Abstract: A draper header includes two side drapers each running from an outer end guide roller at a first end of the header to an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location of the header and a central feed draper located at the discharge location and including a front guide roller just behind the cutter bar and running to a rear guide roller in front of the feeder house of the combine harvester. An auger is located between the discharge rollers with a front edge of the flight forward of the rear end of the discharge rollers to feed the material inwardly and underneath the auger to the inlet of the feeder house. The feed draper carries cleats which are angled to the rollers in two sections converging to a central leading apex to reduce forces on the cleat as they pass over the front guide roller which is of reduced diameter to fit within a small space adjacent the cutter bar.

Abstract: A header includes a generally C-shaped cutter bar supporting the sickle knife assembly across a front edge of the header. A draper assembly is carried behind the cutter bar and includes a pair of rollers at right angles to the beam carrying a continuous draper canvas band around the rollers with the front edge of the canvas underneath the cutter bar. The rollers and a support plate between the rollers for the upper run of the canvas are both recessed relative to the front edge of the canvas to leave a cantilever portion at the front edge of the canvas which projects under the cutter bar to form a seal. The position of the draper canvas on the rollers is guided by a pair of longitudinally extending ribs one adjacent but spaced rearwardly from the front edge and abutting the trailing edge of the cutter bar and the other adjacent but spaced forwardly from the rear edge and abutting a front edge of a rear plate. The ribs are formed integrally with transverse slats.

Abstract: A connector assembly for a draper belt in a harvesting machine having first and second connecting bars on opposite sides of belt end flanges. One connecting bar has a plurality of bores while the other has a plurality of fixed studs. The studs project through the apertures in the belt end flanges and the bores in the first connecting bar. The connecting bars are held together by lock nuts. By fixing the studs to the connecting bar, separate bolts are eliminated and only one wrench is needed to drive the nuts. Lock washers are eliminated by the use of lock nuts.

Abstract: A header includes a cutter bar with a generally C-shaped beam supporting the sickle knife assembly across a front edge of the assembly. A draper assembly is carried on the cutter bar beam and includes a pair of rollers at right angles to the beam carrying a continuous draper canvas band around the rollers with the front edge of the canvas adjacent the cutter bar beam. The rollers and a support plate between the rollers for the upper run of the canvas are both recessed relative to the front edge of the canvas to leave a cantilever portion at the front edge of the canvas. This cantilever portion has an upper surface engaging an undersurface of a top plate of the beam to provide a seal inhibiting penetration of materials between the canvas and the cutter bar. A lower plate of the C-shaped beam is shorter in length than the upper plate and is inclined downwardly to allow the discharge of any materials from the area between the draper canvas and the cutter bar to prevent buildup.

Abstract: A header for a combine harvester includes gauge wheels which can be converted from a normal gauge position to a transport position in which the header is wholly supported by the gauge wheels and towed longitudinally of its length. One of the gauge wheels is a single wheel which moves inwardly toward the centre of gravity in the transport position. The other of the wheels is a walking beam system in the working position and forms a transverse axle in the transport position. Each of the gauge wheels is mounted upon a bracket which can pivot about a horizontal axis from a raised spring biased gauge position to a vertically depending position allowing rotation of the wheel about a vertical axis on the bracket. The header therefore can be transported without the necessity for a separate trailer system.

Abstract: A flexible header for a combine or swather includes a pair of wing sections which can flex relative to a central section. Each wing section carries a draper canvas for transporting a cut crop inwardly toward the central section. Beneath the inner ends of the drapers is mounted a further draper for transporting the crop rearwardly through an opening in the central frame into the feeder housing of the combine. Above the central draper is mounted a roller member having a central paddle portion and auger portions outside of the central portion for confining and directing the crop in cooperation with the central draper into the feeder housing. The pivot axis of each wing portion is inclined inwardly and forwardly so that the axes intersect at the sickle knife. This arrangement allows the manufacture of a large width flexible combine header.

Abstract: A header frame for a combine includes a mounting frame which is attached to the front end of the feeder housing of the combine and a header frame. The header frame is mounted on the mounting frame by suitable linkage so that it can lift in a vertical direction and also can twist about an axis parallel to the forward direction of the combine to allow the header frame to follow ground contours. A flexible pan is connected between the header frame and the mounting frame to define a lower surface of the header immediately in front of the mouth of the feeder housing with the pan having a forward edge attached to the header frame and a rearward edge attached to the mounting frame with the movement therebetween being accommodated by flexing or sliding of one mounting of the pan. In one arrangement of the header, the conventional auger is replaced by two side drapers and a feed draper with the feed draper being mounted in a manner which allows limited vertical movement away from the pan.

Abstract: A harvester having hydraulically shiftable draper sections for left, right or center crop discharge has a pair of movement limiting tangs which are carried by the draper sections at either of one of two selected locations in order to enable the lateral dimension or width of the discharge opening to be varied in accordance with crop conditions. When the standing crop is relatively dense, the tangs are positioned in an inboard location on the draper carriages so that the width of the discharge opening is maximized. Alternately, the tangs can be positioned in outward locations on the carriages for limiting lateral movement of the latter and reducing the width of the discharge opening so that the crop materials under relatively light crop conditions are formed into a dense, interlaced windrow having a central snow and ice shedding ridge.

Abstract: A pull type swather having double swath and enhanced operating to transport mode change capabilities. A subframe is mounted forwardly of a rear frame and the two are pivotally connected. The table of the swather includes a pair of draper decks operable to be independently moved relative to each other and to the table. A hitch is pivotally connected to the subframe and a hydraulic cylinder is operable to adjust the angle of the hitch relative to the table. The subframe is locked to the rear frame during operation and until the transport mode is desired wherein the subframe is unlocked and pivoted relative to the rear frame. Provision is made for automatically interchanging between the transport and operating modes.

Abstract: A latching mechanism for a unitized raking implement having a frame and pivotally movable frame arms carrying rake baskets positionable in transport and operating positions is disclosed wherein a spring-loaded locking pin is biased toward engagement with stabilizer bars cooperately engaged with the frame arms to lock the frame arms against pivotal movement. A cable interconecting the hydraulic steering cylinder affects a disengagement of the locking pin from the stabilizer bar when the cylinder is actuated to turn the ground engaging wheels and affect a pivotal movement of the frame arms. A lost motion linkage, including a pair of cantilevered members interconnected by a torsion spring interconnects the cable and the locking pin to permit movement of the cable without affecting movement of the locking pin whenever the locking pin is bound in the stabilizer bar.

Abstract: A double windrowing attachment for a harvester comprises a reversibly driveable conveyor shiftable between a first crop discharge position for forming a windrow inboard of one side of the harvester and a second crop discharge position for forming a second windrow along the opposite side of the harvester. The conveyor is supported on the attachment frame at only three points. One side of the conveyor is supported on a pair of feet movably supported on an elongated guide. The opposite side of the conveyor is supported by a shift arm which is used to shift the conveyor. The shift arm is pivotally mounted at one end to the attachment frame and movably mounted at the other end in a track fixed to the conveyor. The crop discharge positions are adjustable and permit a double windrow to be formed either in a side-by-side or in a stacked disposition.

Abstract: A laterally shiftable draper header for a windrower is disclosed wherein a pair of draper sections are laterally shiftable on the header subframe to vary the position of the crop discharge opening between left, right and central positions. When the discharge opening is positioned at a central location between separated draper sections, it is necessary that the draper conveyors rotate in opposing directions to deliver crop material to the discharge opening. However, when the draper sections are positioned adjacent one another and shifted to one side of the machine or the other it is necessary for the draper conveyors to rotate in the same direction to convey crop to the discharge opening.

Abstract: An inter-trolley latching mechanism for a draper header having a pair of shiftable draper sections is disclosed wherein the latching mechanism connects the second draper section to the first draper section for simultaneous movement therewith. A hydraulic cylinder is provided to power the shifting movement of the first draper section in a transverse path relative to the subframe of the header. The latching mechanism selectively connects the two draper sections to permit the hydraulic cylinder to operatively power the transverse movement of both draper sections. A spring loaded retaining mechanism is also provided to lock the second draper section relative to the header subframe when not connected to the first draper section for movement therewith.

Abstract: A draper header attachable to a base tractor unit to harvest standing crop material and create a windrow by using draper conveyors to consolidate the severed crop material is disclosed wherein the draper header includes three draper sections, two of which are transversely shiftable to vary the location of a crop discharge opening. The third draper section is fixed along the right side of the header and is rotatable to convey severed crop material inwardly away from the header sidesheet to displace the windrow away from any uncut crop material when the crop discharge opening is adjacent thereto. Although the shiftable draper sections are rotatably driven by hydraulic motors, the fixed draper section is mechanically driven from a transverse drive shaft forming a part of the drive mechanism to the reciprocating cutterbar having a pair of counter-reciprocating sickles.

Abstract: The header has generally transversely disposed, flat, apron-like conveyor mechanism for receiving the stalks of grain or other crop materials severed along the leading edge of the header and for gathering such materials so that they might be discharged in a continuous stream for producing a windrow. The conveyor mechanism comprises a pair of largely self-contained sections which may be latched together and shifted to one end of the header with their upper surfaces driven in a common leftward direction for left delivery and discharge, or shifted to the opposite end of the header and driven with their upper surfaces in a righthand direction for right end delivery of the materials, or they may be unlatched and separated while their upper surfaces are driven in opposite directions centrally toward one another for centered delivery of the materials.

Abstract: A flexible header for a combine or swather includes a pair of wing sections .[.which can flex relative to.]. .Iadd.and .Iaddend.a central section .Iadd.mounted on a rigid header frame.Iaddend.. Each wing section carries a draper canvas for transporting cut crop inwardly toward the central section. Beneath the inner ends of the .Iadd.side .Iaddend.drapers is mounted a .[.further.]. .Iadd.feed .Iaddend.draper for transporting the crop rearwardly through an opening in the central frame into the feeder housing of the combine. .Iadd.The header frame is mounted on a fixed mounting frame for floating vertically and pivotally. .Iaddend.Above the central draper is mounted a roller member having a central paddle portion and auger portions outside of the central portion for confining and directing the crop in cooperation with the central draper into the feeder housing. .[.The pivot axis of each wing portion is inclined inwardly and forwardly so that the axes intersect at the sickle knife..]. .Iadd.