US 12,408,588 B2
Cutting apparatus
Bart M. A. Missotten, Herent (BE); Pieter Van Overschelde, Sint-Andries (BE); Frederik Tallir, Esen (BE); Dré W. J. Jongmans, AG Klundert (NL); and Glenn Aesaert, Izegem (BE)
Assigned to CNH Industrial America LLC, New Holland, PA (US)
Filed by CNH Industrial America LLC, New Holland, PA (US)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/842,228.
Claims priority of application No. 21180161 (EP), filed on Jun. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0400611 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. A01D 34/83 (2006.01); A01D 34/13 (2006.01)
CPC A01D 34/833 (2013.01) [A01D 34/13 (2013.01); A01D 34/831 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cutting apparatus for a header of an agricultural harvester, the apparatus comprising:
a first wheel and a second wheel, each wheel having a drive surface;
a drive source configured to selectively drive the first wheel in one of a clockwise direction and an anticlockwise direction;
a knife carrier that comprises a loop having a running side and a knife-carrying side, and wherein the loop is tensioned around the first and second wheels so that the running side is engaged by the drive surfaces of the first and second wheels for transmitting torque from the drive source to rotate the wheels and the knife carrier;
a plurality of knives for cutting crop, the knives having two cutting blades and being mounted to the knife-carrying side of the knife carrier;
a sensor for monitoring operation of the knives; and
a controller that is operatively connected to the sensor and the drive source, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive, from the sensor, a signal relating to operation of the knives; and
determine, based on the received signal, a section of the knife carrier to spend more time on a return side of the cutting apparatus than on a cutting side of the cutting apparatus.