CONVERTING A CORN HEAD ROW UNIT FOR HARVESTING CORN STALKS IN ADDITION TO EARS

• US 20110011048A1
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Hoffman, Daniel Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,134 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/119
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 45/023 Gathering chains of belts

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.

Claims

1. A corn head for a harvesting machine adapted to advance over a field of corn planted in rows, comprising:

a transversely elongated main frame;

a plurality of transversely spaced row units including row unit frames extending forwardly from the main frame, each row unit having a drive arrangement including a pair of fore-and-aft extending, parallel snapping roll drive shafts configured to drive a pair of fore-and-aft extending snapping rolls, and a pair of upright, parallel gathering chain drive shafts, a pair of idler shafts being respectively mounted to a pair of chain tensioner arrangements respectively supported at upper forward regions of the row unit frame respectively in fore-and-aft alignment with said pair of gathering chain drive shafts, a pair of drive sprockets being respectively mounted on said pair of gathering chain drive shafts and a pair of idler sprockets being respectively mounted on said pair of idler shafts, and a pair of endless gathering chains being respectively looped one about each of the fore-and-aft aligned drive and idler sprockets and including gathering elements spaced along said chains, the improvement comprising;

each row unit including at least one cutting disk being removably mounted beneath the idler sprocket on a first one of said pair of idler shafts for tracing a path passing above said row unit frame for cutting corn stalks so that corn stalks together with ears of corn are harvested, whereby said at least one cutting disk may be removed from said first one of said pair of idler shafts and a pair of snapping rolls may be respectively mounted on said pair of snapping roll drive shafts when it is desired to harvest only ears of corn.

2. The corn head, as defined in claim 1, and further including a pair of fore-and-aft extending snapping rolls being respectively mounted to said pair of snapping roll drive shafts, whereby said at least one cutting disk and any other cutting disk may be removed from said pair of idler shafts so that only ears of corn may be harvested.

3. The corn head, as defined in claim 1, wherein a second cutting disk is removably mounted beneath the idler sprocket on a second of said pair of idler shafts at a second location above said row unit frame, whereby said at least one and second cutting disks cooperate with each other to cut corn stalks when it is desired to harvest corn stalks along with ears of corn.

4. The corn head, as defined in claim 2, and further including a shield arrangement mounted to each said row unit frame in covering relationship to said pair of snapping rolls for preventing stalks from being engaged by the snapping rolls, whereby corn stalks along with ears of corn may be harvested.

5. The corn head, as defined in claim 2, wherein said gathering elements of said pair of gathering chains have having a stalk-grasping characteristic for aiding in the harvesting of corn stalks along with ears of corn.

15. The corn head, as defined in claim 4, wherein said shield arrangement comprises first and second deck plates mounted to a top surface of each said row unit frame for adjustment toward and away from each other between a first position, wherein a stalk receiving throat is defined between them, and a second position, wherein said throat is closed;

and said deck plates being in said second position when it is desired to shield the snapping rolls from corn stalks so that the stalks along with ears may be harvested.

6. (canceled)

7. A method of transforming a conventional corn head including row units, each comprising a fore-and-aft extending frame supporting a pair of snapping rolls, a pair of gathering chains, each trained about a fore-and-aft aligned set of drive and idler sprockets located at a level above said snapping rolls and a drive arrangement coupled for driving said pair of snapping rolls and a pair of gathering chain drive shafts on which said chain drive sprockets are mounted, comprising the step of:

a. mounting at least one cutting disk for being driven together with one of said idler sprockets so as to trace a path extending above said frame.

8. The method, as defined in claim 7, and further including the step of shielding said pair of snapping rolls from engaging stalks cut by said at least one cutting disk.

9. The method, as defined in claim 7, and further defining step (a) by mounting a cutting disk for rotation with each said idler sprocket.

10. The method, as defined in claim 7, and further including the step of replacing said pair of gathering chains with a pair of gathering chains including gathering elements having a stalk grasping characteristic.

11. A kit for transforming a conventional corn head row unit including a pair of snapping rolls and a pair of gathering chains for harvesting corn ears into a row unit for harvesting corn ears together with corn stalks, comprising:

at least one cutting disk adapted for being driven together with one of said pair of gathering chains.

12. The kit, as defined in claim 11, and further including a second cutting disk adapted for being driven together with another of said pair of gathering chains, and said first and second disks being sized for overlapping a central location between said pair of gathering chains.

13. The kit, as defined in claim 12, and further including a second pair of gathering chains having a stalk grasping characteristic for replacing said first mentioned pair of gathering chains.

14. The kit, as defined in claim 11, and further including a shield arrangement for deflecting stalks cut by said cutting disk away from said pair of snapping rolls or away from a pair of snapping roll drive shafts respectively remaining after removal of said pair of snapping rolls.