Patent ID: 8479483

Claim:
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, said cutterbar assembly including a plurality of skids configured to engage the ground and thereby cause flexing of the cutterbar assembly along the length thereof in response to changes in terrain as the header is advanced; and a draper assembly including an endless flexible draper belt configured to receive severed crop materials from the cutterbar assembly and convey the materials laterally, said draper belt presenting laterally endmost margins, with upper and lower runs extending between the margins; and a lower run support assembly located below the lower run of the draper belt and at least partly over the skids, said lower run support assembly including a run support panel extending laterally along the lower run, said run support panel being spaced from the skids to define a residue opening therebetween through which any crop residue falling onto the skids is permitted to pass, said residue opening being defined under the run support panel so that crop residue passes underneath the run support panel and above the skids.