Cucumber harvester

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR HARVESTING CUCUMBERS GROWING ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE VINES COMPRISING A SUPPORT STRUCTURE; OPPOSED, NORMALLY ENGAGED VINE GRIPPING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR REMOVING CUCUMBERS FROM THE UPROOTED VINES, SAID VINE GRIPPING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ENDLESS MOVABLE MEMBERS HAVING CONVERGING PERIPHERAL VINE GRIPPING SURFACES MOVING IN CIRCULAR PATHS THAT FORM A NIP THROAT, MEANS FOR URGING SAID MEMBERS TOGETHER TO BRING SAID CIRCULARLY MOVING SURFACES INTO FIRM ENGAGEMENT FOR PINCHING OFF CUCUMBERS BEFORE THEY CAN PASS BETWEEN THE SURFACES; MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR REMOVING THE GREEN VINES FROM THE GROUND; VINE ELEVATING AND NIP THROAT FEEDING MEANS COMPRISING MEANS FOR CONVEYING THE UPROOTED VINES AND ATTACHED CUCUMBERS TO A ZONE THAT IS SPACED FROM SAID NIP THROAT AND FOR URGING THE VINES ACROSS SAID SPACE AND DIRECTLY INTO CONTACT WITH THE VINE GRIPPING SURFACES OF BOTH MOVABLE MEMBERS WITHIN SAID NIP THROAT; SAID NIP THROAT FEEDING MEANS BEING DIRECTED FOR DELIVERING THE VINES TO THE NIP THROAT ALONG A TRAJECTORY THAT SUBSTANTIALLY PASSES BETWEEN SAID VINE GRIPPING SURFACES AT SAID NIP THROAT; AND MEANS FOR CONTINUING THE PULL ON THE VINES AFTER THEY HAVE PASSED THROUGH SAID NIP THROAT, SAID LATTER MEANS COMPRISING A FIRMLY BACKED-UP CONTINUATION OF ONE OF SAID VINE GRIPPING SURFACES TO FORM AN ADDITIONAL VINE GRIPPING ZONE, AND AN OPPOSED VINE GRIPPING SURFACE MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THAT OF SAID CONTINUATION SURFACE, AND MEANS FOR BRINGING SAID OPPOSED VINE GRIPPING SURFACE INTO FIRM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CONTINUATION SURFACE OVER A ZONE OF SUBSTANTIAL LINEAR EXTENT DOWNSTREAM OF SAID NIP THROAT.