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History of the John Deere Corn Sheller

History of the John Deere Corn Sheller
 
MachineFinder Blog                             www.MachineFinder.com
 
Whether we are aware of it or not, corn is present in nearly all aspects of most Americans’ daily lives. Sure, we know people and livestock enjoy consuming it directly as a food source. But, did you know it’s also used as a resource for the production of starches, sweeteners, beverage (and industrial) alcohol, and fuel ethanol? And of course, it can be used as a high-quality animal bedding material as well.
 
While the uses for corn continue to evolve, one thing remains constant: cob collection. Let’s take a closer look at the history of corn cob collection and John Deere’s entry into the corn sheller market.
 
Early Corn Cob Collection
 
Very early on, corn was typically shelled by hand and used for things like fuel for heating, fertilizer, cattle feed, and bedding. The process of shelling corn was a community affair, with family and friends gathering at a shelling bee to fill buckets with kernels and toss the cobbs into a pile. This process is where the saying “hands rough-as-cob” was born.
 
Mechanical Corn Shelling
 
Mechanical corn shellers were introduced in the 1800s as a means to simplify the process for producers and their families. Early versions ranged from hand-held to larger and more elaborate units. Wheel-type shellers were introduced shortly after, in 1815. With these shellers, the operator would turn a hand crank (spiked disk) to drop kernels into a container that was placed below. The picker wheel was eventually enclosed and the ears were channeled through the machine, leaving the cobbs and kernels together. However, this left the operator having to separate the two manually.
 
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I Spilled So Much Corn

Video: I Spilled So Much Corn

Remembering all Veterans today. (11/11/2024) No one got out of the hot seat today: Laura spilled corn, Grant ruined a tractor rim, and Gage got the skid steer stuck. Little Larry Loader came to the rescue, most of the corn was picked up. Harvey from Graham Tire was able to come out and install a replacement rim. Yankum ropes always come in handy (they make great Christmas gifts and I have a discount code!!) and the Bobcat is just fine. How is your Monday going??