Patent ID: 8205421

Claim:
A harvesting header comprising: a flexible cutterbar assembly extending transversely across a front portion of the header with respect to the normal direction of travel of the header, said cutterbar assembly being operable to flex up and down along the length thereof in response to changes in terrain as the header is advanced; a flexible draper assembly supported behind the cutterbar assembly in a manner to permit the draper assembly to flex with the cutterbar assembly, said draper assembly including an endless, flexible, laterally movable belt presenting top and bottom belt runs and a flexible support panel between said runs for supporting at least a portion of the top run during such lateral movement of the belt, said top belt run presenting a front edge; and a plurality of belt guards attached to and disposed along the cutterbar assembly to accommodate and move with the cutterbar assembly during flexing thereof, each of said guards including a rearwardly projecting section disposed at a level above the level of said front edge of the top belt run, said support panel including a front dam wall disposed forwardly of said front edge of the top belt run and extending upwardly into interference contact with an underside of said rearwardly projecting section of the guard, said belt being devoid of an upstanding, exterior rib overlapped by said rearwardly projecting section of the guard, said front dam wall of the support panel having an upper resilient edge, said front dam wall comprising a lower upright portion integral with the remainder of the support panel and a resilient strip attached to the lower portion.