Three row row crop attachment

Claim 2

A three row row crop attachment for harvesting stalklike crops comprising frame means having a single rear discharge opening and having a center crop gathering passage and two side crop gathering passages on opposite sides of said center passage with respective forward portions widening forwardly passages intermediately turned to terminate at said for respectively receiving three rows of stalklike crops and narrow stalkways rearward of said forward portion, upper and lower chain gathering means for pulling stalklike crops through said passages, said lower chain gathering means having two crop gathering chains on opposite sides of said center crop gathering passage and in the same plane and two sets of crop gathering chains with each set having crop gathering chains on opposite sides of said respective side crop gathering passages, said crop gathering chains on opposite sides of said respective side crop gathering passages being in different planes and planes different from said center crop gathering chains.

Claim 3

A three row row crop attachment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper chain gathering means comprises crop gathering chains on each side of said respective passages with said crop gathering chains of said side crop gathering passages being in the same plane and said crop gathering chains of said center crop gathering passage being in a other than said same plane.

Claim 4

A three row row crop header as set forth in claim l wherein said frame means has a sickle and said side passages have upper portions turning towards the rear discharge opening in advance of said sickle and lower portions turning towards said rear discharge opening at said sickle. 4 A three row row crop attachment for harvesting corn comprising a supporting frame having four longitudinally extending laterally spaced lower frame members and a center rear discharge opening, crop guide means mounted on said lower frame members and extending upwardly to form with said lower frame members a center and two side crop gathering passages, crop cutting means mounted on said supporting frame, said lower members and crop guide means narrow said passages to said crop cutting means, said crop guide means extending rearwardly from said crop cutting means with said guide means for said center crop gathering passage having facing parallel sidewalls, said guide means for said side crop gathering passages having walls at an angle extending to said center rear discharge opening, crop gathering means on said guide means having upper and lower sets of crop gathering chain means, said upper crop gathering chain means having three pair of upper crop gathering chains for said center and side crop gathering passages respectively and said lower crop gathering means having three pair of lower crop gathering chains for said center.

Claim 5

A three row row crop attachment as set forth in claim 4 wherein said lower frame members are arranged into two outer side lower frame members and two inner lower frame members between said side lower frame members said inner members each having two crop guide means transversely spaced on a respective inner member and said inner lower members have openings for passing debris between said guide means and through said lower frame members. 6 A three row row crop attachment as set forth in Claim 4 wherein said supporting frame has a base frame with said four lower frame members extending forwardly therefrom as two, outer lower frame members on opposite sides and two inner lower frame members on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said base frame said base frame having a center platelike means and two side platelike means on opposite sides of said center platelike means said center platelike means having a center crop passing channel and chainboards on opposite sides of said center crop passing channel, said side platelike means having side crop passing channels respectively at an angle to said center crop passing channel and extending towards said rear discharge opening, inner and outer chainboards on opposite sides of said side crop passing channels, said side chainboards on opposite sides of said side channels respectively being in different planes and said center chainboards being in the same plane which is different from the planes of said side chainboards.

Claim 6

A three row row crop attachment as set forth in claim 6 wherein said outer side chainboards are in the same plane and said inner side chainboards are in the same plane which is different from said outer side chainboards and said center chainboards.

Claim 7

A three row row crop attachment as set forth in claim 7 wherein said side platelike means extend to said respective outer and inner lower frame members and said inner side chainboards extend to said respective inner lower frame members.

Claim 8

A three row row crop attachment as set forth in claim 6 wherein a lateral beam extends transversely across the attachment at the forward part of said base frame and a cross beam extends transversely across the rear of said base frame.

Claim 9

A three row row crop attachment as set forth in claim 6 wherein said side channels are at a higher level than said center channel for feeding stalks from said side channels to said rear discharge opening at a different level from the stalks from said center channel.

Claim 10

A three row row crop attachment as set forth in claim 10 wherein said side channels are at the same level.

Claim 11

A three row row crop attachment as set forth in claim 4 wherein forward and rearward drive means are provided with the forward drive means having means connected to said upper center crop gathering chains and means connected to said upper and lower crop gathering chains on the side of said crop gathering passages adjacent to said center crop gathering passage and said rearward drive means having means connected to said lower center crop gathering chains and means connected to said upper and lower side crop gathering chains on the opposite side of said side crop gathering passages adjacent to said center crop gathering passage.

Claim 12

A three row row crop attachment as set forth in claim 4 wherein said lower frame members have openings for passing debris to the ground.