Abstract: A row crop header for mounting on the front of a combine has a transversely elongated main frame and a plurality of forwardly extending transversely spaced row units, each row unit being independently floatably supported by the frame. Each row unit has a forwardly and downwardly inclined frame with a top surface and a central fore-and-aft trough which forms the bottom of a fore-and-aft passageway. A pair of endless, flexible conveyor members are mounted on each row unit frame adjacent the top surface and have rearwardly moving inter-meshing inner runs on opposite sides of the passageway, a rotary cutting device being provided on the underside of the row unit frame adjacent the forward ends of the conveyor members for severing the crop from the field. A transverse conveyor spans the rearward ends of the row units for conveying gathered material to a feeding unit for delivery to a processing unit on the combine.

Abstract: A self-propelled combine has a pair of forward drive wheels and carries a forward, transversely elongated, harvesting header having a plurality of generally fore and aft passages adapted to receive respective rows of crop material as the machine advances and a cutting apparatus for each passage for severing the crop relatively close to the ground as it moves along the passage to leave a short upright crop stubble in each row. Two of the passages are in general fore and aft alignment with the respective drive wheels so that the wheels run over the stubble, and a pair of stubble mashing devices are mounted on the header forwardly of the respective drive wheels, each device including a skidlike stubble engaging element that is biased downwardly into contact with the ground so that it mashes the crop stubble against the ground in advance of the wheel to reduce tire wear caused by the wheel rolling over the upright stubble.