Converting a corn head row unit for harvesting corn stalks in addition to ears

Abstract

A conventional corn head comprises side-by-side row units, each including a frame supporting a pair of snapping rolls below a pair of gathering chains for guiding corn stalks to the snapping rolls which operate to detach corn ears from the stalks, which remain attached to the ground. The row units are each designed such that they can be easily converted for harvesting the entire corn plant by adding one or more cutting disks for being driven together with idler sprockets of the gathering chain arrangement so as to sever the corn stalks from the ground. The gathering chains can also be replaced by chains including stalk grasping arrangements so as to better convey the stalks to a cross conveyor located behind the row units. The snapping rolls can be removed and their drive shafts shielded by deck plates located below the cutting disks when the row units are converted for harvesting entire corn plants. The cutting disks and gathering chains having a stalk grasping characteristic can be provided as part of a kit that is supplied for converting the row units of a conventional corn head into row units for harvesting entire corn plants.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a row-crop combine harvester, and, more particularly, relates to a row unit arrangement for a corn head for such a harvester.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Recently, designers have constructed row-crop combine harvesters so as to be able to collect a desired amount of crop residue (crop-material other than grain) so that this residue can be used for conversion into fuel. However, during the normal process of harvesting corn, most of the stalk is left on the ground with the ears being removed from the stalk using snapping rolls and sent on into the separator and cleaning arrangements where kernels of corn are removed from the cob and other crop residue. U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,561 discloses a row crop harvester of this type. Recovering the stalk material left on the ground has required separate operations, for example, the use of a rotary cutter to sever the stalks from the ground and form a wind row, and the use of a baler t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]According to the present invention, there is provided an improved combine harvester header including row units which can alternatively be used for removing the ears from

Problems solved by technology

While the row units of conventional combine harvesters for harvesting soy beans, milo or sunflowers are equipped with cutter arrangements for severing the stalks from the ground and with gathering devices including a grasping characteristic for grabbing the plant stalks and guiding the latter into cross-conveyors for narrowing the flow of crop to a width commensurate with that of a combine feeder house, these row units are not supplied with snapping rolls, and thus are not suitable for harvesting corn in situations where it is not desired to convey the entire stalk into the combine.

Certainly it would be conceivable to construct a corn head for a combine with row units similar to those used for forage harvesters, where a cutter or cutters is provided for cutting the corn stalks from the ground, but this would require one header to be provided when it is desired to harvest only the ears and a completely separate header to be provided when it is desired to harvest stalks along with the ears, with the additional header being a substantial additional cost.

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