Forage harvester

Claim 1

A ROW CROP HEADER FOR A FORAGE HARVESTER OF THE TYPE HAVING AN INFEED OPENING IN THE FRONT END THEREOF AND FEED MEANS DISPOSED IN OPENING AND HAVING A CROP MATERIAL RECEIVING BITE FOR RECEIVING CROP STALKS FROM SAID HEADER AND FEEDING SAID STALKS REARWARDLY INTO SAID HARVESTER, SAID ROW CROP HEADER COMPRISING A FRAME ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE FRONT END OF A FORAGE HARVESTER AND EXTENDING IN FRONT OF SAID HARVESTER INFEED OPENING, A CENTRAL CROP DIVIDER ON SAID FRAME, LEFT AND RIGHT FENDERS ON SAID FRAME DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CENTRAL DIVIDER AND COACTING WITH SAID CENTRAL DIVIDER TO DEFINE LEFT AND RIGHT GENERALLY FORE-AND-AFT EXTENDING PASSAGES FOR ROWS OF CROPS STALKS, LEFT AND RIGHT STALK CUTTERS ON SAID FRAME ADJACENT THE GROUND AND DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY IN SAID LEFT AND RIGHT PASSAGES, AND FENDERS EACH HAVING AN UPPER EDGE AND A LOWER EDGE RESPECTIVELY DEFINING THE UPPER AND LOWER OUTBOARD LIMITS OF SAID LEFT AND RIGHT PASSAGES, AND CENTRAL DIVIDER HAVING LEFT UPPER AND LOWER EDGES AND RIGHT UPPER AND LOWER EDGES RESPECTIVELY DEFINING THE UPPER AND LOWER INBOARD LIMITS OF SAID LEFT AND RIGHT PASSAGES SAID LOWER EDGES OF SAID LEFT AND RIGHT FENDERS CONVERGING REARWARDLY AT PRE-DETERMINED ANGLES FROM THE FRONT ENDS OF SAID FENDERS TO SAID LEFT AND RIGHT STALK CUTTERS RESPECTIVELY AND CONVERGING REARWARDLY FROM SAID STALK CUTTERS TO SAID HARVESTER FEED MEANS AT ANGLES GREATER THAN SAID PRE-DETERMINED ANGLES, SAID LEFT AND RIGHT LOWER EDGES OF CENTRAL DIVIDER DIVERGING REARWARDLY AT PREDETERMINED ANGLES FROM THE FRONT END OF SAID DIVIDER TO SAID STALK CUTTERS AND CONVERGING REARWARDLY FROM SAID STALK CUTTERS GENERALLY PARALLEL RESPECTIVELY TO THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID LEFT AND RIGHT FENDER LOWER EDGES, SAID UPPER EDGES OF SAID LEFT AND RIGHT FENDERS CONVERGING REARWARDLY FROM THE FRONT ENDS OF THE FENDERS ALONG LINES PASSING GENERALLY OVER THE INBOARD SIDES OF THE RESPECTIVE LEFT AND RIGHT STALK CUTTERS, AND LEFT AND RIGHT UPPER EDGES OF SAID CENTRAL DIVIDER DIVERGING REARWARDLY FROM THE FRONT END OF THE DIVIDER TO LOCATIONS SPACED FORWARDLY OF SAID STALK CUTTERS AND CONVERGING REARWARDLY FROM SAID LOCATIONS GENERALL PARALLEL TO THE RESPECTIVE UPPER EDGES OF SAID LEFT AND RIGHT FENDERS, A FIRST PAIR OF STALK GATHERING ENDLESS CONVEYORS ON SAID FENDERS AND RESPECTIVELY HAVING FEEDING REACHES EXTENDING ALONG SAID LEFT AND RIGHT FENDER UPPER EDGES, A SECOND PAIR OF STALK GATHERING ENDLESS CONVEYORS ON SAID THERMAL DIVIDER AND HAVING FEEDING REACHES RESPECTIVELY EXTENDING ALONG THE LEFT AND RIGHT LOWER EDGES OF THE DIVIDER FROM LOCATIONS IN FRONT OF SAID STALK CUTTERS TO LOCATIONS REARWARDLY OF SAID STALK CUTTERS, AND A THIRD PAIR OF STALK GATHERING ENDLESS CONVEYORS HAVING FEEDING REACHES RESPECTIVELY EXTENDING ALONG SAID LEFT AND RIGHT FENDER LOWER EDGES, SAID FEEDING REACHES OF SAID THIRD PAIR OF STALK GATHERING ENDLESS CONVEYORS INITIATING RESPECTIVELY SUBSTANTIALLY AT SAID LEFT AND RIGHT STALK CUTTERS AND TERMINATING RESPECTIVELY IN SAID MATERIAL RECEIVING BITE OF SAID HARVESTER FEED MEANS.