Combine header grain catch pans

A set of pans are provided for catching grain such as sunflower heads, that are broken from the stalks as they are being harvested. The pans are mounted onto the cutter bar and leave a space at the desired spacing of the rows of the crop being harvested. The leading ends of the pans are pointed, and have different tapers on each side. Every other pan is shorter than the intermediate pans, as well, for serving to guide the stalks positively into the slots for cutting. The pans catch heads of grain that might be broken or shaken loose and otherwise lost. The pans are pivotally mounted, quickly attached or detached, and the angle of the bottom of the pan can be adjusted.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for catching grain being harvested using a combine header having a cutter bar, comprising a plurality of pans that are elongated in fore and aft direction mounted on said cutter bar, said pans having a base wall positioned above the cutter bar and being individually pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis relative to the cutter bar, upstanding flanges along said pans on opposite longitudinal edges thereof, a support for rotating the base wall of the pans about the horizontal axis, and a forward end of each of the pans being formed at angles tapering from a central point, a first tapered side of the forward end differing in length from a second tapered side of the forward end, and which pans are aligned with edges of adjacent pans to form guides for grain stalks, the first tapered side terminating at a different fore and aft location from the second tapered side of an adjacent pan.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein every other pan along the cutter bar has a point member that is positioned rearwardly of the point member of adjacent pans.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including a separate support strut for supporting the forward end of each pan, extending from the forward end to a bracket mounted on the cutter bar, to provide for changing the angle of the pan about the horizontal axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said support strut comprises a strut tube that is threadably adjustable in length.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pans each have a horizontal pivot pin, a separate hub for receiving the pivot pin at the cutter bar, and guides on each pan engageable with point portions of sickle guards forming part of the cutter bar for holding the pivot pin of the pan in position in the respective hub, the pivot pin being insertable into the hub laterally when the pans are pivoted upwardly and the guides moving to guiding position relative to such sickle guards when the pans are pivoted downwardly to a working position.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein there is a support bracket mounted on the cutter bar and having a bracket plate extending downwardly, said strut having a screw at a cutter bar end with a screw end portion that extends through the bracket plate, a member to carry compressions loads from the strut and screw to a forward side of the bracket plate, and a pin in the screw portion on a rearward side of the bracket plate to retain the screw end portion from excessive forward movement relative to the bracket plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 and a guide rod at a forward end of each of the pans held in position with a single bolt in the base wall, the pans having upright flanges thereon at the forward end, a reinforcing strap folded to lie along the upright flanges and extend across the forward end, the guide rod passing through an opening in the reinforcing strap, and a single bolt securing an inner end of the guide rod to the pan base wall.