Patent ID: 8578689

Claim:
A front attachment ( 1 ) for a self-propelled combine harvester for harvesting stalked crop, comprising a plurality of intake conveyor mechanisms ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 ), which are arranged side by side and each comprise grooved conveyor wheels ( 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ) that rotate about a substantially vertical rotational axis, and snapping units ( 21 , 22 , 27 , 28 ) are located downstream of the intake conveyor mechanisms ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ) in the direction of crop flow, and comprise snapping rollers ( 29 , 30 ) extending horizontally and transversely to the direction of travel, and a transverse conveyor ( 33 ) is equipped with opposing auger sections ( 34 , 35 ), via which harvested fruits of the stalked crop are drawn together in the center of the front attachment ( 1 ) and fed from there to a feed rake ( 2 ), wherein the grooved conveyor wheels of the individual intake conveyor mechanisms comprise, on the outer circumference, radially extending driving elements ( 47 ), which engage via sections into guide channels ( 17 , 18 , 23 , 24 ) formed by a lower cover ( 14 ) and upper covers ( 15 , 16 ) of the grooved conveyor wheels ( 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ) to pick up and convey plant stalks, wherein the guide channels ( 17 , 18 , 23 , 24 ) are oriented substantially in the direction of travel in the inlet region and, in the outlet region, in the direction of a snapping gap ( 40 , 44 , 45 ) formed between the snapping rollers ( 29 , 30 ), and wherein the guide channels ( 17 , 18 , 23 , 24 ) are equipped with end sections ( 19 , 20 , 25 , 26 ), which guide the stalked crop in the direction of the center of the attachment.