Combination header and crop conditioning unit therefor

Claim 1

A HEADER HAVING A FRAME ARRANGED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE FORWARD END OF A TRACTOR FOR SUPPORT AND PROPULSION THEREBY AND COMPRISING A SICKLE BAR ASSEMBLY ADJACENT THE FORWARD LOWER PORTION OF SAID HEADER, AN ARCUATE SUPPORT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN THE SIDES OF SAID FRAME, AN AUGER ROTATABLE ACROSS SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING OPPOSITELY SPIRALLED FLIGHTS TO ENGAGE CUT CROP MATERIAL RECEIVED FROM SAID SICKLE BAR ASSEMBLY AND CONSOLIDATE THE SAME TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID SUPPORT, AN EXIT OPENING SUBSTANTIALLY NARROWER THAN SAID AUGER FORMED CENTRALLY OF SAID SUPPORT TO DISCHARGE SAID CONSOLIDATED MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY FROM SAID AUGER, AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAID HEADER FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE TRACTOR TO PERMIT THE SAME TO ADAPT TO CONTOUR IRREGULARITIES OF A FIELD BEING HARVESTED, IN COMBINATION WITH A CROP-CONDITIONER UNIT MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID HEADER AND THE FORWARD END OF SAID TRACTOR AND HAVING AN ENTRANCE IN REGISTER WITH SAID EXIT MEANS OF SAID HEADER AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CONDITIONING ROLLERS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED FOR COOPERATION WITH EACH OTHER, SAID CONDITIONER UNIT ALSO HAVING AN EXIT REARWARD OF SAID ROLLERS, SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID CROP-CONDITIONER UNIT ARRANGED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID TRACTOR AND CONNECTED TO SAID CROP-CONDITIONER UNIT FOR SUPPORT THEREOF BY SAID FORWARD END OF SAID TRACTOR GENERALLY INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID HEADER AND ARRANGED TO PERMIT LIMITED VERTICAL FLOATING MOVEMENT OF SAID CONDITIONER UNIT, AND CHUTE MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID EXIT OPENING OF SAID AUGER AND THE ENTRANCE OF SAID CROP-CONDITIONER UNIT, SAID CHUTE MEANS INCLUDING TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE MEANS ENCLOSING THE TRANSFER OF SAID CONSOLIDATED MATERIAL FROM SAID HEADER TO SAID CONDITIONER UNIT AND SAID MEANS HAVING PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY CARRIED BY SAID HEADER AND CONDITIONER UNIT AND MOVABLY INTERENGAGING EACH OTHER TO PERMIT RELATIVE VERTICAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID HEADER AND CONDITIONER UNIT WITHOUT DISRUPTING THE ENCLOSING FUNCTION OF SAID CHUTE MEANS RELATIVE TO SUCH TRANSFER OF SAID MATERIAL.