Patent ID: 7644567

Claim:
A crop pusher for directing crop movement entering a header on an agricultural crop harvester, the header having a forward facing crop intake for receiving a standing crop, the intake being bounded by generally opposing side walls separated by a transverse width, an upper panel spanning the transverse width to define the top boundary of the intake, and a cutterbar generally spanning the transverse width and defining the bottom boundary of the intake, the cutterbar for severing a standing crop from the ground and depositing cut crop material on the ground in a windrow, the pusher comprising: a support frame connected to the header and extending angularly upwardly and forwardly from a forward edge of the upper panel toward a distal end, said support frame having a generally horizontal top support member positioned at said distal end and spanning generally the transverse width; and a flexible barrier having a top edge and a generally opposing bottom edge having a roll bar, said top edge connected to and supported by said top support fully ahead of and above the header and substantially spanning the transverse width, said bottom edge being freely movable between a first position, where the bottom edge and top edge are located in a substantially vertical plane, and working positions wherein said bottom edge is rearward of the top edge with respect to the direction of travel such that the barrier angles downwardly and rearwardly from said horizontal support while remaining forward of the sidewalls, wherein the roll bar establishes a rearward most working position by contacting at least one of the support frame or a forward edge of the header wherein in the rearwardmost working position the flexible barrier is generally planar having a similar angle to the support frame.