Patent ID: 8266880

Claim:
A harvesting header operable to harvest a crop, said harvesting header comprising: a flexible cutterbar assembly extending lengthwise in a lateral direction relative to the normal direction of travel of the header, said flexible cutterbar assembly being operable to flex along the length thereof in response to changes in terrain as the header is advanced; a draper assembly supported behind the cutterbar assembly to flex therewith, said 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 a leading edge; and a plurality of shiftably interlocked belt guards 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, said belt guards being arranged into multiple adjacent pairs, with each pair presenting first and second belt guards and including adjacent interengaging belt guard ends that cooperatively form an interlocking joint that permits relative swinging movement between the first and second belt guards and restricts relative up-and-down movement between the ends, said interengaging belt guard end of at least the first belt guard including overlying and underlying sections, with the second belt guard being located in part between the overlying and underlying sections.