Crop divider for harvester

Claim 1

A crop divider adapted for attachment to a harvester or the like for dividing crops to be harvested from crops immediately adjacent and entangled with the crops to be harvested as the harvester moves through a field so as to insure uniform feed of crop to the harvester and to prevent entanglement of the crop in the harvester, said harvester having a cutter for cutting the crop to be harvested and a reel for directing the crop toward the cutter and into the harvester, said reel being rotary about a generally horizontal axis extending transversely of the direction of travel of the harvester forward of said cutter, said divider comprising a generally vertically disposed member adapted for securement to the harvester adjacent the ends of the cutter and reel and extending forwardly of the cutter and said axis and above said axis, said member having a bottom edge adapted either to ride on the ground or to be spaced somewhat thereabove, said bottom edge extending substantially forwardly of said cutter, a first portion having a first crop dividing edge angling upwardly and rearwardly from the forward end of said bottom edge for engaging the crop to be untangled and separated and for lifting said crop as the harvester moves forwardly thereby to at least partially untangle uncut crops to be harvested from adjacent uncut crops, a second generally vertical portion positioned above said first portion having a second crop dividing edge continuous with and extending upwardly from the upper end of said first dividing edge, said first and second dividing edges meeting at a junction substantially forward of and generally at the elevation of said axis with said second dividing edge being inclined to the horizontal at a much steeper slope than the first dividing edge so that the entangled crop is caused to abruptly move forwardly with and/or upwardly along the second dividing edge as the harvester moves forward thereby to insure separation of the crop to be harvested from the crops immediately adjacent thereto, said second dividing edge extending above said junction to insure separation of the crop prior to the crop being cut, and means adapted for connection of the divider to the harvester adjacent one end of said reel for enabling generally vertical swinging movement of the divider relative to the harvester about a generally horizontal axis extending transverse to the divider in response to changing ground contours thereby to prevent the forward end of the divider from digging into the ground upon encountering changes in ground contour.