WO2024008415A1

WO2024008415A1 - Mowing device for a carrier vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2024008415A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/066231
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hans Wepfer
Original assignee: Wepfer Technics Ag
Priority date: 2022-07-06
Filing date: 2023-06-16
Publication date: 2024-01-11
Also published as: CH719870A2; WO2024008414A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a mowing device (1) comprising a coupling element (3) for arranging on a carrier vehicle coupling, a holding device (5) which is designed to be pivotal about a first axis (A1) relative to the coupling element, a cutter bar (6) which is arranged on the holding device (5), and an actuator (4) which is connected to the coupling element and to the holding device, wherein the holding device and the cutter bar are designed and arranged such that the weight (F1) thereof exerts a torque about the first axis (A1), and the actuator (4) is designed to exert a first counter torque which counteracts said torque.

Description

Mowing device for a carrier vehicle

Technical area

The invention relates to a mowing device for attachment to a carrier vehicle coupling.

State of the art

Mowing devices, in particular mowers, cutter bars, cutter bar systems or rotary mowers, of the type according to the invention for cutting crops are known in agricultural technology as attachments for tractors or as part of self-propelled harvesters.

They are mounted in front of a tractor, behind a tractor or on the side of a tractor. In the known mowing device, the individual knife blades are firmly arranged on a knife bar. Mowers known from DE19541898A1 or DE2626073A1 have fixed fingers against which a rail equipped with knives works in a back and forth motion. The edges of the fingers serve as counter-cutters for the knife blades resting on the fingers. A knife holder arranged on the top of the mowing device prevents the knife blades from moving upwards. The knife blades, together with the knife rod, form a knife unit which is connected at one of its free ends to a drive rod of the crank mechanism.

Slightly modified from this principle, DE2004891 B shows a mowing device with upper and lower knives running against each other, which are attached to corresponding knife belts and thus each form an endless chain. Still other mowing devices have rotating blades, so-called rotary mowers, such as those shown in EP1348324B 1.

Mowing devices known from the prior art have the disadvantage that they have two separate actuators and/or suspensions for a raising and lowering function on the one hand and for a relief function on the other. In particular, one aspect of the relief function is the spatial adaptability of the mowing device In the state of the art, uneven terrain is always realized in a translational manner. This, for example, in such a way that two pins of the mowing device can be moved in two respectively assigned vertical links, which gives the mowing device three degrees of freedom, ie a rolling movement, a pitching movement and a vertical translation relative to the tractor are possible. Such a suspension is subject to wear and error and, together with the separate raising and lowering function, results in a heavy and complex overall system.

Presentation of the invention

The object of the invention is to create a mowing device belonging to the technical field mentioned at the outset, which at least partially eliminates the problems mentioned.

The solution to the problem is defined by the features of claim 1. According to the invention, the mowing device has: (a) a coupling element for arrangement on a carrier vehicle coupling, (b) a holding device which is designed to be pivotable about a first axis relative to the coupling element, (c) a knife bar which is arranged on the holding device and (d) an actuator which is connected to the coupling element and the holding device, wherein the holding device and the knife bar are designed and arranged such that a weight force emanating from them exerts a moment about the first axis and the actuator is designed to do so to exert a first counter-torque that counteracts the moment.

The mowing device is suitable for carrier vehicles such as tractors, tractors, combine harvesters, ATVs and the like, whereby the mowing device can be arranged on a front coupling or a rear coupling of the carrier vehicle. This makes the mowing device suitable as a front attachment, rear attachment or side attachment.

An advantage of the invention results from the simple construction, for which fewer components are required and which can serve several purposes at the same time.

In particular, the moment is formed by a common center of mass of the holding device and the knife bar, from which the weight acts with a lever to the first axis. In the case of a front-mounted implement, this lever is in front of the first axle in the direction of travel. In a preferred embodiment, it works Actuator behind the first axis on the holding device, ie it achieves a pulling force via a lever around the first axis. This creates a counter-torque about the first axis, which counteracts the aforementioned weight force moment.

In some embodiments, the actuator is designed to exert a first counter torque controlled in such a way that the holding device and the knife bar can be pivoted about the first axis as part of a raising and lowering function and can therefore be raised and lowered from a floor in a defined manner.

A raising and lowering function is a standard function on such work machines and is required, for example, for road trips or when the carrier vehicle with the mowing device crosses terrain where mowing is not intended.

In some embodiments, the actuator is designed to exert a first counter-torque controlled in such a way that the holding device and the knife bar can be held in a floating position as part of a relief function.

On the one hand, a relief function ensures that the entire weight of the mowing device (or the holding device plus the knife bar) does not rest on the ground. For example, the cutter bar can be lifted by hand, although this would require around half a ton of weight without the relief function. On the other hand, the relief function ensures that the cutter bar adapts to uneven terrain. The relief function therefore realizes a floating position that allows such degrees of freedom for the holder that relative poses caused by unevenness can be established between the carrier vehicle and the holding device or knife bar. The relief function allows not only relative pitching movements of the holding device (with respect to the carrier vehicle in the direction of travel), but also rolling movements. The relief function is implemented in particular in such a way that a defined force or torque level is maintained on the actuator. This level ensures a constant torque that acts on the holding device in relation to the first axis and thus counteracts the weight of the holding device and the knife bar.

In some embodiments, the actuator has a hydraulic system with a first pressure accumulator. An exemplary alternative to hydraulics that can also be used is an electric motor. In particular, the raising and lowering function and the Relief function provided by means of the first pressure accumulator. This means that the hydraulic pressure required for these functions comes solely from a single, appropriately sized pressure accumulator.

In some embodiments, the hydraulic system has a second pressure accumulator, wherein the raising and lowering function is provided by means of the first pressure accumulator and the unloading function is provided by means of the second pressure accumulator.

In some embodiments, a control valve of the hydraulic system is designed as part of the relief function to maintain a quantity of oil in a hydraulic cylinder of the hydraulic system. In particular, a hydraulic cylinder is filled with oil by the control valve and the amount of oil there, which is necessary to relieve the load on the mowing device, is maintained by an appropriate control.

In some embodiments, a control valve of the hydraulic system is designed as part of the raising and lowering function to increase and decrease an oil quantity or an oil pressure in a hydraulic cylinder of the hydraulic system.

In some embodiments, the knife bar has a double knife cutting system, the double knife cutting system comprising an upper cutting knife and a lower cutting knife, which are designed to be movable relative to one another.

In some embodiments, the knife bar has at least one cutting actuator on its side, which is designed to drive the double knife cutting system.

In some embodiments, the cutting actuator includes a cutting motor and a crankshaft gear. This cutting motor can be operated hydraulically, in which case a hydraulic connection to an oil pump is provided, the oil pump receiving electrical energy from the carrier vehicle. The cutting motor can also be an electrically operated motor, in which case only an electrical supply from the carrier vehicle is provided.

In some embodiments, the mowing device has a relief spring, the holding device being connected to the carrier vehicle coupling via the relief spring is, and wherein the relief spring is biased such that it exerts a second counter-torque that counteracts the moment.

In some embodiments, the knife bar has two sliding shoes which are arranged on the outer side edges of the knife bar on the underside of the knife bar. In particular, the sliding shoes serve to support the gravitational force remaining on the mowing device (or the holding device and the knife bar) after activation of the relief function. At the same time, the sliding shoes ensure in particular that the desired or set cutting height is achieved.

In some embodiments, the holding device has a first component and a second component, the first component being rotatable about the first axis on the coupling element and connected to the actuator, the knife bar being arranged on the second component, and the second component being connected by a Suspension is mounted on the first component.

In some embodiments, the second component is rotatably mounted relative to the first component by the suspension about a roll axis running parallel to a direction of travel of the carrier vehicle.

In some embodiments, the suspension includes at least one of: a spring, a damper, a ball joint, and a universal joint.

In particular, the knife bar is arranged to be pivotable about a second axis relative to the holding device, the first axis and the second axis being aligned parallel to one another. However, this pivoting ability around the second axis is hardly used in normal operation because pivoting is only permitted in one direction by providing a corresponding stop. However, this permitted swing out is inhibited by the weight acting on the holding device and knife bar, similar to an outstretched knee. The permitted swing out now occurs in particular when the cutter bar hits an obstacle. The force that thereby acts on the knife or the knife bar creates an eccentric leverage force or a torque about the second axis.

In particular, the mowing device has a trigger unit which is designed to initiate a pivoting movement (ie in particular a swing out as a result of a collision against an obstacle, so) to detect the knife bar relative to the holding device and, in response to a detected pivoting movement, to cause the actuator to pivot the holding device about the first axis, thereby (ie by the pivoting movement of the knife bar and the active pivoting of the knife bar triggered thereby). Holding device) an obstacle avoidance function of the knife bar is provided. The active pivoting of the holding device about the first axis is to be understood as a rotational elevation. This deflection and the deflection caused by the swinging out of the cutter bar cause a distance between the carrier vehicle and the knife edge of the cutter bar to be reduced and thus counteract the travel speed of the carrier vehicle. In particular, a speed of this distance reduction is higher than the travel speed of the carrier vehicle, so that the cutter bar is moved horizontally against the direction of travel away from the obstacle and is raised vertically in order to ultimately overcome the obstacle in an arc-shaped trajectory, so to speak "jump over" it.

The trigger unit can include an optical, acoustic or tactile measurement sensor. This measuring sensor can be arranged at various points on the pivoting mechanism, e.g. on the second axis or on the measuring beam aligned with an element of the holding device or on the holder aligned with an element of the measuring beam. In particular, the trigger unit or the measuring sensor can be arranged on a toggle lever element. Such an optional knee lever will be discussed below.

The triggering unit is in particular connected to the actuator by cable or wirelessly, so that an electrical signal can be transmitted using a corresponding circuit, which instructs the actuator to trigger or effect a pivoting of the holding device in the event of a detected pivoting of the knife bar.

In some embodiments, the raising and lowering function, the unloading function and the obstacle avoidance function are provided by means of the first pressure accumulator. This means that the hydraulic pressure required for all of these functions comes solely from a single, appropriately sized pressure accumulator.

In other embodiments, however, the hydraulic system has a second pressure accumulator, with the raising and lowering function and the relief function being provided by means of the first pressure accumulator and the obstacle avoidance function is provided by means of the second pressure accumulator. Other constellations or assignments of the pressure accumulators as well as the provision of more than two pressure accumulators are also possible. An advantage of this allocation of two or more separate pressure accumulators is that they can be designed specifically according to their function or adapted to their function.

In particular, the raising and lowering function is effected by a comparatively slow increase or decrease in the pressure in the hydraulic cylinder and the obstacle avoidance function by a comparatively rapid increase in the pressure in the hydraulic cylinder.

In particular, the pivoting of the holding device about the first axis as part of the obstacle avoidance function increases the pivoting movement of the knife bar about the second axis. In other words, the pivotability of the knife bar about the second axis and the pivotability of the holding device about the first axis are designed such that the pivoting of the holding device about the first axis as part of the obstacle avoidance function increases the pivoting movement of the knife bar about the second axis.

This increase in the swing out of the knife bar (and thus an improvement in the avoidance of the obstacle due to the mechanism described above) is achieved in particular by the "top-heavyness" of the knife bar, because it still has at least the cutting actuator on the side, which is hydraulic or electrical is operated and is comparatively heavy. The second axis is arranged in such a way that the majority of the knife bar mass has a strong leverage effect. A rapid rotational lifting of the holding device also causes the knife bar to buckle or swing out relative to the holding device.

In particular, the first axis and the second axis are designed parallel to the knife bar. In other words, these two axes, like the cutter bar, run essentially transversely, in particular at right angles, to the direction of travel, i.e. in particular to travel straight ahead.

In particular, the mowing device further has (a) a first toggle lever element which is mounted on the holding device, (b) a second toggle lever element which is mounted on the knife bar, the first toggle lever element and the second toggle lever element being one Form toggle levers, and (c) a return spring connected to the first toggle lever element and the holding device. In particular, the swung-out knife bar, especially as part of the obstacle avoidance function, is brought back into its starting position by the spring when the obstacle no longer hits the knife edge, ie when the obstacle has been overcome. In addition to the return spring, a damper can also be provided which avoids a stop jerk when the knife bar is reset. The swinging out of the knife bar is induced by an obstacle against which the knife edge or the knife bar hits.

This impact force acts in particular directly on the second toggle lever element (e.g. a connecting rod), which is rotatably mounted eccentrically to the second axis on the knife bar. The second toggle lever element transmits the impact force to the first toggle lever element, relative to which the second toggle lever element is also rotatably mounted. Since the first toggle lever element is rotatably mounted elsewhere on the holding device, the impact force causes the first toggle lever element to rotate. During this rotation, the return spring is loaded with a tensile force because the suspension points of the return spring move away from each other as a result of the rotation. The reset when the obstacle is removed is now carried out by the tensile force of the return spring in turn exerting a lever force on the first toggle lever element, which pushes back the second toggle lever element. This pushing back is passed on to the knife bar, which therefore rotates back around the second axis. This reset occurs until a stop is reached. In particular, the stop can be formed on the holding device, with the first toggle lever element abutting against the stop when the desired basic position is reached.

A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a mowing device which has a coupling element which is designed for arrangement on a carrier vehicle coupling. The mowing device also has an actuator and a holding device, which is designed to be pivotable about a first axis relative to the coupling element by the actuator. Furthermore, the mowing device has a knife bar which is designed to be pivotable about a second axis relative to the holding device, the first axis and the second axis being parallel to the knife bar. The mowing device also has a trigger unit which is designed to To detect swinging out of the knife bar relative to the holding device and, in response to a detected swinging out, to instruct the actuator to pivot the holding device, wherein the pivoting of the holding device by the actuator additionally reinforces the swinging out of the knife bar.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a mowing device that has a coupling element that is designed for attachment to a carrier vehicle coupling. The mowing device also has an actuator and a holding device, which is designed to be pivotable about a first axis relative to the coupling element by the actuator, with a first toggle lever element being mounted on the holding device. Furthermore, the mowing device has a knife bar which is designed to be pivotable about a second axis relative to the holding device, the first axis and the second axis being parallel to the knife bar, and a second toggle lever element being mounted on the knife bar, which forms a toggle lever with the first toggle lever element forms. The mowing device also has a triggering unit which is designed to detect a swing out of the cutter bar relative to the holding device and, in response to a detected swing out, instruct the actuator to pivot the holding device.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a mowing device that has a fastening device for fastening to a work machine, in particular a vehicle. The mowing device further has a holding device and an actuator, which is designed to pivot the holding device about a first axis relative to the fastening device. In addition, the mowing device has a cutting device, which is mounted on the holding device so that it can rotate about a second axis. The fastening device can also be understood as a coupling element. Fastening can also be understood as arranging. The work machine can also be understood as a carrier vehicle. The cutting device can also be understood as a knife bar.

It is expressly pointed out that the further aspects of the present disclosure described above can be combined in any technically sensible manner with any features or embodiments described herein. Brief description of the drawings

Further advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description and drawings.

1 shows a schematic overview of an embodiment of the mowing device according to the invention,

2 shows a more detailed three-dimensional view of the hydraulic system with the first pressure accumulator and the second pressure accumulator,

Fig. 3-5 show the timing of the obstacle avoidance function used.

6 and 7 show sketches of two states of an embodiment of the mowing device according to the invention, which uses the raising and lowering function; and

8 and 9 show sketches of two states of an embodiment of the mowing device according to the invention, which uses the relief function.

Ways of carrying out the invention

Figure 1 shows a schematic overview of an embodiment 1 of the mowing device according to the invention. The mowing device 1 is arranged on the coupling 3 of a carrier vehicle 15, in particular a tractor, via a coupling element 2. The clutch 3 can be designed, for example, as a three-point power lift.

The holding device 5 is mounted on the coupling element 2 so that it can pivot about the first axis A1. In the case shown, the actuator 4 comprises a hydraulic system with a hydraulic cylinder 16, a hydraulic valve 17, a first pressure accumulator 8 and a second pressure accumulator 9. The hydraulic system is designed and designed to lift the holding device 5 together with the knife bar 6, with a pivoting about the first axis A1 he follows. The pivotability of the holding device 5 ensured by the actuator 4 achieves a raising and lowering function of the holding device as well as a relief function of the lowered holding device 5. In the lowered state as shown here, the holding device 5 rests on the floor via the sliding shoes 21. However, the entire weight of the mowing device 1 does not rest on these sliding shoes (or not half the weight, because the mowing device 1 is mounted on the tractor at the other end), but the weight force is actively counteracted by the actuator 4, so that only a small amount of weight rests on the ground. This allows the mowing device 1 to better adapt to unevenness in the field. The raising and lowering function is used to raise the mowing device 1 when, for example, the tractor is not mowing but is being driven, as well as lowering the mowing device 1 when mowing is to begin. In the exemplary embodiment shown, an obstacle avoidance function is also achieved, which will be discussed in detail later.

In addition to the relief function, lateral rotation is also provided by the suspension 18, which the person skilled in the art can carry out in any way, for example with a spring-damper system. This means that the necessary degrees of freedom of the measuring beam 6 are given relative to the tractor and this can also hug the side of uneven terrain. For this ground or terrain adaptation, the first component of the holding device is mounted on the coupling element 2 so that it can rotate about the axis A1. Furthermore, one end of the hydraulic cylinder 16 is rotatably mounted on the first component. The other end of the hydraulic cylinder 16 is rotatably mounted on the coupling element 2. The hydraulic cylinder 16 thus acts on the first component with a lever about the axis A 1 and can thus pivot it. The second component of the holding device (everything below the suspension 18) is connected to the first component via the suspension 18. The suspension 18 allows the second component to rotate or pivot about the axis A4 relative to the first component. This rotatability can be achieved using a ball or cardan joint. Furthermore, a spring and/or a damper can be provided, for example to make the rolling movements of the second component gentler and to simplify springback into a basic position.

The triggering unit 7 is arranged on the holding device 5 and monitors a swinging out of the knife bar 6. The triggering unit 7 is connected to the hydraulic valve 17 via a contact line 19 and gives instructions to it if a swinging out of the knife bar 6 has been detected. For example, a sensor of the trigger unit 7 rests on the first toggle lever element 10 as shown here and triggers when contact is lost or when a change in distance is detected. The triggering means that the hydraulic cylinder 16 pivots the holding device 5 upwards.

The first toggle lever element 10 is part of the toggle lever 12, which also includes the connecting rod as the second toggle lever element 11. This toggle lever 12 determines how the knife bar 6 can swing out or swing out relative to the holding device 5. This swinging out occurs particularly initially when approaching an obstacle H.

The travel speed of the tractor 15 creates a shock force on the cutter bar 6, which acts eccentrically to the second axis A2 (namely on the cutting edge 23) and therefore causes a torque on the cutter bar. The impact force is passed on to the second toggle lever element 11, whereby this causes the first toggle lever element 10 to rotate about the third axis A3.

This rotation of the first toggle lever element 10 in turn causes the return spring 13 to expand and tension, because it is attached elsewhere to the first toggle lever element 10 and to the holding device 5. The tension of the return spring 13 causes the knife bar 6 to later return to its position Basic position is withdrawn.

With the reference numbers from Figure 1, the individual components can also be identified in the 3D views of Figures 3, 4 and 5.

Figure 2 shows again a more detailed three-dimensional view of the hydraulic system with the first pressure accumulator 8 and the second pressure accumulator 9. The hydraulic cylinder 16 is supplied with oil pressure from the valve 17, which receives it from the pressure accumulators 8, 9 via hoses 20. A contraction of the cylinder 16 causes the holding device 5 to be pivoted upwards via the lever 22. The raising and lowering function, the unloading function and the obstacle avoidance function can each be realized using either one or both accumulators.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 again show the timing of the obstacle avoidance function used. 3 shows the normal travel of the tractor 15 with the mowing device 1, for example over a field for cutting grass. The tractor steers towards an obstacle H, e.g. a brick lying face down in the pasture.

In Figure 4, the collision of the knife bar 6 or the cutting edge 23 has already taken place, the knife bar 6 has already swung out relative to the holding device 5 and the holding device 5 has already been actively pivoted upwards. Two things happen through this mechanism: On the one hand, the obstacle H is overcome vertically by lifting the knife bar 6. On the other hand, the knife bar becomes something retracted, ie against the direction of travel, so that the obstacle H can also be avoided horizontally and the cutter bar 6 does not “get stuck” there. This creates an overall curve-like evasive movement and damage to the knife bar 6 can be prevented.

Figure 5 shows the holding device 5 in its highest phase as part of the obstacle avoidance function. The knife bar 6 has already been returned to its starting position by the return spring 13 and the obstacle H has already been overcome. As part of the obstacle avoidance function, it can optionally also be provided that the holding device 5 is now lowered again leisurely, i.e. in a damped manner. For this purpose, the oil pressure in the hydraulic cylinder can be reduced in a defined manner until the level at which the holding device 5 is relieved as part of the relief function has been reached again.

Advantageously, for at least two of the raising and lowering functions, the relief function and the obstacle avoidance function can be carried out with one and the same actuator. In particular, one and the same pressure accumulator can be used for this. However, it can also have advantages to dedicate a separate pressure accumulator to at least one of the functions, which is designed specifically for the requirements.

Figure 6 shows an outline sketch of an embodiment of the mowing device 1 according to the invention. In the state shown there, the weight of the holding device and the knife bar, which are collectively assigned the reference number 24 here, causes a first lever force F1, which acts at the center of mass M of the system 24 and generates a moment about the axis A1 with the first lever H1. The actuator 4 must counteract this moment. It does this by contracting the hydraulic cylinder shown here, with a second lever force F2 acting at the force application point K generating a counter-torque about the axis A1 with the second lever H2.

Figure 7 shows an elevation of the system 24, which was achieved as part of the raising and lowering function in that the counter-torque caused by the force F2 (see Figure 6) is greater than the moment caused by the force F1. Lowering takes place accordingly by activating the actuator 4 to lower the oil pressure or reduce the amount of oil so that the force F2 becomes smaller. Figure 8 shows an outline sketch of an embodiment of the mowing device 1 according to the invention, in which the relief function is currently deactivated. This means that the weight force acting at the center of mass M of the system 24 (consisting of holding device 5 and knife bar 6, see Figure 1) is divided between the sliding shoes 21 and the support points 25 and 26 at the connection between coupling element 2 and coupling 3 (and thus ultimately via the coupling 3 to the carrier vehicle 15). However, the forces acting on the sliding shoes 21 are too great for mowing operations - in the event of a bump, the cutter bar has a harder time sliding due to the inertia and therefore risks getting stuck, especially on soft ground. Therefore, a so-called floating position is necessary.

Figure 9 shows the mowing device 1 from Figure 8 in the floating position S. It can be seen that the system 24 has not been raised. But the weight acting on the sliding shoes 21 is significantly reduced. By controlled contraction of the hydraulic cylinder of the actuator 4, the coupling element 2 now absorbs correspondingly higher forces and thus relieves the system 24, in particular the cutter bar.

For example, certain embodiments of the mowing device 1 may weigh approximately 500 kilograms. In the floating position, however, you can easily manually lift the mowing device on the knife bar, which then only has a load of around 20 kilograms. This allows the cutter bar to adapt more easily and quickly to the terrain, i.e. especially slopes in the direction of travel.

With this relief function, smooth pitching movements of the mowing device are made possible, which, in conjunction with the rolling movements made possible by the suspension 18, offer ideal ground adaptation.

Although the invention has been explained in terms of its preferred embodiment(s), many other changes and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims cover changes and variations included within the true scope of the invention. Reference symbol list

Claims

Patent claims

1. Mowing device (1) comprising: a coupling element (2) for arranging on a carrier vehicle coupling (3), a holding device (5), which is designed to be pivotable about a first axis (A1) relative to the coupling element (2), a knife bar (6 ), which is arranged on the holding device (5) and an actuator (4) which is connected to the coupling element (2) and the holding device (5), the holding device (5) and the knife bar (6) being designed and arranged in this way are that a weight force emanating from them exerts a moment about the first axis (A1) and the actuator (4) is designed to exert a first counter-torque that counteracts the moment.

2. Mowing device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator (4) is designed to exert a controlled first counter torque in such a way that the holding device (5) and the knife bar (6) move about the first axis (A1.) as part of a raising and lowering function ) can be pivoted and can therefore be raised and lowered from a floor in a defined manner.

3. Mowing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator (4) is designed to exert a first counter-torque controlled in such a way that the holding device (5) and the knife bar (6) are in a floating position (p ) are durable.

4. Mowing device (1) according to claims 2 and 3, wherein the actuator (4) has a hydraulic system with a first pressure accumulator (8).

5. Mowing device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the hydraulic system has a second pressure accumulator (9), and wherein the raising and lowering function is provided by means of the first pressure accumulator (8) and the relief function is provided by means of the second pressure accumulator (9).

6. Mowing device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a control valve of the hydraulic system is designed as part of the relief function to maintain a quantity of oil in a hydraulic cylinder of the hydraulic system.

7. Mowing device (1) according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein a control valve of the hydraulic system is designed as part of the raising and lowering function to increase and decrease an oil quantity or an oil pressure in a hydraulic cylinder of the hydraulic system.

8. Mowing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the knife bar (6) has a double knife cutting system (14), the double knife cutting system (14) comprising an upper cutting knife and a lower cutting knife, which are designed to be movable relative to one another .

9. Mowing device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the knife bar has at least one cutting actuator on its side, which is designed to drive the double knife cutting system.

10. Mowing device (1) according to claim 9, wherein the cutting actuator has a cutting motor and a crankshaft gear.

1 1. Mowing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a relief spring, wherein the holding device (5) is connected to the carrier vehicle clutch via the relief spring, and wherein the relief spring is biased such that it exerts a second counter-torque counteracting the moment.

12. Mowing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the knife bar has two sliding shoes which are arranged on the outer side edges of the knife bar on the underside of the knife bar.

13. Mowing device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding device (5) has a first component and a second component, the first component being rotatable about the first axis (A1) on the coupling element (2) and with the actuator (4 ) is connected, wherein the cutter bar (6) is arranged on the second component, and wherein the second component is mounted on the first component by a suspension (18).

14. Mowing device (1) according to claim 13, wherein the second component through the

Suspension (18) is rotatably mounted relative to the first component about a roll axis (A4) running parallel to a direction of travel of the carrier vehicle.

15. Mowing device (1) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the suspension (18) comprises at least one of: a spring, a damper, a ball joint, and a cardan joint.