Patent ID: 9743587
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: A01D

Claim:
1. A plant stalk stomper assembly operable to be mounted relative to a toolbar of a row crop header for advancement over the ground in a forward travel direction, said stomper assembly comprising: a frame operable to attach the stomper assembly relative to the toolbar; and an elongated stomper skid plate operable to engage the ground as the stomper assembly is advanced in the forward travel direction, said skid plate comprising an attachment section along which the skid plate is mounted relative to the frame, at least part of said skid plate including a unitary plate element that extends rearwardly from the attachment section to include a lowermost ground-engaging margin, wherein said unitary plate element includes a deformation region located between the attachment section and the ground-engaging margin, the unitary plate element having opposite lateral side edges that extend longitudinally between the attachment section and the ground-engaging margin with at least one transverse slot projecting laterally inboard from a respective one of the side edges such that the unitary plate element is configured to bend along the deformation region in response to a forward-to-aft relative movement between the attachment section and the ground-engaging margin.