Gathering unit for corn harvesters

Claim 1

A CORN HARVESTER INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING A STRIPPING SLOT, SNAPPING MEANS FOR PULLING STANDING CORN STALKS THROUGH SAID STRIPPING SLOT FOR REMOVING THE EARS THEREFROM, AND GATHERING MEANS PROJECTING FORWARDLY OF SAID STRIPPING SLOT AND SNAPPING MEANS FOR DIRECTING STANDING CORN STALKS INTO THE STRIPPING SLOT AS THE HARVESTER ADVANCES AXIALLY ALONG A ROW OF STANDING CORN CHARACTERIZED BY SAID GATHERING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSED WHEELS AND A PLURALITY OF INWARDLY PROJECTING FINGERS NEAR THE PERIPHERY OF EACH OF SAID WHEELS, THE FINGERS ON THE OPPOSED WHEELS MOVING IN CIRCULAR PATHS ABOUT AXES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE WHEELS, SAID WHEELS BEING SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATABLE IN A DIRECTION TO CAUSE THE FINGERS TO MOVE TOWARD THE STRIPPING SLOT IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THEIR RESPECTIVE PATHS, AND TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE STRIPPING SLOT IN THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE PATHS, SAID WHEELS BEING DISPOSED IN CONVERGING PLANES TO CAUSE THE FINGERS ON THE OPPOSED WHEELS TO CONVERGE TOWARD EACH OTHER AS THEY MOVE TOWARD THE STRIPPING SLOT AND ENGAGE THE CORN STALKS AND FEED THEM THEM INTO THE STRIPPING SLOT.