A crop harvesting header having a frame mounted on a propulsion vehicle has a cutter bar carrying a sickle knife and a draper transport. The draper is guided at its front edge by a longitudinally extending rail mounted on the frame for movement therewith. The cutter bar is mounted on the frame at spaced positions by spring blades attached to a fixed beam at the rear which allow up and down flexing movement of the cutter bar relative to the draper engagement member. At the center discharge the cutter bar is carried on shorter blades which are carried on a beam in front of the front draper roller. The small amount of flexing of the cutter bar combines with a balanced three piece header frame to provide effective ground following.

A harvesting apparatus includes a crop conditioning element coupled to a frame, and a hood moveable relative to the crop conditioning element. An actuating system moveably connects the hood to the frame. The actuating system includes a driven lever arm rotatably attached to the frame and including a first lever connection and a second lever connection positioned opposite each other across a lever rotation axis. A first pivot assembly is rotatably attached to the frame and includes a first pivot connection coupled to the first lever connection of the driven lever arm, and a second pivot connection coupled to a first lift connection of the hood. A second pivot assembly is rotatably attached to the frame and includes a third pivot connection coupled to the second lever connection of the driven lever arm, and a fourth pivot connection coupled to a second lift connection of the hood.

A harvesting apparatus includes a crop conditioning element coupled to a frame, and a hood moveable relative to the crop conditioning element. An actuating system moveably connects the hood to the frame. The actuating system includes a driven lever arm rotatably attached to the frame and including a first lever connection and a second lever connection positioned opposite each other across a lever rotation axis. A first pivot assembly is rotatably attached to the frame and includes a first pivot connection coupled to the first lever connection of the driven lever arm, and a second pivot connection coupled to a first lift connection of the hood. A second pivot assembly is rotatably attached to the frame and includes a third pivot connection coupled to the second lever connection of the driven lever arm, and a fourth pivot connection coupled to a second lift connection of the hood.

A crop ramp for a header of an agricultural harvester including a curved plate having an outer surface over which cut crop passes and an inner surface. The crop ramp further includes a roller support extending rearwardly from the curved plate and a roller supported for rotation by the roller support. The roller has an outer circumferential surface configured to be contacted by a fore edge of an upper run of an endless belt draper conveyor in order maintain tracking of the conveyor and eliminate contact between the conveyor and the interior of the crop ramp.

A crop ramp for a header of an agricultural harvester including a curved plate having an outer surface over which cut crop passes and an inner surface. The crop ramp further includes a roller support extending rearwardly from the curved plate and a roller supported for rotation by the roller support. The roller has an outer circumferential surface configured to be contacted by a fore edge of an upper run of an endless belt draper conveyor in order maintain tracking of the conveyor and eliminate contact between the conveyor and the interior of the crop ramp.

An agricultural machine system includes: a mower-conditioner machine including a mower-conditioner machine frame, a plurality of conditioner rolls coupled with the mower-conditioner machine frame, and a pivotable swath gate coupled with the mower-conditioner machine frame; a control system operatively coupled with the mower-conditioner machine frame, the control system including: a controller system configured for: determining a swath gate position adjustment based at least in part on a conditioner speed of the plurality of conditioner rolls.

A mower is configured to cut plant material as the mower moves over a field and deposits the cut plant material on the field. The mower includes a header assembly having a cutter bed, conditioning rollers, and a swathboard, the swathboard being positionable to shape a rearwardly-directed stream of cut plant material into windrows. The header assembly includes a sensor system mounted on the swathboard. The sensor system has a sensor configured to collect nutrient information of the plant material being cut by the mower, where the sensor is moveable relative to the swathboard so as to move the orientation of a sensor face with respect to the crop stream.

A mower is configured to cut plant material as the mower moves over a field and deposits the cut plant material on the field. The mower includes a header assembly having a cutter bed, conditioning rollers, and a swathboard, the swathboard being positionable to shape a rearwardly-directed stream of cut plant material into windrows. The header assembly includes a sensor system mounted on the swathboard. The sensor system has a sensor configured to collect nutrient information of the plant material being cut by the mower, where the sensor is moveable relative to the swathboard so as to move the orientation of a sensor face with respect to the crop stream.

In one embodiment, a swathboard control system, comprising: a header comprising fore and aft a cutting assembly and a conditioning system; a forming shield assembly; a swathboard located between the conditioning system and the forming shield assembly, the swathboard pivotably adjustable about a transverse axis; a position sensor configured to sense a position of the swathboard; and a computing system operably coupled to the position sensor, the computing system configured to provide an indication of the position of the swathboard based on feedback from the position sensor.

A crop forming assembly having a top plate with a first side and a second side, an arc-shaped cutout defined through the top plate, a forming shield pivotally coupled to the top plate and positioned on the second side, and a motor removably coupled to the top plate and configured to engage the forming shield. Wherein, the motor engages the forming shield to reposition the forming shield along the arc-shaped cutout.