Mechanized Harvester

A mechanized harvester for use with a tractor, the harvester comprising:

• a housing and central axle rotatable in relation thereto and substantially disposed therein, the axle positioned transversely of the normal direction of movement of the tractor;
• the housing having at least one pair of front and rear openings with a void in the bottom portion of the housing therebetween defining a picking path, the longitudinal axis of the picking path being parallel to the normal direction of movement of the tractor;
• at least two paired circular supports positioned perpendicular to the axle and affixed thereto such that the circular support and axle are concurrently rotatable;
• each of the circular supports further comprising an inner hub and an outer circular arm with at least one picking element disposed therebetween;
• the at least one picking element having a curvilinear shape and extending from a plane defined by the circular support into a plane defined by the picking path;
• and
• a trough substantially adjacent each of the at least one circular supports and the trough having an edge parallel with the normal direction of motion of the tractor and defining one side of the picking path and the trough in communication with a transportation system associated with the tractor;
• wherein each circular support of the paired circular supports are positioned opposite of each other across a cutting path such that their respective at least one picking elements extend into the cutting paths in a staggered manner and their associated troughs define the longitudinal edges of the cutting path.

A method of picking product from a plant with a mechanized harvester, the method comprising;

• providing relative motion between the harvester and the plant in a direction of travel of the harvester
• raising low-hanging branches of the plant by interaction with a gatherer that leads to the picking elements;
• rotating at least one picking element in the direction of travel;
• sweeping the picking element through the plant in an arcuate path as the harvester passes the plant;
• engaging the product with the picking elements as the picking elements sweep upward through the plant;
• guiding the product along the picking element such that the product is removed from the plant and deposited in a storage drove adjacent the picking element.
• wherein as the mechanical harvester moves forward such that branches below the housing are engaged by the gatherer and travel along the gatherer to be engaged by the at least one picking element.