Track Harvester and Method
OwnerKerry T. Desmarais, Thomas Carpenter, JR. +1inventors
InventorsKerry T. Desmarais, Thomas Carpenter, JR., Craig A. Carpenter
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Abstract
An apparatus for removing plant material from a plant body generally comprising a conveyor-stripper assembly having a pair of parallel driven endless belts, with a gap between the belts sized to allow the passage of the plant body but not the plant material growing thereon. A method for harvesting plant material from a plant body comprising pulling the plant body through a gap between two moving endless belts to strip the plant material from the plant body and convey the plant material to a collection point. The apparatus and method are well suited to harvesting hops.
Claims16
An apparatus for removing plant material from a hop bine, comprising:
- a conveyor-stripper assembly comprising a pair of adjacent endless belts with a gap therebetween sized to allow the passage of the hop bine but not the plant material;
- and,
- means for grasping and continuously pulling the hop bine through the gap.
An apparatus for removing plant material from a plant body, comprising:
- an inclined conveyor-stripper assembly comprising a pair of adjacent endless belts adapted to carry removed plant material to a collection point, each belt having an inside edge, the inside edges defining a gap between the belts sized to allow the passage of the plant body but not the plant material;
- a pair of counter-rotating wheels for grasping and continuously pulling the plant body through the gap.
A method for removing plant material from a plant body comprising pulling the plant body through a gap between two moving adjacent endless belts, the gap sized to allow passage of the plant but not the plant material.
A method for harvesting hops comprising pulling a hop bine through a gap between two moving endless belts in a way that strips plant material from the hop bine and leaves the plant material on the moving endless belts to be carried to a collection point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.