Harvesting machine for stripping seeds from a standing crop

In a harvesting machine having a mobile main frame adapted to advance over a field and a forward harvesting header structure carried by the main frame and including an axially transverse stripping rotor journalled on a lower front portion of the header structure and driven in a direction whereby the front side of the rotor moves upwardly, the rotor engaging the heads of standing crops as the machine advances to strip seeds in the heads from the stems of the crop and propel the seeds rearwardly to crop collecting means on a rearward portion of the header structure, the improvement comprising:

• an axially transverse upper rotor journalled on and spanning the width of the header structure directly above the stripping rotor and including a rotor drum and a plurality of axially extending vanes mounted on the periphery of the drum;
• an arcuate downwardly open concave hood having a slightly larger radius of curvature than the periphery of the upper rotor and mounted on the header structure in an overlying relationship with the upper rotor, the hood having a forward transversely extending terminal edge generally below the axis of the upper rotor and above the level of the heads of the standing crop and above the level of the top of the stripping rotor;
• and
• means for driving the upper rotor in the opposite direction from the stripping rotor so that the vanes on the upper rotor generate an air flow between the rotor and the hood that is directed downwardly and rearwardly as it moves past the terminal edge of the hood to deflect the heads of crop material toward the stripping rotor and assist in the rearward propulsion of seeds stripped by the stripping rotor to the crop collecting means.