Draper assembly with rollers for a flexible draper header

Abstract

A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a flexible cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a flexible draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly to permit the draper assembly to flex with the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes fore-and-aft extending rollers and an endless flexible belt entrained around the rollers.

1 . 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; and   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 a pair of laterally spaced apart, fore-and-aft extending rollers, and an endless flexible belt entrained around said rollers to define upper and lower runs of the belt,   said rollers being swingably supported so as to swing as the draper assembly flexes with the cutterbar assembly,   said belt having an internal guide rib adjacent the rear edge,   said rollers having grooves therein for the guide rib of the belt, with the belt and guide rib moving with the rollers as the draper assembly flexes with the cutterbar assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 1 ; and
 at least one fore-and-aft extending arm disposed between said rollers,   said at least one arm being disposed within the interior of the belt between upper and lower runs of the belt,   said at least one arm being swingable up and down with a corresponding portion of the cutterbar assembly about a rearwardly disposed pivot.   
     
     
         3 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 said cutterbar assembly further including a transversely extending cutterbar and a series of formed members attached to and projecting rearwardly from said cutterbar.   
     
     
         4 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a plurality of belt guards along the cutterbar assembly,   said belt guards having rearwardly projecting sections disposed at a level above the level of a front edge of said upper belt run.   
     
     
         5 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 4 ,
 said rearwardly projecting sections of the belt guards overhanging and projecting rearwardly beyond said front edge of the upper belt run.   
     
     
         6 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 said draper assembly including pivoting structure positioned laterally between the rollers,   said pivoting structure being swingable up and down about a rearwardly disposed pivot as the draper assembly flexes with the cutterbar assembly.   
     
     
         7 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 6 ,
 said pivoting structure including an inboard support arm positioned between the rollers.   
     
     
         8 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 7 ,
 said pivoting structure including a laterally-supporting pivot arm that is pivotally coupled to the frame at a location spaced laterally from the inboard support arm, with the pivoting structure being positioned between the rollers,   said pivot arm being coupled to the inboard support arm spaced from the location so as to extend therebetween and thereby restrict lateral movement of the inboard support arm.   
     
     
         9 . A harvesting header operable to harvest crop, said harvesting header comprising:
 a header frame;   a flexible cutterbar assembly mounted to the header frame to extend lengthwise in a lateral direction relative to the normal direction of travel of the header;   a plurality of laterally spaced apart support arms being attached to and cooperatively supporting the flexible cutterbar assembly,   each of said support arms being pivotally coupled to the frame for swinging movement about a laterally extending axis so that the flexible cutterbar assembly is operable to flex along the length thereof in response to changes in terrain as the header is advanced;   a side draper carried on multiple ones of the support arms so as to flex with the cutterbar assembly,   said side draper including an endless flexible draper belt configured to receive severed crop materials from the cutterbar assembly and convey the materials laterally,   said draper belt presenting laterally endmost margins, with upper and lower crop-conveying runs extending between the margins,   said multiple ones of the support arms including an inboard support arm positioned laterally between the endmost margins;   a pair of laterally spaced apart, fore-and-aft extending rollers, each of which is entrained by the belt to define one of the endmost margins; and   a roller frame positioned intermediate the endmost margins of the draper belt and between the upper and lower runs,   said roller frame interconnecting the inboard support arm and one of the rollers, such that the inboard support arm carries the one roller.   
     
     
         10 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 9 ,
 said inboard support arm being positioned between the upper and lower runs.   
     
     
         11 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 9 ,
 said roller frame being fixed relative to the inboard support arm to swing therewith.   
     
     
         12 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 11 ,
 said roller frame rotatably supporting the one roller so that the roller frame restricts the one roller from moving laterally relative to the inboard support arm.   
     
     
         13 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 9 ,
 said roller frame including first and second frame sections shiftably attached to one another,   one of said frame sections being attached to the inboard support arm and the other of said frame sections being attached to the roller, with the frame sections being laterally shiftable relative to one another along the laterally extending axis to change a lateral distance dimension defined between the rollers.   
     
     
         14 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 13 ,
 said frame sections being provided as part of a belt tensioning mechanism,   said belt tensioning mechanism including a drive that engages at least one of the frame sections to tension the draper belt.   
     
     
         15 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 13 ,
 said inboard support arm being spaced laterally outward from the other of the multiple support arms.   
     
     
         16 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 9 ,
 said multiple ones of the support arms including another inboard support arm positioned between the endmost margins; and   another roller frame that operably interconnects the another inboard support arm and another one of the rollers, with the another inboard support arm carrying the another roller.   
     
     
         17 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 16 ,
 one of said roller frames being fixed to the associated inboard support arm and rotatably supporting the associated roller so that the one roller frame restricts the associated roller from moving laterally relative to the associated inboard support arm.   
     
     
         18 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 17 ,
 the other of said roller frames including first and second frame sections shiftably attached to one another,   one of said frame sections being attached to the corresponding inboard support arm and the other of said frame sections being attached to the corresponding roller, with the frame sections being laterally shiftable relative to one another along the laterally extending axis to change a lateral distance dimension defined between the rollers.   
     
     
         19 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 18 ,
 said frame sections being provided as part of a belt tensioning mechanism,   said belt tensioning mechanism including a drive that engages at least one of the frame sections to tension the draper belt.   
     
     
         20 . The harvesting header as claimed in  claim 18 ,
 said inboard support arm corresponding with the other roller frame being spaced laterally outward from the other multiple support arms.