Patent ID: 7805917

Claim:
A cutting unit with a frame to which a transverse conveyor spiral is secured that extends transversely relative to a forward direction of the cutting unit, where several conveyor belt assemblies are pre-arranged at this transverse conveyor spiral in a laterally sequential manner in the forward direction and are equipped with conveyor belts, and in the harvesting mode of operation, convey material to be harvested rearward to the transverse conveyor spiral, which spiral in turn conveys it transversely relative to the forward direction and toward the middle of the cutting unit, wherein a cover is present between adjacent conveyor belt assemblies in order to seal off a plurality of inner zones of the conveyor belt assemblies, characterized in that an upstream conveyor belt, located upstream of the cover relative to the material to be harvested, which is to be transported transversely relative to the forward direction, extends beyond the cover in a region of the upstream conveyor belt that is immediately adjacent to the cover, and a downstream conveyor belt, located downstream of the cover, does not extend beyond the cover in a region of the downstream conveyor belt that is immediately adjacent to the cover, wherein the cover has an elongate downstream-most edge that extends in the direction of movement of the downstream conveyor belt, and further wherein no portion of the downstream conveyor belt that is immediately adjacent to and downstream of the downstream-most edge of the cover extends beyond the downstream-most edge, wherein the cover comprises a section that is inwardly displaced relative to the region of the upstream conveyor belt that is adjacent to the cover and characterized in that the downstream-most edge of the cover extends upward beyond the upstream-most edge of the cover.