Two row row crop attachment with lower crop gathering means at the center than at the sides

Claim 1

A two row row crop attachment for a forage harvester of the type having upper and lower feed rolls for receiving crop stalks from said attachment and feeding the stalks rearwardly into the harvester, said row crop attachment comprising: a rear base frame; a center frame on said base frame and having a front and a rear end; left and right side frames on said base frame disposed respectively on opposite sides of the center and having front ends and rear ends, the side frames co-acting with the center frame to define left and right generally fore-and-aft extending stalkways for rows of crop stalks, the stalkways extending from the front of the center and side frame to the rear ends thereof; cutting means disposed in said stalkways adjacent the ground for cutting stalk type crops; fore-and-aft extending lower and upper side crop gathering means in the side frame disposed adjacent said stalkways; fore-and-aft extending lower center crop gathering means in the center frame disposed adjacent said stalkways and adapted to engage crop stalks in said stalkways in cooperation with said lower side crop gathering means; and fore-and-aft extending upper center crop gathering means in the center frame disposed adjacent said stalkways, the rear portions of thE upper center crop gathering means being disposed below the adjacent portion of the upper side crop gathering means, the upper center crop gathering means being adapted to engage crop stalks in said stalkways in cooperation with the upper side crop gathering means, the engaged crop stalks being directed inwardly by the portion of the upper side crop gathering means which is disposed above the rear portion of the upper center crop gathering means for a smooth transition of crop from said stalkways to the feed rolls of a forage harvester.