Peanut digger-shaker-inverter

A digger-shaker-inverter (DSI) assembly, comprising:

• a row frame;
• and
• a plurality of row units attached to the row frame, each row unit comprising:
• a first belt drive assembly supported by the row frame, the first belt drive assembly comprising:
• a first carrying belt configured to grip a first side of a vine, and
• a fixed bracket having a first length and fixedly mounted to the row frame,
• the fixed bracket having a plurality of idlers mounted thereon, the idlers configured to support the first carrying belt;
• and
• a second belt drive assembly supported by the row frame and having a second length greater than the first length, the second belt drive assembly comprising:
• a second carrying belt configured to grip a second side of the vine,
• an adjustable bracket adjustably mounted to the row frame, the adjustable bracket having a plurality of rollers mounted thereon, the rollers configured to support the second carrying belt,
• springs mounted to the adjustable bracket and each connected to one of the rollers, and
• a curved finger mounted to the adjustable bracket and extending across a path of a vine exiting from a region between the first carrying belt and the second carrying belt, the curved finger configured to invert the exiting vine,
• wherein adjustment of a position of the adjustable bracket, at least in part, a maximum distance between a portion of the first carrying belt and a corresponding portion of the second carrying belt,
• wherein the springs mounted to the adjustable bracket are configured to control, at least in part, the maximum distance between the portion of the first carrying belt and the corresponding portion of the second carrying belt,
• wherein the springs control a minimum distance between the portion of the first carrying belt and the portion of the second carrying belt, and
• wherein the minimum distance is less than a thickness of a thinnest vine to be harvested and the maximum distance is controlled to be less than or equal to a thickness of a thickest vine to be harvested.

A method for a digger-shaker-inverter assembly, comprising:

• fixing a position of a fixed bracket for a first belt drive assembly relative to a row frame, the fixed bracket having a plurality of idlers mounted thereon, the idlers configured to support a first carrying belt;
• adjusting a position, relative to the row frame, of an adjustable bracket of a second belt drive assembly to control, at least in part, a maximum distance between a portion of the first carrying belt on the first belt drive assembly and a corresponding portion of a second carrying belt on the second belt drive assembly, wherein springs mounted to the adjustable bracket are each connected to one of a plurality of rollers mounted to the adjustable bracket;
• gripping a vine on a first side using the first carrying belt supported by idlers mounted on a fixed bracket on the first belt drive assembly;
• gripping the vine on a second side using the second carrying belt supported by the rollers mounted to the adjustable bracket;
• and
• inverting a vine exiting from a region between the first carrying belt and the second carrying belt with a curved finger mounted to the adjustable bracket and extending across a path of the exiting vine,
• wherein the springs control a minimum distance between the portion of the first carrying belt and the corresponding portion of the second carrying belt, wherein the minimum distance is less than a thickness of a thinnest vine to be harvested and the maximum distance is controlled to be less than or equal to a thickness of a thickest vine to be harvested.