Patent ID: 8006469
Filing Date: 2011-08-30
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. A crop harvesting header comprising: a header frame arranged to be transported across ground on which there is a standing crop for harvesting; a cutter bar mounted on the header frame across a width of the header for movement across the ground for harvesting the standing crop; a plurality of generally horizontal cutter disks mounted on the cutter bar at positions spaced transversely of the header with the disks being mounted on the cutter bar for driven rotation about respective generally upright axes spaced along the cutter bar; each disk having mounted thereon at a position spaced outwardly from the respective axis thereof at least one cutter blade such that rotation of the disk about the axis causes a standing crop to be cut by the blade as the blade rotates around the axis on the disk; the header frame defining a discharge opening through which the cut crop is discharged for forming a swath behind the header; in front of the discharge opening there being located a plurality of the cutter disks; the plurality of the cutter disks in front of the discharge opening including a first end disk located such that a first imaginary line extending forwardly from a first end of the discharge opening intersects the first end disk and a second end disk located such that a second imaginary line forwardly from a second end of the discharge opening intersects the second end disk; the first end disk and the second end disk being arranged to rotate in respective directions so that a front of each of the first and second cutter disks moves outwardly of the respective end of the discharge opening; a first one of the plurality of disks, which is mounted outwardly of the first end of the discharge opening, forming a first pair with the first end disk so as to rotate in a direction opposite thereto such that at least some of the crop tends to be swept into a first zone between the first pair of disks and to pass through that zone; a second one of the plurality of disks, which is mounted outwardly of the second end of the discharge opening, forming a second pair with the second end disk so as to rotate in a direction opposite thereto such that at least some of the crop tends to be swept into a second zone between the second pair of disks and to pass through that zone; a first crop converging structure located behind the first zone and tending to move the crop inwardly toward the discharge opening; a second crop converging structure located behind the second zone and tending to move the crop inwardly toward the discharge opening; wherein the first end disk is arranged with the axis of rotation of the first end disk outward of the first imaginary line and the second end disk is arranged with the axis of rotation of the second end disk outward of the second imaginary line.