Attachment for harvesting stalk-like goods where each cutting and conveying element is controlled individually

1. An attachment for agricultural harvesting machines for cutting, picking up and further conveying of stalk-like goods that flow into an intake gap of an intake housing of the harvesting machine for further processing, having in each case at least two cutting and conveying elements, which are together positioned on one or each side of a vertical longitudinal center plane and are driven rotationally about vertical axes, means for changing the rotational direction of one cutting and conveying element independently of the other cutting and conveying elements of the attachment, and means for controlling each cutting and conveying element individually and independently.

2. An attachment according to claim 1 , wherein at least one cutting and conveying element is at least one of reversible and stoppable independently of the other cutting and conveying elements of the attachment.

3. An attachment according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting and conveying elements have associated drive elements to change the rotational directions of the cutting and conveying elements by actuation of said drive elements.

4. An attachment according to claim 3 , wherein the drive element is a shifting gear mechanism.

5. An attachment according to claim 3 , wherein the drive element is a clutch.

6. An attachment according to claim 3 , wherein the drive element can be coupled to a main drive train which is drive-connected to a drive motor of a carrier vehicle.

7. An attachment according to claim 3 , wherein the drive element is a hydraulic motor which is drive-connected to the drive motor of a carrier vehicle.

8. An attachment according to claim 3 , wherein each drive element is assigned a switching element as an actuating device for switching on, switching off and/or for reversing the rotational direction.

9. An attachment according to claim 3 , wherein each drive element is assigned an overload safeguard which reacts and triggers a stop function once a predefined threshold value that relates to a maximum predefined drive torque is exceeded.

10. An attachment according to claim 3 , wherein each drive element is assigned at least one rotational speed sensor.

11. An attachment according to claim 3 , wherein each drive element is assigned at least one rotational direction sensor.

12. An attachment according to claim 4 , wherein the shifting gear mechanism has at least one clutch.

13. An attachment according to claim 4 , wherein the shifting gear mechanism has two clutches.

14. An attachment according to claim 13 , wherein the clutches of a shifting gear mechanism interact with one another in such a way that they either close, open or reverse the drive connection to the cuffing and conveying elements as a result of the type of their connection to a main drive train.

15. An attachment according to claim 12 , wherein the clutch is an integral constituent part of the shifting gear mechanism.

16. An attachment according to claim 12 , wherein the clutch is configured as a multiple disk clutch.

17. An attachment according to claim 1 , wherein said attachment has a closed hydraulic drive system for driving the cutting and conveying elements.

18. An attachment according to claim 17 , wherein the closed hydraulic drive system comprises substantially a pump station, hydraulic motors having the associated control valves, a pressure limiting device and a hydraulic tank, the drive of the hydraulic pump being drive-connected to a drive motor of a carrier vehicle.

19. An attachment according to claim 17 , wherein the hydraulic drive system is a load-sensing system which is regulated as a function of the load.

20. An attachment according to claim 17 , wherein the hydraulic drive system is a load-sensing system which is regulated by pressure and/or conveying flow.

21. An attachment according to claim 17 , wherein the hydraulic drive system has a closed hydraulic circuit.

22. An attachment according to claim 17 , wherein each hydraulic motor is assigned a pressure cutoff means as an overload safeguard.

23. An attachment according to claim 1 , wherein said attachment can be controlled by a central control device of a carrier vehicle.

24. An attachment according to claim 1 , wherein said attachment holds a microprocessor.

25. An attachment according to claim 23 , further comprising a microprocessor that communicates with an actuating and monitoring device of the harvesting machine via a data bus connection.

26. An attachment according to claim 23 , wherein a control device on the attachment and the central control device of the carrier vehicle communicate via a data bus connection.

27. An attachment according to claim 23 , wherein the driver of the carrier vehicle can actuate the drive elements via the central control device, optionally in groups.

28. An attachment according to claim 1 , wherein selective actuation makes it possible to set in operation or take out of operation or reverse all drive elements or groups thereof.

29. An attachment according to claim 17 , wherein an instantaneous driving speed of a carrier vehicle is fed back to the load-sensing regulation, within the context of limiting the power consumption.

30. An attachment according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment is a corn picker head.

31. An attachment for agricultural harvesting machines for cutting, picking up and further conveying of stalk-like goods that flow into an intake gap of an intake housing of the harvesting machine for further processing, having in each case at least two cutting and conveying elements, which are spaced apart on both sides of a vertical longitudinal center plane and are driven rotationally about vertical axes, wherein the rotational direction of one cuffing and conveying element is changeable independently of the other cuffing and conveying elements of the attachment, wherein the cuffing and conveying elements have associated drive elements to change the rotational directions of the cuffing and conveying elements by actuation of said drive elements, and wherein each drive element is assigned a slip measuring device which triggers a stop function once a threshold value that relates to a predefined nominal rotational speed is exceeded.