Corn harvester head having adjustable stripper plates

Abstract

Parallelogram linkage apparatus for slidably shifting stripper plates in a corn head of a corn harvesting machine to widen or narrow the gap between opposed plates in a row harvester. Each slidable stripper plate has a parallelogram linkage which slidably connects the plate to a supporting frame. The linkage includes two bell cranks pivotably mounted in spaced apart relationship on the frame and connected by an interconnecting arm and having an actuation shaft extending upward from a lobe of each bell crank to engage motion-transforming members at the stripper plate for transforming the arcuate motion of the bell cranks into linear motion of the stripper plate. The upper ends of the actuation shafts are guided in guide elements at the stripper plate elongated in the direction parallel to an edge of the stripper plate. In a preferred embodiment, the actuation shafts extend through openings in the stripper plate and are fitted with rollers which are guided between parallel flanges on the upper surface of the stripper plate. The parallelogram linkages of opposed stripper plates are pivotably connected to a common drag link by primary and secondary connecting levers, respectively, so that opposed plates in each row harvester are moved in opposite directions. Linkage to a common drag link permits all the plate gaps in a multiple row harvester corn head to be changed simultaneously and identically.