Patent ID: 8091330

Claim:
A draper header operable to harvest a crop, said draper 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; a plurality of laterally spaced apart pivotable support arms attached to and cooperatively supporting the flexible cutterbar assembly; an endless flexible draper belt rotatably supported on the header frame rearwardly of the flexible cutterbar assembly to receive severed crop materials from the flexible cutterbar assembly and convey the materials laterally, said draper belt presenting laterally extending, spaced apart leading and trailing edges relative to the normal direction of header travel, said draper belt presenting an outwardly facing crop-engaging surface defined between the edges, said draper belt including a substantially continuous crop-retaining rib projecting outwardly from the crop-engaging surface adjacent the leading edge so as to retain severed crop materials on the draper belt and restrict movement of the materials back to the flexible cutterbar assembly, each of said support arms being pivotally attached to the frame for swinging movement about a laterally extending axis so that the flexible cutterbar assembly is operable to flex along the length thereof in response to changes in terrain as the header is advanced; and a plurality of shiftably interlocked belt guards attached to and disposed along the cutterbar assembly to accommodate and move with the cutterbar assembly during flexing thereof, with each of the guards extending from the cutterbar assembly to a location adjacent the leading edge of the draper belt so that the draper belt and belt guards permit flexing cutterbar movement along the length thereof.