Patent ID: 8635843

Claim:
An apparatus for harvesting agricultural row crops having stalks, comprising (a) a frame having a front portion and a rear portion, said frame configured for traversing along a field of row crops; (b) a hollow arm mounted adjacent an upper section of said front portion of said frame, said hollow arm comprising a first section disposed along an incline formed by said upper section of said front portion of said frame and the ground, said first section having a first end and a second end; (c) a stalk inlet positioned adjacent said first end of said first section of said hollow arm, said stalk inlet for receiving stalks of row crops; (d) means for cutting stalks of row crops, said means for cutting stalks mounted within said first section of said hollow arm; (e) means for engaging and conveying the stalks along said hollow arm; and (f) a biased guide assembly for accommodating stalks of varied diameters, said biased guide assembly comprising a plurality of individual biasing members positioned along at least a portion of said hollow arm to apply an accommodating clamping force to the stalks sufficient to keep each stalk substantially upright as they are conveyed along at least a portion of said hollow arm, said accommodating clamping force accommodating possible differences in stalk diameters from one stalk to another, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of individual biasing members include a friction-reducing polymeric coating.