US3101579A

US3101579A - Corn picker

Info

Publication number: US3101579A
Application number: US32313A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elof K Karlsson; Edwin L Stevens
Original assignee: International Harverster Corp
Current assignee: Navistar Inc
Priority date: 1960-05-27
Filing date: 1960-05-27
Publication date: 1963-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1980-08-27
Also published as: FR1295640A

Description

1963 E. K. KARLSSON ETAL 3,101,579

CORN PICKER Filed May 27, 1960 1o Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. 64% 32. mm

1963 E. K. KARLSSON ETAL 3,101,579

CORN PICKER' Filed May 27. 1960 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. 4 x Mm ywlh weal;

E. K. KARLSSON ETAL 3,101,579

CORN PICKER Aug. 27, 1963 IN VEN TORS.

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CORN PICKER Filed May 27, 1960 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 Y WAD-M y Aug. 27, 1963 E. K. KARLSSON ETAL CORN PICKER l0 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 27. 1960 INlfENTORS.

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CORN PICKER Filed May 2'7. 1960 10 Sheets-Sheet l0 IN V EN TORS.

f6. Mzsmv 6:50:52, yiea/ens United States Patent 3,101,579 CGRN PICKER Elof K. Karlsson, Moline, and Edwin L. Stevens, Rock Island, llL, assignors to International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 27, 1960, Ser. No. 32,313 7 Claims. (Cl. 56-18) This invention relates to a new and improved corn picker.

Corn pickers have existed in substantially their present form for many years. It has been a common expedient in corn pickers to employ cooperative rolls to cause a stalk engaged between the rolls to be pulled downwardly until such time as the ear on the stalk reaches the juncture between the snapping rolls, whereupon the ear being too large to pass between the rolls is pulled from the stalk. The snapped ears are then taken from other mechanisms of the machine to husk the snapped ears and, in some machines, to remove the kernels of corn from the cob. The surface conformations of the cooperative snapping rolls become extremely important when it is considered that the stalks must be positively engaged and forced down between the rolls. If the rolls are too aggressive there is a tendency to bite into and damage a portion of the heel of the ear on the stalk. If, on the other hand, the rolls are not sufficiently aggressive there is a possibility the stalk will be lost and not only will the stalk drop out of the machine but also the car on the stalk. It is thus important that the rolls be sufiiciently aggressive and arranged in interengaging fashion so that the stalks will be firmly gripped throughout their downward movement and yet not sutficiently aggressive so that the ears, will be damaged during the snapping operation. It isextrernely difiicult to find an intermediate position of aggressiveness such that the desired conditions will be fulfilled. In recent years there have come into use elements called stripper plates which are used over aggressive snapping rolls, or what now must be termed stalk feeding rolls. These stripper plates prevent engagement of the ears of corn with the aggressive feeding rolls and yet the pulling of the stalk downwardly between the rolls causes a snapping of the ears as they engage the stripper plates.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a corn picker snapping unit with stripper plates that adjust simultaneously in an equidistant amount from th center line of a row of corn.

Still another important object of this invention is to equip a corn picker with stripper plates over stalk feeding rolls and wherein the opening between the stripper plates remains directly over the point of engagement of the cooperative stalk feeding rolls despite the fact the stripper plates are capable of a relatively wide range of adjustment toward and away from each other to open and/ or close the opening between the stripper plates.

Another and still further important object of this invention is to provide adjustable means in a corn picker for varying the spacing between cooperative stripper plates which are disposed over aggressive stalk feeding rolls.

Another and further important object of invention is the provision of a transversely disposed polygonally shaped actuator rod having spaced apart threaded sleeves rotatable therewith and fixed against separate longitudinal movement, nuts engaging the threaded sleeves, and linkage means actuated by said nuts for moving the stripper plates toward or away from each other upon rotation of the actuator rod.

Another and still further important object of this invention is to provide an aggregating means for snapped ears of corn in .a corn harvester.

Still another important object of this invention is to equip a corn harvester with row picking units and with a transversely disposed ear aggregating auger.

A still further important object of this invention is the provision of an ear aggregating transversely disposed auger arranged for disposition relative to the ear discharge surface of thepicking units such that the ears will be delivered into that portion of the auger screw flight above the auger core and beneath the top surface thereof.

Other and further important objects and advantages will become apparent from the disclosures in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a corn picker of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the corn picker portion of this invention as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of a corn picking unit forming a part of the device of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4- is a perspective view showing generally the top and side of the ear severing picker unit of FIGURES 2 and 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, partly in schematic form, taken on the line -5-5 cf FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an end View taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 3 and on a scale enlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 3 and on a scale enlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8--8 of FIGURE 3 and on a scale enlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view detail of the ear stripper plates used in this invention and showing the operating mechanisms therefor;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 1010 of FIGURE 9 and on a scale enlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE '11 is an end view detail taken on the line 1-111 of FIGURE 9 and one scale enlarged with respect to the scale of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of a portion of the corn picker unit with parts removed to show interior construction; and

FIGURE 13 is a sectionalview taken on the line 13-13 of FIGURE 12.

As shown in the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a corn harvesting machine. The machine 10 is supported on relatively widely spaced-apart large traction wheels 11 and further carried by rear smaller diriigi ble wheels 12-by which the vehicle is steered and directed through a field of standing corn. The forward end of the corn harvester 10 is equipped with a corn head 13, which in the present instance consists of four row type corn picking units. In other words, the corn harvester is capable of picking four rows of. corn simultaneously. The corn head 13 includes outside divider elements 14- and 15 and intermediately disposed center dividers 16, 17 and 18. The four row corn head 13 is arranged and constructed as will hereafter be described with mechanism for removing ears of corn from standing stalks and thereafter elevating those snapped ears upwardtute the forward portion of any propulsion device such as, for example, a specially designed corn sheller. The grain combine shown in the drawings is included merely to show a complete machine but it does not constitute a part of the present invention. In order to further describe the environment of the invention the grain combine includes an operators platform 21, a seat '22, a steering wheel 23, operating pedals 24, and operating levers 25-.

The invention herein is concerned with the corn picking units and their construction. As stated previously, there are four such corn picking units shown in the corn head 13. A transverse bridge 26 extends across the upper ends of the four picking units, which for convenience will be designated 27, 28, 29 and 30*. The picking unit 27 is flanked by the divider points 14 and 16, the picking unit 28 is flanked by the divider points 16 and 17, the picking unit 29 is flanked by the divider points 17 and 18, and the picking unit 30 is flanked by the divider points 18- and 15. The corn picked by each of the four

units

27, 28, 29 and 30 is carried upwardly and rear-wardly by suitable mechanism to be hereafter described, and then at the position of the transverse bridge 26 the ear corn is aggregated in a posit-ion at the center thereof adjacent the feeder housing 19 by means of a transversely disposed auger 31 as best shown in FIGURE 2.

For convenience the picker unit 27 shall be described in detail and is shown in relative detail in FIGURES 3 through 11 inclusive. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the outside divider point 14 is arranged and constructed to slide over the ground as shown at 3-2. It is the runction of the divider 14, and similarly the dividers 15, 16, 17 and 18, to guide standing and down stalks into one of the

picker units

27, 28, 29' or 39. Following the stalks entrance between adjacent divider elements, such as 14 and 16 for the picker unit 27, the stalks are thereafter grasped by cooperative fingered chain elements 33 and 34', as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. Fingers 35 on the chain 33 and fingers 36 on the chain 34 have their adjoining runs moving upwardly and rearwardly in the direction of the arrow 37 such that the stalks designated at 38 and 39, will be grasped between the

fingers

35 and 36 and be carried rearwardly in the picking unit 27. The

gathering chains

33 and 34 are clearly shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The chain 33 is mounted on spaced-apart

sprockets

40 and 41. Similarly the endless chain 34 is extended around spaced

sprockets

42 and 43. As shown in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 as in FIGURE 3, the inwardly extending

fingers

35 and 36 of the gathering chains 3-3 and 34-, respectively, approach each other at substantially the center line of the gathering unit 27 and, as previously stated, the stalks 38 and 39 carrying the ears of corn to be harvested are firmly but positively guided through the gathering unit by the

cooperative chains

33 and 34. In order to make the gathering chains more aggressive in moving trash and stalks through the machine there is provided upwardly extending lugs 35a fixedly attached to the lugs 35.

Immediately to the rear of the forward ends of the

chains

33 and 34 are the forward ends 44 and 45 of cooperative feed rolls 46 and 47 as best shown in- FIGURE 3. These rolls 46 and 47 are shown in detail in FIGURES and 7. The feed rolls 46 and 47 are what the industry terms very aggressive rolls as they include radially projecting spaced-apart blade-like members designated by the numeral 48 on the

roll

46, and 49 on the roll 47. The radial blade members 48 and 49 are intercalated with each other such that one blade from one roll passes between the blades of the adjacent roll so that a stalk carried through the forward ends 44 and 45 of the rolls and into the scope of travel of the blades 48 and '49 will be positively pulled downwardly by a biting-in action from opposite sides of the stalk by each of the rolls in a stepped relationship so that the stalk is gripped at one side while it is held between spaced blades of the opposite roll and thence alternatively is bitten into by a blade of the other roll while it is held by spaced-apart blades of the first roll. This, of course, occasions very harsh treatment to the stalks and would tend to chop up and cause a loss or damage to ears of corn which might reach the juncturebetween the feeding rolls 46 and 47. However, as previously stated, the feeding rolls 46 and 47 are no longer the snapping rolls as in previous machines, but merely the means for pulling stalks down therethrough. The ears are in fact snapped or stripped from these stalks by reason of

adjustable stripper plates

56 and 51. The stalk feeding roll 47 may be adjusted toward or away from its cooperarive feeding roll 46 by means of an adjusting mechanism which has not been shown in detail herein as it is not a part of the present invention. The adjusting mechanism employed is similar in construction to the device of my previous Patent 2,645,075.

The cooperative feed rolls 46 and 47 have mating spur gears 52 and '53 respectively at their upper rearward ends such that when one roll is rotatably driven the other is simultaneously driven in the opposite direction. The roll 46 is provided with a further rearward extension 54 beyond the spur gear 52 and this extension 54 carries a sprocket 55 through which the rolls receive their drive.

As stated in the objects above, one of the principal purposes of the present device is to provide the

stripper plates

50 and 51 with means for adjusting them toward and away iirom a line coinciding with a row of standing corn. The stalks shown at 38 and 39 in FIGURE 3 are illustrative of the conditions which the machine will encounter in the picking of corn. The stripping

plates

56 and 51 are shown in substantial detail in FIGURES 9, l0 and 11. FIGURE 9 shows the

plates

50 and 51 in relation to one another wherein they are spaced apart at the center thereof defining a longitudinal passage 56 through which the corn stalks '38 and 39 may pass. However, the

plates

50 and 51 must be sufficiently close together to prevent passage 0t ears of corn which are growing on the stalks 38 and 39. This, then, prevents contact of the ears of corn with the aggressive feed rolls 46 and 47. In

many instances it is desired to vary the width or the "of the passage 56 relatively uniform from the lower forward ends of the

plates

50 and 51 to the upper rearward ends of the plates.

The device of this invention employs a frame-supporting structure 57 on which all of the elements are carried.

3 In FIGURE 9 the frame-supporting structure 57 is shown as journa lly supporting generally longitudinally extending and forwardly and downwardly inclined

tubular members

58 and 59. Each of the

journalled rod members

58 and 59 includes upstanding ears or lugs as shown at 60 and 61 on the rod 58 and 62 and 63' on the rod 59. These jears or lugs 60', 61, 62. and 63 are weldably or otherwise fastened to the

rods

58 and 59 so that when the rods are rotated the ears move with and swing through an arc the same degree of rotation made by the

rods

58 and 59. Downwardly extending projections or lugs 64 and 65 are provided on the stripper plate 50 and similarly downwardly extending projections or lugs 66 and 67 are provided on the stripper plate 51. The depending

bracket members

64 and 65 are shown in greater detail in FIG- URES l0 and 11. The

lugs

64 and 65 are attached by means or welds or the like 68 and 69 to the plate 50. It should be understood that the depending lugs 66 and 67 for the plate 51 are similarly weldab-ly attached. Hinge pins '70 and 71 join the

lugs

60 and 64 and the

lugs

61 and 65 as shown FIGURES 10 and 11 respectively. Similar hinge pins 72 and 73 join the lug members 62 and 63 on the rotatable rod 59 with the depending lugs 66 and 67 on the plate 51. It should thus be apparent that as the rods 58 and 59' are rotated in their journal mountings the

plates

50 and 51 are moved in or out depending upon the direction of swinging movement of the lug or

bracket members

60, 61, 62 and 63.

Manually operable means are provided for moving the

stripper plates

50 and 51 either toward or away from one another. Arm members-74 and '75 are fixedly mounted on the ends of the

shafts

58 and 59 respectively. The lower ends of each of these

lever members

74 and 75 is provided with a forked

end

76 and 77 which carries a

nut

78 and 79 respectively. The nut 78 forming a part of the lever 74 and its iorked end 76 is threadedly engaged with a screw member 80 which is formed as a sleeve with a polygoually shaped axial central passage 81 to receive or slidably mount over a comparably polygonally shaped cross rod 82. Similarly the nut 79 threadedly engages a sleeve screw 83 which is also provided with a polygonally shaped axial central opening 84 which rides on and over the comparably polygonally shaped rod 82. A removable crank member 85 is provided with a socket attaching portion 86 to engage an outer end lot the polygonally shaped rod 82 and with a hand engaging element 87 at the outer end thereof. the hand crank 85-87 is rotated the

levers

74 and 75 are swung through an

arcuate'path causingthe rods

58 and 59 to be rotated. The externally threaded sleeves 80' and 8 3 have oppositely pitched threads so that when the crank 85 is turned by means of the hand engaging member 87 the actuating levers 74 and 75 are swung inwardly toward each other or outwardly away from each other to produce a uniform inward or outward movement oi the

stripper plates

50 and 51. Thus there is a movement of the plates about a center line through the space 56 between the plates and identical with the row on which the corn stalks 38 and 39 are being picked. It is therefore apparent that adjustment of the stripper plates is made relative to the center line of a row of corn, or to the row axis, and the spacing is uniform for both of

plates

50 and 51 relative to such center line. In other words one plate does not move a greater distance away from the center line of the row than does its cooperative plate.

The frame-supporting structure 57 as shown in FIG- URE 11 includes a bracket member 88 having a generally horizontally disposed top flange 89, a generally vertically disposed flange 90, and a rearwardly or outwardly extending flange 91. The bracket 88 provides a journal support for the rod member 58 which as previously stated holds the upstanding lugs 60' and 61 for effecting an inand-out movement of the stripper plate 50. The top flange member 89 provides a general support for the stripper plate 50 in its sliding movement in or out from the center line of the row of corn. Actually the stripper plate 50 moves in a relatively low arc in its inaand-out movement by reason of the arcuate swinging movement of the

lugs

60 and 61 about the rod 58. However, the arcuate movement is so slight as to be not appreciable in the in-and out movement of the plate 50 and in effect the plate does slide over the top flange '89 of the bracket 88 forming a part of the frame-supporting structure 57. A comparable bracket 92 is provided on the other side of the machine to support the stripper plate 51. The bracket 92 similarly has an upper flange member 93 on which the stripper plate slida'bly or arcuately moves inwardly and outwardly toward or away from the stripper plate 50. Bracket 92 further includes a relatively vertically disposed flange 94 and a rearwardly extending flange 95 which journally carries the rod 59 about which the stripper plate is arcuately mounted.

The stripper plates have mounted thereover the

gathering chains

33 and 34, as previously described. The upper ends of the

chains

33 and 34 receive driving power from a shafit 96 disposed transversely in the picking unit at the upper end thereof as shown in FIGURE 3. Means, not shown, are provided for imparting rotation to this transversely disposed shaft 96 which is journally mounted depending member 64 on the stripper plate 50. bracket member 64 includes a right angled flange member ings 105 and 106. These bearings 105 and 106 are of course supported in the frame-supporting structure 57 and have mounted at their upper ends the

sprockets

41 and 43. These sprockets, as previously described, form part of the gathering chain assemblies and by reason of their rotation impart rotational movement to the

gathering chains

33 and 34. The fastening of the bevel gears 101 and 102 to their

shatts

103 and 104 respectively is accomplished by locking

pins

107 and 108. Similarly, the

sprockets

41 and 43 at the upper ends of these

same shafts

103 and 104 are fastened to the shafts by means of locking cross pins 109 and 110.

The depending bracket 64 (FIGURE 10) which is welded to the. underside of the stripper plate 50 is pro vided with an elongated slot 111 which is generally horizontally disposed and is adapted to receive the pin which joins the lug 60 from the rod 58 to the bracket or The 112. An eyebolt 113 is positioned through the flange 112 and-exitends laterally with its eye portion 114 surrounding the pin 70.

Locknuts

115 and 116 flank the flange 112 on the eyebolt 113 to thereby hold the eyebolt in fixed adjusted position relative to the flange 112. In the position of the device as shown in FIGURE 10, the pin 70 is held by the eyebolt in its extreme outer position of the elongated slot 111 whereas by adjustment the eyebolt could be repositioned with respect to the flange 112 by loosening and thereafter retightening the

locknuts

115 and 116 such that the pin 70 may be shifted anywhere along the elongated slot 111 including the position at the extreme inner end. The stripper plate 50 and similarly the plate 51 may have a slight toeing in at its lower end so that the space 56 may not always be uniform throughout the full length of the

stripper plates

50 and 51. The adjustments as shown in FIGURE 10 are duplicated on the other side for stripper plate 51, and thus it is possible to make small adjustments for the

plates

50 and 51 to provide for some slight convergence or divergence of the plates.

For purposes of convenience in describing the movement of the

stripper plates

50 and 51 toward and away from each other there is designated in the drawing a center line or row axis 117 shown in FIGURES 3,6, 7, 8 and 9.

This axis or row center 117 is a continuation of the row '33 and 34 whereafter the stalks are delivered into the forward ends of the cooperative feed rolls 46 and 47. At this point the radial ribs 48 and 49 on these

rolls

46 and 47 which are intercalated with each other relative to the center 117 cause a downward pulling on the stalks between the spaced stripper plates 50 and '51 and between the gathering

chains

33 and 34. The inner edges of the

stripper plates

50 and 51 are curved downwardly in a roll-like manner, as shown at 118 and 119, where upon there is a smooth surface presented to any car of corn which may be on the stalks 38 and 39. The cars of corn which are to be harvested by this machine do not get into the aggressive feeding rolls 46 and 47, but rather the lateral space 56 between the

plates

50 and 51 is such that the ears of corn cannot pass. When the ears of corn on the stalk reach the surface of the

stripper plates

50 and 51 and the

aggressive rolls

46 and 47 continue their downward pulling on the stalks 38 and 39, the ears are snapped or stripped from the stalks and the

gathering chains

33 and 34 continue moving the'now snapped ears of corn upwardly and rearwardly in the combination to insure holding the chains down in proximity to the upper surfaces of the

stripper plates

50 and 51. Angle mem-.

bers

122 and 123 are part of the frame-supporting structure 57 and are arranged to carry the bracket or clip -members 120 and 121 and also carry the supporting sheet metal shown at 124 and 125. These same angle members also hold the stnipper plates from moving vertically. The lower portion of the sheet metal surface of the gathering units such as shown at 27, 28, 29 and 30 acts to guide standing corn into the picker while the upper portion directs ears of corn into the gathering chains. The snapped ears of corn 126 as shown in FIGURE 13 are moved by the fingers 35 on the gathering chains 33 upwardly into a beater-like rotor 127. This rotor member includes a transversely disposed shaft 128 and generally radially extending

paddle members

129 and 130. The rotor is turned in the direction of the arrow 131 and is adapted to sweep down at the rearward end of the ears 126 as they reach the upper end of the gathering chains and kick or urge the ears 126 and any broken stalks into the upper half of the cross auger 31.

As shown in FIGURE '13, the auger 31 is provided with a central core member 132 and a screw flight 133. The auger 31 rotates in the direction of the arrow 134 to thereupon feed ears of corn from both sides to a central portion of the auger 31 which is provided with radiallyprojecting blade or

paddle members

135 and 136 from the central core 132 to cause a feeding or delivery of the aggregated ears of corn into the feeder housing 19 which, as best shown in FIGURE 2, is provided with an undershot type of feeder conveyor 137. The feeder conveyor 137 comprises spaced-apart endless chain members 133 having cross lugs 139 thereon. The upper ends of the chains are mounted on spaced sprockets 141) on a generally fixed shaft 14-1. The lower ends of the chains comprising the endless undershot conveyor 137 are mounted on spaced sprockets 14 2 which are mounted on a shaft 143 carried by arms 144. The arms 144 are arranged for hinged movement about a rearwardly spaced axis 145.

Thus as a greater or lesser amount of material is fed to:

the undershot conveyor 137 the sprockets 142 and their carrying arms 144 are raised as necessary to permit various amounts of material to pass and be fed beneath the under flight of the chain 137 and thereupon deliver the material upwardly and rearwardly on the floor 146 of the feeder housing 19. From this point the ears of corn are fed to the threshing or separating units of the machine, as previously described. 7

The transition of the ears of corn 126 from the

gathering chains

33 and 34 to the cross auger 31 is accomplished as stated by the beater members 127 which are disposed at the upper end of each of the

gathering units

27, 28, 29 and 30. The relationship of the cross auger 3-1 with the upper end of the gathering units is suchthat the lower portion of the auger is substantially beneath the surface of the discharging level of the gathering units. As the ears 126 are kicked or nudged into the trough 14-7 defining the space in which the auger 31 rotates there is no tendency for the ears of corn to fall forwardly and thus out of the gathering units whereupon the ears of corn would be lost. Rather, the fact that the cross auger 31 is depressed in the trough 147 and the ears 126 are fed to the portions of the screw flight 133 above the auger core 132 tends to maintain control over the harvested ears of corn until they are safely delivered to a central aggregating section of the trough 147. Thereafter, as previously stated, the

straight paddle members

135 and 136 on the auger act to feed the harvested cars into the undershot feeder conveyor 137 as previously described. The fact that the upper flight of the auger is in the same plane as the upwardly feeding gathering chains prevents a loss of 'stantially uniformly at all times.

control of broken stalks which are fed with the stripped cars. If the auger were further depressed broken stalks could bridge the top of the receiving hopper and cause a jamming of harvested material while if the auger were raised it would have a tendency to repel or back-feed material fed to it by the beater or paddle wheel 127. Thus the auger in its particular location functions to smoothly and uninterruptedly feed harvested corn and stalk material to the central section of the receiving hopper.

As best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the sprockets 4t) and 42 are journally supported on brackets 148 and 149 which in turnare yieldably extended by means of

coil springs

150 and 151. This mounting provides for a constant tensionin-g of the

gathering chains

33 and 34 sub- Such constantly tensioned chains positively feed stalks upwardly and rearwardly into the stalk feeding rolls. Thereafter these same chains feed the snapped or stripped ears 126 upwardly and rearwardly for further treatment by the machine after they have been stripped from the stalks by means of the

stripper plates

50 and 51.

In the operation of the machine of this. invention the device is propelled through a field of standing corn such that the gathering points 14 and 16, 16 and 17, 1'7 and 18, and 18 and 15 each flank a row of corn so that standing corn stalks are fed into the combination gathering and picking units as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 through which various sections have been taken to disclose the interior construction thereof. The stalks are first gripped by the inwardly projecting

fingers

35 and 36 of the gatherin-

g chains

33 and 34. Following the gripping of the stalks by the gathering chains they are fed into the scope of the cooperative stalk feeding rolls 46 and 47. These rolls 46 and 47 with their radial ribs 48 and 43 alternately engage the stalk on the row center 117 to cause a positive downward pulling of the stalk. The stalk pulling continues until the ears of corn on the stalks are stripped from the stalks by the ears engaging the upper surfaces of the

stripper plates

50 and 51. Following release or stripping of the ears from the stalks the

gathering chains

33 and 34 now move the snapped ears 126, as shown in FIGURE 13, upwardly and rearwardly for eventual engagement by the paddle wheel or rotor 127. This rotor with its radial paddles 129 and 134) causes the corn to be impelled into the upper portion of a depressed cross auger 31. The differential in height between the discharge floor of the gathering unit and the floor of the trough 147 insures the retention of the corn within the trough for delivery to the center and thereafter to the feeder housing and the undershot conveyor 137. As previously explained, the undershot conveyor 137 takes the harvested ears of corn upwardly and rearwardly through the feeder housing 19 and delivers it to the separating mechanism in the housing 20. The adjustment of the

stripper plates

50 and 51, as described in detail previously, is accomplished by the hand crank which moves the plates inwardly and outwardly from the row axis of center 117. In the construction shown and described the movement of the plates is symmetrical about this row center 117 throughout the full length of the

plates

50 and 51. Minor adjustments may be made in the convergence or divergence of the forward ends of the plates 51) and 5 1 by adjustment of the pins 70 in the elongated slots 111 by means of the eyebolt 113 as previously described.

. I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied throughout a wide range without departing from to pull said stalks downwardly, a pair of spaced-apart stripper plates disposed above said stalk feeding rolls, and means on said frame-supporting structure coupled to each of said stripper plates for eifecting a concomitant and symmetrical displacement of each of said stripper plates with respect to said row axis to adjust the spacing between said stripper plates.

2. A com picker comprising a frame-supporting structure, gathering means on said frame-supporting structure for guiding standing corn stalks in a row into said picker, a pair of cooperative stalk feeding rolls arranged longitudinally in said picker and parallel to the row of standing corn stalks with one of each of said pair of rolls positicned on each side of said row of standing corn stalks, a pair of longitudinally extending laterally spaced apart stripper plates respectively disposed above said pair of cooperative stalk feeding rolls, and means on said framesupporting structure coupled to each of said stripper plates for simultaneously adjusting the spacing of said stripper plates symmetrically about the row of standing com 'as a center.

3. A com picker as set forth in claim 2 in which the means for adjusting the spacing of said stripper plates includes a pair of longitudinally extending rods, one of said rods being journalled in said frame-supporting structure generally beneath each of said stripper plates, each of said stripper plates having downwardly depending brackets affixed to the bottom thereof at longitudinally spaced-apart positions, each of said rods having spacedaapart upwardly extending lugs atfixed thereto, a hinge pin joining each of said depending brackets with an upwardly extending lug, 'and means for rocking each of said rods.

4. A corn picker as set forth in claim 3 in which the means for rocking each of said rods includes a transversely extending polygonaily shaped rod, spaced-apart externally threaded sleeves slida bly mounted along said polygonally shaped transverse rod, an arm depending from each of said longitudinal rods, a nut fastened to each of said depending arms at the lower end thereof, said nuts respectively engaging the externally threaded sleeves, and crank means engaging the polygonally' shaped transverse rod to efiect rotation thereof and related movement of the stripper plates symmetrically inwardly or outwardly with respect to said center line.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which at least a given one of the downwardly depending brackets includes a transversely disposed elongated slot, and means for adjustably positioning the hinge pin associated with said given bracket in said elongated slot to vary the angular relationship of the stripper plates.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 inwhich said means for adjustably positioning said hinge pin comprises a generally horizontally disposed eye bolt threadedly engaging said given bracket and having its eye surrounding the hinge pin associated with said given bracket.

7. A corn harvester comprising a plurality of side by side corn picking and gathering units, means for stripping ears of corn from said stalks, gathering chains on said corn picking and gathering units arranged and constructed to guide and convey standing stalks into said corn picking and gathering units, and to convey stripped ears of corn upwardly and rearwardly in said corn picking and gathering units, a transversely disposed trough disposed across the upper end of said corn picking and gathering units, an auger coonveyor in said trough having a central core and screw flights therearound for aggregating said stripped ears of corn in one part of said trough, with the floor of said trough disposed below the adjacent floor level of the corn picking and gathering units and only the portion of said screw flights extending above said central core being at a level above said adjacent floor level, and ear corn paddle means in the corn picker and gathering uni-ts adjacent the juncture of said units with said transverse trough in cooperative relation with said auger conveyor to efiect a positive movement of said ears from the corn pick-er and gathering units to said trough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,406,058 Boone Aug. 20, 1946 2,536,148 Andrews Jan. 2, 1951 2,542,646 Fergason Feb. 20, 1951 2,663,983 Fergason Dec. 29, 1953 Bulfer Feb. 1, 1955

Claims

1. A CORN PICKER FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE AXIS OF A ROW OF CORN STALKS COMPRISING A FRAME-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, MEANS ON SAID FRAME-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR GUIDING AND FEEDING STANDING CORN STALKS INTO SAID PICKER, A PAIR OF COOPERATE STALK FEEDING ROLLS ARRANGED AND CONSTRUCTED TO PULL SAID STALKS DOWNWARDLY, A PAIR OF SPACED-APART STRIPPER PLATES DISPOSED ABOVE SAID STALK FEEDING ROLLS, AND MEANS ON SAID FRAME-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE COUPLED TO EACH OF SAID STRIPPER PLATES FOR EFFECTING A CONCOMITANT AND SYMMETRICAL DISPLACEMENT OF EACH OF SAID STRIPPER PLATES WITH RESPECT TO SAID ROW AXIS TO ADJUST THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID STRIPPER PLATES.