50023

In 1850, E. W. Quincy of Illinois patented an open-roll ear-snapping mechanism. A series of innovations led to corn heads for combines. Harvesting corn with corn pickers using open rolls on corn pickers after 1925 proved to be dangerous as farmers often needed to clear stalks from the rolls. In 1885, E. M. Aiken, Dawson, ND, patented shielded snapping rolls with flat plates above the rolls. C. K Shedd and E. V. Collins, Ames, IA, patented a more aggressive shielded snapping device in 1941 which was later used on sweet corn pickers.