US 11,744,173 B2
Crop cutting knives for agricultural combine harvester
Mark Schuler, Geneseo, IL (US); and Shreyas Modak, Pune (IN)
Assigned to Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Sep. 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/14,468.
Application 17/014,468 is a continuation of application No. 15/997,149, filed on Jun. 4, 2018, granted, now 10,765,060.
Prior Publication US 2021/0161069 A1, Jun. 3, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A01D 34/14 (2006.01); A01D 34/04 (2006.01)
CPC A01D 34/14 (2013.01) [A01D 34/04 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cutting knife configured to be coupled to an agricultural combine harvester to cut crop plants from an agricultural field, the cutting knife comprising:
a base configured to be coupled to a head unit of the agricultural combine harvester; and
a blade including a blade central axis extending away from the base, the blade including a plurality of cutting teeth, each tooth of the plurality of teeth having a tip, the blade including an edge tangent to each tip on a first side of the blade, the edge obliquely oriented relative to the blade central axis, the plurality of cutting teeth including a first tooth, a second tooth consecutive with the first tooth, a third tooth consecutive with the second tooth, a fourth tooth consecutive with the third tooth, and a fifth tooth consecutive with the fourth tooth, the consecutive first, second, third, fourth, and fifth teeth positioned along the edge,
wherein a first distance separates the tips of a first adjacent pair of the consecutive first, second, third, fourth, and fifth teeth,
wherein a second distance less than the first distance separates the tips of a second adjacent pair of the consecutive first, second, third, fourth, and fifth teeth,
wherein a third distance substantially the same as the first distance separates the tips of a third adjacent pair of the consecutive first, second, third, fourth, and fifth teeth, and
wherein a fourth distance substantially the same as the second distance separates the tips of a fourth adjacent pair of the consecutive first, second, third, fourth, and fifth teeth.