Row unit attachment for combines

Abstract

A harvesting machine, such as a combine, may be adapted for the harvesting of row crops by attaching a series of laterally spaced-apart, individual row units across the header of the combine. Each unit attachment is of low-profile configuration having a pair of downwardly and forwardly extending, obstruction-free dividing members which become disposed on opposite sides of a crop row during operation, the drive for gathering mechanism on the members being disposed below and to one side of the crop delivery passage defined between each pair of dividing members whereby to render the passage wholly unobstructed from top-to-bottom and front-to-rear thereof to facilitate the orderly, clog-free movement of crops rearwardly through the passage and into the header for further processing. The dividing members are mounted for adjustable shifting transversely as a unit along the header to accommodate changes in row spacing from one field to the next, and yet each member is vertically swingable independently of the other during operation to allow individual compensation for changes in ground contour. A drive shaft common to all of the units extends across the header to provide driving power for the gathering mechanism of the members and is provided with relatively telescoping sections to accommodate row spacing adjustment of the attachment without disengaging the shaft.