Apparatus and method for harvesting and windrowing corn

The corn harvesting apparatus of claim 9 wherein each said knife adjoins and is integral with a said cornstalk pusher with each said knife being generally horizontally oriented with an integral, generally upright pusher extending therefrom and each said integral knife and pusher having an L-shaped cross section with the base of said L defining said knife and the vertical leg of said L defining said pusher so that stalks severed by said knife may be confined between said knife and said pusher and thereby moved toward said predetermined stalk discharge location.

A corn harvesting apparatus movable along a path for harvesting standing cornstalks enrooted in the ground and having attached ears while saving most corn plant residue resulting from husking of the ears so as to reduce crop loss and usable with a corn harvesting implement having a power source and corn harvesting heads on the implement for gripping of the cornstalks, the implement having means for picking the ears from the cornstalks and means for husking the ears and having a discharge aperture for discharge of corn plant residue resulting from husking, comprising:

• cornstalk cutting means energizable from the power source and attachable to the implement below the heads and above the ground to sever standing stalks while the stalks pass through the harvesting heads;
• and
• cornstalk windrow defining means energizable by the power source and attachable to the implement and located rearwardly of said cornstalk cutting means to receive severed stalks and to move the stalks laterally relative to the implement and to deposit the stalks along the path of the implement so as to define a windrow of such stalks along the path of the implement and beneath the discharge aperture so that corn plant residue from the aperture drops downwardly onto the windrow and is supported on the windrow for curing.

A method of harvesting standing cornstalks with attached ears so as to save most corn plant residue resulting from husking of the ears by a corn harvesting implement moving along a path and having corn harvesting heads and ear husking means and having a discharge aperture for discharge of the corn plant residue comprising the steps of:

• cutting the cornstalks above ground level and below the harvesting heads;
• collecting the severed cornstalks and arranging them in a windrow along the path of the implement;
• discharging the corn plant residue onto the already formed windrow to keep the corn plant residue spaced from the ground and immeshed in and supported on the windrow for curing.

A corn harvesting apparatus movable along a path and usable for harvesting standing cornstalks rooted in the ground and having attached ears of corn and usable with a corn harvesting implement having a power source and corn harvesting heads on the implement for engaging the standing cornstalks, removing the ears from the stalks and husking the ears, and having a discharge aperture for discharge of corn plant residue resulting from husking in order to save most corn plant residue so as to reduce crop loss, comprising:

• cornstalk cutting means energizable by the power source and operatively positionable below the corn harvesting heads and above the ground to sever standing cornstalks as the stalks are engaged by the harvesting heads;
• and
• cornstalk windrow defining means operatively mountable to the implement below the harvesting heads and rearwardly of said cornstalk cutting means to collect severed stalks as such stalks leave the harvesting heads and to direct the stalks laterally relative to the implement to define a windrow of such stalks along the path of the implement with the windrow being positioned adjacent the implement so that corn plant residue from the implement may be deposited onto the windrow and is supported on and retained by the windrow for curing.