Method and apparatus for harvesting corn or other cereals

A harvester for moving through an harvesting rows of plants which have grain, including corn and other cereals, growing on stalks, comprising:

• gathering means for gathering the plants of a row in a vertical orientation as the harvester moves in the row direction;
• a horizontal plucking gap including a shell carrying a fixed plucking edge extending transversely of the direction of travel of the harvester and transversely of the vertical orientation of the plants, and a rotatable draw-in drum parallel to and spaced from said plucking edge to therewith define said plucking gap;
• guide means coupling said gathering means, said plucking edge and said draw-in drum for guiding gathered plants transversely into said plucking gap,
• said rotatable draw-in drum engaging one side of a plant forcing the stalk against said shell and said plucking edge and simultaneously drawing the plant downwardly so that the grain is plucked from the stalk by said plucking edge;
• and
• chopping means mounted adjacent said plucking gap for chopping the stalks into pieces while the stalks are being drawn downwardly by said draw-in drum.