Corn is generally harvested using a corn head 10 as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 1. The corn head 10 is attached to a forward, or leading, end of a combine (not shown in the figure for simplicity) which receives and processes the ears of corn from the corn head. A typical corn head as shown for the corn head 10 in FIG. 1 includes a left end 12 and a right end 14 with plural spaced row units 30 disposed therebetween. Row dividers 16 are displaced through a field such that the individual rows of corn are directed into the gaps 18 between adjacent row dividers which retrieve, lift and direct the rows of corn stalks toward a respective one of the row units 30. Each row unit 30 typically includes the combination of a gathering chain 20 and stripper plates (not shown in FIG. 1 for simplicity) which raise and direct the crop into the ear separation and conveying chamber of an individual row units 30. The stripper plates center the corn plant between a pair of rotating, fluted stalk rolls for discharge onto the soil. The combination of the rotating stalk rolls and stripper plates separate the ears of corn from the remainder of the corn plant as the plant is directed downwardly between the stripper plates and rotating stalk rolls for discharge onto the soil. The thus separated ears of corn are then conveyed rearwardly by means of the gathering chains 20 toward and into what is commonly referred to as a “feeder house”, which includes a trough 22 disposed generally transverse to the direction of travel of the combine and containing a rotating auger 24. Trough 22 is partially defined by a rear wall 26 having an opening 28 therein. Auger 24 includes first and second flute sections 24a and 24b which are configured so as to direct ears of corn deposited in trough 22 toward opening 28 in the rear wall 26 of the trough so as to discharge the ears of corn rearwardly in the combine for further processing.
The prior art corn head 10 shown in FIG. 1 suffers form several limitations. For example, the rotating gathering chains 20 which displace the separated ears of corn rearwardly tend to break due to excessive loading and foreign objects such as rocks and roots ingested by the corn head 10. Pieces of the broken gathering chains 12 tend to continue on a rearward path in the corn head 10 under the influence of the rotating stalk rolls and enter the combine causing damage or destruction to various combine components and resulting in operational failure. The rotating stalk roll is also subject to plugging, or stalling, when dense weeds or wet stalks are ingested. Any of the aforementioned interruptions in operation results in reduced productivity.
The present invention is intended to overcome the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing a corn head which operates without rotating gathering chains and affords protection from impact damage to, and eliminates clogging of, the pick-up cones in the leading stage, or crop ingestion portion, of the corn head.