Agricultural machine with a cutterbar driven by a generally vertical drive shaft

摘要

An agricultural machine such as a mower conditioner includes a cutterbar carried by a header that is suspended from a frame. The cutterbar has a plurality of individual cutting units with two end cutting units located adjacent opposed sides of the frame and intermediate cutting units disposed between the end cutting units. Each cutting unit consists of blades pivotally mounted on a rotor. A tongue adapted for connection to a tractor is pivotally connected to the frame intermediate the opposed sides thereof. Input drive shafts deliver power from a power-take-off shaft on the tractor to a generally vertical output drive shaft via a bevel gearbox. The generally vertical output dirve shaft is connected to one of the intermediate cutting units, and generally horizontal output drive shafts connect this one intermediate cutting unit to the other intermediate cutting units and to the end cutting units.