Forage harvester having detachable fan elements

Claim 1

A FORAGE HARVESTER CUTTER COMPRISING A ROTATABLE SHAFT, DISC MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY RELATIVE THERETO, AT LEAST TWO BRACKETS ON SAID DISC MEANS RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID SHAFT AND SPACED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE SHAFT, A THICK FLAT SUPPORT PLATE GENERALLY RECTANGULAR IN CROSS SECTION AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BRACKETS AND HAVING ENDS SUPPORTED THEREON, SAID SUPPORT PLATE PROJECTING GENERALLY TANGENTIALLY RELATIVE TO SAID DISC MEANS, A FLAT KNIFE MOUNTED ON ONE FLAT SIDE OF SAID SUPPORT PLATE AND COEXTENSIVE THEREWITH, MEANS CONNECTING SAID KNIFE TO SAID SUPPORT PLATE, SAID KNIFE HAVING A SECTION PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF SAID SUPPORT PLATE AND SAID SECTION HAVING A CUTTING EDGE, SAID SUPPORT PLATE HAVING AN END WALL ADJACENT AND KNIFE SECTION GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE KNIFE, SAID WALL BEING INWARDLY OF AND BEHIND SAID CUTTING EDGE RELATIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID SHAFT, A FAN ELEMENT MOUNTED ON THE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORT PLATE OPPOSITE SAID ONE SIDE AND HAVING A FRONT FACE ADJACENT AND GENERALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID END WALL, AND MEANS FOR DETACHABLY CONNECTING SAID FAN ELEMENT TO SAID SUPPORT PLATE WHEREBY WHEN SAID ELEMENT IS IN PLACE THE BLOWING ACTION OF SAID CUTTER IS INCREASED AND WHEN REMOVED SAID OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORT PLATE IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED.