Patent ID: 8833047
Filing Date: 2014-09-16
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. A crop harvesting header for attachment to a mobile chassis comprising: a transverse cutter bar extending across the normal path of travel of the header and including a series of rotary cutters rotatable about individual upright axes; a pair of upright end panels at opposite ends of the cutter bar and projecting forwardly therefrom to define a crop-receiving space between the panels and ahead of the cutter bar; top panel structure overlying said crop-receiving space and extending between said end panels, said top panel structure including a leading, transverse edge for engaging standing crop materials as the header moves through a field and for leaning upper ends of the standing materials forwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the header as lower ends of the crop materials enter said crop-receiving space in preparation for severance by said cutter bar; crop conditioning mechanism behind said cutter bar for receiving and conditioning crop materials that have been severed from the ground by the cutter bar; and an upright rotary shear on at least one of said end panels, said rotary shear including a cutting rotor disposed within said crop-receiving space and rotatable about a transverse horizontal axis that is disposed rearwardly behind and below said leading edge of the top panel structure.