Stripper apparatus crop harvesting system

A system for removing parts from plants rooted in an agricultural field while leaving other parts of the plants rooted in the agricultural field, the system comprising:

• a harvester apparatus having a front and a rear, the harvester being configured to receive the plants into an intake throat toward the front of the harvester apparatus, the harvester apparatus comprising:
• a harvester frame having a forward end toward the front of the harvester apparatus and a rearward end toward the rear of the harvester apparatus;
• a harvester housing mounted on the harvester frame and defining an interior of the harvester apparatus;
• an infeed head being rotatably mounted on the harvester frame toward the front of the harvester apparatus and forming a portion of the intake throat, the infeed head including a drum having an infeed head surface thereon and a plurality of fingers extending outwardly from the infeed head surface;
• an infeed conveyor being spaced from the infeed head by a gap forming a portion of the intake throat, the infeed conveyor including an infeed belt having an outer surface and a plurality of fingers extending outwardly from the outer surface of the infeed belt;
• wherein a portion of the fingers on the infeed head and on the belt extend into the gap forming the intake throat to strip plant parts from the plants rooted in the agricultural field;
• and
• wherein the infeed head and the infeed conveyor are positioned on the harvester frame to produce interdigitation within the intake throat between the fingers on the infeed head and the fingers on the infeed conveyor to facilitate the stripping action on the plant.