slot 28 and the fourth fastening slot 29 each extend parallel to the longitudinal axis X and pass completely through the fixing portion 27 in the direction of the vertical axis Z. Thus, the mower finger assembly 3 can be mounted onto the first screw 14 and the second screw 15 in such a way such that the first screw 14 passes through both the first fastening slot 10 and the third fastening slot 28, and the second screw 15 passes through both the second fastening slot 11 and the fourth fastening slot 29. When assembled, the fixing portion 27 is located on a side of the finger bar 2 that faces away from the two fastening portions 8, 9. Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the fastening assembly 6 shown in Figure 1, with the mower finger assembly 3 installed in the mounting direction M, where the plane of the section is defined by the transverse axis Y and the vertical axis Z. The fastening assembly 6 comprises a bracket 32 and a base plate 33. The fastening portions 8, 9 of the mower finger assembly 3 are positioned between the bracket 32 and the base plate 33 and are clamped between them. The base plate 33 is supported or clamped against the finger bar 2 by a guide plate 34. The guide plate 34 is used to guide the mowing knife 7, as will be explained below. On a side of the finger bar 2 facing away from bracket 32, the fixing portion 27 of the mower finger assembly 3 is arranged in contact with the finger bar 2, against which an intermediate plate 35, in turn, rests. The intermediate plate 35 may also be part of a skid shoe (not shown), via which the cutter bar is supported so that it glides along the ground. The two screws 14, 15 have identical designs and are arranged identically with respect to the fastening portions 8, 9, so the following description of the first screw 14 and its mounting applies to both screws 14, 15. The first screw 14 has a screw head 36 that is axially supported against the intermediate plate 35 on a side facing away from the finger bar 2, in the direction of the longitudinal axis S of the first screw 14. The first screw 14 has a screw shank 42 that extends along the longitudinal axis S. The screw shank 42 passes through an opening 37 in the intermediate plate 35, through the third fastening slot 28 of the fixing portion 27 of the mower finger assembly 3, through an opening in the form of a bore 38 in the finger bar 2, through an opening in the form of a bore 39 in the guide plate 34, through a hole in the form of a bore 40 in the base plate 33, through the first fastening slot 10 of the first fastening portion 8, and through a hole in the form of a bore 41 in the bracket 32. The first nut 17 is screwed onto the free end of the screw shank 42 and clamps, on the one hand, the first fastening portion 8 indirectly via the base plate 33 and the guide plate 34 against the finger bar 2, as well as the fixing portion 27 against the finger bar 2 on a side of the finger bar 2 facing away from the bracket 32. In the area of the screw head 36, the screw shank 42 comprises an anti-rotation portion 45 with a non-circular, specifically square, cross-section (four-sided cross-section). This anti-rotation portion 45 rests against the sides of the third fastening slot 28 in such a way that the first screw 14 is secured against rotation about its longitudinal axis S of the first screw 14. This allows the first nut 17 to be screwed onto the screw shank 42 without having to separately secure the first screw 14 against rotation. In addition, the opening 37 in the intermediate plate 35 also has a cross-section that is complementary to the square cross-section of the anti-rotation portion 45. The screw 14 is therefore also secured against rotation relative to the intermediate plate 35. This ensures that the screw 14 is always in a rotational position that allows the fastening portion 8, and thus the fastening slot 10, to be slid onto the screw 14 in a direction radial to the screw shank 42. The bracket 32 has a central support portion 46 that is held in contact with and supported by the base plate 33. Starting from the central support portion 46, a first retaining portion 47 extends toward the first screw 14, and a second retaining portion 48 extends toward the second screw 15. Holes 41 for the screws 14, 15 are located in the retaining portions 47, 48. The retaining portions 47, 48 are arranged at an axial distance from the base plate 33 with respect to the vertical axis Z, such that a first receptacle 43 is formed between the first retaining portion 47 and the base plate 33, and a second receptacle 44 is formed between the second retaining portion 48 and the base plate 33. The first fastening portion 8 is inserted into the first receptacle 43. The second fastening portion 9 is inserted into the second receptacle 44. The support portion 46 is positioned laterally offset in the direction of the transverse axis Y relative to receptacles 43, 44. In the first fastening portion 8, there is a recess 49 in the form of a bore parallel to the vertical axis Z. In the first retaining portion 47 of the bracket 32, there is a projection 50 extending toward the recess 49, which is formed by an indentation in the first retaining portion 47. The projection 50 fits into the recess 49, so that the recess 49 and the projection 50 form form-fitting elements that engage with each other. Similarly, identical form-fitting elements are arranged in the second retaining portion 48 and in the second fastening portion 9. Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through the mower finger assembly 3 shown in Figure 1, in its assembled state, with the section plane passing through the form-fitting elements and defined by the longitudinal axis X and the vertical axis Z. It can be seen that the knife back 19 of the mowing knife 7, when viewed in the working direction A, is supported in a rearward direction against the guide plate 34. The knife blades 20 extend rearward beyond the knife back 19 and are supported and guided vertically downward against the guide plate 34. The bracket 32 has a hold-down portion 51 that protrudes forward over the knife blades 20, so that the knife blades 20 are positioned and guided between the guide plate 34 and the hold-down portion 51. Figures 4 through 6 show a second embodiment of a cutter bar 101 from various views, wherein components and features that correspond to components of the first embodiment are designated by reference numerals that are incremented by 100 and are described in connection with the first embodiment. The cutter bar 101 according to the second embodiment is largely identical to the cutter bar of the first embodiment, but differs with respect to the form-fitting elements on the mower finger assemblies 103, 104, 105. Unlike the first embodiment, the two fastening portions 108, 109 of the mower finger assembly 103 do not have a projection and a recess. Instead, the fastening portions 108, 109 each have a projection 150 in the form of a bead, which is arranged on the rear end face 112 of the first fastening portion 108, as will be explained below with reference to the first fastening portion 108 for both fastening portions 108, 109. The first fastening portion 108, viewed in the working direction A, extends rearward beyond the base plate 133 with the projection 150 and engages behind an edge 149 of the base plate 133 in the direction of the vertical axis Z. When forces act on the mower finger assembly 130 opposite the mounting direction, the projection 150, which is shaped like a bead, abuts against the edge 149 of the base plate 133, thereby providing a positive fit. Figures 7 through 9 show a third embodiment of a cutter bar 201 from various views, wherein components and features that correspond to components of the first embodiment are designated by reference numerals that are incremented by 200 and are described in connection with the first embodiment. The cutter bar 201 according to the third embodiment is largely identical to the cutter bar of the first embodiment but differs with respect to the mower finger assemblies 203, 204, 205. Unlike in the first two embodiments, the mower finger assemblies 203, 204, 205 are not made of sheet metal with an upper element, middle element, and lower element connected to one another, particularly by welding, but are instead formed as forged or cast parts. The mower finger assemblies 203, 204, 205 are described below using the disassembled mower finger assembly 203 as an example. The mower finger assembly 203 is attached to the finger bar 202 solely via the first fastening portion 208 and the second fastening portion 209. In this case, the two fastening portions 208, 209 are not arranged above the finger bar 202 in the direction of the vertical axis Z, as in the first two embodiments, but rather vertically below it. The mower finger assembly 203 does not have a fixing portion like the first two embodiments. The fingers 223, 224 of the mower finger assembly 203 each form a guide slot 252, 253 that is open at the rear when viewed in the working direction A. The guide slots 252, 253 are used to guide the knife blades 220 and also form the counter-cutting edges 230, 231. As can be seen in Figure 8, the first fastening portion 208 is located between the bracket 232, which is also arranged vertically below the finger bar 202, and the finger bar 202. On the opposite side of the finger bar 202, the guide plate 234 and the base plate 233 are positioned and clamped against the finger bar 202. The form-fitting elements correspond to those of the first embodiment, with a projection 250 in the form of an indentation in the bracket 232 and a recess 249 in the form of a through-hole in the first fastening portion 208. The fastening using the second screw 215 is constructed in the same way. As can be seen in Figure 8, a hold-down plate 216 is formed on the base plate 233 and has an arched shape and a free end which restricts any vertical upward movement of the knife blades 220 in the direction of the vertical axis Z. Figures 10 through 12 show a fourth embodiment of a cutter bar from various views, wherein components and features that correspond to components of the first embodiment are designated by reference numerals that are incremented by 300 and are described in connection with the first embodiment. The cutter bar 301 according to the fourth embodiment is largely identical to the cutter bar of the third embodiment, but differs with respect to the form-fitting elements on the mower finger assemblies 303, 304, 305. Unlike the third embodiment, the two fastening portions 308, 309 of the mower finger assembly 303 do not have a projection and a recess. Instead, similar to the second embodiment, the fastening portions 308, 309 each have a projection 350 in the form of a bead, which is arranged on the rear end face 312 of the first fastening portion 308, as will be explained below with reference to the first fastening portion 308 for both fastening portions 308, 309. The first fastening portion 308, viewed in the working di rection A, extends rearward beyond the bracket 332 with the projection 350 and engages behind an edge 349 of the bracket 332 in the direction of the vertical axis Z. When forces act on the mower finger assembly 303 opposite the mounting direction M, the projection 350, which is shaped like a bead, abuts against the edge 349 of the 5 bracket 332, thereby providing a positive fit. List of reference signs 1 , 101 , 201 , 301 Cutter bar 2 , 102 , 202 , 302 Finger bar 3 , 103 , 203 , 303 Mower finger assembly 4 , 104 , 204 , 304 Mower finger assembly 5 , 105 , 205 , 305 Mower finger assembly 6 , 106 , 206 , 306 Fastening assembly 7 , 107 , 207 , 307 Mowing knife 8 , 108 , 208 , 308 First fastening portion 9 , 109 , 209 , 309 Second fastening portion 10 , 110 , 210 , 310 First fastening slot 11 , 111 , 211 , 311 Second fastening slot 12 , 112 , 212 , 312 First end face 13 , 113 , 213 , 313 Second end face 14 , 114 , 214 , 314 First screw (clamping bolt) 15 , 115 , 215 , 315 Second screw (clamping bolt) 16, 116 Upper element 17 , 117 , 217 , 317 First nut 18 , 118 , 218 , 318 Second nut 19 , 119 , 219 , 319 Knife back 20 , 120 , 220 , 320 Knife blade 21 , 121 , 221 , 321 Cutting edge 22 , 122 , 222 , 322 Cutting edge 23 , 123 , 223 , 323 Finger 24 , 124 , 224 , 324 Finger 25, 125 Middle element 26, 126 Lower element 27, 127 Fixing portion 28, 128 Third fastening slot 29, 129 Fourth fastening slot 30 , 130 , 230 , 330 Counter cutting edge 31 , 131 , 231 , 331 Counter cutting edge 32 , 132 , 232 , 332 Bracket 33 , 133 , 233 , 333 Base plate 34 , 134 , 234 , 334 Guide plate 35 , 135 , 235 , 335 Intermediate plate 36 , 136 , 236 , 336 Screw head 37, 137 Bore 38 , 138 , 238 , 338 Bore 39 , 139 , 239 , 329 Bore 40 , 140 , 240 , 340 Bore 41 , 141 , 241 , 341 Bore 42 , 142 , 242 , 342 Screw shank 43 , 143 , 243 , 343 First receptacle 44 , 144 , 244 , 344 Second receptacle 45 , 145 , 245 , 345 Anti-rotation portion 46 , 146 , 246 , 346 Support portion 47 , 147 , 247 , 347 First retaining portion 48 , 148 , 248 , 348 Second retaining portion 49 , 149 , 249 , 349 Recess / Edge 50 , 150 , 250 , 350 Projection 51 , 151 , 251 , 351 Hold-down portion 252 Guide slot 253 Guide slot 349 Edge 352 Guide slot 353 Guide slot A Working direction M Mounting direction S Longitudinal axis of the screw X Longitudinal axis Y Transverse axis Z Vertical axis
Claims
1. A cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) comprising:a finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302),a mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105, 203, 204, 205, 303, 304, 305) comprising a fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308) by means of which the mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105, 203, 204, 205, 303, 304, 305) is fastened to the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302), wherein a fastening slot (10, 110, 210, 310) is formed in the fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308), the fastening slot being open towards an end face (12, 112, 212, 312) of the fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308) and extending in a mounting direction (M), anda fastening assembly (6, 106, 206, 306) comprising a clamping bolt (14, 114, 214, 314), wherein the mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105, 203, 204, 205, 303, 304, 305) is slid onto the clamping bolt (14, 114, 214, 314) with the fastening slot (10, 110, 210, 310) in the mounting direction (M), transversely to a longitudinal axis of the clamping bolt (14, 114, 214, 314), such that the clamping bolt (14, 114, 214, 314) extends through the fastening slot (10, 110, 210, 310) of the fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308), and wherein the fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308) and the fastening assembly (6, 106, 206, 306) are fastened to the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302) by means of the clamping bolt (14, 114, 214, 314), characterized inthat the fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308) of the mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105, 203, 204, 205, 303, 304, 305) and the fastening assembly (6, 106, 206, 306) comprise form-fitting elements (49, 50, 149, 150, 249, 250, 349, 350) that are in engagement with one another.
2. The cutter bar (1, 201) according to claim 1, characterized inthat the form-fitting elements comprise a combination of a recess (49, 249) and a projection (50, 250), which are arranged opposite one another parallel to a longitudinal axis (S) of the clamping bolt (14, 214).
3. The cutter bar (101, 301) according to claim 1, characterized inthat the form-fitting elements comprise a combination of an edge (149, 349) of the fastening assembly (106, 306) and a projection (150, 350) of the mower finger assembly (103, 104, 105, 303, 304, 305), wherein the projection (150, 350) of the mower finger assembly (103, 104, 105, 303, 304, 305) engages behind the edge (149, 349) of the fastening assembly (106, 306).
4. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized inthat the fastening assembly (6, 106, 206, 306) comprises a bracket (32, 132, 232, 332) via which the fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308) of the mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105, 203, 204, 205, 303, 304, 305) is clamped, at least indirectly, against the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302) by means of the clamping bolt (14, 114, 214, 314).
5. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to claim 4, characterized inthat the bracket (32, 132, 232, 332) is designed to be movable parallel to a longitudinal axis (S) of the clamping bolt (14, 114, 214, 314) and / or is elastic.
6. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized inthat the fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308) is clamped, at least indirectly, between the bracket (32, 132, 232, 332) and the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302).
7. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized inthat a receptacle (43, 143, 243, 343) is formed between the bracket (32, 132, 232, 332) and the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302), into which the fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308) of the mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105, 203, 204, 205, 303, 304, 305) is received.
8. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to claim 7, characterized inthat the bracket (32, 132, 232, 332) has a retaining portion (47, 147, 247, 347), wherein the receptacle (43, 143, 243, 343) is arranged between the retaining portion (47, 147, 247, 347) and the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302).
9. The cutter bar (1, 101) according to claim 8,characterized inthat the bracket (32, 132) has, laterally of the receptacle (43, 143, 243, 343), a support portion (46, 146) which is supported, at least indirectly, against the finger bar (2, 102) without the fastening portion (8, 108) of the mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105) being interposed.
10. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized inthat the clamping bolt (14, 114, 214, 314) extends through an opening in the bracket (32, 132, 232, 332) and through an opening in the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302) and is supported on opposite sides of the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302).
11. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to claim 10, characterized inthat the mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105, 203, 204, 205, 303, 304, 305) comprises, in addition to the said fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308), a further fastening portion (9, 109, 209, 309),that a fastening slot (11, 111, 211, 311) is formed in the further fastening portion (9, 109, 209, 309), the fastening slot being open towards an end face of the further fastening portion (9, 109, 209, 309),that the fastening assembly (6, 106, 206, 306) comprises two clamping bolts (14, 114, 214, 314; 15, 115, 215, 315), each of which extends through one of the fastening slots (10, 110, 210, 310; 11, 111, 211, 311) of the two fastening portions (8, 9, 108, 109, 208, 209, 308, 309), andthat the clamping bolts (14, 114, 214, 314; 15, 115, 215, 315) each extend through an opening in the bracket (32, 132, 232, 332) and through an opening in the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302), and are each supported on opposite sides of the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302).
12. The cutter bar (1, 101) according to one of claims 1 to 11,characterized inthat the mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105) comprises a fixing portion (27, 127),that the fastening portion (8, 108) and the fixing portion (27, 127) are arranged on different sides of the finger bar (2, 102) and are fastened to the finger bar (2, 102) by means of a common clamping bolt (14, 114), andthat the clamping bolt (14, 114) extends through the fastening slot (10; 110) of the fastening portion (8, 108) and through the fastening slot (28; 128) of the fixing portion (27, 127).
13. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized inthat the clamping bolt is a screw (14, 114, 214, 314) which is axially supported on one side of the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302) by means of a screw head (36, 136, 236, 336) and is supported against the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302) on an opposite side of the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302) by means of a nut (17, 117, 217, 317).
14. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to claim 13, characterized inthat the screw (14, 114, 214, 314) is secured in one of the fastening slots against rotation about a longitudinal axis (S) of the screw (14, 114, 214, 314).
15. The cutter bar (1, 101, 201, 301) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized inthat the fastening portion (8, 108, 208, 308) of the mower finger assembly (3, 4, 5, 103, 104, 105, 203, 204, 205, 303, 304, 305) is clamped indirectly against the finger bar (2, 102, 202, 302) via a guide plate (34, 134, 234, 334) for guiding the mowing knife (7, 107, 207, 307).