Patent ID: 7444798

Claim:
A crop harvesting header for a combine harvester comprising: a main frame structure extending across between two ends of the header across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested; a mounting assembly for attachment to a feeder house of the combine harvester for carrying the main frame structure on the combine harvester; a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header; a cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table; and a crop transport system for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header for feeding the crop into a feed opening of the combine harvester; the crop transport system including: a first side draper having an outer end guide roller at a first end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas defining a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; a second side draper having an outer end guide roller at a second end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas defining a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; a feed draper located at the discharge location and including a front guide roller adjacent the cutter bar, a rear guide roller behind the front guide roller and a draper canvas wrapped around the front and rear guide rollers to define a top run of the feed draper for receiving the crop material from the discharge ends of the first and second side drapers and for carrying the crop material rearwardly toward the feed opening of the combine harvester; and a pan member underlying the feed draper and having a front edge adjacent the front guide roller of the feed draper; the pan member being formed of a flexible material; the front edge of the pan member being carried on a spring coupling arrangement which allows upward and downward flexing movement of the front edge of the pan member relative to the front guide roller.