Gatherer sheet arrangement for a row crop harvesting header

Claim 1

In a row crop harvesting header for a harvesting machine adapted to advance over a field of row planted crops and having a transversely elongated main frame, a plurality of transversely spaced row units extending forwardly from the main frame, each row unit including a row unit frame, means mounting the row unit frame on the main frame for independent vertical floating adjustment of the forward end of the row unit, a pair of laterally spaced elements mounted on the row unit frame and defining a generally fore-and-aft passageway adapted to receive a row of crop material as the machine advances, conveyor means mounted on the row unit frame and having opposite rearwardly moving inner runs on opposite sides of the passageway and operative to engage the crop material and move it rearwardly along the passageway and cutting means mounted on the row unit frame generally below the forward end of the conveyor means for severing the crop material relatively close to the ground as the crop material moves rearwardly along the passageway, an improved hood arrangement overlying the space between the adjacent row units to prevent the loss of material between adjacent units, respectively mounted on each pair of adjoining row units and covering the area between the passageways of the adjoining row units comprising: opposite left and right-hand hood members, each member having an operating position and a passageway edge at least partly forming one of the laterally spaced elements defining the edge of the passageway when the hood member is in the operating position and each hood member being respectively attached to and independently vertically adjustable with the respective adjoining row units; pivot means connected between each hood member adjacent its passageway edge and the row unit frame for permitting upward pivoting about a pivot axis generally parallel to the passageway into an access position; a pair of opposite left and right-hand support brackets carried by each row unit frame, each support bracket including a first latching member; a second latching member carried by each hood member, each second latching member being disposed to engage a first latching member upon downward pivoting of the hood member from the access position and, responsive to downward pressure on the hood member after engagement, to latch the latching members one to the other so that the hood member is secured in the operating position and, responsive to upward pressure on the hood after latching, to release one from another permitting upward pivoting of the hood element into the access position; and a forwardly converging divider member respectively mounted on each pair of adjoining row units and extending forwardly from adjacent hood elements, the forward end of each divider member moving between the adjacent rows as the machine advances.