Patent ID: 7159378

Claim:
A drive train for a header of a harvesting machine having a plurality of harvesting devices, the harvesting machine having a direction of travel, the drive train comprising a variable length drive shaft having a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis, the first end has a first hinged drive connection, the first hinged drive connection is driven by a drive element having a first shaft and the second end has a second hinged connection, the second hinged connection is operatively coupled to a secondary drive shaft by a driven element, the secondary drive shaft drives the plurality of harvesting devices of the header, characterized by the fact that the drive train is provided with means for aligning the drive element and the driven element at least approximately parallel to each other; the drive element being supported in a first holder so that it can rotate, the first holder being supported so that it can pivot about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the variable length drive shaft and a second holder being supported so that it can pivot about a parallel axis to the longitudinal axis of the variable length drive shaft; the driven element being supported in the second holder so that it can rotate, and the first holder and the second holder being coupled to each other by a connection device that can change in length, the connection device being connected to the first holder and the second holder about a pivot axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft and perpendicular to the pivot axis of the holders.