Rocker arm

The knives in a cutter bar cutting system can be powered in different ways. ESM oscillating cutting systems are equipped with a guide arm with rocker arm or a hinged knife guide. The type of knife guide chosen depends on the cutting system design and its applications. The knife guide by spring-loaded rocker arm, as used for example in the “municipal” cutter bar and “double knife cutting units”, provides for quick and easy blade changes. This is a great advantage particularly for professional applications, since the maintenance intervals are short and mowing interruptions can be prevented. For replacement the knives are removed to the front. This mechanism is easy to use and facilitates the work that must be performed on the cutting system. Another advantage of this design is the guarantee of an optimum blade guide, which is a basic requirement for achieving good cutting results. In order for the swing arm to optimally transmit the mower drive force to the mower knives, a number of further measures must be adhered to. The mower knives should be straight, sharp and well ground. The individual blades must also always be properly aligned. A further prerequisite for good cutting performance that the rocker arm is not bent. Such bending of the rocker arm can not always to be prevented, since the entire cutting system is exposed to strong and enduring strain during mowing. The cutting system is properly adjusted when the lower edge of the knife back is about 1 mm higher than the bottom edge of the bar back. Regular monitoring of the cutting system with rocker arm is recommended to ensure optimum cutting and harvesting performance. Thus it makes sense to check the rocker arm while performing general maintenance. In addition to the intactness of the rocker arm, ensure that the guide arm pressure is set correctly. It is possible to adjust the pressure by moving the arm in the holder. It is always advisable to consult the respective ESM operating instructions for any questions regarding maintenance and adjustment of the cutting system with rocker arm.