Abstract: A pivoting gathering auger for a row unit of a harvesting header. The gathering auger cooperates with a striper plate to remove useable parts from crop stalks gathered in a crop passage and to convey the stripped useable parts rearward into the cross auger of the header. The gathering auger pivots in a vertical plane between a first position for harvesting and a second position for maintenance. While in the maintenance position, a distal end of the gathering auger does not communicate with the cross auger. The useable parts are conveyed rearward free of obstruction to the cross auger.

Abstract: A gathering auger of a harvesting header driven independently from the speed of the harvester. In one embodiment, a row unit of the header includes at last one powered snap roll in combination with a stripper plate for removing useable parts from crop stalks. The gathering auger is powered by a first drive means and the powered snap roll is powered by a second drive means such that the gathering auger and the powered snap roll are operated at different speeds.

Abstract: A method for harvesting crops with an attachment for an agricultural vehicle. The attachment includes at least one crop passage for gathering crop stalks where the crop stalks are urged laterally toward a fore-and-aft extending gathering auger. The crop stalks in the crop passage are pulled toward the ground in other than a straight down manner and useable parts from the crop stalks are conveyed rearward with the gathering auger.

Abstract: A pivoting gathering auger for a row unit of a harvesting header. The gathering auger cooperates with a striper plate to remove useable parts from crop stalks gathered in a crop passage and to convey the stripped useable parts rearward into the cross auger of the header. The gathering auger pivots in a vertical plane between a first position for harvesting and a second position for maintenance. While in the maintenance position, a distal end of the gathering auger does not communicate with the cross auger. The useable parts are conveyed rearward free of obstruction to the cross auger.

Abstract: A transverse conveying screw for a harvesting front attachment. The tranverse conveying screw includes a body, screw elements disposed around the body adapted to convey material from the outer ends of the body toward the center of the body, and a ring-shaped terminal disc disposed between the screw elements. The terminal disc lies in a plane oriented at an angle, ?, with respect to a plane extending orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the body.

Abstract: This row unit utilizes an improved multi-zone, multi-functional stalk roll, which contains a novel revolving entry window to improve entry and increase engagement of the fluted portion of the stalk roll flutes with the corn stalk. The stalk rolls described are multi-sectional and contain multi-length variable flutes. The number of flutes described for each zone may vary as well as whether the flutes are meshing or non-meshing and angled or non-angled. The stalk rolls described allow a constant speed drive shaft to create lower and/or higher effective circumferential contact speeds within each zone of the stalk roll. The invention provides that the rotating transport vanes located on the helical nose cone at the entry area to the stalk roll flutes lock the corn stalk into a revolving entry window. This novel row unit contains a multi-zone, multi-functional stripper plate that ensures minimal ear wedging and maximum discharge of material other than ears.

Abstract: An intake and plucking arrangement comprises a rotatable intake device that grasps a standing plant and directs it to a plucking gap. The plucking gap is located above parallel first and second stalk rolls that pull the stalk of the plant downwardly so that the plucking gap can separate the useful parts of the plant from the stalk. The upstream end of the first stalk roll is provided with a lower screw conveyor. A conveyor element is drivingly connected to the screw conveyor. The conveying element comprises an upper screw conveyor that is located above the lower screw conveyor. Both screw conveyors are located upstream from and above the inlet end of the plucking slot. The conveying element working in conjunction with the rotatable intake device direct standing plants into the plucking slot.

Abstract: A large round baler includes a wide pick-up which lifts crop from the ground and transfers it to a rotary conveyor including crop centering augers which narrow the crop flow to the width of the baling chamber before it passes through the chamber inlet. The augers are each equipped with crop lifters and associated with each auger is an auger pan structure formed in such a way as to include a relief area into which foreign objects engaged by the crop lifters may go before they are ejected by the rotating crop lifters.

Abstract: An intake and plucking arrangement comprises a rotatable intake device that grasps a standing plant and directs it to a plucking gap. The plucking gap is located above parallel first and second stalk rolls that pull the stalk of the plant downwardly so that the plucking gap can separate the useful parts of the plant from the stalk. The upstream end of the first stalk roll is provided with a lower screw conveyor. A conveyor element is drivingly connected to the screw conveyor. The conveying element comprises an upper screw conveyor that is located above the lower screw conveyor. Both screw conveyors are located upstream from and above the inlet end of the plucking slot. The conveying element working in conjunction with the rotatable intake device direct standing plants into the plucking slot.

Abstract: A harvesting machine, such as a combine, has a number of laterally equispaced, side by side, rotatable augers (14) extending in a forward direction, each auger having a rotatable auger shaft (16) which is included upwardly towards the rear and an auger flight on the shaft. Inclined troughs (32) are located beneath each auger (14) with the auger flight (18) being rotatable in the trough. Inclined slots (28) are also provided which extend rearwardly from respective slot entrances at the forward end of the header, the slots being sufficiently wide to allow passage of stalks of material to be harvested but too narrow to allow passage of crop ears or other material to be collected so that the crop ears or other material to be collected can be stripped from the stalks by the action of the slots during forward movement of the header. The augers are rotated by a drive.

Abstract: A crop harvesting header includes a wide cutter for severing crop across a relatively large cutting width, and framework defining a discharge opening spaced rearwardly from the cutter. The discharge opening has a width that is less than the cutting width such that crop severed laterally outboard of the discharge opening by the cutter must be conveyed inwardly before passing through the opening. At least one laterally extending, rotatable auger is located between the cutter and discharge opening for converging severed crop centrally from the areas located laterally outboard of the discharge opening and to project the crop through the opening when rotated. The header includes an auger support for rotatably supporting the auger between its opposite ends on the header framework so that the auger is capable of spanning the long distance corresponding to the large cutting width defined by the sickle bar.

Abstract: A row crop header for a harvesting machine includes a frame, a first row unit supported by the frame, a second row unit supported by the frame adjacent the first row unit and a multiple row conveyor between the first row unit and the second row unit for conveying crops from the first and second row units.

Abstract: A main frame of a row crop attachment adapted to be attached to a field traversing forage harvester having a crop inlet. An auger, mounted on the main frame generally transverse to the direction of travel of the forage harvester, comprises a tube and flighting mounted on the tube for engaging the upper portion of standing row crops as the forage harvester traverses the field. A transverse cutting assembly, mounted below the auger, has a cutting mechanism for cutting the lower portion of standing row crops. Also mounted below the auger are elements for engaging the lower portion of the stalks in cooperation with the auger flighting under conditions where the auger is rotated in a direction that urges the crop material downwardly and inwardly. After the crop is cut it is urged rearwardly by the auger toward a crop outlet in the attachment adjacent the inlet in the harvester on which the attachment is mounted.

Abstract: A harvesting implement for harvesting of corn and other grain products, to be arranged in front of a harvester thresher, comprises a driven drawing roller having a substantially cylindrical main body and a plurality of impact plates provided with cutouts, a cutting block provided with cutting elements extending through the cutouts, and a counter holder associated with the drawing roller. The counter holder is formed as a driven counter roller which is axes parallel to the picking roller, the counter roller includes a main body with a plurality of segments spaced from one another, the drawing roller and the counter roller are both associated with the one common cutting block, the cutting elements of the cutting block include a plurality of cutters which extend simultaneously in the intermediate spaces between the segments of the counter roller and in the cutouts of the impact plates of the drawing roller.

Abstract: A multi-row crop harvesting attachment for use in combination with a combine consisting of two or more drive sections having a guide edge on each of its two sides, platform sections positioned between each pair of drive sections, each platform section having a guide edge on each of its two sides, each platform section's guide edge in transverse opposition to the adjacent drive section guide edge, and two divider sections positioned outside of each of the outer most drive sections, each divider section having a single guide edge, each divider section's guide edge in transverse opposition to the adjacent drive section guide edge. A longitudinally rearward and narrow flightway for crop stalks is formed by the opposed guide edges. The drive sections further consists of two augers, each positioned over a flightway adjacent to the drive section for guiding crop stalks longitudinally rearward along the flightways.

Abstract: A snapper head for harvesting maize has gathering wheels and a gathering snout for gathering maize stalks of maize plants and for guiding them into a slot in the head. The slot is defined between a snapper plate and a snapper shoulder on the opposite side of the slot to the snapper plate for together snapping crop, that is ears to be harvested, from maize stalks guided into said slot. Beneath the slot there are snapper rolls for engaging stalks within said slot and drawing the stalks downwardly to draw crop against the snapper shoulder and snapper plate for separation from the maize stalks. A conveyor screw extends along an axis substantially parallel to, above, and to one side of said slot for conveying crop separated from maize stalks, away from the slot. The screw can also extend forwardly of the slot for gathering maize into the slot.

Abstract: A variable width tool attachment for use with a vehicle is herein described as generally comprising a complete tool which is split vertically and in the direction of vehicle travel to form two half tools. The two half tools are slidably mounted for mutual relative movement in the direction normal to the direction of vehicle travel, i.e, in the direction of tool width. A hydraulic ram cylinder or the like is operable to move the two half tools to form the desired width.In one form of the invention, a horizontal cutting header is provided with a chain cutter and a chain drive having at least one moveable idler sprocket to take-up and let-out chain in the width direction whenever the width of the tool is varied.