Device for removing vines from sweet potato and the like

A vine removal device, comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of spaced-apart vine agitators movably carried by the frame so as to form a vine-feeding maw between the vine agitators, wherein each of the vine agitators comprises a vine-capturing shaft carrying a plurality of longitudinally-spaced vine-engaging tines extending outwardly from the respective vine-capturing shaft;
• a driven vine-cutter movably carried by the frame and driven relative to the frame, wherein:
• the vine-cutter is disposed in registration with the maw to receive and cut vines fed into the maw by the vine agitators;
• the vine-cutter comprises at least one vine-cutting shaft rotatably carried by the frame;
• and
• each vine-cutting shaft carries a plurality of longitudinally-spaced vine-cutting blades extending outwardly from the respective vine-cutting shaft, the vine-cutting blades being pivotally carried by the vine-cutting shaft;
• and
• at least one drive mechanism drivingly coupled to the vine-cutter and the vine agitators to drive the vine-cutter and the vine agitators;
• whereby the vine agitators capture the vines and feed them into the maw, where the vines are cut into mulch by the vine-cutter.