Fruit harvesting machine
AssigneeHoward Machinery Limited
InventorRoger Clary
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine for gathering fruit by a shaking and beating action includes a wheeled frame with a longitudinal central tunnel through which the plants pass. A series of groups of flexible beater fingers flank the longitudinal axis of the tunnel, and the beater fingers of each group are on carrier means on a connecting rod which has one end operatively connected to a driver eccentric and the opposite end carried upon a slide block secured to the machine frame. Each group of beater fingers moves generally elliptically so the flexible fingers have a whipping action which shakes the plants to dislodge the fruit. The machine has several adjustments which adapt it to harvesting fruit from a variety of plants, and in particular for gathering grapes from vines of different kinds, sizes and dispositions.
Claims10
A machine for gathering fruit from plants comprising, in combination:
- a wheeled chassis;
- a frame on said chassis;
- a tunnel defined by the frame and extending longitudinally of the machine;
- closure means mounted on the lower part of the frame and closing the base of the tunnel, the closure means being movable away from the longitudinal axis of the machine to allow the plants to pass through the tunnel;
- at least one group of flexible beater fingers disposed at each side of the longitudinal axis of the machine;
- and
- a drive assembly for driving each group of beater fingers in a generally elliptical movement, the drive assembly comprising,
- drive means,
- an eccentric driven by the drive means,
- a connecting rod of which one end is operatively connected to the eccentric,
- a slide block operatively connected to the other end of the connecting rod,
- and carrier means attached to the connecting rod and carrying the beater fingers.
A machine for gathering fruit from plants comprising, in combination:
- a wheeled chassis;
- a frame on said chassis which defines a tunnel oriented longitudinally of the chassis;
- closure means mounted on the lower part of said frame closing the base of said tunnel, said closure means being movable away from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to allow the plants to pass therethrough;
- a pair of brackets within and extending longitudinally along the sides of the tunnel;
- a plurality of groups of beater fingers disposed in longitudinally spaced relationship on each of said brackets, each of said groups including,
- a. a shaft journalled in the bracket,
- b. a crank and an eccentric pin on the shaft,
- c. a connecting rod which has one end portion operatively connected to the eccentric pin and the other end portion movably connected to the bracket,
- d. carrier means on said connecting rod, and
- e. a plurality of resilient beater fingers mounted on said carrier means;
- and means for driving all of said shafts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.