Patent ID: 6820404
Filing Date: 2004-11-23
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
A harvesting assembly for harvesting agricultural crops comprising:a harvesting assembly frame; a cutter blade mounted on said harvesting assembly frame for severing crop material from plant roots; a crop conveyor mounted on said harvesting assembly frame and having a forward conveyor end that is to the rear of the cutter blade and above a cutting edge on the cutter blade; a left side lifter disk rotatably supported on said harvesting assembly frame for rotation about a left disk axis and having a lift disk periphery; a right side lifter disk rotatably supported on said harvesting assembly frame for rotation about a right disk axis and having a right disk periphery, and wherein the left disk periphery diverges from the right disk periphery above and forward of the left disk axis and the right disk axis to receive and gather crop material, and wherein the left disks periphery converges with the right disk periphery below and to the rear of the left disk axis and the right disk axis to pinch crop material severed from plant roots by the cutter blade, to lift the pinched crop material as the left side disk and the right side disk rotate and wherein the left disk periphery diverges from the right disk periphery above the crop material conveyor and releases crop material; and wherein the left side lifter disk and the right side lifter disk are both supported on said harvester frame in positions in which the left disk periphery and the right disk periphery are at a higher elevation than a lowest portion of the forward conveyor end during operation.