Patent ID: 7971418

Claim:
A header for an agricultural combine, comprising: An elongate frame having left and right ends; a left side conveyor disposed on the left side of the frame and having a first endless belt disposed to receive crop severed on the left side of the header and carry it to a central conveyor; a right side conveyor disposed on the right side of the frame and having a second endless belt disposed to receive crop severed on the right side of the header and carry it to the central conveyor; a central conveyor disposed between the left and right side conveyors and having an endless belt disposed to receive crop severed from a central region of the head, and to receive crop deposited by the left side and right side conveyors, and to convey said severed crop rearward to a central aperture in the frame; a cutter bar assembly supported for slideable movement on the frame toward and away from the direction of header travel during field harvesting, the cutter bar assembly further comprising a cutter bar and a reciprocating knife supported thereon, said reciprocating knife and cutter bar extending across the front of the header in front of the left and right side conveyors and the central conveyor; and at least one actuator coupled to the cutter bar assembly and to the frame of the header to extend and retract the cutter bar with respect to the frame.