Drive Roller for the Draper Canvas of a Crop Header

A header for cutting and transporting a standing crop comprising:

• a header frame;
• an elongate cutter bar arranged along a front edge of the frame;
• a knife mounted on the cutter bar for cutting the standing crop;
• a draper assembly mounted on the header frame rearwardly of the cutter bar such that cut crop falls onto the draper assembly for transportation longitudinally of the header;
• the draper assembly including a first and a second draper guide roller each arranged at a respective end of the draper assembly spaced apart along the cutter bar with an axis of each guide roller arranged substantially at right angles to the cutter bar;
• the draper assembly including a draper canvas forming a continuous loop of flexible material wrapped around the rollers so as to define an upper run of the draper canvas on top of the rollers and a lower run of the draper canvas below the rollers and so as to define an outer surface of the draper canvas which faces outwardly of the loop that the outer surface forms the upper surface of the upper run and the lower surface of the lower run and an opposed inner surface of the draper canvas which faces inwardly of the loop;
• the draper canvas comprising a continuous belt of a fabric material having an inner surface for engaging a plurality of rollers and an outer surface for engaging a material to be carried thereon;
• at least one of the rollers forming a drive roller for driving movement of the belt;
• the drive roller comprising a cylindrical metal roller body having an outer metal cylindrical surface surrounding an axis of rotation of the roller for engaging the inner surface of the belt;
• and a plurality of hard wear-resistant elements clad onto the outer metal surface of the roller body so as to be raised therefrom;
• wherein the elements have a height and width arranged such that the elements do not engage into corresponding recesses in the inner surface of the belt, which surface is free from recesses shaped and arranged to receive the raised elements.

A drive roller for a draper canvas comprising:

• a cylindrical metal roller body having an outer metal cylindrical surface surrounding an axis of rotation of the roller for engaging a drive surface of the canvas wrapped therearound;
• and a plurality of ribs on the outer metal surface of the roller body so as to be raised therefrom;
• the ribs extending longitudinally of the roller at angularly spaced positions therearound;
• the ribs having a height less than 6 mm and a width less than 6 mm and being arranged such that the ribs do not engage into any recesses in the drive surface of the canvas
• the ribs being formed of a hard metallic material and a binder and being clad onto the outer metal surface of the roller.