Nut harvester with a removable assembly and a method of replacing a removable assembly of a nut harvester
AssigneeJackrabbit
InventorRobert DeMont
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for replacing a removable assembly from a harvester for collecting and separating harvested crop product from twigs, dirt, dust, and other debris. A removable assembly for picking up harvested crop product and a removable assembly for separating the picked up harvested crop product from twigs, dirt, dust, and other debris are mounted to be changed out quickly in the field. A removable pickup assembly is received for removably mounting in the harvester by an inclined slot formed in a sidewall of the harvester body frame, so that the removable pickup assembly with the worn belt is lifted up and out and a replacement removable pickup assembly with a new belt is dropped into its place.
Claims24
A nut harvester comprising:
- a body frame;
- a pickup assembly motor;
- a pickup assembly torque arm connected to the pickup assembly motor, the pickup assembly torque arm including a pickup assembly torque arm slot;
- and
- at least one removable assembly, wherein the at least one removable assembly is a removeable pickup assembly and the removeable pickup assembly comprises:
- a pickup assembly drive shaft;
- a pickup assembly idle shaft;
- a belt wrapped around the pickup assembly drive shaft and the pickup assembly idle shaft;
- and
- a stretcher assembly providing tension and support to the pickup assembly drive shaft and the pickup assembly idle shaft, wherein the stretcher assembly comprises:
- a stretcher assembly side plate adapted for mounting the pickup assembly drive shaft and the pickup assembly idle shaft to the stretcher assembly side plate;
- a closed bracket attached to the stretcher assembly side plate and to which the pickup assembly idle shaft is secured via an idle shaft bearing block;
- an open bracket attached to the stretcher assembly side plate and to which the pickup assembly drive shaft is secured via a drive shaft bearing block;
- and
- a stretcher rod penetrating the closed bracket and attached to the open bracket.
A nut harvester comprising:
- a body frame;
- a pickup assembly motor;
- at least one removable assembly, wherein the at least one removable assembly is a removeable pickup assembly and the removeable pickup assembly comprises:
- a pickup assembly drive shaft;
- a pickup assembly idle shaft;
- a belt wrapped around the pickup assembly drive shaft and the pickup assembly idle shaft;
- and
- a stretcher assembly providing tension and support to the pickup assembly drive shaft and the pickup assembly idle shaft, wherein the stretcher assembly comprises:
- a stretcher assembly side plate adapted for mounting the pickup assembly drive shaft and the pickup assembly idle shaft to the stretcher assembly side plate;
- a closed bracket attached to the stretcher assembly side plate and to which the pickup assembly idle shaft is secured via an idle shaft bearing block;
- an open bracket attached to the stretcher assembly side plate and to which the pickup assembly drive shaft is secured via a drive shaft bearing block;
- and
- a stretcher rod penetrating the closed bracket and attached to the open bracket,
- and;
- a pickup assembly motor coupler coupling the pickup assembly motor to the pickup assembly drive shaft.
A nut harvester comprising:
- a body frame;
- at least one removable assembly, wherein the at least one removable assembly is a removeable pickup assembly;
- a separator assembly motor;
- a removeable separator assembly, wherein the removable separator assembly comprises:
- a separator assembly side plate,
- a separator assembly drive shaft, and
- at least one separator assembly shafts
- and;
- a separator assembly torque arm connected to the separator assembly motor, the separator assembly torque arm including a separator assembly torque arm slot.
A nut harvester comprising:
- a body frame;
- at least one removable assembly, wherein the at least one removable assembly is a removeable pickup assembly;
- a separator assembly motor;
- a removeable separator assembly, wherein the removable separator assembly comprises:
- a separator assembly side plate,
- a separator assembly drive shaft, and
- at least one separator assembly shafts
- and;
- a separator assembly motor coupler coupling the separator assembly motor to the separator assembly drive shaft.
A method of replacing at least one removable assembly, wherein the at least one removable assembly is a removeable pickup assembly, the method comprising:
- decoupling a motor from a shaft of the removable assembly;
- removing the removable assembly from a nut harvester by unmounting the removable assembly from a body frame of the nut harvester;
- mounting a replacement removable assembly to the body frame;
- and
- coupling the motor to a shaft of the replacement removable assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.