A stalk roll having twelve flutes extending radially from the main cylinder along the length of the main cylinder. Within the row unit opposing stalk rolls cooperate to engage and capture the corn stalk, thereafter, controlling and processing the corn stalk. The flutes may be configured with differing edges to facilitate control and movement of the stalk to the point of ear separation within the row unit. The flutes may be configured such that opposing compressive forces acting on the exterior of the stalk at approximately 180 of separation operate to implode the stalk while sharp edges on the flutes operate to cut the stalk into small segments which are deposited on the ground for decomposition.

An attachment for connection to a harvester comprises a plurality of picking devices (2) arranged next to each other and in a distributed manner along the working width. Each picking device (2) has a picking gap (6), below which are disposed at least two picking rotors (10) which can be driven to rotate in opposite directions, the picking rotors (10) being provided with flutes (12), which project in a radial direction beyond the rotor casing (16) and the enveloping circles (20) of which mesh with each other. To propose a way of easily adapting the picking rotors to different harvesting conditions without having to replace them all, the invention proposes for one or more shear bars (18) which are releasably connected to the picking rotor (10) and/or to the flutes (12) to be inserted in the intermediate space (22) between adjacent flutes (12) of a picking rotor (10), the shear bars filling portions of said intermediate space during a rotating movement of the picking rotors (10).

An agricultural vehicle with a header including multiple row units each include a feed/snapping unit and a chopping unit. The header further includes a first power transmission shaft for driving the feed/snapping units, and a second power transmission shaft connected via a drivetrain to a drive at the agricultural vehicle. Each chopper unit includes a safety clutch and is connected via the safety clutch to the second power transmission shaft. At least one torque sensor is provided for the second power transmission shaft, drivetrain, or drive, which torque sensor is operationally connected to a torque fluctuation monitor configured to recognize a predetermined change in torque fluctuation indicating a safety clutch slip. The torque fluctuation monitor is operationally connected to a user interface for signaling the safety clutch slip.

One embodiment of a stalk roll to be mounted upon a stalk roll drive shaft of a corn harvesting header comprises a cylindrical shell with a recess in the main cylinder, wherein reduced flutes are not present in the recess, but full flutes are present therein. This embodiment includes a stalk slot having a length equal to the length of the recess. Additionally, the flutes may be configured such that a stalk engagement gap is present at least once during a full revolution of two opposing stalk rolls.

A stalk roll assembly for header of a combine harvester. The assembly includes first and second stalk rolls spaced laterally with respect to one another and rotating in opposite directions. Each stalk roll includes a frusto-conical nose and a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body includes a plurality of radially extending flutes. The nose includes a pair of helical flights. The plurality of flutes includes at least one cutting flute having a straight edge and a plurality of puncturing flutes with teeth. The stalk rolls are laterally offset a distance that permits the tips of the flutes to laterally overlap and the teeth of the puncturing flutes are longitudinally offset so the tips of the teeth are received between with the valleys of the teeth of the other stalk roll.

A dust restrictor is provided for eliminating dust and dirt accumulation between surfaces. The dust restrictor includes at least one dust restricting element and an attachment mechanism. The dust restricting element is disposed in a dust accumulating area of an arrangement. The attachment mechanism is provided for fixing each of the dust restricting elements to the dust accumulating area.

A stalk roll mountable to a header of an agricultural combine for rotation about a rotation axis during processing of plant stalks has an annular drum with detachable blades. The stack roll has a plurality of circumferentially spaced flutes extending in an axial direction of the rotation axis of the drum and projecting radially outwardly from the drum. The flutes define mounting surfaces along lengths of the flutes. A plurality of blades are attachable to the drum with multiple of the plurality of blades being attachable to the mounting surface of a common one of the flutes. Mounting hardware is configured to removably connect the blades to the mounting surfaces of the flutes.

A stalk roll assembly for header of a combine harvester. The assembly includes first and second stalk rolls spaced laterally with respect to one another and rotating in opposite directions. Each stalk roll includes a frusto-conical nose and a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body includes a plurality of radially extending flutes. The nose includes a pair of helical flights. The plurality of flutes includes at least one cutting flute having a straight edge and a plurality of puncturing flutes with teeth. The stalk rolls are laterally offset a distance that permits the tips of the flutes to laterally overlap and the teeth of the puncturing flutes are longitudinally offset so the tips of the teeth are received between with the valleys of the teeth of the other stalk roll.

A method for creating a narrow row head unit which may include a back plate secured to a left gearbox and a right gearbox, and which gearboxes may be positioned adjacent one another. Each gearbox may provide rotational power to a pair of stalk rolls and a drive sprocket for a gathering chain. A right mounting tab may be secured to the back plate and the right gearbox, and a left mounting tab may be secured to the back plate and left gearbox. A right plate and leg may extend outward from the back plate adjacent the right mounting tab and a left plate and leg may extend outward from the back plate adjacent the left mounting tab. A narrow row head unit positioned left-of-center on a header may have the gathering chain positioned substantially over the right plate, and right-of-center substantially over the left plate.

A corn harvester includes a first stalk roll having a plurality of first blades circumferentially spaced apart by a first angle. A second stalk roll has a plurality of second blades circumferentially spaced apart by a second angle. The first and second stalk rolls are rotatable about parallel first and second axes that are separated by a centerline therebetween. In an operational state when a tip of one first blade is aligned with the centerline, a tip of one second blade is angularly offset from the centerline by a third angle. The third angle is less than 45% of the second angle. The one first blade forms a cross section perpendicular to the first axis having an altitude extending from the tip toward the first axis along a first blade altitude. The cross section of the one first blade is asymmetric about the first blade altitude.