Flexible draper and cutter bar with tilt arm for cutterbar drive

Abstract

A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center draper that delivers crop material to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers that deliver crop material to the center draper. The harvesting header is operable to flex and thereby follow an uneven terrain.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 670,295, filed Feb. 1, 2007, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 771,981, filed Feb. 10, 2006, both of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]The present invention relates generally to a harvesting header. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention concern a harvesting header with a flexible cutterbar and flexible draper conveyor.[0004]2. Discussion of Prior Art[0005]A traditional grain harvesting implement or machine, such as a self-propelled combine, is used to harvest a variety of grains, such as wheat, soybeans, and rice. Combines typically include a harvesting header that cuts the crop and gathers the crop material into a feeder house for threshing and other operations. For some grains, such as wheat, the sickle of the header can be spaced from the ground during the cutting opera...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Conventional grain harvesters are problematic and suffer from various undesirable limitations.

For instance, flexible headers that include a flexible cutterbar are ineffective at receiving all of the severed crop material when following the ground contour at a high speed.

Prior art flexible headers are also deficient because they fail to convey all of the received cut crop material to the feeder house.

Furthermore, harvesters with flexible headers ineffectively control the header height, particularly when the header is in sliding contact with the ground.

Yet further, prior art flexible headers become damaged when operating in close proximity to the ground, particularly when the terrain has a significant contour.

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