Patent ID: 8096101

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; a plurality of laterally spaced apart pivotable support arms being attached to and cooperatively supporting the flexible cutterbar assembly, each of said support arms being pivotally coupled to the frame for swinging movement about a laterally extending axis so that the cutterbar assembly is operable to flex along the length thereof in response to changes in terrain as the header is advanced, said flexible cutterbar assembly presenting laterally outermost cutterbar ends, with the support arms permitting flexing of the cutterbar from end to end as the header is advanced; and a draper assembly being supported behind the cutterbar assembly, said draper assembly including a pair of side drapers each including an endless draper belt configured to receive severed corp materials from the cutterbar assembly and convey the materials laterally, each of said draper belts presenting laterally endmost margins, said laterally endmost margins being supported on a roller, with the rollers being supported to carry at least part of the draper belt above the support arms, at least one support arm being positioned laterally between the laterally endmost margins of each endless draper belt.