Patent ID: 8789351
Filing Date: 2014-07-29
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. A harvesting header operable to harvest crop, said harvesting header comprising: a header frame; a flexible cutterbar assembly mounted to the header frame to extend lengthwise in a lateral direction relative to the normal direction of travel of the header; a plurality of laterally spaced apart support arms being attached to and cooperatively supporting the flexible cutterbar assembly, each of said support arms being pivotally coupled to the frame for swinging movement about a laterally extending axis so that the flexible cutterbar assembly is operable to flex along the length thereof in response to changes in terrain as the header is advanced; a draper assembly supported on the header frame behind the cutterbar assembly to flex therewith, said draper assembly including a pair of side drapers configured to receive severed crop materials from the cutterbar assembly and convey the materials laterally, said side drapers presenting opposite laterally outermost margins of the draper assembly, with an outermost one of the support arms being located adjacent each of the end margins; a pair of end crop dividers, each being mounted adjacent a respective one of the outermost support arms, said side drapers each including a flexible endless draper belt presenting laterally endmost margins, one of which defines the corresponding outermost margin of the draper assembly, said outermost support arms being positioned laterally outside of the endmost margins of the draper belts, said cutterbar assembly including a split sickle assembly to present a pair of side sickle portions; and a pair of cutterbar drives supported on the outermost support each being operable to provide driving power to a respective one of the side sickle portions, each of said crop dividers being in a covering relationship with the respective cutterbar drive, each of said cutterbar drives including a drive shaft and a forward gearbox drivingly connected between the drive shaft and the respective side sickle portion, said forward gearbox being supported on the respective outermost support arm adjacent the cutterbar assembly so that the forward gearbox shifts with the flexible cutterbar assembly.