Abstract:
A crop harvesting header includes a compact arrangement of side-by-side mounted intake and mowing units, cross conveyors and deflection coveyors, which operate to efficiently deliver cut crop to a central outlet at the rear side of the header. Some of the compactness is attributable to a drive arrangement which makes it possible to mount the axes of rotation of certain cross conveyors respectively within the cylindrical envelopes described by the peripheries of the vertically spaced intake disks of the intake and mowing devices.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a header for harvesting crops having stalks, with several intake and mowing devices arranged laterally one next to the other for cutting and conveying the harvested crops, of which, on one side of the longitudinal center plane of the machine there is a first intake and mowing device and a second intake and mowing device arranged next to the first device at a greater distance from the longitudinal center plane of the machine than the first intake and mowing device, and with a deflection conveyor unit that has a rotational axis inclined slightly forward in order to bridge the vertical distance between the working plane of the intake and mowing devices and the plane of the intake channel of a harvesting machine and to introduce the harvested crops into the intake channel of a harvesting machine, wherein the first intake and mowing device can be driven such that it conveys the mown crops first inwards and then rearwards 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In DE 39 09 754 A, a harvesting device for introducing stalk fodder is described, for which four rotating cutting disks are arranged laterally one next to the other. The cut crops are received at their rear side by a cross auger. The cutting disks rotate, each in the same sense, on the two sides of the longitudinal center plane, wherein the crops are conveyed first outwards and then rearwards. WO 02/062128 A shows a machine with the same general configuration. 
   DE 199 53 521 A shows a cutting and conveying device for stalk crops, which has four cutting and conveying rotors arranged laterally one next to the other. The rotational sense of the cutting and conveying rotors is such that the crops are conveyed first inwards and then rearwards. At the rear side of the cutting and conveying rotors there is a cross auger, which conveys the harvested crops from the outer cutting and conveying rotors to the center of the machine, where they are conveyed rearwards into the field chopper through the center region of the cross auger together with the crops running in from the inner cutting and conveying rotors. 
   In EP 0 760 200 A, a machine for harvesting crops having stalks is disclosed, for which several intake and mowing drums are distributed over the working width. The crops are transported inwards to the rear side of the intake and mowing drums along the rear wall. On the two sides of the longitudinal center plane, the intake and mowing drums rotate in the same sense with the exception of the outer intake and mowing drums, so that the crops are conveyed first outwards and then rearwards. This rotational direction enables the use of cross auger drums in the wedge-shaped region of adjacent intake and mowing drums. The material is fed from the intake and mowing drums arranged farther to the outside through the cross auger drums to the inner intake and mowing drums. They feed this material, together with the crops harvested by the inner intake and mowing drums, to the diagonal conveyor drums, which convey the gathered crop material upwards and rearwards into the intake channel of the field chopper. 
   The intake and mowing drums of EP 1 008 291 A rotate with the same rotational sense as those of EP 0 760 200 A. The cross conveyance, however, behind the intake and mowing drums is created by a separate cross conveyor, which is separate from the intake and mowing drums. 
   In  FIGS. 10 and 11  of GB 2 012 154 A, a corn harvesting machine is shown, for which two receiving drums are arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal center plane. The outer receiving drums rotate outwards, while the inner receiving drums rotate inwards. At the rear side, the harvested crops are conveyed through a belt conveyor or a worm conveyor inwards to the center of the machine and then deflected rearwards into the intake channel of a chopper. 
   DE 102 22 310 A discloses a machine for harvesting corn, for which the inner intake and mowing drums turn inwards. They feed the crops to deflection conveyor units in the form of diagonal conveyor drums, which convey the crops upwards and rearwards into the intake channel of the harvesting machine. The crops from the outer intake and mowing drums rotating outwards are fed to the diagonal conveyor drums behind the last intake and mowing drums by a separate cross conveyor, because conveyance through the rear sides of the inner intake and mowing drums against the selected rotational direction is not possible. The cross conveyor can be located in front of or behind the cross conveyor channel. 
   The machine disclosed in EP 0 760 200 A, wherein the cross conveyor drums interact with the intake and mowing drums, has the advantage of a short construction, so that the field chopper carrying them must absorb only a relatively small torque. The machine proposed in DE 102 22 310 A also has a short construction. However, a few mowing drums for these machines rotate in the opposite sense, so that infeed problems occur in the infeed region between these mowing drums. The machines according to DE 39 09 754 A, DE 199 53 521 A, WO 02/062128 A, EP 1 008 291 A, and GB 2 012 154 A are significantly longer in the direction of motion due to the cross conveyor acting independently of the intake and mowing drums in the form of worm or band conveyors and place more stress on the field chopper. The construction according to EP 0 508 189 A is only suitable in a restrictive way for working widths like those achieved with the previously mentioned machines. 
   The invention is based on the problem of designing a compact crop harvester header for harvesting crops having stalks, for which the disadvantages mentioned above are present not at all or only to a small degree. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the present invention, there is provided an improved arrangement of a crop harvester header equipped with a plurality of intake and mowing drums 
   An object of the invention is to provide a crop harvesting header including first and second intake and mowing devices mounted in side-by-side relationship to each other at one side of a longitudinal center plane of the header, with both the first and second intake and mowing devices being driven so that cut crop is conveyed first inwards toward said center plane and then rearwards. 
   The invention relates to a harvesting header for mowing crops having stalks, for which at least one first intake and mowing device and one subsequent outer second intake and mowing device, which is offset outwards relative to the inner intake and mowing device, are arranged one next to the other to the side of a longitudinal center plane relative to the direction of travel. In the center of the machine behind the intake and mowing devices, there is a deflection conveyor unit, which has an approximately vertical, but slightly forwardly inclined rotational axis for overcoming the difference in height between the working plane of the intake and mowing devices and the plane of the intake channel of a self-propelled harvesting machine carrying the header. The deflection conveyor unit is preferably a diagonal conveyor drum, which is provided in particular with conveyor disks arranged one above the other with pushers distributed over their circumferences. A use of a conveyor equipped with tension means (chains or belts) as the deflection conveyor unit would also be conceivable. Relative to the worm conveyors frequently used in the prior art, this deflection conveyor has the advantage that it is smaller and lighter. The first intake and mowing device turns the harvesting operation first inwards and then rearwards. Therefore, two first intake and mowing devices arranged symmetrically in the center (on both sides of the longitudinal center plane) of a machine draw in the harvested crops between themselves, which is then especially advantageous when crop stalks run into this region. The second intake and mowing device rotates such that it conveys the crops first inwards and then rearwards, i.e., in the same sense as the first intake and mowing device. One advantage is that the rotational direction of all intake and mowing devices on one side of the machine is the same, so that infeed problems between oppositely rotating intake and mowing devices are eliminated. In addition, a large number of the same parts are used. 
   Due to the selected rotational direction of the first intake and mowing device like that disclosed in EP 0 508 189 A and EP 0 760 200 A, which makes more difficult a transport of the harvested crops through the rear region of the first intake and mowing device, a separate cross conveyor element is advantageous in order to convey the harvested crops from the second intake and mowing device inwards to the center of the machine, where they are then conveyed through the deflection conveyor unit into the intake channel of a harvesting machine carrying the machine. The cross conveyor element thus works independent of the first intake and mowing device and conveys the harvested crops from the second intake and mowing device independently through a cross conveyor channel, which is located in the direction of travel behind the first intake and mowing device, to the deflection conveyor unit. However, instead of the separate cross conveyor element, the harvested crops could also be input to the first intake and mowing device and allowed to circulate to its front side. It should be further mentioned that the cross conveyor element described in the following can also be used in machines, for which the intake and mowing devices have the rotational directions shown in DE 102 22 310 A. 
   In one advantageous embodiment, the cross conveyor element is arranged before the cross conveyor channel. The active conveyance of the harvested crops running from the second intake and mowing device is realized by elements, which are located at the front side of the cross conveyor channel relative to the direction of travel of the machine. In this way, a compact construction of the machine can be achieved. 
   The cross conveyor element could be a worm conveyor, a conveyor belt, or a chain conveyor provided with suitable pushers. However, due to the advantages of a simple and low-wear construction, a rotary conveyor with an arbitrary, suitable rotational axis is preferred. In one embodiment, the cross conveyor element could be a conveyor disk introduced into the cross conveyor channel from above or from below with a horizontal rotational axis oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel. One advantage of a conveyor disk relative to a worm conveyor is the defined feeding of the harvested crops to the subsequent conveyor. The rotational axis extends in a different embodiment parallel to the rotational axis of the first intake and mowing device. To achieve a compact construction, the rotational axis of the cross conveyor element can be arranged within the envelope of the first intake and mowing device. 
   At the rear side of the cross conveyor channel, an active cross conveyor element could likewise be attached in order to improve the crop conveyance. However, to be able to form the machine compactly, it is proposed to form the rear side of the cross conveyor channel by a rear wall, which is attached rigidly or spring mounted, but which is not driven. The rear wall allows a simple and secure conveyance of the harvested crops through the cross conveyor channel in interaction with the cross conveyor element. 
   The function of the cross conveyor element is to convey the harvested crops from the second intake and mowing device to the rear side of the first intake and mowing device, i.e., to bridge approximately the width of the first intake and mowing device. Therefore, it is advantageous to give the cross conveyor element a radius, which approximately matches the radius of the first intake and mowing device. However, the use of several smaller cross conveyor elements would also be conceivable. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the cross conveyor element is assembled from one or more coaxial conveyor disks, which are provided in a known way with grooves or recesses for receiving plant stalks. The conveyor disk(s) or any other conveyor elements of the cross conveyor element is, or are, located between coaxial conveyor disks of the intake and mowing device, which are also provided in a known way with grooves for receiving plant stalks. The rotational axis of the conveyor disks of the cross conveyor element is offset relative to the rotational axis of the conveyor disks of the intake and mowing device, as a rule, towards the rear in the direction of travel of the machine. The conveyor disks can be held by a suitable gear housing, which also contains the associated drive elements. The connection of the gear housing below and above the cross conveyor element can be realized by a connection element, which is located within a hollow shaft, which is used for driving the cross conveyor element. 
   As a rule, the first intake and mowing device is arranged directly next to the longitudinal center plane of the machine. Therefore, two first intake and mowing devices arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal center plane draw in the harvested crops, so that almost no crop conveyor problems appear here. However, it would also be conceivable to arrange another intake and mowing device with arbitrary rotational direction between the first intake and mowing device and the longitudinal center plane of the machine. The first intake and mowing device can be offset laterally arbitrarily far relative to the longitudinal center plane of the machine for certain embodiments, especially when the machine is built asymmetrically and/or has an uneven number of intake and mowing devices. 
   For increasing the working width, third intake and mowing devices can be provided at the side of the second intake and mowing devices, which are spaced even farther from the longitudinal center plane of the machine. It is also conceivable to use fourth, fifth, etc., intake and mowing devices. Due to the selected rotational direction of the second intake and mowing device, a separate conveyance of the harvested crops is advantageous at the rear side of the second intake and mowing device. A cross conveyor element can be used for this purpose, which is similar to the cross conveyor element at the rear side of the first intake and mowing device. In the wedge-shaped region between adjacent cross conveyor elements, a cross conveyor drum can be arranged, as described in EP 0 760 200 A. 
   The third intake and mowing devices arranged farthest to the outside preferably rotate such that they convey the crops initially inwards and then rearwards, which has the advantage that a conveyance of the harvested crops along its rear side is unnecessary, the crops reception in the region between the third and second intake and mowing devices is improved, and the construction of the machine is simplified. However, they could also rotate in the opposite sense to the first and second intake and mowing devices. If four or more intake and mowing devices are used, the construction of the third intake and mowing devices corresponds to the second intake and mowing devices. 
   As a rule, the deflection conveyance unit is also used for transport of the crops from the first intake and mowing device. It receives the crops preferably downstream of the reception area of the crops from the second intake and mowing device (as a rule, from the cross conveyor element), so that the two transition regions at the deflection conveyor unit are independent of each other. 
   The machine is preferably built symmetrically, i.e., there are two first and two second and optionally arbitrarily many other (two third, two fourth, etc.) intake and mowing devices on either side of the longitudinal center plane. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Six embodiments of the invention, which are described in more detail in the following, are shown in the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic top view showing the crop intake and mowing, and crop conveying drums of a crop harvesting header constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention for harvesting crops having stalks. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic top view of a crop harvesting header having an enlarged working width relative to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic top view of a crop harvesting header having an enlarged working width relative to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a vertical cross-section taken along line  4 - 4  through the header shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a modification of the header illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 6  is a modification of the header illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of a header having an even larger working width than any of the headers illustrated in the other views. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a crop harvesting header  10  for mowing crops having stalks, for example, corn. The header  10  has two inner or first intake and mowing devices  12 , and two outer or second intake and mowing devices  14 . The mowing devices  12  and  14  are arranged symmetrically to a longitudinal center plane  16  of the machine  10 , with the inner two mowing devices  12  being respectively located adjacent to opposite sides of the center plane  16  and with the outer two mowing devices  14  being respectively located on opposite sides of the two inner mowing devices  12  from the center plane  16 . The header  10  includes a chassis  18 . 
   In the following, directional terms, such as forward and rearward are referenced relative to a forward direction of travel V, while outer, inner, and lateral are referenced relative to the longitudinal center plane  16  of the machine  10 . 
   The intake and mowing devices  12 ,  14  are row independent and are assembled from a lower cutting disk, which rotates about an approximately vertical axis, and coaxial conveyor disks, which are arranged above this cutting disk, with the circumference of each conveyor disk being equipped with pocket-like recesses. The cutting disks separate the top parts of the crops being harvested, which can be, in particular, corn, from the stubble remaining at the bottom. The stalks of the harvested crops are received and held in the pocket-like recesses of the conveyor disks. Instead of all or a few of the illustrated rotating intake and mowing devices, intake and mowing devices, which are based on endless conveyors, can also be used. As a rule, crop dividers (not shown) are arranged ahead of the intake and mowing devices  12 ,  14 . During operation, the machine  10  is fixed at the intake channel of a self-propelled field chopper, which moves over a field to be harvested in the direction of travel V. 
   The rotational direction of the intake and mowing devices  12 ,  14  used in harvesting operation of the machine  10  are indicated by arrows. The first intake and mowing devices  12  rotate such that the chopped harvested crops are conveyed first inwards, in the direction towards the longitudinal center plane  16 , and then rearwards against the direction of travel V. Thus, crops running between the first intake and mowing devices  12  can be harvested without difficulty. 
   In the region of the first intake and mowing devices  12  adjacent to the longitudinal center plane  16 , there are first crop clearing or stripping elements  20 , which are connected to the chassis  18  and which remove the harvested crops stalks in the radial direction from the pocket-like recesses of the conveyor disks of the intake and mowing devices  12 . Then the plants are led through a conveyor channel  22 , which extends diagonally outwards and rearwards and which is limited laterally by the clearing elements  20  and a rhomboidal guide element  24 , and especially by the pressure of subsequent plants, which are conveyed through the first intake and mowing device  12  into the effective region of a deflection conveyor  26 , in the form of a diagonal conveyor drum, which is built from a cylindrical body with toothed conveyor disks arranged one above the other. It would also be conceivable to eliminate the guide element  24 . The deflection conveyors  26  have rotational axes inclined forwards and convey the harvested crops running at a region designated with the reference symbol  30  from the first intake and mowing devices  12  at first inwards and then diagonally rearwards and upwards into the intake channel  28  of the field chopper, in which channel feed rolls (not shown) are arranged one above the other. 
   The second intake and mowing devices  14  rotate in the same sense with the first intake and mowing devices  12 . Shortly before the area of the second intake and mowing devices  14  facing the longitudinal center plane  16 , second crop clearing or stripping elements  33  are connected to the chassis  18  in order to discharge the harvested crops from the second intake and mowing devices  14 . There the crops are received by cross conveyor elements  32 , which are built from two conveyor disks arranged one above the other with pocket-like recesses distributed over their circumference. The cross conveyor elements  32  are arranged in front of the cross conveyor channels  34 , which extend between the second clearing elements  33  and the deflection conveyors  26  at the rear side of the header  10 . Towards the rear, the cross conveyor channels  34  are delimited by fixed housing walls  36 , whose shapes are adapted to the cross conveyor elements  32 , i.e., at a constant distance over the length of the cross conveyor channel  34 , and which transition in their outer end regions into the second clearing elements  33 . 
   An axis of rotation  38  of the rotary driven cross conveyor element  32  lies within the envelope of, and behind an axis of rotation  40  of, the first intake and mowing devices  12 , and offset towards the outside relative to this first device. The conveyor disks of the cross conveyor elements  32  lie in the vertical direction between the conveyor disks of the first intake and mowing devices  12 , as can be seen with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
   The plants harvested from the second intake and mowing devices  14  are thus conveyed by the cross conveyor element  32  through the cross conveyor channel  34 . At the end of the cross conveyor channel  34 , third crop clearing or stripping elements  42 , which transition into the first clearing elements  20  or are integrated with these elements, convey the harvested goods from the cross conveyor elements  32  outwards. At one region, which is designated by the reference symbol  44 , that lies upstream of the region  30 , the deflection conveyor unit  26  receives the plants from the cross conveyor channel  34 . 
   The shown embodiment can be modified by adding intake and mowing devices  14  and cross conveyor elements  32  into embodiments with larger working widths, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . There, third intake and mowing devices  46  and  48 , respectively, are arranged at the side of the second intake and mowing devices  14 . The third intake and mowing devices  48  of  FIG. 3  have a larger diameter than the third intake and mowing devices  46  of  FIG. 2 , so that they enable the harvesting of another row of plants, but otherwise have the same construction and the same operation. 
   The second intake and mowing devices  14  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  operate analogously to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  and discharge the harvested crops chopped by them to the cross conveyor elements  32 , which are arranged behind the first intake and mowing devices  12  in the direction of travel V. Due to the selected rotational direction of the second intake and mowing devices  14 , a cross conveyor element  50 , whose positioning, construction, and function corresponds to the cross conveyor element  32 , is likewise allocated to these second devices. The cross conveyor element  50  is also assembled from conveyor disks arranged one above the other with pocket-like recesses for holding plant stalks distributed around their circumferences. The conveyor disks of the cross conveyor element  50  are arranged between the conveyor disks of the second intake and mowing device  14 , and a cross conveyor channel is similarly defined at its rear side. The cross conveyor elements  50  thus receive the harvested crops cut by the third intake and mowing devices  46  and  48 , respectively, which are lifted out by the clearing elements and conveyed in the direction towards the longitudinal center plane  16  of the machine  10 . Shortly before reaching an inner region of the cross conveyor element  50 , that region closest to the longitudinal center plane  16 , the stalks of the harvested crops are lifted out by additional clearing elements (not shown) from the pocket-like recesses of the conveyor disks of the cross conveyor element  50  and then led into the effective outer region of the cross conveyor element  32 . 
   In the embodiments according to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , additional intake and mowing devices together with cross conveyor elements arranged behind these devices could be inserted between the first and second intake and mowing devices  12 ,  14  in order to enlarge the working widths even more or to be able to use smaller diameters for the intake and mowing devices  12 ,  14 ,  46 ,  48 . 
   For explaining the construction of the drive of the first intake and mowing devices  12  and the cross conveyor element  32 ,  FIG. 4  shows a vertical section through the header  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along line  4 - 4 . The second intake and mowing devices  14  and cross conveyor element  50  from  FIGS. 2 and 3  are thus equivalent in terms of construction. 
   The cutting disk  54 , which is mentioned above, is supported so that it can rotate above a lower gear housing  52 , which is rigidly connected to the chassis  18 . A first conveyor disk  56  of the intake and mowing device  12  is arranged coaxially to the cutting disk  54  and above this disk in the vertical direction. The cutting disk  54  is driven in operation by a hollow shaft  58 , which is provided on its lower end with gear teeth  60 , which mesh with teeth of a gear  62 . The gear  62  is arranged on a shaft  64 , which is rotatably mounted in the lower gear housing  52 . A first bevel gear  66  is fixed to a lower region of the shaft  64  and is meshed with a bevel gear  66  fixed to one end of a drive shaft  70 , which is driven by a main drive shaft (not shown), which is in drive connection with the combustion engine of a self-propelled harvesting machine, which moves the header  10  over a field to be harvested. 
   At a location below the gear  62 , the shaft  64  is provided with gear teeth  72  which are meshed with teeth of a gear  74  fixed to a lower region of a drive shaft  76  which extends through the hollow shaft  58  and the cutting disk  54 , and is rotatably supported in the lower gear housing  52 . The shaft  76  carries the first conveyor disk  56  and sets this in rotation about the rotational axis  40 . 
   The shaft  76  also drives a first gear  78 , which is located in a center gear housing  80 , which is attached above the first conveyor disk  56 . The first gear  78  meshes with a second gear  82  defining a lower end of a hollow shaft  84 , which is located in the center gear housing  80 , rotates about the rotational axis  38 , and drives a connection disk  86 , on whose outer circumference a lower conveyor disk  88  and an upper conveyor disk  90  are located. In addition, an upper end of the shaft  84  defines a third gear  92 , which meshes with a fourth gear  94 . The fourth gear  94  is fixed to a second shaft  96  and drives the second (upper) conveyor disk  98  of the intake and mowing device  12 , which is fixed to an upper end of the second shaft  96 . The third and fourth gears  92 ,  94  are located in an upper gear housing  100 , which is connected in turn to the center gear housing  80 . The shaft  84  is a hollow shaft and is mounted for rotation about a fixed support shaft  102 , which has opposite ends respectively pressed within the center gear housing  80  and the upper gear housing  100  so as to hold them together. The center gear housing  80  is further supported by a support  104 , which is fixed to and extends outwards and rearwards in the radial direction from the chassis  18  so as to extend between the cutting disk  54  and the connection disk  86 . 
   The cutting disk  54  and the lower conveyor disk  56 , as well as the upper conveyor disk  98  of the first intake and mowing device  12 , are arranged coaxially to each other and to the rotational axis  40 . Similarly, the conveyor disks  88  and  90  of the conveyor element  32  are arrange coaxially to each other and to the rotational axis  38 . 
   The ratios of the gears  78 ,  82 ,  92 , and  94  are selected such that the conveyor disks  56  and  98  of the first intake and mowing device  12  rotate at the same speed but faster than the conveyor disks  88  and  90  of the cross conveyor element  32 . However, it would also be conceivable that the conveyor speed, i.e., the circumferential speed of the pocket-like recesses of the conveyor disks  88  and  90  of the cross conveyor element  32 , could be greater than that of the intake and mowing device  12  or be approximately equal. 
   In another embodiment, the cutting disk  54  can be supported so that it can rotate on the lower housing  52  and be driven by a gear on its lower side (or a hollow shaft). Through the cutting disk  54  and the gear or the hollow shaft, another hollow shaft can extend, which is used for driving the conveyor disk  56  and the gear  78 . Another connection element can be arranged in the interior of the other hollow shaft, which carries the center gear housing  80 , so that the support  104  is relieved of stress or can be eliminated. 
   In  FIGS. 5-7 , other embodiments of the invention are shown, wherein elements that match those of previously described headers are provided with the same reference numerals. 
   The header  10  in  FIG. 5  corresponds essentially to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . However, one difference is the addition of a cross conveyor drum  106  in the wedge-shaped region between the cross conveyor element  50  of the second intake and mowing device  14  and the cross conveyor element  32  of the first intake and mowing device  12 . The cross conveyor drums  106  correspond in construction and function to the cross conveyor drums from EP 0 760 200 A. They are built from a rotational body with an approximately vertical rotational axis, which is provided with conveyor disks arranged one above the other with conveyor teeth. The cross conveyor drums  106  are arranged behind the cross conveyor channel  34 . The conveyor teeth of its conveyor disks extend through suitable slots in the rear wall  36 , which delimits rear side of the cross conveyor channel  34 . Through suitable clearing elements (not shown), such as skids or bars, the harvested crops are lifted from the cross conveyor elements  50  and received by the conveyor teeth of the cross conveyor drums  106 , which convey it in the direction towards the longitudinal center plane  16 . Directly downstream of this transfer region, the conveyor teeth of the cross conveyor drums  106  also receive the harvested crops from the second intake and mowing devices  14 . Then the cross conveyor element  32  of the first intake and conveyor device  12  receives the harvested crops from the cross conveyor drum  106 . 
   With the exception of the addition of the previously described cross conveyor drum  106 , the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  matches that from  FIG. 3 . 
   The header  10  shown in  FIG. 7  also includes fourth intake and mowing devices  110 . Therefore, a cross conveyor element  112  is allocated to the third intake and mowing devices. In construction, the third intake and mowing devices  48  with the cross conveyor element  112  correspond in this embodiment to the second intake and mowing devices  14  with the cross conveyor element  50 . In the wedge-shaped region between the cross conveyor element  112  of the third intake and mowing device  48  and the cross conveyor element  50  of the second intake and mowing device, a cross conveyor drum  106  is likewise arranged, like that described in reference to  FIG. 5 . Another cross conveyor drum  106  is located in the wedge-shaped region between the cross conveyor elements  50  and  32 . The rotational directions of the intake and mowing devices  12 ,  14 ,  48 , and  110  of  FIG. 7  extend such that in the normal harvesting operation, the harvested crops are cut and conveyed first in the direction towards the longitudinal center plane  16  of the header  10 . In this way, conveyance problems between intake and mowing devices rotating in opposite senses are eliminated. 
   For reverse operation, the driven elements of the machine  10  each rotate in the opposite senses to the described rotational directions. 
   Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.